Is Your Restaurant on TikTok?
TikTok is one of the hottest apps right now. If your restaurant’s customer base is comprised of Millennials and Gen Z, you should consider marketing on TikTok. It’s the place to be.
Social media already encompasses a fairly significant amount of marketing strategies. You have to meet customers where they are to get the best possible engagement statistics. Thus it’s better to have a small circle of loyal customers than a wide range of people who will try your restaurant once and not come back.
Why TikTok?
TikTok isn’t like most social media platforms. It only hosts videos, which you can make your own with different audios, filters and effects. With hashtags and other user information, AI calculates relevant videos and recommends them on the For You page. Considering TikTok gets 50M daily users in the U.S. alone, of course restaurants want in on the action.
Still, it’s not that easy. Relying on amusing videos rather than text or pictures can be hard, and brands need to somehow reinvent commercials without users, who overwhelmingly dislike ads disrupting their free time, feeling like it’s a commercial.
TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2020, and its popularity will continue growing. From a marketing perspective, videos get good ROI and should be a priority in any marketing strategy. If you’ve got the creative juice, and you’re willing to take on a challenge, strongly consider TikTok marketing.
How to Succeed
When it comes to social media, stay active. The algorithm boosts more recent videos over old ones, making it harder for customers to find them if you don’t post often. Make content frequently, at peak times and using the appropriate hashtags to spread word of your business as far as possible.
Like you always should online, use your logo and the restaurant’s name right on your profile. Social media marketing spreads brand awareness, so strongly associate your restaurant with the account. Increase your engagement by liking, following, commenting and sharing others’ videos to form stronger customer relationships. Then they’ll engage with your content too, teaching the algorithm to show your videos to their friends and so on.
Content should always tie back to your business somehow. Share behind-the-scenes videos of how to make fan-favorite recipes or give up-close looks at gorgeous plating. Don’t forget to hop on trends: Use popular sounds, memes and dances that go viral in a clever way to generate goodwill with customers. You can also create your own trends for people to stitch or duet.
TikTok Fame
Smart TikTok marketing also means…
Going live, which shoots real-time video and lets you interact with followers via chat function.
Previewing new menu items before they’re officially introduced.
Show chefs serving up good food. Encourage customers to stitch the original video when they order and try the meal for themselves.
Reach out to influencers to form mutually beneficial partnerships wherein they promote your restaurant to their thousands, or tens of thousands, of followers.
Don’t underestimate the power of TikTok marketing. Whether you’re trying new content or putting an amusing twist on big trends, it’s the app to be on if you want to draw in younger consumers.
Cross-promote your other social channels on TikTok, try out different videos and see what works best for your business. To get connected and grow your restaurant, join TikTok, where your next customers are already waiting for you.
