Why Foodies Look to Social Media for their Next Restaurant Experience

Why Foodies Look to Social Media for their Next Restaurant Experience. Foodies can be a restaurant’s worst nightmare and also their dream come true. Foodies are constantly looking for what’s next; the latest and greatest, the oohs and ahhs. Their life revolves around an upcoming delicious bite and the tasty bites they’ve already had. They pride themselves on knowing the best restaurants, cafes, diners, and even pop-ups out there, and they find the best by searching the internet. With social media as popular and convenient as ever, it only makes perfect sense for a foodie to use it to search and publish their findings.  

What’s Hot

Social media is a feeding frenzy for trends. No matter the industry or topic, any social media user is bound to know what’s hot and what everyone wants to try, have, and bag. Because foodies devote themselves to trying what’s new, social media is an adamant aspect of a foodie’s strategy.

Twitter is primarily known as the platform that ranks global trends, and it’s where many social media savvies turn to when they’re drawing a blank. Foodies especially entertain the Twittersphere as it’s a reliable source for navigating the world of food and dining. If their search is running dry, a quick browse on Twitter can spark an interest that leads to their next restaurant experience. Never overlook the power of what’s trending. 

Why is Social Media Good for my Restaurant? 

Think of social media as a free marketing campaign because marketing is essentially what it is.

Most publicity is good publicity, especially for restaurant’s on the rise or attempting to be on the rise.

While influencers, foodies, and social media users alike all come together on social media to find the next hot topic, it’s safe to say that it’s beneficial to businesses. Social media can increase or even begin customer traffic to your restaurant.

It can spark connections within your restaurant’s community and become the latest trend. There are no adverse side effects to using social media.  

Looking Good 

Social media will showcase the good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly, what’s worth the hype and what’s not.

Each person can and will judge something for themselves; however, many people choose only to take their chances with what passes the vibe check.

It’s easiest to rely on what you see rather than read about or listen to. Before a foodie tastes a dish, their first impression often comes from looking at a picture of it. Social media allows foodies to trust what they’re ordering because, most of the time, they’ve already seen a preview of it online. If it looks good on social media, it’s a green light from there. 

Why Do People Show Food on Social Media? 

Like all things on social media, people enjoy posting what’s relevant in their life. They gravitate to their own experiences and enjoy sharing them with their corner of the world. Food is a constant in everyone’s life. Like fashion, sports, and travel, it will always exist and grasp an audience’s attention. People love sharing the best of their life, and food often falls into that category. Images of food are a safety net. There’s no wrong picture; perhaps that is why social media users display their food or a restaurant’s food online. 

Influenced by Influencers

Over the last decade, many people have decided to make a career out of social media. Many of these people are what the public calls influencers. Influencers use social media to showcase the ins and outs of their life. Much of their income is based upon paid partnerships with brands. However, each product they promote does not have to be an advertisement. Many choose to talk about products, brands, organizations, or restaurants for their content, but in doing so, they are ultimately promoting them to their followers. 

While Foodies may or may not intend to be influencers, their presence on social media can act as one. Foodies are automatically driven to post about their restaurant experiences, discuss the dishes they ate, and even share photos of their meal before it was devoured. Foodies look to social media for their next restaurant experience because they know the next fabulous place will already have been tried and true by other influencers. There is an unspoken trust between foodies and the content on social media. If influencers are raving about it, then it has to be good. 

Is Food Popular on Instagram? 

Where there are influencers, there is food.

Instagram is one of the most, if not the most, popular social media platforms for food.

Coupled with the photo-based design and variety of editing tools, Instagram is perfect to pair with anyone even remotely interested in seeing modern delicacies.

Food is popular on an eating level as well as an artistic appreciation.

Food can mean different things to various groups of people, and Instagram allows each person to observe, publish, and discuss food in the way that interests them best. 

Aesthetically Pleasing 

While it is apparent that foodies gravitate to the origin of their name, it’s not the only aspect they consider when searching for their next restaurant experience. In our current digital era, aesthetics is often what people first perceive about a place in question. The term aesthetic has grown over the years from referring to styles to implying a specific vibe or personality, almost like a feeling that is received from simply observing something, somewhere, or someone.

Yes, foodies chase what tastes the best, but the overall experience has to be positive. Social media users often praise places, such as restaurants, that are aesthetically pleasing; what pleasantly meets the eye apart from what’s on your plate. Social media consistently exhibits the crème de la crème of aesthetics, which is why foodies cannot obsess over just what’s on the menu but what’s outside of it.

How Does Social Media Affect My Restaurant? 

Social media absolutely can affect your restaurant. Hopefully, like most restaurants, it affects yours for better rather than worse. However, it all depends on how you use it to your advantage. Presenting your business on social media is crucial to receiving benefits in return. If your restaurant’s social media presence is clean, inviting, informative, and convincing, you’ll reap an increase in new customers, new regulars, and increased revenue. 

Looking for more info on Why Foodies look to Social Media for their next Restaurant Experience? 

Social media is an enormous, seemingly never-ending digital playing field. With so many tools you can use, it’s easy to become lost when it’s constantly changing.

Navigating social media for a business can be even trickier, as it’s essential to know exact.ly what you’re dealing with. Groups such as foodies and influencers are just a tiny snippet of understanding social media’s advantages on your restaurant.

If you need some help learning how social media can be used in so many ways for so many different people, we’re here for you! Please see below to access a free consultation with us. It’s just a short, casual conversation to see if we’d be a good fit. 

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