TikTok is no longer a platform for kids. It’s another tool for brand promotion on social media. If you have admitted to its function after being in denial for so long, you probably might want to know how to take advantage of this tool. Now we will explain TikTok marketing, getting all social media ducks in a row.
The Basics of TikTok Restaurant Marketing
TikTok is one of the world’s fastest-growing media channels and one of Apple App Store’s most downloaded-app. This makes it the perfect marketing channel, especially for trendy cafes, eateries, and bars that want to attract the attention of Gen Z and Millennial customers.
There are three core methods of marketing a restaurant on TikTok. They are:
Posting relevant videos of your venue, menu, food preparation area, and team on your channel
Teaming up with influencers in your industry to expand your reach
Advertising your food, drinks, specials, and services through the social media platform
Most successful restaurant brands have found varying ways of combining these three methods. For example, your restaurant can upload original video content every day to stay front and center in your customers’ minds.
1. Switch to a business account and fill out your profile
The first thing you need to do as a part of your TikTok marketing strategy is to switch your account to a business account. Your name and username should correspond to your brand’s name. Then, users, who know about you, can find you on TikTok by your name. This will help to promote your brand more effectively because this account gives you:
Additional fields in the profile settings. You can add an active link in the bio section, e-mail, and set your page category.
Additional audio to add to your clips, that a personal account doesn’t have.
Ads tools. We’ll tell you about them later.
New sections with popular videos. They will help you to understand which TikTok clips get more reach and engagement currently.
2. Promoting Your Menu and Specials Online
TikTok provides an awesome platform for restaurants to showcase new menu items and specials, especially if you introduce them in a visually memorable way.
For example, Maggie Johnson (@magsmeals) has taken the simple task of creating cheese boards and turned them into an art form, gaining nearly 300,000 followers. Her secret lies in her stunning cheese board layouts and her bubbly personality. But you can add your own unique spin to your menu and special introductions. Bonus points if your videos align with your brand identity.
3. Pairing with Influencers to Share Captivating Content
Influencer marketing is one of the most cost-effective paid marketing strategies you can adopt. Your business could team up with influencers to film short videos of them taking part in a brand challenge, eating one of your new dishes, making a cocktail, or indulging in your best-selling dessert.
Those influencers’ followers are likely to share this content automatically, providing your restaurant or bar with invaluable brand exposure. Dunkin’ Donuts worked with New England dancer and influencer D'Amelio to create a TikTok of her signature drink. They saw their sales rocket by 20% on the first day following their posting the video, proving just how well influencer marketing works.
4. Using TikTok Challenges to Build Brand Awareness
Do you remember the infamous #IceBucketChallenge? The easiest and most effective way to create a buzz around a TikTok challenge is to create a catchy and memorable hashtag challenge. These posts encourage your followers to perform a song, dance, or trick and then challenge others to do the same by sharing the hashtag.
Encourage your customers to post TikToks of themselves eating at your restaurant or recreating one of your famous dishes or drinks. This incentivizes them to share your hashtag and get the word out about your business.
5. Consider ads in your TikTok marketing strategy
You can use paid ads in your TikTok marketing strategy in order to gain your audience faster. You can collaborate with influencers or launch ads using tools in TikTok Ads manager.
If you work with influencers, choose those, who post on a topic close to yours, and who would use your product. Then you will reach your target audience. Besides, your advertisement won’t be hard-selling, therefore you will be considered positively.
For example, when you want to promote your plastic mats for mugs, you better involve interior designers in the campaign, not a breatharian posting on #consciousconsumption or #sustainability.
6. Know your TikTok audience
Study your audience to make your TikTok marketing strategy effective. Then you can create videos that will be viewed and liked. For example, if most of your viewers are from South America, your advice on how not to freeze in a snowbank will not be relevant. Or, if you use slang but then realize the most significant part of your audience is adults, then you better switch to a more mature vocabulary.
When you’ve just started putting your TikTok marketing plan into practice, there are no audience statistics in your account. But you make use of the data from your other social media accounts or your website. But don’t forget to edit your plan when you discover that your TikTok audience differs, for example, by age.
Summary
Coffee shops and cafes are a big part of many people's lives, but not many people know the secrets behind them. Share insider tips and tricks about how to make the perfect cup of coffee or how to make latte art. Give your audience a look at industry secrets from the perspective of a barista, cafe owner, and coffee roaster. From bean selection and roasting techniques to barista training and customer service tips, this video would be an interesting and informative watch for coffee lovers.
