Jeremy Julian
Jeremy Julian
Research now consistently shows video marketing for restaurants to be far more effective than traditional print ads or internet banners.
Your chances of ranking your website on the first page of Google are also hugely increased if it includes video, and visitor engagement is significantly improved.
Video is huge for search engine optimization, So it shouldn’t be surprising that some 87 percent of online advertising campaigns now use video in one way or another.
The good news is that with the aid of modern technology, making your own promotional videos is neither difficult nor expensive. With millions being uploaded every day, however, you do need to get creative if yours are going to stand out from the crowd.
The following are just a few ideas to help your restaurant marketing and hiring videos get the maximum bang for your buck.
A great way to introduce potential customers to your restaurant is to record a brief interview with your chefs. Ask about their food philosophy, likes and dislikes and what brought them to your restaurant. You could also have them do a quick demo of a signature dish (without giving away the full recipe) or give some general cooking tips
And in the same vein, why not ask your bar manager to demonstrate how to make a favorite cocktail.
Nothing is more powerful in marketing than personal testimonials and although customers may be difficult to persuade, it will be well worth the effort if you can get some of your most loyal to talk about your restaurant on camera.
Videos of a packed restaurant on special event nights work very well on social media, especially if you can include interviews with many notable guests.
Make the videos downloadable so that those present can easily share them on their own Facebook, Instagram or other accounts.
This kind of video is both for customers and for promoting your business to potential new staff and should be a bit more formal while still being fun.
It’s an opportunity to present the story of your restaurant, your personal history and vision for the business, the trials and tribulations you’ve endured since getting started, your plans for the future and any amusing anecdotes or memorable nights that spring to mind.
You can also interview your key staff, asking them how they came to be there and what it’s like working there, and you might record those interviews as part of a behind the scenes tour type of format.
If appropriate, you could also shoot videos with local suppliers, farms, farmer’s markets or vineyards, etc. These kinds of “farm to plate” journey stories are currently very popular, particularly with the crucial millennial demographic.
All of the above types of video may also be helpful in the hiring process, the corporate video especially. But you can also produce videos aimed specifically at the hiring process.
Introduce your hiring manager, if you have one, to talk through the specific requirements of each position on offer, and have current staff contribute as well. The clearer and more realistic you can be about what you’re looking for, the better chance you have of attracting high-quality applicants and deterring the unsuitable.
And as a final, general, point it’s important to make sure that every marketing video tells a story, however simple. The aim is a gentle promotion of your business, not a hard sell.
