Content marketing joins the ranks of digital, social media and influencer marketing—terms so often thrown around without too many people knowing how to actually use them as intended. Look past the buzzword-inspired skepticism, though, and you’ll find that content marketing can and should be a valuable asset in your repertoire. In short, content marketing is sharing material [blogs, posts, etc.] that does not explicitly promote your brand but is intended to stimulate interest in a way not typically achievable through conventional marketing methods. Think of content marketing as product placement that you create—instead of a TV show that strikes a deal with Coca Cola to have characters drinking coke on air, it’s Coca Cola that makes a video series depicting amazing moments where people just happen to have cans of Coke in their hands. Content marketing is more subtle than conventional marketing, putting the article, photo, video, etc. before the brand itself. This less ‘in your face’ style is aimed at higher conversion—more people are willing to watch a great video that happens to mention Coca Cola than to watch a Coke commercial. So how can this approach help a restaurant? Restaurants and the greater hospitality sector are actually a mecca for content marketing. This business is what people daydream about consuming on a regular basis, and naturally want to gravitate toward when it comes to reading articles and watching videos. Restaurants have a slew of natural assets that fit nicely into the content marketing landscape. One of the lowest-hanging fruits you can leverage are how-to videos: How-to videos ‘How to’ is a very popular search topic across Google and YouTube, with cooking videos performing very well in this category. Chances are you’ve got a lot of fun recipes in your restaurant that people would love to try out for themselves, so why not film the preparation process? While content marketing may not be as direct as more conventional marketing methods, it’s a great way to create—well, content—that people actually want to see. Choose a visually-appealing item off your menu that’s simple enough for the average home cook to prepare. Drinks work as well if you have a good cocktail selection. Use a mise en place approach to keep things easy. You can film from the front, as typically seen on TV, or from the top, which is a very popular method online. ‘Tasty’ is a great YouTube channel that showcases the overhead filming method.
To add your branding, simply add it in the intro and conclusion [think ‘How to Make XYZ, presented by Restaurant Name Here’], as well as a link to your website in the video description. Also make sure to post the actual recipe in the video description. You can also do a how-to photo series, though expect to get out what you put in. People are much more likely to browse through videos than step-by-step photo instructions. Before you go out and make a how-to video, however, it’s best to fully understand the risks and rewards that come with content marketing. Videos like these require a lot of time, and in many cases money, to produce and distribute. Be sure that you’re in line with the main risks and benefits below before proceeding. While content marketing may not be as direct as more conventional marketing methods, it’s a great way to create—well, content—that people actually want to see. And as with all marketing methods, content marketing is best done as part of a holistic program rather than as a one-off piece. A how-to video published alongside a Facebook ad, a new menu announcement on your website and a special on your property will do much better than a how-to video alone. The Risks
The Benefits
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Social media marketing is quite easy for establishing a strong base—just create your profile and post regularly. But to really get your message out to a broader audience, there’s an intricate ecosystem involved, and it involves taking out your checkbook. One of the most difficult things to do in any business is pay for any kind of marketing effort. Results aren’t as tangible or secure as any kind of capital investment—“Why should I pay for a Facebook ad when I can put that money toward new patio heaters?” one might ask. At the same time, we now live in a world where so much of marketing can be free. “Why should I pay to advertise on Facebook when I can post for free?” is another common question. Paid marketing, however, is a necessary evil if you are truly serious about getting the word out to new potential customers. The key word here is new. Let’s take a closer look at the kind of difference paid marketing can have over the free alternative… We’ll use Best Burgers as a fictional example. Best Burgers is a successful fast-casual spot with several locations across Los Angeles. They have a strong local following that hounds over—you guessed it—burgers. Best Burgers is now expanding to San Francisco and wants to make its presence known up north. Here’s the first path Best Burgers can take: The free path
Do these marketing tactics sound familiar? They’re certainly among the most commonly used. They also all fall under one central theme and huge hindrance: they mostly reach the people who are already in the know or actively looking. "Give them a reason to click, and you will have an incredible tool to increase conversion" Think about it: When you post on your social media page, the only people who see it are those who are already following you. Sure, you may get a few people to share your post, but for the most part you’re speaking to a pretty closed-off network. Sure, there’s a chance that your post may ‘go viral,’ but relying on that one-in-a-million chance may not be the best payout for the time and energy that it takes to manage a proper social campaign.
Think about other traditional marketing methods for a restaurant new to the area. Best Burgers may have a grand opening sale with great discounts to attract local foot traffic. They may invite local food writers in to review the place and share with their subscribers. Both of these examples are aimed to attract new people who were previously unfamiliar with the Best Burgers brand. This same mindset should be applied across your marketing channels, social media included. So here’s the road less traveled, especially by smaller restaurants that don’t believe they have the budgets required to advertise on social media: The paid path
For those dedicated enough to take the paid path, be sure to make your sponsored posts relevant and not too in-your-face. It’s one thing to have a beautiful burger photo with a heading like ‘Love Burgers...well SF is in for a treat’ rather than ‘Best Burgers coming to SF!’ Give them a reason to click, and you will have an incredible tool to increase conversion. |
AuthorBenjamin Brown is a seasoned restaurant writer and hospitality consultant, serving up SoCal's hottest food news and reviews. Categories
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