You have your business up and running … or are almost there. You know you need a social media account or two (or three), but you aren’t sure which channel to pick. In no particular order, we’ve created a quick rundown on the top ten most-used social media platforms.
Facebook (Meta): Widely used domestically and internationally, this one is good for interactive communication with both current and potential customers. It’s widely used for both personal and business reasons, which makes it a good bet for almost any situation.
OUR SUGGESTION: Definitely use this for your restaurant.
Instagram: Pictures! This is the social media platform for visual updates on what you’re up to. It’s absolutely ideal for restaurants, because you can post anything from a picture of the latest seasonal dish to a graphic indicating that you’re closed for the day and when you’ll re-open. It’s got a strong following and you can reach a lot of people.
OUR SUGGESTION: This is a great restaurant platform.
Pinterest: Another picture-based platform, this is great for storing collections of pictures and ideas – from “cute dogs” to “awesome gift ideas” and everything in between. It’s not timely, though, so if you’re hoping people will see your new entrée and come running in for dinner tonight, you’re going to be unpleasantly surprised.
OUR SUGGESTION: Maybe hold off on this unless you have a lot of time on your hands and nothing better to do.
TikTok: Well-known for short, punchy video clips, and originally loved by younger social media users, TikTok is now surprisingly popular with all age groups. And if you’re not on it, you probably should get there – 53% of people in a recent MGH survey said they’d gone to a restaurant because they saw it on TikTok. That’s a big chunk of your potential customers! Do keep in mind that most users on TikTok are still younger than 30 years old.
OUR SUGGESTION: Keep it on your radar – it’s still growing.
YouTube: Want to take advantage of the positives of video with an even wider audience? Toss some videos on YouTube. A Pew Research study found that 81% of American adults use YouTube, so there’s definitely a lot of potential if you’re interested in posting videos. Your videos are likely to have a slightly longer life on YouTube, too.
OUR SUGGESTION: Put it down as a solid “to do” for some nebulous time in the future.
LinkedIn: This social media channel is focused on networking and building professional connections. It’s great for finding or posting a job, but likely not where most people will go to find a good place to eat out tonight.
OUR SUGGESTION: Don’t use it unless your target audience is corporate executives.
WhatsApp: This one is a tough nut to crack. It’s great for what it’s intended for – messaging – but if your customers aren’t already messaging you, you’re probably not going to have an easy time finding and connecting with a large audience on WhatsApp.
OUR SUGGESTION: Not at this time.
Twitter: This social media network is known for very short messages. While the number of characters you’re allowed to use has increased, the point remains the same – if you want to send a short message, it’s historically a good one.
OUR SUGGESTION: It’s still doable, but we’d recommend one of the other options.
Snapchat: If you’re selling candy, cakes, and tween or teen favorite foods, you definitely want to make yourself known on Snapchat. The majority of users are pretty young, but they can be a powerful audience.
OUR SUGGESTION: You’ll only want to devote a lot of time here if most of your customers are from a specific age group.
Reddit: This channel is perfect for starting conversations with like-minded people. It’s great for getting and giving advice, hearing stories, and finding a community. If you’re struggling with some aspects of your restaurant and don’t have any close friends to ask, this is definitely the place to go.
OUR SUGGESTION: Use it for business help, not for attracting customers.
We hope this helps you decide which types of social media to spend your time on! If you want to allow yourself a little extra time for social media at your restaurant, let us show you how to reduce the time you spend on phone calls.
