Restaurant Week Social Media Toolkit

Posted: February 10th, 2022

Many destinations will be celebrating Restaurant Week in the next quarter and may need help brushing up their social media efforts. A social media toolkit geared specifically for restaurants can help your members get on social media, provide guidance for engagement, and increase conversations for the entire community.

Here are the top five items to you need to include in the Social Media Toolkit that you can share with your restaurant community:

ACCOUNT NAMES

Your toolkit for restaurants should include all of your DMO’s social media accounts so restaurants know where to find you and can easily tag you in their posts. If many of your restaurants are still new to social media, include brief instructions on how to tag you on each network.

You may want to also include tips here on how to fill out a complete profile and even how to claim business listings on Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor.

HASHTAGS

Your destination hashtag(s) and a list of foodie hashtags should also be included in this toolkit. A quick search will provide a multitude of hashtags. Don’t forget to add industry staples like #tacotuesday!

BASIC STRATEGY

Provide a basic strategy that reviews post frequency per network, content calendars, a list of social media management platforms or scheduling tools, graphic design tools, and community management tips. You can even add more advanced topics such as working with influencers, leveraging user-generated content, and creating appetizing food photography.

HOW-TO TIPS

Education needs to be a crucial component of your social media toolkit. Your how-to tips should cover instructions on everything from scheduling posts to creating automatic message replies. If you don’t have time to write these tips yourself, here are a few for you to include:

ANALYTICS

You can measure success with website analytics, but only if your efforts are trackable! Provide advice on website pixels, paid ads, and social media data.

For example, if a restaurant has a QR code that links to the menu on their website, they should also have their website pixels (especially the Facebook pixel) installed to collect data. This is a missed opportunity for many restaurants since website pixels can provide source data to use for future ad targeting.

TIPS FOR A RESTAURANT WEEK TOOLKIT:

As a supplement to your restaurant toolkit, a separate toolkit can be created for restaurant week. Keep this toolkit short and sweet!

Include the details for restaurant week in this toolkit. Be sure to list the dates, official website, hashtag, logo (and where to download it), and taglines along with your DMO’s handles and hashtag(s). Provide all the details in a clear manner at the beginning of the toolkit.

Create a number of sample posts that your restaurants can easily customize or just post as-is. Be sure to include relevant hashtags!

Add any graphics you’ve created for restaurant week and include info on where to download them. Don’t forget to list your contact info at the end.

These toolkit ideas will assist your member restaurants gain online exposure along with supporting your overall Restaurant Week promotional efforts. They are also a great member benefit and can easily be transformed as content for a future member workshop or webinar.

You can also easily replicate your restaurant toolkit for your member hotels, attractions, and events!