Across the United States, top restaurant chains dominate almost every corner of our major intersections. When comparing these giant restaurant chains on social media, they may as well be “mom and pop” restaurants next to the current top influencers. On average, the top restaurant chains have approximately 1.7 million followers, which is no small feat for the average person. However, it seems like David versus Goliath when you compare their 1.7 million to the 86 million followers that the current average top influencer has.
How could restaurant chains be so far behind influencers? Especially when you consider the vast marketing teams and budgets these influential restaurant chains have at their disposal. Simply put, it comes down to the content they are producing. Restaurant posting can be bland, lack creativity, feel transactional, and can appear to have no authenticity behind it while the current trend for influencer posting has become the exact opposite. Influencer’s that are currently gaining heavy popularity right now are connecting with their audience in an authentic way that has never been done before, and the consumers are loving it. The average engagement rate for both groups echo that, with influencers at nine percent and restaurants coming in at under one percent.
The focus is engagement with users on social media. Users want to consume entertaining, informative, or interactive content. Restaurants need to begin looking inward at what makes them authentic or unique, and what makes them who they are. So, how can restaurant chains go about this?
1. Brand Authenticity
Restaurants can start by dusting off their brand values and mission statement while examining their goals and culture. If fresh ingredients or locally sourced ingredients are your thing, show the users. Influencers build trust with their users while restaurants have a "take us at our word" approach.
2. Capitalizing on trends
Every week there is a new trend on social media that lasts the entire month. Find a way to creatively use these trends at the store or corporate level and have fun with it! Influencers and brands are constantly finding creative ways to jump on the current trends.
3. Behind the scenes
Users are captivated by behind-the-scenes content. Restaurants can easily do this at the store level and corporate level. For example, how items are made, touring the brand headquarters, or what’s going on in the test kitchens. For example, Taco Bell does a nice job of showing menu hacks from their test kitchen.
4. Polls & Questions
Posting questions or polls on your social media story is an easy way to get feedback from customers for free! It can be as simple as voting for their favorite item, a poll on potential LTOs, or even a Q&A with someone in the company.
5. Employee Posts
Restaurants love to say they care and appreciate their employees, but rarely do you see anything on social media showing this. Potential employees are now also checking your social media to learn about your company, products, and culture. Posts can range from employee appreciation, a day in the life of, or their favorite thing about working there and/or favorite item.
6. Franchisee Posts
Hearing from franchisees is an easy way to help sell franchises or spark someone’s interest to inquire. The success stories of franchisees will not only make franchisees feel important, but a potential franchisee can find a connection to their story.
7. Fun/Historical Facts
Most people are familiar with the not-so-secret menu of In-N-Out only because it was shared with the world. Share facts most users may or may not know, like a secret menu or different variation of an item, which intrigues them to try it.
8. Collaborations
Find ways to potentially collaborate with brands who share the same customer base. It doesn’t feel authentic when a food influencer does a review of a restaurant chain's food/new items because the viewers tend to think it was a bought review.
Two Chicago born legends, Portillo's and Lou Malnati’s, collaborated with the Portillo's Italian Beef Pizza. It capitalized on nostalgia for those customers who visit Lou Malnati’s outside of Illinois and intrigued others to try their favorite pizza and Italian beef in one.
If the content that influencers are putting out on social media is resulting in earning millions of dollars for them, then why aren’t restaurant chains using it in the same way?
Restaurants choose those major street intersections because that is where the customers are, so they can capitalize on it. The typical user spends 864 hours on social media per year, therefore restaurants need to begin learning how to capitalize on where the users are.
Spiro Douvris is a seasoned professional with two decades of experience in the restaurant industry. Before transitioning into consulting, he successfully developed and sold his restaurant concept to a national franchise company. Currently, he heads Trophi Hospitality, a company that specializes in enhancing revenue and profit for restaurants by focusing on operational efficiency, growth marketing strategies, and optimizing the utilization of third-party delivery services.
Plan to Attend or Participate in the 2024 Vibe Conference, February 26 – February 28, 2024
To learn more about the latest trends, issues and hot topics, and to experience and taste the best products within the on-premise beverage community, plan to attend the Vibe Conference at Town & Country in San Diego, California. Visit VibeConference.com.
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