Food influencers are key components of restaurant marketing in this digital age. One thing is certain: collaborating with influencers to reach your potential audience is an art in itself. To succeed when working with food content creators, all it takes is a combination of strategy, creativity, common sense and monitoring the lifestyle of these digital personalities on their social networks.
Before embarking on this new marketing adventure, you may be asking:
There are numerous reasons, such as:
A food influencer's recommendation can have a powerful impact. For instance, an influencer’s endorsement can significantly increase a brand’s following. If the account’s content strategy is on point, these new followers will likely become customers in no time. Here’s how to get started with a few simple steps:
There are many factors that influence food choices today, including location and convenience, price, taste, health, social proof and influencer endorsements.
Social media food influencers wield significant power over consumers' food choices due to a combination of psychological and social factors. Followers often view these influencers as reliable sources of recommendations, so trust plays a big part in this.
Influencers are authentic when showcasing their experiences and they do this through genuine reviews and personal anecdotes, which helps to build a strong connection with their followers.
What’s more, cultural affinity can drive engagement even further as influences often mirror the tastes and values of their audience. This mix of trust, authenticity and shared culture works well to encourage people to expand their horizons and try new dining experiences based on the influencer’s recommendations.
If the food influencer is someone who likes to share recipes, you can propose a collaboration where they publish stories featuring the preparation of signature dishes from your restaurant, for instance. In this case, they could enter your restaurant’s kitchen, document the cooking process and, of course, taste the dish afterwards. A story that takes the viewer through the entire experience allows the influencer to provide engaging content for their audience and benefit the restaurant by directly advertising to potential clientele.
Some food influencers like to reward their followers with free products. You can invite the influencer to create a post or story with an image or video of the establishment, incorporating a "secret" word so that followers can receive a free drink or dessert when they mention it to the waiter. This is a splendid way to attract potential diners and boost your visibility.
It’s important to conduct research on the most interesting topics for influencers that are relevant to your audience and design events at your restaurant that cater to their interests. This could include events such as tastings, talks, workshops, book presentations or live demonstrations by renowned chefs. Then, you can ask restaurant influencers to livestream highlights of these events to their Instagram and Facebook accounts, or, if they are bloggers, you can even ask them to write an article. Although this strategy is a bit more complex and requires greater investment, it can be highly effective in promoting your restaurant and establishing a trustworthy relationship with food influencers.
How can you truly capture an influencer's heart? By doing something special that aligns with their lifestyle and personal tastes. For example, if you find out what your desired influencer's favorite dish or recipe is from their content, you can invite them to try out this dish, expertly prepared by your chef, at your restaurant. You may even temporarily feature their name next to it in your menu! This thoughtful gesture provides them with a unique experience that they can share with their followers to foster a genuine connection.
As you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for leveraging the power and reach of foodie influencers. The trick is to:
Choosing the most suitable food content creators for your restaurant involves carefully evaluating several key factors.
First, identify what the social media food influencer's niche is to ensure their content aligns with your restaurant’s offerings and target audience. Their engagement rate is also important; an influencer with high engagement is more likely to effectively reach and resonate with their followers. Authenticity is another important factor—choose influencers who genuinely connect with their audience and build relationships with their followers.
Additionally, it’s crucial to assess how consistent they are in maintaining brand values, as this will ensure a harmonious partnership that improves your restaurant’s image and overall message. By focusing on these aspects, you can partner with influencers who will authentically promote your restaurant and drive meaningful engagement.
Once you’ve proposed a collaboration and started working with the foodie influencer most suited to your business, it’s vital to track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the success of your campaigns. These include but aren’t limited to:
By monitoring these metrics, you can gauge how successful your partnership with a content creator is and make informed decisions about future food influencer marketing strategies.
With all these new followers you’ll gain from your food influencer partnerships and campaigns, it’s important to then focus on how to turn them into loyal customers. One effective way to do this is to streamline your reservation process with TheFork Manager. Learn how it can help you effectively manage bookings and maximise the impact of your influencer campaigns. Explore TheFork Manager today.