How To Use Restaurant Instagram Reels To Sell More Food

In a sea of restaurants, how do you make your business stand out? How can you convince customers to visit and order your delicious food? By acing restaurant promotion, especially online!

Did you know that Instagram has a feature called “Reels?” The feature allows businesses to create short, looping videos that promote their products or services.

In this article, we will discuss how you can use restaurant Instagram Reels to attract more customers to your business and give you countless creative ideas to try out.

What Are Instagram Restaurant Reels?

Instagram is a great place to market your restaurant if you have a younger audience. Naturally, you might be asking “How do I promote my restaurant on Instagram?”. There are several types of content you can create:

• Posts: static images with captions, which can be a single image or more;
• Stories: with numerous functions to allow you to interact with customers such as polls or questions;
• Reels: short videos that will enable you to show more of your delicious food.

Read more: Restaurant Instagram Marketing Ideas That Will Help You Increase Sales

Instagram reels are full-screen vertical clips that can be up to 90 seconds long. You can edit them and use audio tracks, sound snippets, filters, stickers, captions, and many other elements to make them shine.

As a restaurateur, you can use restaurant Instagram reels to promote your business in an entertaining way and engage with your followers.

The Advantages of Using Instagram Reels for Restaurants

Incorporating restaurant Instagram reels into your social media marketing strategy has numerous benefits for your business:

• Allows you to reach a wider audience;
• Helps you engage with potential customers who might not otherwise know about your restaurant;
• Enables you to show off your restaurant’s personality. For example, you can display what makes your business special, from the food to the staff;
• Improves your overall engagement rate and builds out your customer base;
• Get more traffic for your website;
• Increase the number of table reservations and online orders.

20 Tips for Using Restaurant Instagram Reels To Sell More Food

Now, let’s review 16 tips to help your restaurant maximize the marketing opportunity presented by Instagram Reels.

Use these restaurant reel ideas to set your business apart from competitors. If you understand the power of social media, Instagram, and the Reels feature, you can take your restaurant marketing strategy to an entirely new level.

1. Use a Clear Call to Action

As with all of your marketing, you need to have a clear call to action (CTA) in your restaurant Instagram Reels. Your CTA should tell viewers what you want them to do, such as visiting your website or reviewing your menu.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that your social media fans and followers will know what to do. Take care to spell it out for them. For example, you might say:

• Check out our website for our full menu!
• Place an order now on our website!
• Book a table now!

 

2. Always Link to Your Website

In addition to including a CTA, you should also make sure to include a link to your restaurant’s website in your Instagram bio and use your reel caption to direct people there. It will make it easy for viewers to find your website and learn more about your restaurant.

If a viewer watches your latest restaurant Reels, you don’t want them staying on Instagram. Instead, get them involved on your website, where you can more effectively entice them to visit your restaurant or place an online order.

 

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3. Partner With an Influencer

While you might think you don’t have the budget to partner with an influencer, it’s more affordable than you think. You can find local influencers in your area willing to promote your restaurant on their Reels for a nominal fee.

When partnering with an influencer, give them a clear idea of what you want them to do. For example, you might want them to:

• show off your restaurant’s interior;
• highlight your best dishes;
• talk about why they love your food.

Don’t forget to thoroughly research the influencer before you sign a contract for them to create trending food reels. You should:

• Know their values and what they stand for. Furthermore, ensure they fit your branding and will help, not hurt your image in the long run;
• Evaluate past collaborations: has the influencer worked with restaurants in the past? Did they bring in more customers for said business? Did their followers react positively?

Read more: Restaurant Influencer Marketing Guide: How to Do It and Why

4. Use Hashtags in Your Captions

If you want potential customers to see your restaurant’s Reels, you need to use restaurant hashtags. People use hashtags to find content. When you use relevant hashtags, you make it easy for a potential customer to discover your business.

Fortunately, several hashtags are popular with foodies and restaurants because of the popularity of food Reels on Instagram. Get inspired by these examples:

• Food-related hashtags, such as #instafood, #instapost or #foodgasm;
• Type of cuisine hashtags, for example, #italianfood, #mexicanfood, #comfortfood;
• Hashtags with the name of the restaurant, such as #restaurantpronto.

Don’t go overboard with hashtags, though. A few well-chosen hashtags will do the trick.

 

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5. Tag Your Restaurant Location

Tagging your restaurant’s location is a way to increase its visibility. When you tag your location, anyone searching for that location will see your restaurant Instagram Reels.

For example, let’s say someone visiting New York City needs to find a place to eat. They might search for popular hashtags like #nyceats or #nycfood. When they do, your Reels will appear in the search results if you’ve tagged your location.

To tag your location, click on the “add location” button when creating your Reel. Then, search for and select your restaurant’s name and address.

6. Post the Right Reel at the Right Time (& Regularly)

Create consistent engagement by posting when your target audience is most active on Instagram. To find out when your target audience uses Instagram, look at the “Insights” section of your business account.

Once you know the best time of day to post, make sure you’re posting regularly. If you don’t have time to post a restaurant Instagram reel, add a story of the atmosphere at your restaurant to remain relevant in your followers’ feeds.

7. Show the Behind-the-Scenes Process of Your Cooking

One way to get your audience’s attention is to show them how you make your dishes. People are always curious about the behind-the-scenes process of cooking.

When showing a behind-the-scenes restaurant Instagram Reel, don’t focus on the final product only. Show your audience the entire journey, from prep work to plating. You can even show them how you come up with new dishes.

Not only will this give your audience a peek into your creative process, but it will also make them more excited to visit your restaurant. After all, they’ll know that you put a lot of love and care into each dish.

 

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8. Give Sneak Peeks & Answer Audience Questions

If you’re working on a new dish or opening a new location, give your audience a sneak peek. You can also use Reels to answer frequently asked questions about your restaurant.

For example, you might get asked about your gluten-free options or how to make a reservation. By answering these questions in your restaurant Instagram Reels, you’ll not only help your audience, but you will also show that you’re responsive to their needs.

9. Promote Your Best Dishes & Special Offers

Use Reels to promote your restaurant’s best dishes. You can even include a call-to-action in your caption, such as “Tag a friend who loves [dish]!”

Don’t forget to highlight all special offers and promotions on Instagram via the Reels feature. It is an effective way to increase the reach of your restaurant’s promotional campaigns.

Read more: How to Use Restaurant Promotion Templates Effectively to Boost Sales

 

Some of the best restaurant reels showcase limited-time offers people won’t be able to resist. For example, you might want to promote a new happy hour special or a discount on takeout orders. Whatever the offer, make sure it’s clear and enticing to influence direct sales.

 

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10. Share Customer Reviews in Your Reels

As a form of user-generated content, customer reviews are essential for any business. They’re especially important for restaurants. After all, people want to know they will have a good experience at your restaurant before they step through the door.

The first step towards this is incentivizing your customers to write reviews. While affiliate marketing may not work for restaurants, a referral program or loyalty scheme can. People like to feel as though they are getting something in return.

Read more: How to Get More Restaurant Reviews with Instagram

Reveal reviews in your restaurant Instagram Reels to show customers why they need to visit your restaurant. It’s one thing for you to say they should frequent your business. It’s even more effective when satisfied customers tell new prospects they should come by.

You can include a short clip of the customer giving their review. It will add social proof revealing why your food is worth time and attention.

Read more: The Importance of Online Reviews for Restaurants & How to Get More

11. Use a Trending Song or Sound

Take advantage of trending food Reels to make your restaurant’s Reels more engaging. Songs trending on TikTok and Instagram are often the same so if you hear a particular song or sound over and over again, especially in food Reels, use it in your Reel too.

Not only will this help your Reel perform better, but it will also show that you’re keeping up with the latest trends. Trending songs can evoke emotions inside people. Do your best to link positive emotions to the experience inside your restaurant.

Read more: 10 Instagram Food Trends Your Restaurant Must Follow in 2024 to Attract More Clients

12. Play Around With Time Lapses & Stop Motion

If you want to create the best food reels on Instagram,  experiment with time-lapses and stop motion. These types of videos provide an engaging experience. They’ll set your restaurant’s Reels apart from the competition.

To create a timelapse:

• Film a short clip of something happening in your restaurant (like food preparation);
• Then, use an editing app to speed up the clip;
• It will result in an accelerated video that’s fun to watch.

For stop motion:

• Instead of speeding up the footage, you edit it so it appears that the scene became frozen in time;
• It’s a creative way to show off your dishes and make them look even more appetizing;
• Film a series of images that come together to tell a story (like customers enjoying their meal). Again, you can use an editing app to string the images together.

 

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13. Get Your Chefs to Share Their Tips

Your chefs are the heart and soul of your restaurant. They’re the people who create the dishes that your customers love. So, it makes sense to provide them with an online presence using your restaurant Instagram Reels strategy.

Ask your chefs to share tips with your followers. Most chefs will appreciate the opportunity to step into the limelight. Try one of these ideas:

• Have them reveal their secrets for making a particular dish;
• Explain how they came up with a new menu item;
• How to make one of your signature dishes. String multiple Reels together, if necessary.

Your customers will love getting a behind-the-scenes look at your restaurant. And, they’ll be more likely to visit if they see that your chefs are passionate about their work.

14. Walk Your Customers Through How to Order or Make a Booking

If you offer delivery or takeout, show your customers how to place an order in your Reel. You can also use this opportunity to show them how to make a booking if you’re a sit-down restaurant.

It is especially useful if you’ve recently launched a new delivery or takeout service. By walking your customers through the process and showing them how easy it is, you’ll increase your online sales.

Read more: 7 Reasons Why an In-House Online Ordering System is the Best Choice

15. Show Off Your Company Values & Story

Your restaurant brings its unique story to the table. It’s the reason why customers choose you over the competition. Share your story in your Reels to help people understand what makes your restaurant special.

Your story might include your journey to becoming a chef. Or, it might reveal how you started your restaurant from scratch. Whatever the case, sharing your story will help people connect with you on a deeper level.

In addition to sharing your story, use restaurant Instagram Reels to show off your company values. For example:

• Do you source your ingredients from local farmers?
• Are your dishes made with sustainable seafood?
• Are you only using traditional recipes?

Make sure those values shine through in your Reels. Your customers will appreciate knowing that they share the same values as your restaurant.

16. Showcase your team members

Your employees are the face of your restaurant as they are the ones your customers interact with. Allow your customers to know them by showcasing them in your restaurant Instagram reels:

• Have them state their name, role, and why they love working at your restaurant;
• Encourage them to present their favorite dish.

17. Try ASMR for online food order packaging

There is a big crowd interested in sensory videos. If you want to convince the ASMR fans to order from your restaurant create reels that focus on satisfactory sounds such as:

• Packaging an order that is about to be delivered;
• Unboxing a delivered order.

18. Recommend food and beverage pairings

Educate your audience about which dish goes with what drink. You can give general information, but ideally, you should focus on your menu items. Don’t forget to invite people to book a table so they can enjoy your pairing recommendation.

Read more: 7 Food and Beverage Pairing Techniques That Will Help You Sell More Food

19. Share a restock video

Reels that feature restocking and cleaning generate a lot of engagement. Why not try something new for your restaurant Instagram reels, such as:

• A video of you neatly stocking your inventory;
• A satisfying video of cleaning at the end of the day, proving to clients that you maintain a high level of hygiene.

20. Edit Your Reels for Consistency, Quality & Professionalism

Even if you don’t have much experience with video editing, it’s important to edit your Reels for consistency, quality, and professionalism.

Keep your Reels cohesive with your restaurant’s overall branding. Creating high-quality video content helps people see the effort you put into your dishes. Finally, they should look professional to avoid turning customers off.

There are several video editing apps that you can use to edit your Reels. If you’re unsure where to start, try using the app Splice. It’s a user-friendly app that might become your next essential tool.

Outsourcing your video editing to a freelancer is another option. Find people who understand the editing process. They can turn your videos into professional masterpieces in minutes without breaking the bank.

Final Thoughts

Restaurant Instagram Reels can enable you to sell more food. Following the tips in this article, you can create Reels that engage your customers and encourage them to visit your restaurant.

As popular content continues to evolve, businesses must find new ways of marketing to grow their potential customer base. You can connect with a wider audience by using the advantages the internet gives us.

What are you waiting for? Start implementing reel ideas for restaurants today and watch how you “reel” in the customers!

This article is a guest post.