Scale Your Restaurant Network

Restaurants are important places to find your next client because everyone goes to restaurants! From cafes to upscale restaurants, your target client will be there.

Before engaging with restaurants on social media, it is integral to write down and map out who your ideal client is. Figure out the demographics, attributes, and lifestyle characteristics of those who you would like to buy & sell with. Then, do some research. Use geographic hashtags on Instagram, for instance, your zip code, town or neighborhood. These are the local restaurants you want to engage with.

What you want to look for when adding these restaurants is who has reviewed them, who supports them, and who is tagging the restaurant in posts. This last point is important because it can lead to finding those in upper-level positions at the establishment. Managers, head chefs and owners utilize social media for their restaurants, so engage with them! Most importantly, find them on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great resource because it is a gateway to personal information; many people put their personal email address and phone number on LinkedIn. This will allow you to communicate directly with those who work at this restaurant.

Find Your Target Market on Instagram

Now, how do you keep all of this organized? I recommend keeping track by creating a spreadsheet of the most important people you want and need to stay engaged with: restaurants, owners, and potential clients.

Then, prioritize your social media activity: go to this list, interact with these people everyday, and tag them in your posts. Therefore, they will see your work (and engagement) on every platform. Remember, when developing your network you want to be specific about who you are following: local restaurants where your ideal client can be found as well as those who go to these restaurants. Keep adding people to your list and engage with them on a daily basis! Send a direct message, comment on their posts, add them to your email list for them to recognize you.

Scaling your restaurant network is a repetitive process that takes time. The more consistently you engage and communicate, the higher the chance of you finding your next client.