In general, people use Facebook as the hub for their social identities. It’s where they go to engage with ideas and content from friends, family, colleagues, communities, and brands. The content you post on Facebook should educate and inform guests or inspire an emotion. Great food videos and photos can lead directly to new customers.

Facebook’s live streaming video feature allows for unscripted moments like a trip to the market, the arrival of a particularly exciting seasonal ingredient, any events you’re hosting like trivia nights and live music, or just having fun with your bar or front-of-house staff. Remember, your customers want to hear from you! Engage them by posting two to three times per week.

Audience Insights Are Integral to Your Business!

Once you create your page and build your brand, people will begin to engage with your content. Then you can learn more about these people. Beyond their demographic, you will learn what they respond to, what sports they like, what interests they have. You can use these insights to direct future content you create.

You’ll need to keep up with the audience insights for your page. They will teach you so much about who you are reaching and who your online audience is. Insights tell you exactly which pieces of content perform the best. The data will always paint the picture for you, and Facebook data is as good as it gets.

Once you get a feel for posting content and engaging your audience, test out your Facebook advertising through a written post promoting an upcoming special or event. If you see a rise in engagement, you can then post a picture that goes more in depth. If that gets traction, you could make a short video clip. If that works, expand that into something bigger.

Segmenting Your Customers into Groups

There’s real value in segmenting your customer base into 5 – 10 groups, and creating content specifically for each of those groups. For example, if you see a rise in engagement on posts promoting sales or a special on a particular item during football games, that warrants a segment to focus on and make content for. Take it even further: customers who come in for specials on beer and buckets vs those who stop in for a good old fashioned or sale on a new bourbon you’re stocking.

You’ll be much more likely to get a reaction from your audience if you created content contextual to who they actually are. The last thing you want is to bombard your target audience with posts that aren’t appealing to them. This will also provide ideas on what content to make that will resonate with your audience and boost engagement.

Ideas for Facebook Content

Let’s go one step further and list some ideas for your business pages. Post bright, crisp images of your restaurant, business, food, or products. Provide a clear call-to-action when you can.

• Share stories and customer reviews right on your profile.

• Spotlight special dishes, local events, deals, and employees.

• Highlight popular items that are available through delivery.

• Share user-generated content. Has someone taken the perfect picture of your business, dish, or product? Highlight their work and give them kudos!

• Allow a savvy employee to do a “Facebook Takeover” for an evening. Gen Z understands technology and social media better than anyone else.

• Post about trending topics when it makes sense. Do you have a lot of football fans in your online audience? Make sure to invite them in for specials on Sunday. Just remind them that Taylor Swift probably won’t be there.