Live-Streaming Restaurant Marketing

The web is increasingly becoming all about video. Video search results dominate Google and 82% of people say they prefer video to blog posts.

More and more platforms are emerging to help you create live streaming video. Facebook Live, Periscope, YouTube, and now even Instagram is shifting towards video.

Live streaming is most often using your smartphone's camera to essentially video conference with hundreds or thousands of people who follow you online.

Live streaming brings a human element to your online marketing and helps you build a connection with your fans in a way that text can’t. This is an important piece of social restaurant marketing and makes it more likely that people will participate. When people can see your face and hear your stories it will help to expand the reach of your marketing message.

Live streaming fits easily with your existing social media marketing, while generating exciting live content that can be shared across multiple social media platforms.

Plan Ahead But Keep It Casual To Connect With Fans

Because you are broadcasting live, care should be taken to plan carefully. Strike a balance. You can be casual and personal without being unprofessional.

People enjoy videos that seem spontaneous, yet it’s important to maintain control. You certainly don’t want to damage your reputation and that of your restaurant with a careless word.

Adopt the natural and relaxed style associated with live-streaming. This is what makes it so effective. You can respond to chat comments in real time, which makes viewers feel special, builds a fan-base and develops customer loyalty in a major way!

Live-Stream High-Quality Video to Promote your Restaurant

Make sure to pay attention to video quality as well. Poor quality video and audio matter. Just because there is a lot of bad video online, that’s not permission for you. If you respect your followers then respect their eyes and ears. Provide good content that is easy to see and hear.

Learn a little about the basics of good video. There are many great tutorials online, that will help you learn how to shoot great live video for your restaurant.

Keep Your Social Media Active By Live-Streaming Regularly

The more often you stream video with your fans the more opportunities you have to gain a following and promote your restaurant. Stream your restaurant events, interviews with staff and guests, and most of all, show off your personality.

To gain more viewers, announce ahead of time on your social media accounts when you’re going to go live. Build anticipation and excitement.

Live streaming at the same time every day or every week also gives your online followers a chance to interact with you on a regular basis and to make it a habit.

Don’t forget to throw in some surprise appearances too. Although you won’t have as many viewers as if you announced it ahead of time, you can capitalize on FOMO -- the fear of missing out. Once you’ve gotten the hang of streaming, unannounced appearances can be a lot of fun.

Live Streaming Ideas to Market your Restaurant:

Kitchen tips from our master chef

Everyone loves cooking shows and learning from an expert! What’s the right way to sharpen knives? How do experts debone a chicken? Use the experience of those you work with to share something of value with your viewers.

Get to know the owners

A great rags to riches tale inspires people. Restaurant owners are often underdogs who have worked hard to prove out their restaurant concept. Viewers get a chance to hear the little-known story of how their favorite restaurant got started. The more people can relate to you the more customer loyalty you can build.

Tour guide of the restaurant

This is a great way to connect with potential new customers as they watch you charismatically share the layout of the restaurant. Be sure to tell a story about the design and the decor, challenges during building and anything else interesting. Imagine yourself as a tour guide.

Host an “AMA” (ask me anything)

Host a Q and A where you answer questions from live viewers. This provides back and forth interaction that your fans will love. They’ll get excited hearing their name called out and their question answered live. This also provides an opportunity for some banter and really showing off your personality.

Live-stream your restaurant events

People love to be where the action is. Stream live events while they're happening so people can see how much fun it is to be there. Unfortunately, music isn’t well suited to this unless you can provide a good quality live audio recording. Obviously you need to check with any performers to get their permission before live streaming them.

Decorating and setting up for events

If you can’t stream a private event you can still get people excited. Entice your fan’s curiosity. Show them how much work it is to switch over the venue. They can watch your staff transform the dining area, for example, during a holiday. You might be surprised how interested people can be in watching you decorating and moving tables for a wedding, banquet or live music.

“Behind the scenes"

Running a restaurant can be stressful but some light hearted fun can help. Invite your viewers to see what it’s like to run service. How do you get ready for dinner service? Interview the chef and kitchen staff. Show the back-of-house and how it’s well organized and clean. It might even help you hire some new staff members who appreciate how you run things.

Entice your fans with food

There’s gotta be some hungry people out on the internet; why not capture their interest? Viewers can watch the kitchen staff and the chef prepare one of your signature dishes. Tease your fans with exclusive news on a limited edition menu item. It’s not just the food, but the presentation. Use streaming video to communicate how your restaurant team works to provide diners with great food experiences.

We hope these ideas have sparked your imagination about what can be done to market your restaurant using live streaming video. Now it is your turn to start using this powerful social media marketing technique. We’re looking forward to your live stream video from your restaurant!