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If you are a restaurant owner or operator, then you need to be aware of social media and how it is impacting your business. Here are some reasons how:

• It is a visual asset to your brand
• Social media is the fastest resource to reach your customer base
• Each platform is likely connected to your online reviews
• Customers have a way to engage with your restaurant outside of your brick-and-mortar restaurant

It is crucial to put time and effort into social media to optimize a very lucrative marketing channel.

20 Social Media Stats

Social Media

1. Users have increased by over 400 million in the past year to reach 4.55 billion and growing.
2. Almost 50% of social media users follow a restaurant or food brand account.
3. Over 20% of social media users have chosen a restaurant based on social media posts or photos.
4. 70% of customers have stated they are more likely to go to a restaurant that engages with them on social media platforms.

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Social media is an ever-expanding marketing channel where most of your customers are watching to view the next best restaurant.

Facebook

Facebook is the oldest social media platform that is still performing at an astounding rate. It is a platform your restaurant needs to be taking advantage of. Make sure to be consistent with your branding. Use photos and videos to engage followers. Respond to comments from your potential or existing customers. Be friendly and supportive and like other business accounts. Here are the statistics of why Facebook is so important for your restaurant to utilize.

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1. Facebook continues to be the most popular social media platform. 2.89 billion people monthly active users.
2. Facebook has 2,910 million active users daily and Facebook Messenger has 988 million active users daily.
3. 74% of Facebook users are of the wealthy population.

This should be an obvious indication to be active on Facebook and Facebook Messenger to engage with a stream of potential customers who have a higher chance of disposable income to spend at your restaurant.

4. Globally, Facebook is the third most-visited social media site with 11.2 billion total visits and 1.5 billion visitors.
5. Over 60% of Facebook users have stated they have become interested in a brand after viewing one of their stories.

An easy way to generate Facebook Stories is to connect your Facebook to your Instagram account. It is much easier to make a fun and engaging story on Instagram and simply share it on Facebook at the same time.

6. Statistics from Facebook state that 72% of consumers use Facebook to assist them when deciding which restaurant to visit.

Instagram

Instagram has not slowed down since the day it was created. Instagram’s algorithm is always changing and it is important to stay updated on how to navigate this. Users will come across your page at some point. It is important to use Instagram Ads and keep your account on brand and inviting. Here are some stats to be aware of and why Instagram is so crucial for your restaurant.

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7. Instagram has 1,478 million active users daily.
8. The average time a person spends on Instagram is 28 minutes per day.

Capturing your customers on Instagram should be an easier attempt considering they are already on the app every day for almost a half-hour.

9. A third of Instagram stories viewed are created by businesses.

It is time to start creating content for your stories on Instagram. It is a way to connect with customers. A few ideas:

• Share a new menu item
• Host a poll and see what two menu items are more desired
• Run a contest for a Gift Card at your restaurant
• Share a behind-the-scenes video of your kitchen and staff
• Share a video of your restaurant on a busy night

10. Over 89% of Instagram users follow a business account.
11. Instagram posts that have tagged locations receive 79% more followers.

This is something that works in a restaurant's favor. When your restaurant location is tagged in the post, it will receive more of a following and become an easy marketing strategy.

12. Instagram Ads showcase your brand to around 849 million Instagram users.  
13. Instagram is known to have the highest average engagement rate per Instagram post for restaurants.

Instagram is a social media platform that should be leveraged and used frequently. With the statistics above, you should start to schedule Instagram posts using tools like Buffer, Later, and Sked Social.  

Twitter

Twitter can be overlooked as it has the least number of active users compared to Instagram and Facebook. However, with a smaller number of users, there is a higher chance potential and current customers will come across your tweets especially if your tweets are being retweeted and there is a use of hashtags.

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14. Twitter has 436 million active users daily.
15. The average time a Twitter user spends on Twitter is just under four minutes.  
16. Use of one to two hashtags on a Twitter post can give you an increased engagement by 21%.
17. Tweets that include hashtags have over a 50% chance of being retweeted.

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From the information above, Twitter is a space that should be utilized by restaurants to give out quick information and use hashtags to gain more engagement. Here are some popular restaurant hashtags to use on Twitter:

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• #food
• #time
• #restaurant
• #love
• #vegan
• #visit
• #burger
• #news
• #day
  

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18. Polls from Twitter show that food and beverage brands account for close to one-third of mentions on Twitter.

If your restaurant is not on Twitter, there is a good chance customers are still talking about your restaurant on Twitter. It is better to be there, be informed, and be a part of the conversation.

19. A study done in the UK found that 52% of Twitter users turn to Twitter for information about food and restaurants. 43% of users said they went to a restaurant based on a photo they saw on Twitter.
20. Businesses using Twitter for customer service see an increase of 19% in their customers satisfaction.

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The statistics alone show the absolute importance of being active on social media accounts for your restaurant(s). It can be difficult to look after but there are many tools to help you look after your social media accounts.

How Online Reputation Management Can Help

Online reputation management can create a strategy for your restaurant brand. Included in this strategy can be the management of your social media accounts.

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For example, a tool like Localyser will collect your social media reviews and mentions on one easy-to-read dashboard where you can see and respond to the reviews. Localyser will connect your Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs for each one of your brands and locations to one simple dashboard. You can respond in real-time to customers.

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Localyser can help. Reach out today to learn how easy Localyser makes managing restaurant reviews across multiple websites and more.

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