Social media is more than a place to post food photos. It’s where people discover new restaurants, check out menus, and decide where to eat next. With nearly 40% of social media users active on Instagram and the platform ranking as the second-most-visited in the U.S., having a strong presence can do a lot for your business.
But just posting pictures isn’t enough anymore. If you want real results, it’s time to turn your Instagram account into a tool that supports your brand, connects you with your audience, and helps your bar or restaurant grow.
Incorporate Carousel Posts
In August 2024, Instagram started rolling out 20 photos and videos to Carousel posts, giving you more opportunities to share multimedia content in one, easy-to-swipe way. Your followers can see each post and then like, comment, share, or tag it.
These posts are ideal for showcasing multiple menu items, event setups, behind-the-scenes moments, step-by-step guides, or recipes.
Carousels are also great for boosting engagement as your audience spends more time swiping. They’re a simple way to stay visible while you connect with potential customers.
Run Paid influencer Marketing Campaigns
Paid influencer marketing can boost your restaurant marketing because it helps more people see and hear about it. Influencers can create media your audience will be interested in, such as short-form videos, photographs of their time in your establishment, what they ate and drank, and interior and exterior shots.
Local influencers are generally best because they often feel more trustworthy and authentic and have a genuine connection to your location. When they recommend a restaurant, their followers are more likely to take notice and want to try it.
Do Collab Posts with Other Accounts
Instagram Collabs allow you to co-author media with other accounts. These accounts could be part of a paid influencer partnership, a brand collaboration with a food or beverage supplier, or any other business that complements your offerings.
When you use the Collab feature, the content appears on both users’ profiles and is shared with both sets of followers, essentially doubling your reach and engagement potential.
These partnerships build trust and allow for diverse, authentic posts that can connect with untapped audiences. Using them will expose you to different communities and increase the frequency of your interactions, growing your online presence and attracting new followers.
Post Regular Stories
When you add a Story to Instagram, you create a temporary photo or video that appears at the top of the app and disappears after 24 hours (unless you save it in Highlights). Their placement at the top of your feed boosts visibility and drives traffic, as they’re an excellent way to attract attention.
With Instagram’s built-in filters, soundtracks, and stickers, Stories make creating and editing content on the fly easy, even if you’re a beginner. You can also add questions or polls that encourage engagement and help you gauge your audience’s sentiment about different topics.
Make Story Highlights
You can save Instagram Story Highlights for display on your profile as curated collections of stories, and they’ll always remain visible. This allows you to make important media more accessible and ensures it doesn’t get lost in your feed.
Highlights are ideal for featuring a quick-glance menu on your profile, showcasing dishes, plugging positive customer reviews, and advertising promotions. Organizing your best stories into the Highlights format will also add a layer of professionalism and make you seem more approachable.
Use Reels
Research shows that Reels generate 22% more engagement than standard video posts, making them especially valuable to your Instagram content strategy. These short-form, vertical video clips are similar to TikTok videos and are perfect for creating entertaining and engaging content covering every aspect of your restaurant. They can be 15–90 seconds long and won’t disappear after 24 hours like your Stories.
Reels are also a smart way to catch the eye of younger audiences who enjoy short, fun videos. And, if you add geotags to them, you can use them to reach an audience in your area.
Post on Threads
Instagram Threads can help you grow your restaurant and connect with customers on a more personal level. You can use it to promote new menu items, limited-time offers, and increase online orders.
This text-based social media app lets you share stories up to 500 characters long with links, photos, and videos. It’s also a great platform to engage with other users’ Threads, which can help increase your visibility and build brand recognition within your community.
Threads also works smoothly with Instagram tools like Stories, Highlights, and Reels, making it easier to connect with your target audience.
Maximize User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) has gained huge traction in the last few years, and studies repeatedly show it’s more trustworthy than slick marketing campaigns.
UGC includes customer photos, reviews, and videos highlighting real experiences others can relate to. It helps create a sense of community, introduces your venue to new people, and is an excellent free or low-cost marketing tool.
Encouraging UGC also helps you understand what your customers enjoy, keeps your posts fresh, and strengthens customer loyalty. By rewarding and sharing UGC, you can reach more potential customers and build stronger connections with your followers.
Implement social commerce
Although Instagram Shopping is mainly designed for physical products with inventory, not food made to order, you can still use the platform’s social commerce tools creatively.
You can sell branded merchandise like hot sauce, spice blends, T-shirts, or cookbooks. You can also add “Order Food” stickers to your Stories, which link directly to delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, or your own ordering system. While this isn’t technically “Instagram Shopping,” it serves a similar purpose of letting customers tap and place an order easily.
Use a Linktree
As Instagram only allows one clickable link in your bio, using a Linktree is a smart and simple move if you want to share multiple links from your bio. Linktree acts like a mini landing page where you can list several links, all connected to your restaurant.
It’s ideal for sharing your other social media channels, food photography portfolio, blog posts, or online store. You can also add a link to your restaurant’s booking form, making it easy for customers to make a reservation.
Make Instagram work for your restaurant
Turning your Instagram into more than just a photo feed takes time, strategy, and consistency. When you approach Instagram as a genuine extension of your brand, it transforms into a powerful tool for maintaining awareness, engaging with your audience, and maintaining your restaurant's relevance in a highly competitive market.
Are you registered for our Crave and Crave on the Menu newsletters? Sign up today!
Plan to Attend or Participate in Our Events:
- 2025 Bar & Restaurant Expo Colorado, October 26-28, 2025, Denver, Colorado
- 2026 Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 23-25, 2026, Las Vegas, Nevada.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at our events, fill out our form.
Also, be sure to follow Bar & Restaurant on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest industry news and trends.