Marketing

11 Instagram post ideas

15 de December de 2023 por Marianne Ternes

Promoting your restaurant or bar on social media is essential to the success of your business. It is through social media that customers look for new places, find out about promotions, place orders and interact with the establishment.

O Instagram is one of the main ways to promote your business and build a relationship with your audience. That is why having an active, well-crafted profile is essential. In this article, check out 11 Instagram post ideas and tips to make your profile take off!

Why do marketing on Instagram?

Instagram is one of the most widely used social networks in the world, with more than 2 billion active users. No wonder it has become an indispensable channel in any strategy for food marketing.

There are many advantages to keeping an Instagram profile. See some of them below.

Learn more: Marketing for restaurants and bars: practical guide + 15 tips

Visibility for your business

Instagram is a showcase for your business. Keeping your profile always active helps generate visibility and lets new people discover your restaurant or bar.

Because it is a visual platform, restaurants can take advantage of it to show off images of delicious dishes, a welcoming space and charming details. High-quality photos and videos can captivate followers, whetting their appetite and encouraging visits to the restaurant.

Greater audience reach

Social networks like Instagram also let your business reach an audience that might never have discovered your establishment otherwise. If you want to expand your customer base, this is an excellent tool.

A good idea is to boost your posts, creating targeted ads aimed at the audience profile you want to attract. That way, more people will come across your restaurant and may be interested in paying it a visit.

Engagement with customers

Another advantage of investing in Instagram marketing is engagement with your customers. The platform has a range of features that make interaction possible, such as polls, comments and tags in stories or posts, for example.

You can encourage these interactions to get closer to your audience, strengthen the relationship and build customer loyalty.

Brand reinforcement

Being on Instagram is also a way to reinforce your restaurant or bar's brand. To do that, you can create posts with your business's visual identity and share your story and values, for example.

All of this helps your restaurant become recognized and gain more and more credibility, which is essential to the longevity of your business.

Increased sales

Finally, Instagram can help boost your sales. People search social media for new restaurants to visit, and if you have an attractive profile with all the information, you'll certainly win over plenty of customers.

You can also use the platform as a sales channel, taking orders or sharing the link to a digital menu, WhatsApp or delivery app.

11 Instagram post ideas for restaurants

OK, but how do you create Instagram content consistently and enjoy all the advantages we mentioned above? This task takes a lot of creativity, and it can often be challenging.

To help, check out 11 Instagram post ideas below that you can use on your profile to promote your restaurant or bar, interact with your audience and sell more. Take a look!

1 – Promotions

Create posts to promote deals such as combos, discount coupons, free delivery, happy hour with two-for-one drinks, among others. A good idea is to pick one day of the week for special promotions.

You can also run giveaways: to enter, the person has to tag friends in the comments and share the post in their stories. This increases your restaurant's engagement and reach.

2 – Dish of the day

If your menu has a special dish of the day, go all out on the photos or videos and post them in your stories or feed. This is a great way to spark customers' interest and get them to visit your establishment.

3 – Polls

Polls in stories are an excellent way to interact with your audience, and they can also help you identify their preferences. Show different dish or drink options and ask which one is their favorite.

Question boxes can also be used to ask for suggestions, ideas and feedback about the menu, the atmosphere, the schedule and so on.

4 – Atmosphere

A pleasant and cozy atmosphere is also a draw. That's why you should create posts showing off your space, focusing on the details that make all the difference.

Another idea is to create Instagrammable spaces, which encourage your customers to take photos and share them on their own profile. A great strategy to reach more people and interact with your customers.

5 – Behind the scenes

People are curious and may enjoy seeing behind the scenes at your restaurant or bar.

What is production like in the kitchen? What about making the drinks? Who are your suppliers? How do you get everything ready to welcome customers? Show your restaurant's routine to get closer to your audience.

6 – #TBT

Revisit special, memorable moments from your business and create posts for Instagram's most famous hashtag: #TBT – short for “throwback thursday”, which is, loosely speaking, the Thursday for looking back.

Take the opportunity to tell your story and how your business has evolved, recall items that used to be on the menu or any other memory that's meaningful for the business.

7 – Menu

Added a new item to the menu? Be sure to create a post announcing the news. Spark customers' curiosity with good images and run special promotions for anyone who wants to try it.

It's also worth making carousel posts with the menu items that are the biggest hits, highlighting the ranking of favorites.

8 – Schedule

If it applies, make a post with the week's lineup so people know what's happening at your restaurant or bar.

You can pin the post to the top of your feed or set up a story highlight to make it easier. That way, people know where to find the information and can check the day's attraction in advance.

9 – Customer feedback

Customers often share positive feedback in their stories or in the comments, which you can repost in your Instagram posts.

This is essential for earning the trust of new customers and increasing your credibility in the market. And you'll also be valuing the feedback and strengthening the relationship with your customers.

10 – Memes and Trends

Make your own version of the memes of the moment and jump on Instagram trends. Besides increasing your reach, this type of content is great for lightening the mood, bringing your brand closer to your audience and driving engagement.

11 – Special dates

Share your customers' special moments, such as birthday parties. This encourages other people to look to your establishment for events, which can raise your revenue.

Also make posts for special dates, such as Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Christmas, which are also great for driving engagement and bringing even more life to your business.

Download our free Calendar of key dates for bars and restaurants and don't let a single one slip by!
If you liked these Instagram post ideas, keep following the EPOC blog and check out our content on restaurant and bar management.