So you’ve just updated your menu and did a fresh renovation of your restaurant. But now there’s just one problem - you’re struggling to get more guests through the front door. While you might still see small demand spikes during certain seasons or notice your regulars still coming in, maybe you’re not seeing the returns you were hoping for in the investments you’ve just made.

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. The food service industry is highly competitive, and the ebb and flow of the economy certainly haven’t made things any easier. Still, many restaurant establishments are finding it highly effective to partner with influencers and food creators to give their businesses the visibility boost they need to attract more customers through the door.

But what’s the difference between these two marketing professions, and which is the right partner for your restaurant? There are a few key points to consider.

The Differences Between Influencers and Food Creators

Influencers

Social media influencers come in all shapes and sizes today, and many specialize in certain areas. This can include lifestyle, fashion, travel, and of course, food criticism.

While some influencers may have professional backgrounds closely related to the passions they pursue when connecting with their audience, many are more focused on the marketing aspects of building their personal brands.

Their strengths lie in knowing how to deliver a message that resonates with a wide range of users, typically by having a fun or relatable personality that’s worth following. They also know the best times of day to post content and how to keep their audience's attention.

Food Creators

Food creators are passionate culinary artists, restaurateurs, or home cooks who share their food creations or ideas with others. Many times, you’ll find food creators sharing different recipes, walkthrough cooking videos, or restaurant reviews with a list of content subscribers or social media followers.

While influencers may have a broader list of topics or interests that make up their content marketing initiatives, food creators often stay focused on food-related interests.

How to Pick the Right Partnership for Your Business

Identify Your Restaurant's Goals and Demographics

To create the right influencer or food creator partnerships, you’ll want to first think about the goals your restaurant is trying to achieve. This might be to increase the number of reservation bookings you make, boost sales of specific menu items, or perhaps increase online reviews for the restaurant and grow your social media follower list.

In addition to the goals you’re trying to achieve, take the time to research your customer demographics. Regardless of the type of marketing campaigns you create, if you don’t know what your customers are likely to respond to, any efforts or investments you make may not provide you with the results you’re hoping for.

Evaluate Reach vs. Relevance

When most businesses think about influencers, they immediately think about the viral attention they can bring to a brand. Over 5 billion people use social media regularly, and for restaurant owners, this could potentially be a great way to raise awareness in local markets of who they are. However, it's worth considering that while influencers can bring a significant number of eyeballs to businesses, this doesn’t necessarily mean the type of exposure you receive will yield tangible results.

For example, while food creators may have a smaller list of followers, their audience might be more localized and interested in the specific types of menu items you offer. Even though you’ll have less overall exposure, this type of awareness could still mean more revenue for the business.

Focus on Authentic Business Engagement

It can be hard to focus your partnership outreach in the right areas. Many times, businesses can get caught up in looking for influencers or food creators by simply targeting those with the highest follower counts. A critical thing to keep in mind is that a high follower count doesn’t necessarily equate to high levels of engagement.

There are many individuals who inflate their numbers in an effort to secure sponsored partnership deals without adding any real value. This is why it’s important to focus on more than just statistics and on the content that individuals regularly publish. See if they're passionate about the same areas that matter to your business and if they’re being honest and authentic in their interactions with their followers.

Remember, when you decide to partner with an influencer or food creator, they essentially become an extension of your brand. Feeling confident in their ability to gain credibility and trust from their followers will have a direct impact on how they view your restaurant as well.

Consider Where Your Guests Mostly Spend Their Time

Influencers and food creators don’t always build a following on the same social platforms. Many times, they’ll stick with one primary platform and share their content from there.

Because of this, it’s important to consider where your guests spend most of their time online and prioritize partnerships that can help you develop more awareness on those same platforms. For restaurants, this likely means sticking to social media sites that are known for visual content sharing, like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, reach out to potential partners that look like they market content applicable to your business.

Monitor Performance Metrics With Your Partners

Creating temporary partnerships is a great way for your restaurant to test out the effectiveness of both influencers and food creators. But to do this, you’ll first want to create some Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can help you gauge the overall success of your campaigns.

Begin by tracking the relative engagement rates for each sponsored video or content piece. See how many viewers are actually commenting or responding to the posts being shared and if they’re sharing with their own list of followers. For restaurant establishments, it’s crucial to gauge the local interest these campaigns are generating, as this will be more closely tied to potential increases in foot traffic.

When discussing potential collaborations, ensure you ask about the potential results you can expect before launching a campaign. You’ll want to ensure both parties are on the same page regarding any expectations you may have for deliverables, timelines, and overall campaign goals. This includes discussing the types of content they will create and the frequency of posts.

Consider Budget Constraints and ROI Needs

An important consideration that should weigh into your partnership decisions is your budget and return on investment (ROI) needs. Some influencer relationships can cost businesses thousands of dollars annually. Even if these expenses are within your budget, you should also consider the actual benefits you’re able to get from them.

Carefully weigh the costs against the value your partnerships bring to your restaurant, and ensure you can achieve the goals your business has set.

Increase Your Restaurant’s Exposure With the Right Partnerships

Ultimately, choosing the right partner depends on your restaurant's unique goals, budget, and the local audience you want to reach. By considering the strategies discussed, you will be able to decide where your marketing budgets are best spent and identify the partners that can help you create relevant outreach programs to increase your restaurant's foot traffic and grow your revenue.

Author

Name: Keith Kakadia

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithkakadia

Bio:
Keith Kakadia, founder and CEO of Sociallyin, has been at the forefront of transforming the social media marketing landscape for over 13 years. From humble beginnings at Mississippi State University to building a world-class agency that serves clients like Samsung, Carnival Cruise Line, and Nikon. Keith has earned a reputation as a trailblazer in leveraging social media to drive brand success.