When it comes to filling up the chairs for a restaurant, there are a variety of marketing tactics that can help. One of the most essential promotional tools that eateries have at their disposal is Facebook. A single post can reach thousands of individuals in a community. The benefits to this are obvious, but this type of reach only comes if the post engages an establishment’s followers. This is why culinary entrepreneurs should use these tips for increasing engagement on their restaurant Facebook posts.

Timing Is Everything
A restaurateur could come up with the perfect content to share on their Facebook page. This content could have the capability of going viral and reaching people far outside of their locality. If it’s not posted at the right time, however, hardly anyone will see it. After all, how many people are playing around on Facebook at 3 a.m.?

While it’s important for business owners to gauge which times work best in their area, the general rule is that posts perform best between 1 and 4 p.m. Additionally, Facebook is packed around 3 p.m. on Wednesdays. Avoiding weekend posts either after 8 p.m. or before 8 a.m. is also essential. If the timing is right, an engaging post can pack the chairs for a restaurant.

Offer Real Value
Facebook posts that offer actual value to customers typically do well on the social media platform. Offering a free appetizer or discount for signing up on an email list will certainly increase engagement, but it’s not always necessary to hand out freebies to get the ball rolling. Any content that is appealing to the common person will do just as well.

The day after Thanksgiving, for instance, many people may be wondering what to do with leftovers. A blog post titled “3 Great Recipes for Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey” could very well explode in popularity. Offering recipes and even blogs about great date-night ideas (assuming eating out is one of them) can also provide the value that so many consumers look for when surfing online.

Create a Contest
Facebook contests are a perfect way to increase engagement. Everyone wants something for free, and if a restaurateur offers it, people will be willing to do just about anything. Fortunately, “Share this photo and comment for your chance to win” is typically all it takes. Within minutes, the friends of those who share it will see the contest and want to join as well. They will in turn share the status. After all, everyone loves being a winner.

Interact with Followers
Posting a recipe for great burgers or a picture of friends enjoying themselves at a bar table is the first step to getting engagement, but it’s by no means the final step. Once people start interacting with these posts through commenting, it’s essential for restaurateurs to reply. This is direct engagement, and once a follower gets into an exchange with the page, their comments will show up in their friends’ news feeds. This increases the likelihood of new followers.

The best Facebook page in the world is nothing without engagement. This is true for a company whether its industry tools are roof shingles or chairs for a restaurant. By following these tips, engagement will increase, and when this takes place, higher revenue is sure to follow.