Any social media expert worth their mettle will tell you that posting to your social media pages around the holidays can get a little tricky, especially when you’re posting on a restaurant’s business page. Navigating the waters of the perfect and politically correct post seem to get harder and harder every year. That’s why we’re breaking down some best practices to showcase your unique business personality and highlight your special brand of holiday cheer!
QUALITY PHOTO
The first step to any beautiful and engaging social media post is a high-quality, eye-catching picture. This is especially important around the holidays since you want to find something that generally represents the holiday season, but that still has a nice element of professionalism. For a Thanksgiving post, it’s always a good idea to stick to images of your typical Autumn scenes, such as leaves or pumpkins. Websites such as Pexels.com or Unsplash.com are wonderful resources to find quality stock photos around the holidays (without looking too staged). But be sure to get creative in finding a photo that feels like you! And while finding a beautiful stock photo is always an option, you can also take that authenticity a step further by highlighting photos of local holiday events in your community, snapping a photo of an Autumn scene in your hometown, searching holiday hashtags on Instagram to repost, or showcasing how you’ve decorated your restaurant to make it unequivocally and uniquely YOU.
MINDFUL TEXT
One of the unique factors about Thanksgiving is the fact that not everyone celebrates this holiday. Take this into account when crafting the text you’ll use for your celebratory post. Focus the conversation by sticking to phrases surrounding gratitude and “giving thanks” to keep the polite and inclusive tone you’re striving for as a professional business. This encourages customer conversation that will ultimately lead to better post engagement.
BE INFORMATIVE
Sharing a holiday post is also an ideal time to let your followers know if you will be closed, or feature any holiday specials or events. Whether you will be closing down for two weeks, or offering a turkey dinner for those willing to come out and celebrate, it’s very important that your customers know what your plans will be so they can stay connected.
CUSTOMIZE IT FOR YOU
Maybe you and your staff members are more proactive during the holiday season and do some local outreach or generosity to get in the spirit. If so, that is amazing and something that definitely needs to be shared to your social media pages! Some people volunteer at local soup kitchen or shelters, some might give food from their restaurant, or perhaps you donate a portion of your proceeds to a community organization. This is a great way to share something special about your restaurant while getting that great engagement (likes, comments, etc.) from your customers who love hearing about how you uniquely give back.
Keeping your holiday posts universal for all followers, using high-quality photos, and sharing any special hours, events, or promotions, are all excellent ways to create eye-catching and engaging posts for your restaurant’s social media pages. ‘Tis the season to spread gratitude and kindness, both in-house and online!
How do you plan your Thanksgiving posts on social media?
Did you know?
We've been managing social media accounts for restaurants since 2012. For almost a decade, we've partnered with restauranteurs who are serious about using social media to generate business. Whether you're a good fit for our service or not, let's schedule a call and we'll give you free personalized advice on how to improve your social media presence. Either way, you'll walk away from the call more confident about your ability to promote yourself online - completely for free.
