As a blogger, I know the value that a blog can have for businesses. Why should restaurants have blogs? For the same reasons that many businesses also have them: exposure and ranking on google. The last time you wanted to go out to eat but hadn’t decided where to go, did you Google for restaurants in your area? Chances are if you’re like me, you did. A study done by Constant Contact showed that 92% of the participants searched for a restaurant online and 75% of them chose their destination based on what they found.
Marketing is a huge part of any business. Instead of investing in advertisements that catch your customers for a few seconds before they move on, invest in content that will engage them in a different way. If you share a recipe, a special promotion or a community-related event that you are a part of, your customers will register that and many will share it with their friends and family. It’s time to work smarter instead of harder.
Why Blogging Is Important To Restaurants
Most restaurant websites consist of 1-3 pages for google to list in their results. If you had a blog tied to your restaurant name, each blog post could potentially show up as a result as well!
Here are a few tips to get your blog going on the right foot.
Attach The Blog To Your Site
Chances are, you have someone who manages your website. Talk to them about how to incorporate a blog directly on your website either as a subdomain or subdirectory.
Write Relevant Content
Each post should be interesting to your reader, be optimized for search engines (otherwise known as SEO-friendly) and tie into your restaurant in some way. Think in terms of what someone looking for your restaurant would type into google and turn it into a blog post!
Be Consistent
Ideally, you should post to your blog at least once a week with a minimum of 300-500 words to show your value to Google and other search engines. Again, think of yourself browsing the internet. Do you want to see the same things over and over? Of course not! Search engines operate the same way. By updating your website on a regular basis with blog posts, you are increasing your reach in search results.
Connect with your Social Media
Posting regularly to your social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc, is a great way to stay connected to your customers. While it may seem daunting to come up with social media posts, having a blog gives you one more thing to share with your followers.
Show Off Your Success and Changes
Every restaurant goes through major and minor changes over time. Have you added a new item to the menu? Featuring a new special? Hosting a local event? Recognized on a local media network? Your blog is a fantastic place to share the news!
I love to write, especially when it means I am boosting the city that I live in. I’m raising my daughter here and I want a strong community for her to grow up in. In order to have a strong community, the businesses and restaurants here need to be strong as well.
I know as a business owner, you already feel like you don’t have enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. This is when you may want to consider hiring someone who can write and manage these posts for you.
If you would like to discuss that option with me, feel free to contact me to set up a time to talk!
