Social Media for the Hospitality Industry: Everything You Need to Know!

Social media is indispensable for the hospitality industry these days. Research shows that more than 70% of restaurant-goers search online for a restaurant before making a choice. Potential guests discover your restaurant through Instagram, Facebook, and Google. With a good social media strategy, you can increase your online visibility and attract more guests to your restaurant. But what should you do on social media to be discoverable and ensure that potential guests can find your business? Read on for a simple guide to effectively using social media for your hospitality business: everything you need to know about social media for a hospitality business.

How do you create a social media strategy for the hospitality industry?

Having a social media strategy for the hospitality industry sounds very professional (and perhaps complicated), but it’s actually not that hard. Essentially, it’s just the agreements you make with yourself—or with whoever will be handling social media—about what content will go online and when. Consistency is key on social media, and if you don’t establish a content calendar, social media will likely end up at the bottom of your to-do list during busy patio seasons.

Frequently Asked Questions About a Social Media Strategy for the Hospitality Industry 

• How often should a restaurant or bar post?

  At least 2 to 3 times a week. Be consistent, but don’t post just for the sake of posting. Take the time to think carefully about what you want to say. Write down ideas for topics about a month in advance so you have a strategy in place but can also respond to current events.

• What should you post as a restaurant or bar?

  Think of new dishes, cozy atmosphere shots, staff introductions, job openings, events, positive reviews, behind-the-scenes content, daily specials, and much more. Vary your content mix with posts, Reels, and Stories. For Stories, focus on what’s happening that day. Think of everything from the first pan of mussels being served to lighting candles as you wrap up the day, introducing the staff on duty that day, or sharing a clickable link for reservations that evening because a table has opened up.

• Which social media platform works best for restaurants?

  Instagram and Facebook remain important. TikTok is a good option if you want to reach a younger audience. Have a Gen Z employee at your restaurant handle this, and trust that they know how it works.

In short: agree on how often you’ll post on which platforms, what kind of content you’ll post, and plan about a month in advance.

How can you grow your hospitality business on social media?

A frequently asked question: How do you grow your following on social media? Of course, you want to reach new people who not only view your content but also start following you. There are several ways to achieve this:

• Running giveaways is a fun way to grow your social media following. For example, you could run a giveaway once a month. Give away your latest cocktail for two, a unique appetizer platter on the patio, lunch for two, a meter of beer, or any other items you’d enjoy giving away. To enter, ask your followers to tag the person they’d like to share this with and have both of them like the post and follow the account. Just make sure you don’t mention the “like/follow” action as a requirement for the giveaway—that’s against the law. So you must also include people in the drawing who haven’t liked or followed your account. In practice, though, they’ll end up following you anyway, so it still has an effect.
• Influencer marketing isn't just for big brands—it's also for your hospitality business. There are all kinds of ways to grow your business through influencers. Read more about the possibilities below.

Influencer Marketing for the Hospitality Industry

The average Dutch person spends between 2 and 3 hours a day on screens, and that number is only going up. So it’s a good idea to take advantage of that if you want to grow your presence on social media. There are various forms of influencer marketing that are well-suited to promoting your hospitality business:

• Barters: Invite small local accounts (with between 2,000 and 20,000 followers) to come eat at your restaurant in exchange for content. They’ll then post Reels, posts, and Stories on their accounts to promote your restaurant.
• Giveaways with other Instagram accounts: Have small local accounts raffle off a lunch or dinner for two. Again, use the same terms and conditions as mentioned above. Make sure you’re listed as a contributor to the giveaway so that followers can easily find your account.
• Paid posts are also an option if you want larger accounts to promote your restaurant, but for many restaurants, this isn't very profitable.

Greater online visibility for your hospitality business

In principle, almost every restaurant or bar has a social media presence, but if you don’t tell your guests about it, they’re not likely to think to look you up. So make sure to remind guests in your establishment that they can follow you online. You can do this, for example, by putting up a poster in the restrooms (with a QR code linking to your Instagram account) or by printing on the beer coasters that your establishment can be followed on Instagram and Facebook. You can also take advantage of this opportunity when presenting the check: withthis check presenters featuring a QR code, you can direct people to your online profiles or review pages in no time. You can even requesta free sample packso you can try it out with no obligation.

A strong social media presence helps your restaurant reach more guests, build relationships with existing customers, and attract new reservations. By posting consistently, engaging with your audience, and maintaining a visible presence both inside and outside your restaurant, you’ll get more out of your online marketing. Start small, stay consistent, and build a recognizable online presence step by step.