Mouth-Watering Ways to Use Instagram Stories for Restaurant Marketing

Are you struggling to effectively use Instagram to market your restaurant and attract more customers? One common obstacle that businesses face when it comes to Instagram marketing is finding ways to stand out and engage their followers. 

With so much content being shared on the platform, it can be difficult to get your content noticed and drive engagement. However, Instagram stories offer a unique opportunity for restaurants to showcase their offerings and connect with their followers creatively and get engagement. Here’s how:

Highlight your dishes

Instagram is all about visuals, and what better way to showcase your restaurant’s offerings than by sharing mouth-watering photos and videos of your dishes? Use these Instagram story templates to give your followers a sneak peek at new menu items, or to showcase your most popular dishes. 

You can even ask your followers to share their photos of your restaurant’s food or to vote on their favorite dishes. By using Instagram stories to highlight your dishes, you can give your followers a taste of what they can expect when they visit your restaurant.

Share behind-the-scenes content

Instagram stories offer a unique opportunity for restaurants to give their followers a behind-the-scenes look at their business. Showing the people, processes, and atmosphere behind the scenes can help to humanize your brand and give your followers a sense of connection to your business. 

For example, you could share short clips of your chefs preparing dishes, your team setting up for a special event, or even just a quick tour of your restaurant’s kitchen. This type of content is particularly popular with food-related businesses, as it gives followers a chance to see the care and attention that goes into the food they will be eating.

Share customer reviews

Social proof is a powerful marketing tool, and what better way to showcase your restaurant’s popularity than by sharing customer reviews on Instagram stories? You can use Instagram’s poll feature to ask your followers if they agree with a particular review. 

Or, you can simply highlight a particularly positive review as a way to showcase your restaurant’s appeal. Sharing customer reviews on Instagram stories can help to build trust and credibility with your followers and can encourage them to visit your restaurant.

Promote events or special offers

Instagram stories are a great way to promote special events or offers at your restaurant. This could include announcing a new happy hour, showcasing a special menu for a holiday, or offering a discount to your followers. 

You can also use Instagram’s “swipe up” feature to send your followers to a landing page on your website where they can learn more about the event and RSVP. By using Instagram stories to promote events or special offers, you can drive traffic to your restaurant and encourage more people to visit.

Share user-generated content

User-generated content is a powerful marketing tool for restaurants looking to showcase their offerings and build a sense of community around their brand. By encouraging your followers to share their own photos and experiences at your restaurant, you can showcase your business in a more authentic and relatable way.

One way is to run a contest or giveaway, where you ask your followers to share their own photos of your restaurant in exchange for a chance to win a prize. This can be an effective way to drive engagement and get more people to share content about your restaurant. Another way to encourage user-generated content is to use Instagram’s “tag a friend” feature, which allows you to ask your followers to tag their friends in your posts. 

Use Instagram’s interactive features

Instagram offers several interactive features that you can use to engage your followers, such as polls, quizzes, and the “swipe up” feature. Use these features to ask your followers for their input, or to drive traffic to your website or other online platforms. 

For example, you could use a poll to ask your followers which dishes they would like to see featured on your menu, or you could use the “swipe up” feature to send them to a special landing page on your website. By using Instagram’s interactive features, you can increase engagement and build a stronger connection with your followers.

A final piece of advice

One important thing to remember when using Instagram stories for marketing is to focus on creating high-quality, visually appealing content. Instagram is a visual platform, and the better your content looks, the more likely it is to stand out and get noticed. So, be sure to put some thought into the content you share on Instagram stories, and consider hiring a professional photographer or videographer to help you create top-notch visuals.

Another thing to keep in mind when using Instagram stories for restaurant marketing is to regularly post new content and keep things fresh. Instagram stories only last for 24 hours, so it’s important to consistently post new content to keep your followers engaged.