From Bon Appetit to Facebook, cooking videos continue to dominate the digital media space. If anything can stop you from mindlessly scrolling through social media, it’s a gooey cheese pull and the slow bubble of creamy homemade tomato soup. If you are a restaurant owner wanting to share your story, it’s about time to start integrating video as part of your marketing strategy.
More than just making you drool, these videos let the audience fall in love with cooking as an artform. As Netflix’s Chef’s Table proves, the all-encompassing sensory experience of crafting a meal is rich and compelling. By capturing the sights and sounds of a chef at work, the viewer is able to really feel the food in a way that transcends the two-dimensionality of the screen. So, what are you waiting for? Check out our tips for effectively representing your restaurant with video marketing.
1. What’s Your Story?
If your restaurant has a rich or interesting history, tell us. What inspired the creation of your restaurant? How long have you been in business? Try to tell it as a story. This may appeal to customers because it’s less of a hard sell and shows your restaurant’s personality and character.
2. Keep it Short
Keep your video short! Studies have shown that videos up to 2 minutes long get the most engagement. After that, it’s difficult to keep viewers’ attention. Make sure it opens with an attention grabber too.
3. Get People Hungry
Include artistic visuals of your food. The goal is to make your viewers crave your dishes – perhaps even dishes they normally wouldn’t typically pick off the menu. Get creative.
4. Rely on Your Community
Interview your customers! Make sure your interviews are with real people, not paid actors, and your restaurant will gain more credibility. After all, restaurant-goers LOVE reviews!
5. Use Your Resources
Low budget, no problem. If you’re a new establishment running on a lower budget, don’t let your budget stop you from utilizing video. Here are a few suggestions for successful, low budget video marketing:
Promote your videos through social media! You don’t need to spend tons of money on advertising to get the word out. Surveys have found that 89% of all marketers indicated that their social media efforts have generated more exposure for their businesses.
Ask a young, loyal customer to post Snapchats or even a Youtube video of your restaurant. If you have someone you know well who is passionate about your food, give them coupons in exchange for their work. Consumer-generated advertising works very well.
Buy a tripod. You can find inexpensive tripods on sites like Amazon that will help keep a steady shot to ensure a higher quality video.
Now that you have the basics, you can get started on shooting and marketing a video for your restaurant. Whether you’re a small mom-and-pop establishment, a big corporate chain, or have several Michelin stars, the power of visual storytelling will maximize your restaurant’s reach and allow you to connect with people far outside of your immediate community.
Updated January 31, 2020
Danielle Santilli, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman and Alanna Goodman contributed to this post.