The trick to selling more food is to be where your clients are. Nowadays, that is Instagram. Used by all generations, this platform is full of delicious-looking images and videos of food.
It is also a playing ground for influencers with lots of followers who can persuade people to buy certain products or services. If you want to harness their power to better your business, we’ll show you how to find and work with restaurant influencers on Instagram.
Why You Should Work with Restaurant Influencers
Promoting your restaurant on social media can be as cheap or as expensive as you wish. You can limit yourself to free posts, but you will have to wait longer to get noticed. If you want to see results fast, consider working with restaurant influencers on Instagram.
Here are the benefits you will enjoy:
- Access to a new audience: influencers have a big following that you may not have at the beginning. With their help, you can show a variety of new potential customers how great your restaurant is;
- Increased visibility and engagement: when an influent person promotes your business, they get others to follow your Instagram account and interact with it, increasing your reputation in the process;
- More sales: the end goal of a restaurant influencer campaign is to convince people to give your restaurant a try, by either making a reservation or placing an online order;
- Big return on investment: the people who follow influencers trust their opinions, so a lot of them will trust their restaurant recommendations.
Read more: Restaurant Influencer Marketing Guide: Tips for a Successful Collaboration
How to Find Restaurant Influencers on Instagram
The first step to working with restaurant influencers on Instagram is to find the right ones for you. To do so, try these techniques:
- Search by hashtags: most people still use hashtags to tag their posts because it makes it easier to search for them. Therefore, try out #foodie, #foodblogger, #instafood, #pizzareview, #pizzaYourLocation, #restaurantreview, and many other variations, often including your location for more relevant results;
- Use the search function on Instagram: sometimes the right influencer is just one quick search away. Search by location and occupation, such as food reviewer and restaurant reviewer;
- Explore popular posts: the more you use Instagram, the easier it will be to identify influencers. Like and interact with foodies and you will get more on your feed that could be a good fit for your collaboration;
- Use influencer marketing tools: if you have the money and don’t want to put in an effort, you could collaborate with an agency that will find influencers for you.
Read more: Restaurant Instagram Marketing Ideas That Will Help You Increase Sales
How to contact influencers on Instagram
After you choose the influencer or influencers you want to work with, it is time to get in contact. There are two main ways to do so:
- By DMing them: check the bio of the influencer and if you don’t see any contact info, just send them a direct message on Instagram. For a bigger chance of them seeing your message, don’t forget to follow and interact with their post beforehand;
- By email: most restaurant influencers on Instagram that are open for collaborations will have their email displayed in their bio to make it easier for you to reach them.
If you’re wondering what to say, here is a simple formula and example to draw inspiration from:
Hello [Influencer Name],
I am [Your Name Here], owner of [Restaurant Name Here]. I am writing to you because I find your content inspiring and would love to work together to spread the word about the delicious food at my place.
Are you open to collaborations?
Have a great day,
[Your Name Here]
6 Tips for a Successful Influencer Collaboration
Marketing can be expensive, and it would be a shame if you spend all your budget with next to nothing to show for it. Here are some tips you must follow if you want to get results:
- Choose influencers active in your location: if your restaurant is in New York, it won’t help you much to work with an influencer from Washington because their audience won’t be able to patronize your place unless they travel. You need influencers who are known in your area and will be able to bring you many customers;
- Start with micro-influencers: the more known the influencers, the bigger the amount you will have to pay for the collaboration. You can start small to see if this type of marketing campaign works for you;
- Research past collaborations: if you want a better idea of what the influencer campaign will look like, search through their posts, paying attention to the ones signaled as “Paid”. You can also do a quick Google search to find more about the influencer and ensure there are no scandals in their past;
- Only choose influencers that fit your branding: if you branded your restaurant as cheerful, and always happy to help, you need an influencer that fits that image. Moreover, stick to influencers that focus their content on food and restaurant reviews and avoid the ones with different areas of interest, such as car reviews or makeup advice;
- Include all the specifics in the contract: to ensure you get the results you want, specify in the contract exactly what you expect from the influencer, such as one Instagram reel promoting the restaurant, two posts advertising new menu items, and three stories featuring them trying the restaurant’s food.
- Monitor the influencer campaign: once the posts get launched, keep an eye on the likes, comments, and shares to see how people are reacting. This gives you a chance to adapt and improve your strategy. Moreover, use a restaurant analytics tool to notice if you get increased traffic on your website and a bigger number of orders and reservations.
Top Food Influencers on Instagram
If you need inspiration for your future collaborations, we’ve gathered a few examples of successful restaurant influencers on Instagram. Look at their paid posts to get ideas for your new campaigns.
Here are some London food bloggers on Instagram:
1. @londonfoodbabes
A trio of creators showcasing the most popular food places in London. They chronicle food experiences with great photography.
2. @londonfoodee
This account presents both recipes and restaurants, only focusing on halal ones. When you search for influencers, you can look for ones specifically interested in your type of cuisine.
3. @truffleandtoast
This social media influencer likes to review food establishments, no matter the price range. You can notice they have a link in their bio that will help you contact them if you want to collaborate.
Here are some New Your food influencers:
4. @lavivienyc
Vivian showcases the food scene in NYC with entertaining reels that persuade people to give the promoted restaurants a try.
5. @devourpower
These influencers are living many people’s dreams of quitting their jobs to devour all the delicious food in NYC.
6. @briancantsstopeating
A great influencer is a blend of an enticing personality that keeps people entertained and aesthetically pleasing content.
Final Words
Working with restaurant influencers on Instagram can help you boost visibility, brand recognizance, and sales. The trick is to pick the right influencer for you, set clear guidelines, and monitor the campaign to ensure you get the results you are hoping for.
You might also like:
- 10 Instagram Food Trends Your Restaurant Must Follow in 2024 to Attract More Clients
- How to Get More Restaurant Reviews with Instagram
- 10 Restaurant Instagram Story Ideas to Attract More Followers
