Visual appeal is crucial when it comes to food. We eat with our eyes first, whether it’s a rich chocolate dessert oozing with ganache or a crisp, colorful summer salad. Recently, Pinterest has become a major force in restaurant marketing in the current digital era, when social media is king. But is Pinterest useful and offdoes it offerers any real advantages for food brands? Yes. It does!
This platform offers a unique combination of visual appeal and chances to engage with a food-loving audience. This article will show you how to use Pinterest marketing for restaurants in an efficient manner with the goal of enhancing your brand online and converting infrequent visitors into loyal patrons. Let’s get started.
What is Pinterest Marketing for Restaurant?
Pinterest marketing is a kind of social media marketing that consists of a number of tactics intended to increase your brand’s visibility on Pinterest in order to expand your audience and raise awareness of your goods.
From flashy new restaurants to well-established ones, you’re going to face fierce competition. Every restaurant owner wants to draw customers into their dining rooms and away from the convenient takeout alternatives at their neighborhood grocery stores. So, how can you ensure that your restaurant is the first place that potential consumers consider when they decide to go out?
Restaurant operators can use a variety of marketing techniques, but in the Internet-driven world of today, social media is one of the most powerful. Despite the fact that the majority of your rivals already have Facebook sites, restaurant operators can still benefit greatly from using Pinterest.
Benefits of Pinterest Marketing for Your Restaurant
If you work in the restaurant business and haven’t used Pinterest yet, you’re losing out on a great opportunity. Why? Pinterest is more than just a platform to share DIY projects and dream kitchen boards; it’s a source of inspiration, ideas, and, most importantly, food! Pinterest may improve your food brand in the following ways:
Extremely Visual Platform
A stunning picture of food is the most eye-catching image on Pinterest, which is focused on aesthetics. To find fresh recipes, meal ideas, and cooking advice, people swarm Pinterest. You’re halfway there if your food brand can provide mouthwatering photos. Restaurants may easily shine and establish a connection with consumers who are actively looking for ideas for their next meal thanks to this visual-first strategy.
Target Audience
Pinterest users tend to be planners, in contrast to many other social media users. They are searching for inspiration for their upcoming holiday feast, dinner gathering, or even weekly meal preparation. This indicates that people are intentionally viewing your stuff. They are actively looking for things to cook, eat, or purchase rather than merely aimlessly scrolling. You are aiming to reach people who are more inclined to interact with and convert by putting your brand in front of this driven audience.
Increased Web Traffic
One of the few sites where content can remain active for a lot longer than a normal Instagram or Facebook post is Pinterest. Months or even years after they are uploaded, pins still continue to gather popularity.
You’re opening the door to constant web traffic and rising conversions when you make an eye-catching pin with an alluring image and a backlink to your blog, website, or online store. This might result in a constant flow of customers ready to try new recipes or buy from food bloggers or companies that offer food items. Pinterest is an essential instrument for our marketing success because it has been shown to be 2.3 times more cost-effective for brands than other platforms.
Boosts SEO
Pinterest serves as a search engine in addition to being a social networking site. When looking for new recipes, culinary trends, or kitchen tricks, many users really use Pinterest as a visual search engine. You can improve your SEO and rank higher in Google and Pinterest search results by using powerful keywords in your board titles, pin descriptions, and even pin images.
Direct Shopping Feature
Users may now purchase things directly from Pinterest using its shopping feature. This function is revolutionary for food firms who offer goods, such as bake mixes, gourmet sauces, or even cookware. With your writing, you have the ability to not only inspire others but also convert that inspiration into immediate sales. Win-win!
How to Make a Pinterest Page for Your Restaurant
Let’s see how you make a pinterest business page for your restaurant:
- Visit the Pinterest login page.
- Select “Not yet on Pinterest? “Sign up” appears at the bottom of the login window.
- Select “Create a business account.”
- After entering your age, password, and email address, click “Create account.”
- Enter the name of your restaurant, the country or region, the language, and the website address, if you have one.
- Next, decide on a brand emphasis. It should be food and drink for you.
- You’ll be asked to explain your brand. You must select “Local Retail Store or Local Service” below.
- In the end, the platform will ask if you want to run advertising on Pinterest. I recommend selecting “I’m not sure yet,” for the time being because you may always change your mind later.
How to Customize Your Pinterest Business Profile
After your profile has been activated, Pinterest will recommend some next steps for you to take. Adding extra details about your brand, such as the location of your restaurant, should be your top goal for the time being.
Enter the following details:
- Enter your username (what appears after www.pinterest.com/).
- A brief synopsis (no more than 160 words).
- URL of your website.
- The email address that the general public will see.
- Phone number of the restaurant.
- Address of the restaurant.
Best Strategies for Food Marketing on Pinterest
Now that we know why Pinterest is such a great tool for restaurant marketing, how can you use it to your brand’s advantage? Here are a few tried-and-true methods to help you develop your culinary brand on Pinterest and make money off of those pins.
Make Delicious, High-Quality Pins
Although it should go without saying, the more attractive your photos are, the more likely people are to pin, share, and save them. One of Pinterest’s most visually appealing categories is food, and users are drawn to images that are appetizing, colorful, and well-balanced. Showcase the final product when publishing recipes, but don’t be scared to add close-ups, step-by-step pictures, or even videos of the cooking process to add some variety.
Remember to include text overlays on your photos so that it is obvious what the pin is about. A generic photo with no caption is considerably less clickable than “Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes” or “Best Chocolate Cake Ever.”
The following are the main techniques for producing pins of superior quality:
- Engaging Visuals: Make use of crisp, eye-catching photos that present your recipes or culinary items in an alluring way.
- Clear and Concise Text: Create captivating descriptions that use attention-grabbing language to captivate the readers and clearly describe the pin’s subject.
- Relevant Keywords: To improve your pins’ exposure in search results, use well-liked and pertinent keywords associated with food, recipes, and culinary experiences.
- Brand Identity: To strengthen brand awareness, keep your visual style constant and use your logo or watermark.
- Call to Action: Incorporate a call to action into the descriptions of your pins to entice people to visit your website or bookmark the pin for later use.
- Vertical Pins: Make use of vertical image dimensions since they typically take up more room in users’ feeds and perform better on Pinterest.
- Lifestyle Context: Present your recipes or food items in a practical setting, highlighting how they might improve regular meals or special events.
- Storytelling Pins: Use a collection of related pins to build a visual tale that walks people through a recipe or highlights the development of your culinary brand.
- Video Pins: Try using videos to show off recipes, behind-the-scenes looks, or interesting tips that appeal to Pinterest users.
- Testing and Improvement: To determine what appeals to your target audience the most, test various pin forms, styles, and content themes on a regular basis. Then, adjust your approach accordingly.
Optimize for Search
As previously stated, Pinterest functions fundamentally as a search engine. Therefore, you should optimize your pins for search engines in the same way that you would a blog post. Make sure to incorporate relevant keywords into your pin descriptions, titles, and even image file names. Whether it’s “gluten-free dessert recipes” or “healthy breakfast ideas,” consider what your audience might search for and include those terms in your content.
Remember to properly classify your boards as well. Make specialized and focused boards, such as “Comfort Food Favorites” or “Low-Carb Recipes,” so people can quickly locate the information they’re looking for.
Here’s how to use keywords wisely for maximum exposure and interaction:
- Look up appropriate food industry keywords to include in your pin descriptions and names.
- Make use of precise and long-tail keywords associated with restaurant advertising, recipe sharing, and interaction with food blogs.
- Use seasonal and trending keywords that speak to the audience’s present interests.
- For optimal visibility, make sure the keywords you use match popular Pinterest search terms.
- Try out various keyword combinations to gradually enhance and optimize pin performance.
Pin Frequently and Appropriately
Consistency is essential, just like on any social media site. To maintain brand awareness, it’s critical to consistently pin new material. In addition to pinning frequently, you should post during periods when your audience is most engaged. Research indicates that consumers are more likely to surf Pinterest on the weekends and in the evenings, most likely when they are looking for inspiration or planning meals.
To plan your pins for the best periods and monitor your progress, use Tailwind or built-in analytics of Pinterest.
Use Rich Pins
Rich Pins provide more information directly on the pin, such as product prices or recipe ingredients. This improves user experience and raises engagement rates by making it simpler for consumers to take action without having to browse over to your website.
Using Recipe Rich Pins is essential for restaurant businesses. The ingredients, cooking time, and serving size are immediately pulled from your website, which greatly increases the usefulness and actionability of your pin for users.
Use Different Pin Formats
Various pin formats are essential for drawing in viewers and encouraging interaction. The following are important pin formats to think about:
- Standard Pins: These are the most popular pins, and they consist of just one picture and a brief caption. They are effective for promoting blog entries, recipes, and goods.
- Carousel Pins: This style enables users to interact with several photos within a single pin. It works well for displaying detailed recipes or emphasizing different aspects of a product.
- Video Pins: Foodies browsing through their feeds may be drawn in by captivating recipe videos or quick culinary advice. Conversion-boosting video content has been shown to be very captivating.
- Story Pins: Using a combination of text, links, videos, and images, this format allows brands to build immersive, full-screen experiences. Sharing in-depth recipes or behind-the-scenes material is ideal.
- Infographic Pins: Using visuals to convey information on recipes, dietary facts, or cooking methods can engage viewers and offer insightful commentary.
By using these various pin forms, you can accommodate different audience preferences while maintaining the freshness and interest of your material.
Make Use of Influencer Partnerships
Influencer marketing is very popular on Pinterest, just like it is on Instagram. You can greatly increase your visibility if you can collaborate with well-known food bloggers or influencers to produce content that relates back to your brand. Your content will probably reach a significantly larger audience and connect with possible new followers or customers when influencers pin or repin it because they already have a loyal following.
Seek influencers who are similar to you in terms of style or target demographic, and offer to work together on a recipe post, branded board, or even a Pinterest competition.
Use Pinterest Ads
Even though Pinterest has great organic reach, occasionally a little more encouragement can make a big difference. You may reach more users faster by using Pinterest Ads to promote particular pins to specific audiences. You can easily boost interaction, improve site traffic, or advertise a particular product with a strategically placed ad.
Make sure the visual appeal of your promoted pins matches that of your original content. Your chances of getting clicks and interaction from those sponsored impressions increase with their visual attractiveness.
Set Up Boards and Adhere to Best Practices
The essential stages to accomplish this are as follows:
- Make a range of boards, such as collections of recipes, cooking advice, and food inspiration, that speak to the interests of your audience.
- To build brand identification and draw fans, keep your visual motif constant across all boards.
- To improve searchability and expand your audience, use board titles and descriptions that are rich in keywords and are descriptive.
- Use pertinent hashtags in board descriptions to improve interaction and discoverability.
- Maintain followers’ interest in your brand by regularly adding new content to your boards.
- To increase your reach, adhere to best practices including interacting with other pinners, re-pinning pertinent content, and joining group boards.
Food brands may effectively maximize their Pinterest presence, gain more followers, and increase engagement with their target audience by carefully planning their boards and following best practices.
Interact with Your Audience
Even while Pinterest isn’t as participatory as sites like Facebook or Instagram, engagement shouldn’t be disregarded. Repin pertinent content from other food creators in your niche, follow other food creators and reply to any comments on your pins. Creating a community around your business can increase traffic and encourage brand loyalty.
Best Tips for Pinterest Marketing to Win More Customers
Pinterest, which grew by 66 percent between March 2014 and March 2015, is a dream come true for restaurateurs. Why? Think of it this way: The visual is everything.
Humans must rely on their imaginations through pictures because they haven’t yet created a system that lets us smell or taste food over the internet. Pinterest thrives in this area, and you can too.
Some of the greatest restaurant Pinterest concepts we’ve seen so far are included here.
Upload Photos of Your Best Dishes
Create an eye-catching plate? Before you send it out to be consumed, take a picture of it. After that, post it to Pinterest and add a pin to a board that is revalent to it. Keep in mind that while a photograph should not be of expert quality, it should at least be appealing enough to entice others to visit and see it for themselves.
Upload Photos of Your Restaurant
Photographs of your actual place can be just as helpful as pictures of your meal. Pin a few pictures to a different board if your building, interior, or environment is particularly striking. You never know who you might attract if you use relevant tags.
Check out Other Pinterest Accounts
Many eateries fall short in this area. They overlook the fact that, like other social media, Pinterest is about interaction rather than boasting. You must be open to visiting other boards, liking their photos, and even pinning them to your own.
However, this does not necessarily entail aiding your immediate rivals. Instead, consider photos that might be directly related to your specialty, such as pictures of exotic products you’re using on your menu or photos of locally grown food if you purchase the majority of your goods from local vendors.
Stay Current on Pinterest
We all know that keeping up social media accounts can be difficult, particularly during periods of high business, but we assure you that it will be worthwhile in the end! You’ll see the results if you dedicate just 5–10 minutes each day to your Pinterest page or have one of your most dependable staff members do it for you.
Run a Competition on Pinterest
Everyone appreciates a good competition, particularly when the prize is dining at a restaurant similar to yours. Simple contest ideas include inviting customers to snap photos of themselves eating at your restaurant and then pinning those photos on their walls with a specific hashtag.
Another idea is to hold a contest where participants are asked to snap pictures of their favorite ingredients that they would want to see in a dish that your restaurant has specially prepared for them. Make sure your contest offers a fantastic prize, and let your patrons know about it internally.
Discuss and Support the Community
On special occasions, several restaurants contribute a portion of their profits to a nearby charity. Even if this doesn’t have to happen every month, it’s a good idea to document the occasion with photos and discuss it. When it comes to promoting your philanthropic efforts to the community, there is no such thing as bad advertising!
Make a Board Honoring the Crew, Chef, and Waitstaff
It’s likely that your staff members are already active on at least one social media platform, if not more. So why not make a Pinterest board to honor their awesomeness? Pictures of them doing what they do best—making clients smile—can be uploaded.
When is the Best Time to Post on Pinterest?
Here are the best times to pin on Pinterest:
- 8-11 PM (with a peak at 9 PM).
- 2-4 AM
- 2-4 PM
- 1-3 PM
When it comes to posting on Pinterest, Fridays and Saturdays are the best days.
Fortunately, you can plan up to 30 posts two weeks in advance, even if you are unable to be active on the platform during those times. When editing the pin, all you have to do is select “Publish at a later date.”
Need Help Marketing Your Restaurant on Pinterest?
Abedin Tech is a full-service digital marketing business that can help you take your restaurant to the next level by leveraging social media networks like Pinterest.
I hope you found these Pinterest marketing ideas useful for your large or small business. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about how to begin or the cost of Pinterest advertising. Our committed social media staff will be delighted to help you develop a plan for all of your social media endeavors. If you have any queries about Pinterest marketing please email us at info@abedintech.com.
Final Words
This is our ultimate guide to Pinterest marketing for restaurants. If you conquer the big unknown that is Pinterest for restaurants, you will discover a wealth of simple ways to advertise your restaurant and increase online orders.
These days, it’s essential to know how to use Pinterest to advertise your business, especially if eateries already dominate other social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I promote my restaurant on Pinterest?
I begin by making visually appealing pins that highlight my favorite recipes. I can interact with foodies on Pinterest using this image-based marketing technique, which increases brand affinity and motivates them to come to my restaurant.
Can Pinterest enhance my efforts to promote my recipes?
Of course! I gain more cooking and baking-interested followers by pinning beautiful pictures of my recipes. By converting infrequent browsers into devoted followers, this customer interaction is an excellent method to improve conversion optimization.
What are some tactics I can use on Pinterest to grow my business?
I make it a point to regularly share eye-catching photos and employ conversion strategies, like including call-to-action buttons on my pins. This strategy not only boosts website traffic but also aids in the expansion of my company as a whole.
How does social networking on Pinterest help to promote brand attraction?
I build a community around my food content by actively interacting with other users through repins and comments. Increasing consumer interaction through social networking is essential for developing strong brand affinity.
