Using your Restaurant Blog to Connect

This is a guest post from Amanda DiSilvestro, a professional blogger that writes on a variety of topics including restaurants in NYC. Amanda writes for Restaurants.com, a leading restaurant directory of top dining locations.

Business blogging is the newest addition to online marketing that has become integral to SEO success. As a great place to include keywords and build your online authority, it is smart that you have a business blog. As a restaurant, it provides you with a plethora of opportunities to connect with your customers as well. By creating this customer community you can create more value, increasing your chances of customer loyalty. Consider incorporating these three blogging strategies.

1) Invite Customer Recipes:

Though your food is made by world-class chefs who have endured extensive education and training, your customer’s food is likely simple, and easy for other diners to replicate. Therefore, instead of sharing your own recipes, invite customers to share their recipes. This is a great way for customers to connect with one another, giving them one more reason to head your way each week.

1. With the check: Include a note with each check book explaining the opportunity with a contact email. You would be surprised how many customers want to have their cooking skills recognized.
2. Spread the word: Let it be known on your social networks in order to reach a broader audience. While loyal fans will come in often, one-timers may still be interested. This is also an excellent opportunity to convert casual diners into frequent ones.

2) Share Tips and Tricks:

As an expert in your field, you have an abundance of information to share. Instead of hoarding it all for your restaurant staff, consider sharing it on your blog. Becoming an authority in your niche is good for SEO as well as customer loyalty. When your customers feel they are in safe hands, you can be sure they will come back for more. Now, there are two ways you can go with this.

1. Food: Showing your food expertise is a smart way to give customers confidence in their outing choice.
2. Business: Broaden your authority and customer base by providing business advice, success stories and tips. While this may not be beneficial for all your customers, it may be a factor in converting potential diners.

3) Feature New menu Items:

Another important use for your blog is to feature new menu items. Customers want to receive exclusive news and deals, and releasing this to them first proves that you care about what they want. In order to make this successful, you need to focus on a few important points.

1. Encourage social: By encouraging readers to pin and share your photo, you are enabling more eyes on the most important aspect of your business – good, delicious food.
2. Use quality images: Sites like Instagram and Pinterest are creating food photo snobs; food porn has taken food photography to another level. To make an impression, you have to do it right.

Maintaining a restaurant blog is an awesome way to connect with customers outside the restaurant. If you don’t like writing, consider your alternate options – such as eliciting customer content or publishing menu item photos. Use this to enhance your site and social efforts for a well-rounded online presence.

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