How to WIN with a GREAT Social Media Presence (ENCORE)

RESTAURANT STRATEGY

Published: Thu Apr 03 2025

#434 - How to WIN with a GREAT Social Media Presence (ENCORE) ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? No contract. No setup fee. Free and unlimited training and support. VISIT: marginedge.com/chip ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: INKIND To the over 1,800 U.S. restaurant owners who have been funded by INKIND, it is the source of capital that takes a lot of the pain out of starting and running a restaurant, ultimately helping their dreams come true. VISIT: https://www.inkind.vip/restaurantstrategy ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGIES Simplify and automate your back of house operations with RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGIES and their cooking oil management program. These guys take the dirtiest job out of your kitchen! VISIT: https://www.rti-inc.com/ ***** Remember the following rules: Video first, or photo carousels Uniformity so there's a brand identity Thin...

Summary

Podcast Summary: "How to WIN with a GREAT Social Media Presence (ENCORE)"

Podcast Information:

Title: RESTAURANT STRATEGY
Host: Chip Klose
Episode: How to WIN with a GREAT Social Media Presence (ENCORE)
Release Date: April 3, 2025

Introduction to Organic Social Media

Chip Klose opens the episode by emphasizing the importance of mastering organic social media for restaurant owners. He aims to provide actionable tips to optimize organic strategies, ensuring restaurant owners maximize their social media potential.

Organic vs. Paid Social Media

Key Insight: Organic and paid social media serve distinct but complementary purposes. While organic efforts focus on retention, paid strategies are essential for customer acquisition.

Organic Social Media (Retention Tool):
- Limited Reach: "Organic posts though are only seen by anywhere between 3 and 5% of your followers and you can't guarantee that it's the followers in your market." (07:45)
- Purpose: Maintains brand presence and keeps existing customers engaged.
Paid Social Media (Acquisition Tool):
- Broad Reach: Chip underscores that platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer sophisticated targeting options based on demographics, location, and interests.
- Essential for Growth: "If you're spending all this money to only have an organic presence and sacrificing a paid presence, you are missing the boat on the most powerful advertising platform in the world." (05:15)

Conclusion: A balanced approach leveraging both organic and paid strategies is crucial for sustained growth and profitability.

Creating an Effective Organic Strategy

Chip delves into the specifics of building a robust organic social media presence:

Content is King:
- Content Pillars: Every restaurant should identify five core content pillars to guide their posts. Common pillars include:
  - Food: Showcasing menu items and specials.
  - Beverage: Highlighting drinks and pairings.
  - Space: Exhibiting the restaurant's ambiance and decor.
  - People: Featuring staff and customer experiences.
  - Wildcard: Community events, charity involvement, or neighborhood features.
- "Every piece of content you post should fit into one of your content pillars." (24:30)
Consistency is Crucial:
- Posting Frequency: Aim for consistency in both quantity and quality. For instance, "five times a week on Facebook, five times a week on Instagram" (18:50).
- Adapt to Platforms: Tailor the frequency based on the platform's nature, such as daily posts on TikTok to align with its algorithm.
The EDIE Model:
- Educate, Demonstrate, Inspire, Entertain: Each post should serve one of these purposes to engage followers effectively.
- "Every piece of content you post needs to do one of those four things." (32:15)
Visual Appeal:
- Prioritize Video Content: "Four out of every five posts right now... should be video." (28:45)
- Avoid Overlays: Refrain from adding logos or excessive text that can detract from the visual appeal.

Maximizing Engagement

Engagement drives visibility on social media platforms. Chip emphasizes the following strategies:

Responding to Comments:
- "When somebody comments on your post, you need to comment back." (38:10)
- Foster conversations to signal the algorithms that the content is valuable.
Leveraging User-Generated Content:
- Encourage diners to share their experiences and reshare their posts, enhancing authenticity and community feel.
- "Share that either to your stories, right? Or ask if you can reshare that to your feed." (40:30)
Maintaining Top-of-Mind Presence:
- Utilize stories and regular posts to ensure your restaurant remains visible to followers.
- "Post Monday to the feed, post Tuesday to the stories, post Wednesday to the feed," etc. (26:20)

Optimizing Your Social Media Feed

Your social media profiles act as a digital storefront. Chip advises:

Aesthetic Consistency:
- Ensure that images and videos are high-quality and reflect the restaurant's brand identity.
Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs):
- "What do you want them to do next? Usually it's order now or reserve a table." (35:50)
- Simplify user actions to drive conversions effectively.
User Experience:
- Maintain an easy-to-navigate profile with prominent links, possibly using a link tree to consolidate multiple destinations.

Balancing Organic and Paid Efforts

While organic strategies are vital for retention, Chip reiterates the importance of not neglecting paid advertising:

Prioritization:
- Organic social media should complement, not replace, paid strategies.
- "Organic Social media is actually pretty low on the totem pole. You got to have everything in order, but it's pretty low in the totem pole." (44:10)
Holistic Marketing Approach:
- Integrate social media with other marketing channels like Google Ads and Yelp to create a cohesive strategy.

Final Thoughts and Action Steps

Chip encourages listeners to experiment with different strategies to find what resonates best with their audience. He emphasizes the importance of testing, adapting, and staying consistent to achieve a successful social media presence.

Key Takeaways:

Use organic social media primarily as a retention tool.
Incorporate paid strategies for effective customer acquisition.
Maintain consistent, high-quality content aligned with established content pillars.
Engage actively with your audience to enhance visibility and loyalty.
Continuously evaluate and adjust your strategies based on performance and audience feedback.

Notable Quotes:

"If you're spending all this money to only have an organic presence and sacrificing a paid presence, you are missing the boat on the most powerful advertising platform in the world." (05:15)
"Every piece of content you post needs to do one of those four things [Educate, Demonstrate, Inspire, Entertain]." (32:15)
"Organic Social media is actually pretty low on the totem pole. You got to have everything in order, but it's pretty low in the totem pole." (44:10)

Resources Mentioned:

P3 Mastermind Program: Restaurant owners seeking consistent 20% returns can learn more by visiting restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule.
Margin Edge: For restaurant management software that improves profitability, visit marginedge.com/chip.
In Kind App: A platform offering capital and rewards for restaurants, available at inkind.com.

Connect with Chip Klose: For further questions or personalized advice, listeners are encouraged to reach out via chipklose.com, where Chip personally responds to each email.

This episode provides a comprehensive guide for restaurant owners aiming to enhance their social media presence. By balancing organic and paid strategies, maintaining consistent and high-quality content, and actively engaging with the audience, restaurants can significantly boost their profitability and brand loyalty.