Did you know that videos are capable of boosting your marketing performance more than plain text and images can ever do? They are capable of entertaining and captivating people. A video is no longer an option when it comes to business storytelling and advertising — it has become a necessity.
“By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic.“ — Cisco
Videos are all the rage nowadays. Internet users spend a lot of time watching online videos on a daily basis. Businesses, no matter what industry they are in, incorporate video in their internet marketing strategies. With the presence of an ever-competitive digital landscape, there is no doubt that video content is now a must-have even for companies in the food industry.
If you’re currently trying to come up with new and creative ways to take your restaurant video marketing approach to the next level, these tips and ideas will definitely help up your game.
1. Create a promotional video
This is similar to Burger King, Dominos, Papa John’s Pizza, and Mcdonald’s commercials we see on TV and YouTube. You get to introduce your food business, products, and services to a large audience in just a matter of seconds. A professionally-crafted promotional video is a highly effective restaurant marketing strategy that allows you to demonstrate your expertise in a fast and clear way.
Take a quick look at how Ice Edge Cafe, a local coffee shop based in Singapore, showcased its business in this 1-minute video clip:
2. Record a testimonial video
Happy customers are one of the best ways to show people that your restaurant is worth checking out. A video of a satisfied diner is almost similar to a five-star review. Your regular patrons are your biggest supporters, and including them in your video marketing strategy boosts your brand’s credibility and online reputation. Client testimonials not only promote your restaurant, but they also ease a lot of doubts about your services and products.
Put your loyal customers on the spotlight and create a testimonial video. Ask them politely if they’re willing to casually talk about things such as their dining experience, menu favorites, what they like most about your service, and why they keep coming back for more.
Check out this video where diners say positive things about Heidi’s Health Kitchen in a casual and laid-back manner:
3. Interview your chef
Don’t forget the most valuable asset in your restaurant — your chef! Take the cameras to the kitchen and let your culinary expert do the story-telling. Be creative. Interview your chef and inspire people by sharing his background — how he started, what his daily motivations are, what he loves most about working in your restaurant, and so on. You can even squeeze in video clips of your chef cooking a scrumptious recipe to make things more entertaining.
Watch chef Jeff Mahin of Le Cordon Bleu as he shares his inspiring story:
4. Film a behind the scenes video
Who doesn’t love a behind-the-scenes video? It is almost similar to a reality TV show that we all enjoy watching. There is something about a raw and unfiltered video that draws people in. Including a BTS in your restaurant video marketing strategy is very useful if you want to gain more Facebook followers and Youtube subscribers. It also increases transparency and brand authenticity — two vital elements that help you build a strong relationship with potential customers.
You can create a “Day In The Life” video of your wonderful staff working happily in your restaurant. Taking your audience to a tour around your newly-built food business is also a brilliant idea you can use for video marketing purposes.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay proudly shows off his small yet fancy London restaurant in this 2-minute video:
5. Show your latest discounts and menu specials
Make people’s mouths water just by watching. Keep viewers engaged by announcing your most recent menu offerings, special deals, and big promos in a short video clip.
Just imagine how your audience would react at the sight of a freshly baked lasagna oozing with mozzarella cheese at a discounted price. Who can resist the moving image of roasted ribs that comes with vegetable side dishes?
This kind of video is one of the fastest and most reliable ways to endorse your restaurant’s food selections.
Check out this seconds-long video clip and see how this can work for your own restaurant video marketing strategy:
6. Create a how-to recipe video
Renderforest states that “93% of millennials watch how-to videos on YouTube.”
This video marketing idea for your restaurant is not done to show the whole community about how your kitchen experts prepare your signature dishes. There is no food business out there that wants to give away their “secrets” when it comes to cooking. You can still share a recipe without telling everyone that you add a special Italian condiment to your carbonara sauce.
Take note that the primary reason you are doing a cooking video is to attract more prospects. People love tuning into recipe videos. Use this as your opportunity to grow your followers and subscribers because they can later become your restaurant’s most loyal customers.
Basic and general cooking tips are great ideas, just like the one featured in this video by Tasty:
7. Share your Restaurant’s Story
Every business has a story worth sharing.
A storytelling video is a very powerful way to sell and build your products and services without acting like a TV advertisement or a pushy salesman. This video marketing strategy is effective in piquing the curiosity of your potential customers regarding your business.
Craft your story into something that tugs at the heartstrings of your viewers. Melt their heart. Motivate them. Keep them entertained. Be their source of inspiration.
Sharing a story about how you started as a local entrepreneur who was struggling with your finances, but eventually became a full-fledged food business mogul will surely win the hearts of many. People love success stories. It draws them in and keeps them hooked.
Savor these mouthwatering tips:
- Keep your videos short and your message clear. You don’t need to make an award-winning 2-hour film worthy of winning the Oscars. Squeezing in everything in one video clip might end up boring your audience and push them to simply check out another video. It’s best to focus on one concept at a time to make sure that your message is sent clearly and effectively to your viewers.
- Use attention-grabbing captions and practice SEO. Doing these things will lead more people straight to your website, social media pages, and YouTube videos.
- Keep your viewers engaged by asking them to share their own success stories and cooking tips. Constant engagement with your followers and subscribers keeps them hooked into your set of videos. This is a great chance for your business to jumpstart its online exposure and establish its brand.
- Seek the help of video experts. While it is true that you can film on your own, a professionally-made video does wonder in improving your video marketing strategies. After all, uploading a video on YouTube is not just for entertainment purposes. Entrepreneurs insert videos on their website and social media pages because of these main goals: engagement, online visibility, brand awareness, and sales.
These video marketing ideas are guaranteed to plug your restaurant, generate extra traffic for your website, and attract more diners and regulars.
Video is the future of marketing, and the future has arrived.
You never know. One of these days, your restaurant-themed videos may start trending on social media!
Are you ready to join the video marketing revolution? Make brand-boosting videos for your restaurant with the help of Tulumi Digital Marketing.
