How to promote a restaurant on TikTok in 2024

TikTok is the fastest-growing network in the world, and learning to explore this network can increase restaurant revenue 

TikTok is a completely free social network of short videos, easy to edit, and has one of the best content delivery algorithms among all networks. So, it is a platform that effectively contributes to the dissemination of material, regardless of the area. In the restaurant segment, there are several stories on the internet of people who were on the verge of bankruptcy when they decided to use TikTok as the last alternative to save their business, and it worked very well. 

Benefits of TikTok for Restaurants 

There is no doubt that social network is a lighter and more relaxed platform when compared to any other. There, amateur video productions are highlighted, but there is equal space for professionally developed content, with more “powerful” cameras and greater concern regarding colour, audio, and image. 

Another benefit: TikTok marketing strategies allows anyone and everyone to stream or watch “things” really linked to their personal or professional interests, without too many blocks or ads (within the platform usage rules, of course).  

Among other things, this makes brands able to approach only those who want to consume what they have to offer. This allows for a more strategic transmission of messages.

It is not necessary to pay anything to be able to broadcast specific content to a specific target audience, but you can try activating the TikTok Pro Account and getting to know its features, and then see if this alternative will be useful to you in attracting more interested parties to your profile. your restaurant on the net.

Activate TikTok Pro Account - Professional Account 

The main advantage of having a professional account on the platform is being able to follow closely and in more detail the results of your publications, through the “analytics” area. 

Those who use TikTok Pro Account can find out:

• - how many views have you had on your videos in a given period;
• - how many followers it has gained if they are more women or men, and which state or states they live in; 
• - how many people went through the profile; 
• - which videos were most successful; and 
• - which were less popular. 

But it's not enough to have all this information at hand if you don't know what to do with it. So consider this one of your top challenges if you decide to track and monitor data. 

Do you think it's not time to professionalise the posts on the restaurant's social network so much? 

See how to adapt the style of your business to the style of the platform and of those who browse there. Above all, worry about recording, editing, and publishing the videos - which is the main point. Do everything very naturally, always.

How to use TikTok to promote restaurants?

Anyone who is "too forced", doesn't follow trends, and doesn't produce original videos can be sure they won't achieve success on the social network of Gen Z and millennials. So consume a lot of content on the net before becoming someone who develops them and disseminates them to other people. 

See the step-by-step guide below to start adding your restaurant to TikTok.

1. Use the “discover” space of the app. Look for interesting references to what you plan to do and profiles followed by people who fit your target audience. See what they do differently, what they interact with the most (and for what reasons), and what ends up being out of reach.
2. Do keyword searches that are related to your niche, your city or state, your products, and who you want to reach. See what has been published and is linked to these words.
3. Keep an eye out for hashtags! Understand which ones are trending and why, as well as find out what they mean. Insert in your publications those that make sense. Suggestions for keywords or hashtags to search: #Restaurants, #Restaurant, #Food, #FoodPorn, #Food and derivatives.
4. Follow trends at any cost and start thinking if there is a possibility of adapting some of your restaurant's content to them and how to do that.
5. Record spontaneous videos of everyday life, featuring the kitchen brigade, employees, and managers, talking about everyday life and the like. 

Worry about authenticity and faithful reproduction of reality and know that you will need to have a lot of patience and do a lot of testing until you get cool results to share.

Using Influencer Marketing on TikTok 

Do you know someone who has an account on the network and reaches several followers? Let go of the shame and ask that person for help. Ask their opinion about what you are doing, learn about their trajectory within the network, and check the possibility of this person getting involved in your recordings or sharing them in their personal profile.

‍

How to advertise your restaurant on TikTok?

There is the possibility of creating paid advertisements in the same way as they are done for other social networks. Those who opt for the ads must install the TikTok for the Business platform to make the necessary TikTok Ads and adjustments before publishing the content promoted for reach.

‍If a restaurant wants to advertise through TikTok it needs to:

1. Create an account on TikTok Ads.
2. Create a campaign within TikTok Ads and select the objective of this campaign (reach more people, get more profile visitors, etc).
3. Choose where the ad will appear to users.
4. Configure the campaign/promotion.
5. Determine the target audience to receive the content.
6. Define how much you want to spend on the campaign and how long it will be “on the air”.
7. Set up the campaign ad (creating click text and button and loading the video).
8. Submit.

But remember that with or without ads, you can be famous on TikTok. As? Showing authority in what you do and gaining the trust of followers and the network algorithm! 

Another important reminder: videos from more trusted profiles are more likely to go viral. The achievement of success is a trajectory and not something that happens in a few moments. 

This explains why more trustworthy profiles (who show authority in what they do through their publications, the consistency of the videos, and the frequency of interactions on the network) are more likely to see their content going “viral”. That is, becoming famous among people. 

Other important points:

1. The less you make edits to video subtitles after publishing content deletions followed by new uploads of the same videos, the more reliable your profile will be for the algorithm as well.
2. Avoid reusing videos from other networks (by “reposting” or “reposting”).
3. Also, seek to find some differences that only your restaurant has.

How to differentiate your restaurant from other TikTok profiles? 

No one but you will be able to clarify this doubt and find the best answers to the question, our tip is: take a moment of reflection with paper and pen in hand and try to write down every detail, aspect, or innovative idea that, in your opinion, make your restaurant stand out from other restaurants (in “real life”).  

Consider the environment and/or service, means of payment, dishes and drinks, and anything else you think is necessary.

Then, evaluate each point and check which ones can be passed on as differentials to the public through videos with or without sound, containing only a few minutes, and published on the social network. 

The next step will be to find the best way and the most fun, original and smartest format to record and edit each video. 

It is worth reinforcing:

• - videos about the daily life of the establishment work well - when they show some difference, they work even better;
• - fun and interesting testimonials from collaborators can be a great alternative; and
• - types of starters, step-by-step recipes, or assembling the dishes bring differentials when the images capture such attractive details that they allow those who watch the video to almost smell what is being prepared and served.

‍

Once you've gathered a lot of followers and feel confident enough, it's even worth creating your own challenge for your restaurant, with your own hashtag as well. This challenge may or may not be a dance, the choice is yours.

‍

In conclusion

TikTok is a rapidly growing social media platform that can increase revenue for restaurants. The platform is free and allows for the dissemination of material, providing equal opportunities for both amateur and professional content. The platform allows brands to approach a specific target audience, providing strategic message transmission. The TikTok Pro Account is an advantage for a professional account user, allowing them to closely monitor the results of their publications. To use TikTok for promoting a restaurant, one needs to adapt to the style of the platform, record and edit videos naturally, and follow trends. Using influencer marketing on TikTok can also help reach a wider audience. Paid advertisements are also possible, but building trust and authority can lead to viral success. Overall, TikTok can be a useful tool for restaurants to promote their brand and increase revenue. Good luck and have fun!

‍