When it comes to social media marketing, the days are over for the simple “tag and share” tactics that many bars, restaurants, and other businesses use, in addition to over-posting—according to Brie Buenning.
Buenning—who said it’s always important to be genuine and authentic with social media marketing—is the director of marketing at the well-known Los Angeles-based La Brea Bakery, which exited the restaurant business earlier this year to focus on its thriving artisan breads for foodservice locations and retail grocery.
“There are so many creative tactics that you can use in your own restaurant or bar to engage both new and current customers,” shared Buenning, who believes social media works best when businesses are telling a great story, providing a solution, or educating an audience. “Showing drinks and dishes being created by your smiling chef or bartender is going to be more engaging and memorable to your audience than a perfectly finished plate.”
Buenning pointed out that many independent bar and restaurant owners/operators do not have a big budget to hire an agency or a social media manager, so they’re left doing it alone. “This means that marketing is often pushed aside, since there are a lot of other things inside the business that are perceived as ‘more important,’” she said.
Four Tips for Successful Social Media Marketing for Bars and Restaurants
Buenning said she advises other businesses in the bar, restaurant, and foodservice industry to focus on four key areas to be successful with social media marketing:
1. Pick Your Platforms: “There are a lot of social media apps available for businesses to utilize as they connect with their current customers and target new ones,” Buenning noted. “Having a presence on every single platform can be overwhelming for any operator. Pick the platforms that you think will best target your audience and focus on those.”
2. Empower your Team: “If you have team members that take great photos and videos, or love social media, enlist them to help,” encouraged Buenning. “Your servers, bartenders, chefs, and other team members are probably savvy with different social media channels, and they likely understand your audience and customers. You’ll need to determine a workflow, but creating content from the inside is going to be more cost efficient and time saving than hiring an outside agency.”
3. Stay Current: Buenning suggested that operators always have their days and times of operation listed correctly on all social media channels and other websites and ensure that specials are conveyed on social media. She said a current menu should be easily accessible on social platforms, either by a link back to the venue’s website or photos posted.
4. Focus on Local: “Smaller restaurants and bars have an advantage as they know what is going on in their local community, as well as what is important to their customers,” said Buenning. “Look for ways to integrate local focus, events, and interests into your message, menus, and marketing support. This allows you to be integrated with these local happenings and receive bonus advertising for a much larger audience.”
Buenning said operators and their teams should lean on their suppliers and producers when they can, as a way to easily generate genuine and authentic social media content. “Introducing the farmer who provides your restaurant with fresh, locally grown produce helps to show how integrated your restaurant is with the community,” she said. “Don’t forget the brands that you work with. I love supporting the restaurants that have our artisan breads on their menu by collaborating on social media campaigns.”
Related: Should Your Bar or Restaurant Be Using TikTok? Probably, But Deciding How Is the Key
Spotlight High-Quality Images, Visual Storytelling with Your Social Media Marketing
Dubai-based John Sanei, a future strategist and transformation specialist, author, speaker, and founder of John Sanei Inc., said that bars and restaurants should always leverage social media from a visual storytelling standpoint.“
Bars and restaurants have a unique advantage on social media,” said Sanei, “their business is visual and experiential. From showcasing enticing dishes and cocktails to giving a sneak peek into the kitchen or behind the bar, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are ideal to narrate the brand's story visually. Live videos or 'stories' can be used for broadcasting events, introducing staff, or sharing the preparation of signature dishes or drinks.”
Related: How Your Bar/Restaurant Can Go Viral on TikTok
Tim Clarke, senior reputation manager at Arlington, Texas-based Rize Reviews, which focuses on online reputation management and online reviews, agrees that the focus should be on visual storytelling.
“The biggest key to improving your bar or restaurant's presence and attracting more customers is to focus on using high-quality visuals that showcase your food, drinks, ambiance, and events to entice potential customers and effective storytelling,” said Clarke. “Authenticity is crucial, so share behind-the scenes moments, introduce your staff, and highlight unique aspects of your establishment.”
Philip Treagus-Evans, managing director of the U.K. based Giraffe Social Media, a social media management firm, thinks social media marketing for bars and restaurants has to be a combination of evocative visuals, compelling storytelling, and leveraging the power of user-generated content.“
High-quality photos and videos of your dishes, drinks, and ambiance can help make your establishment irresistible to prospective customers,” shared Treagus-Evans. “Behind-the-scenes stories featuring staff, preparation techniques, or sourcing ingredients can create a deeper emotional connection with your audience. Encouraging customers to share their experiences through incentives can turn them into advocates, organically expanding your reach.”
Treagus-Evans said creative tactics that work well in this space include limited-time offers or specials promoted exclusively on social media, collaborations with local influencers, and thematic campaigns tied to seasonal or cultural events. “A common mistake is being overly promotional,” he said, “instead, focus on creating engaging content that starts conversations and builds a sense of community.”
Clarke, of Rize Reviews, said sometimes it is the unique storytelling techniques that really speak to an audience and add depth to social content.
“Include interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, or Q&A sessions to encourage participation and create a two-way conversation,” said Clarke. “Craft compelling captions and descriptions that captivate your audience, and respond quickly to comments, messages, and reviews to show your engagement and build customer loyalty. By implementing these tips, you can create engaging social media content that drives customer engagement and attracts more patrons to your bar or restaurant.”
Kam Talebi, the founder and CEO of Minneapolis, Minn.-based Kaskaid Hospitality—which operates restaurants including CRAVE, Union Bar & Grill, The Butcher’s Tale, and others—said they make announcements via social media, and they also use it to put out surveys and to ask interesting questions.
"The surveys and questions are to engage the audience and also add people to our email list, because it is the most effective digital marketing,” said Talebi. “We have found that our marketing is the most visible via email, so we use social media marketing to support that.”
Matt Plapp, CEO and founder of America's Best Restaurants, a promotional platform for restaurants, said to create social campaigns that not only engage but that followers will relate to on a personal level. “Example, instead of touting a Mother’s Day promo, share stories about your mother, your staff's mothers, and encourage your customers to do the same,” he said. “Marketing is about gaining attention, so when five people interact with your Mother’s Day brunch post, you've failed. When 500 interact with your Mother’s Day stories, you win.”
Build a Community, and then Monitor and Analyze Your Social Media Performance
Joshua Wood, who works with the U.K.-based hospitality marketing firm CJ Digital, in addition to being founder and CEO of the hospitality app Bloc, said, “My biggest tip for social media that most venues don't do is to build them as a community.”
Wood explained that most bars and restaurants post like they’re publishing an advertorial, and people get bored and fatigued by that very quickly. “Posting a photo or video of the food needs to be done, but constantly posting every day like this won't work,” he said. “Instead, the best venues create content that's authentic, vulnerable, and allows the user to feel part of the brand.”
Related: What to Know About Branding Your Bar
To build a community, according to Wood, bars and restaurants should go behind the scenes, introduce staff and their stories, explain why certain dishes were chosen, talk about exclusive events for followers, etc. “If people feel part of the journey, then social media will actually work as a marketing source,” he said.
Tenyse Williams, chief communications officer at Verified Consulting, which focuses on strategic partnerships and digital strategies for clients, in addition to being a marketing instructor at Columbia University, said that when all is said and done, it’s critical to monitor and analyze the performance of your social media marketing.
“Regularly review your social media analytics to track your performance, identify trends, and adjust your strategy accordingly,” said Williams. “This will help you optimize your efforts and ensure you are achieving your marketing goals.”
To improve social media performance, Williams suggested that venues invest in paid advertising. “Consider allocating a portion – at least 15 to 20 percent – of your marketing budget to paid social media advertising, such as Facebook and Instagram ads,” she shared. “This can help you reach a wider audience, target specific demographics, and drive conversions more effectively.”
And, if your venue is struggling with how to get started, or when to post, or how often to post on social, Craig Webb said remember to avoid getting hung up on algorithms or what’s the best time to post – just post it!
“Waiting for the right time is just procrastination,” said Webb, who had a 30-year hospitality career and is now the director at Webb Marketing Services Ltd. in the U.K. “Done is better than perfect. Besides, customers like it real, not too polished. Behind the scenes is always good. People love to know what the kitchen looks like, or the manager's office, or what you get up to before and after opening.”
Webb said allow team members to be the creatives or part of the social media effort, as they can get shots in the moment. “Trust them and give them access to your social media accounts, the bar staff, the chefs, the hosts etc.,” said Webb. “They can create content about making cocktails, dishes, and how-to content. By all means have brand and tone-of-voice guidelines. Hospitality has a huge turnover of staff, so trust them, and they will reward you with their loyalty."
Overall, based on the tips from our experts, social media marketing for your bar or restaurant can be significantly more rewarding with just a little extra effort, being authentic, getting creative with visuals and storytelling, focusing on community, and monitoring performance and analytics.
Aaron Kiel, based in Raleigh, N.C., has worked in the beverage, tea and coffee industries for nearly two decades. He’s a journalist and writer at heart, but he also wears a PR hat through his consultancy, ak PR Group. He works as the editor of World Tea News with Questex’s Bar & Restaurant Group, as well as a contributing writer for Bar & Restaurant News.
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