It is quite evident how social media has, is, and will keep on changing the way customers discover and buy new products and services. With the ever-increasing number of users, social media has become an indispensable medium for businesses who want to boost their sales during the peak shopping seasons.
Simultaneously, there are more exciting methods and strategies that allow you to drive more sales and traffic to your restaurant through social media.
In this article, you will explore the role played by social media in promoting holiday and seasonal specials for restaurants.
Social Media: The Most Important Tool For Promoting Seasonal and Holiday Delicacies
In the food and hospitality industry, seasons and holidays are the peak times for sales. These are the important times when restaurants bring out their specials and local favorites. These delicacies have various ingredients and spicy layers that offer a mouth-watering experience for diners. To make such an experience worthwhile, social media is extremely important for restaurant marketing.
Additionally, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and various other social media platforms are helping users find new recipes, cooking methods, and other culinary trends. More specifically, food videos have already achieved immense popularity.
These food videos have attracted audiences with delicacies, step-by-step cooking manuals, and close-ups that would set their taste buds on fire. Furthermore, these videos have the ability to evoke temptations that compel viewers to try new recipes.
Users can scroll through their feeds and find a delicious fish and chips recipe, a perfectly iced cake, or a spicy chicken curry. This takes the food cravings to a whole new level, compelling customers to try out a new restaurant or a food joint during the holiday season.
Social Media Food Videos: Influencing Each and Every Customer Decisions Effortlessly
Here’s how a food video on social media can influence the culinary choice of a customer during the holiday season, as given below:
● Food as an Unforgettable Experience:
If you think of social media just as an informative medium, here’s a spoiler alert: You are selling an extraordinary culinary experience through social media platforms.
It’s all about the aesthetic appeal, ambiance, and anticipation for the recipe. During the holiday season, such an experience-powered approach is influential for users to make well-informed decisions.
As for those who watch these videos, they get transported into a world of mouth-watering options. The cozy environment of a well-lit cabin with a hot cup of cappuccino or the hustle and bustle of a busy holiday market will encourage you to recreate such moments in your lifetime.
Subsequently, you will find yourself shopping for specific ingredients, cookware, or culinary indulgence that aligns with what you have witnessed online.
● Finding and Exploring New Trends:
Social media is the biggest hotspot for those searching for new culinary trends. Furthermore, during the holiday season, it becomes specifically relevant. Whether it is the trendiest coffee recipe(remember Dalgona Coffee from the Covid-19 lockdown era) to the trendiest way to decorate your gingerbread house, social media videos take these trends to the next level.
Being a consumer of such kinds of content, you can stay in the loop and stay aware of the new and exciting things that are being introduced during the holiday season. It will definitely influence your choice in many aspects, from your seasonal menu, decorations or the kind of gifts you would want to purchase for others.
Furthermore, businesses can tap into the potential of such trends to create and market products and services that align with the current trends of the culinary world in social media.
● Influencer Marketing:
Culinary influencers like chefs and food writers are known to develop food-related content. Such kinds of content creators have gained a significant amount of followers on social media over a period of time. They also have a major influence over various food-related decisions of their audience.
Furthermore, their recommendations are known to carry a significant weight during the holiday season, many content creators collaborate with brands to display their recipes, ingredients, and the restaurant involved in their content.
Such kinds of influencer marketing services can be influential at a major level as they will connect consumers with products and services by someone they fully trust. If you discover an influencer talking non-stop about a specific recipe they found out during the holidays or a restaurant offering a unique holiday experience, their followers will potentially consider such kinds of options while planning for their holidays.
● Inspiration for Recipes:
One of the most sure-shot ways through which food videos on social media influence holiday shopping is by offering inspiration for recipes. Whether it is a newly added element to a classic delicacy or an overall fresh idea of a recipe, such videos will spark creativity in the user’s kitchen. This also prompts customers to purchase ingredients they might not have any idea about earlier.
During the holiday season, this results in increased sales of seasonal ingredients, special kitchen equipment and gadgets, and cookware that is suitable for specific delicacies.
Consumers are encouraged to recreate the dishes they find online. This further leads them to search for particular machinery or ingredients that bring their culinary dream into reality.
● Gifting and Dining:
Apart from the culinary creation, social media food videos are also They also influence the gift giving and dining experiences of the users. Whenever users come across videos of top-notch holiday-themed popups or desserts from restaurants, they are instantly attracted to dine in a restaurant and indulge in such delicious food themselves.
Not only that, but these kinds of videos inspire people to choose food-specific gifts for their family and friends. Whether it is an artisanal chocolate, a gourmet spice set, or an experience with different culinary themes, such as culinary classes and food tours, food videos found on social media highlight gift options that are unique, thoughtful, and aligned with the theme of the holiday.
Businesses That Have Utilized the Potential of Food Videos on Social Media
As you might have seen earlier social media has kept changing the food and culinary sector for good. Businesses have earned a golden opportunity to connect with customers, showcase their products, and drive more sales and revenue. From small cafes to multinational restaurant chains, these businesses are continuously utilizing social media’s potential in building to build and enhance their brand image, boost customer engagement, and drive more sales.
Here are some methods and examples of businesses using such ideas to drive more foot traffic to their restaurants and boost their visual aesthetics:
● Brand Development Through Visual Storytelling:
One of the most powerful ways that have helped many restaurant businesses build a brand image via social media is visual storytelling. Online platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are the best options for showcasing delectable cuisines, elegantly set tables, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the cooking process.
High-resolution images and videos can effectively evoke emotions, which further leaves potential customers craving new culinary experiences.
For example, there’s a restaurant that heavily uses Instagram for its marketing campaign. It posts images and videos that are visually appealing to display its signature pizzas, crisp potato fries, and piping hot coffees. Such type of a restaurant will develop a sense of mouthwatering indulgence, which will further attract potential customers towards them.
● Community Building Through User Engagement:
Through social media platforms, restaurant businesses are able to obtain a direct channel to engage and communicate with their online consumers. By replying to their comments, answering their queries, and conducting various competitions, businesses promote a sense of community and foster powerful bonds with their audience.
Starbucks is one such example that utilizes social media to its full extent. This coffee giant connects with customers, addresses their concerns, and celebrates any sort of appreciation from them over X(formerly Twitter). Starbucks also uses relevant hashtags and responds to comments on time, through which they are able to showcase their commitment to customer satisfaction and engagement.
● Special Deals and Promotions:
Social media is also a powerful tool to promote offers, limited-time deals, and exclusive discounts on the offerings of your restaurants. You can also use targeted advertising to reach a specific demographic and personalize its promotions according to individual preferences.
Domino’s, the world-renowned pizza giant, uses social media to promote its coupons and latest offers to its customers. Their engaging posts and interactive polls further promote customer participation, which also boosts online sales.
● Collaborating With Influencers:
Collaborating with culinary influencers on social media can help you drive your business’ reach and credibility in an impactful manner. There are many influencers famous for developing authentic and engaging content that resonates with their audience. By collaborating with such influencers, you will be able to drive foot traffic to your restaurant.
Gordon Ramsay, one of the most famous chefs in the world, is known to collaborate with various restaurants and culinary chains. His following on social media and his overall fanbase around the world have helped him promote new delicacies and seasonal dishes from all over the world.
● Utilizing User-Generated Content for Brand Advocacy:
Encouraging customers to share their dining experiences on social media platforms can be extremely helpful for your restaurant. It will generate content that is authentic and valuable in the eyes of your customers. By reposting user-generated content, your restaurant will be able to display customer satisfaction, thus promoting a sense of community.
Chipotle is one such restaurant giant that has been actively encouraging customers to show their burrito bowls and other products using relatable hashtags, such as #Chipotlelifer. Such kinds of user-generated content can help you showcase your vibrant and personalized offerings, just like Chipotle did.
● Tracking Performance Via Data Analysis:
Social media platforms are able to offer valuable data insights into customer behaviour and preferences, along with engagement. Restaurants can track metrics like reach, engagement, and website traffic. Such metrics will help businesses measure the impact of their social media campaigns.
The world-famous burger joint McDonalds uses analytics on social media platforms to track its performance. By analyzing essential metrics, McDonald’s management can identify opportunities for improvement and alter their strategies for a much better impact.
Emerging Culinary Trends That Will Shape Up Your Restaurant’s Marketing Tactics
The culinary industry is one of those sectors which is constantly evolving with time. For such instances, social media plays an important role in shaping its future. With emerging trends, your social media campaign can be further altered, helping you align with your audience’s expectations and serving them effortlessly. Some of these emerging trends include:
● Live-Streaming:
Businesses can use live-streaming channels and platforms to showcase cooking demonstrations, host virtual tasting events, and engage with customers in real time.
● AR/VR Experiences:
Virtual and augmented reality technologies are further making it possible for restaurants to offer an immersive dining experience. This further allows customers to explore new restaurants and witness their culinary offerings virtually.
● Social Commerce:
Connecting social media with e-commerce platforms will allow you to streamline the ordering process in your restaurants. This will further help you offer a seamless dining experience to your customers.
How to Plan Your Social Media Holiday Campaign For Your Restaurant?
Here’s how you should plan your restaurant’s holiday campaign on social media, as given below:
- Plan Before the Season
- Promote your special offerings.
- Reshare user-generated content whenever it is possible.
- Use relevant hashtags.
- Collaborate with social media influencers during special occasions.
Hence, by planning your social media campaign for holidays, you will be able to drive more foot traffic and sales to your restaurant.
To Summarize
Social media is definitely an impactful tool that is helpful in marketing restaurants. However, it also emerges as a more powerful alternative that allows you to promote your culinary offerings during peak special times like holidays and specific seasons.
All you need is a personalized social media marketing plan that will help your restaurant attract its target audience and drive more bookings and reservations effortlessly. It should be able to capture your audience’s imagination and make them crave delectable culinary experiences they might haven’t experienced in their lifetime. By doing so, you will be able to drive more foot traffic and revenue to your restaurant, further building its image all over your region.
