Promoting Your Catering Company on Social Media
18 Ways to Promote Your Catering Company on Social Media (and the 18 Best Hashtags!)
Social media has dramatically impacted the business world, and ever since it’s graced our lives, we’ve all been trying to work out how to use it to maximum benefit, whether that’s to gain more interest in your company, build leads, boost sales, or all of the above.
Social media has dramatically impacted the business world, and ever since it’s graced our lives, we’ve all been trying to work out how to use it to maximum benefit, whether that’s to gain more interest in your company, build leads, boost sales, or all of the above. The real difference it made to the world of business was the switch from convincing sales techniques to the real importance of conversation and networking. And it’s no different when it comes to promoting your catering business.
Why you should be on social media
Social media can optimise every aspect of your catering company. Not only is it a great way of promoting a catering business, but businesses are already expanding their social strategy beyond marketing. Customer service, corporate communications, investor relations, product, research and development, and human resources are all joining in on social decisions.
Twitter is the social media channel that confuses people the most as it’s fast and concise. Content runs past quickly, and hashtags are very popular. Twitter is very simple at its heart. It’s just conversations. Lots of conversations. At the time of publishing this blog, it’s possible that more people are talking about Musk’s takeover of Twitter than using Twitter itself!
It’s fine to talk to people you don’t know on Twitter, so it’s great for making new connections. It’s the world’s conversation and the media, journalists, sports fans, and customers alike head to Twitter for trending topics and real-time updates. There’s nothing like it for live news.
It’s quite normal for Twitter users to post multiple times an hour, and a great way to get PR and press coverage is by following #JournoRequest. You can also create a group chat or list of your favourite complementary businesses to really embrace the networking.
Not just that, but Twitter analytics and knowing how to use them can change your social media game. Whether its identifying which messages resonate, determining successful campaigns or spotting holes in your customer service, the data at your fingertips can turn seemingly random social interactions into strategy-changing insights.
1. Local hashtags
Hashtags link topics together. Two ‘tweets’ with the same hashtag will appear in their own ‘timeline’ and that gives you a great opportunity to appear in timelines where people you aren’t connected with will see it.
Search Twitter for your local area and try to work out what hashtag the locals use. Maybe a council run one, or a buy local initiative? Search and seek the best one(s) and then add those to any tweets you send out about local news or even just when you’re working in the area.
Running an event? Share photos or videos from the event from set-up to clear down with the local hashtag.
2. Storytelling
Twitter is ideal for storytelling, but this doesn’t have to be a full-on Jackanory Storytime! Storytelling on Twitter can be as simple as sharing updates throughout your day to the people who follow you and the hashtags that you’re using.
From loading up for an event to laying tables, cutting the beef, or pouring the champagne for the arrival of the bride and groom, Twitter allows you to share little snippets from your day in real time… and Twitter followers love it.
3. Networking and brand awareness
Conversation is the lifeblood of Twitter, so you are free to reply to anything you read.
This gives you endless opportunities to connect with those in your industry and potential future clients as well as maintaining relationships with your existing clients. It also allows you to listen and learn from the very people whose attention you want to attract.
It’s very social but a great way to get your business seen. Share videos and images from events to really stand out or maybe tell them where you’ll be serving this coming weekend.
Plenty of industries use hashtags to stay connected with other businesses in the same industry. Here are some catering hashtags you might want to check out.
Instagram is a very visual channel and it gives you a great way to share beautiful photos of your final product. If Twitter is the gearbox then Instagram is the shiny, polished paintwork.
Made famous for its filters and of course #FoodPorn, Instagram is built for food and the ideal place to share a stream of great creations from your events.
4. Instagram feed
The main area of Instagram is the feed or wall, and these are often referred to as Instagram tiles. These are the photos or videos you share that stay on your profile forever and you can get really creative here.
Some accounts choose to theme these tiles so they all tell a story one after another. Others stick to one style, while other accounts share all sorts of content with their followers.
With food, it’s a given to share plated starters, mains, and desserts from events and those elaborate canapes and drinks receptions. Fill your feed with some mouth-watering creations and then encourage your enquiries and new leads to follow you to give them a ‘taste’ of what you can do.
5. Instagram stories
Stories are what’s known as disappearing content. An image or 15-second video can be uploaded to your ‘story’ and it will stay there for 24 hours before being deleted. Stories give you creative license to share your day on Instagram in a real-life, real-time way, and the most popular way to use stories is to give people that behind-the-scenes stuff they all love.
From staff birthdays to loading the van, and setting up – give your followers an insight into your life. It’s a powerful relationship-building tool and you’ll find that a lot of people watch stories but never reply or comment. These lurkers are the ones to keep track of!
6. Local hashtags
Just like Twitter, Instagram loves a good hashtag. Research the right ones for your posts and then find the local hashtags and also the best local GPS tag. You can add a location to your feed and your stories with tags. Getting your content ‘hash-tagged’ and GPS-tagged locally or in the area where you’re working will get your content seen by more people. Hashtags and locations are the drivers behind Instagram!
7. Instagram reels
Instagram reels have been inspired by TikTok and allow you to share longer, more professional videos and put them on your stories to drive views to your videos.
You can share some longer video content like food tips, set-up advice, or some really great event tips that would show you as an expert in your field. Anything you make for Instagram can be used as TikTok content too! Work smarter; not harder!
8. Use Instagram to network
If you want to grow your network on Instagram, you must stay up to date with conversations, trending topics, and industry news. By following relevant accounts, this will become easier and you’ll find more interesting content ideas to share with your followers.
YouTube
YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine and if you’ve been paying attention when you’re Googling you’ll have noticed that YouTube videos appear on the first-page search results.
The best thing about this for you is that you have a great way to great found online for the keywords you’re trying to rank for. Not many people realise this, but YouTube will rank your videos based on the titles you use, and it will ‘index them’ (add them to Google) very quickly in comparison to Google.
9. Get some great videos online for the key things your customers ask you about
All those key questions can be answered on video and you’ll win twice:
- You can send the videos to your clients when they ask – they’ll love you for this
- You’ll get found on YouTube when others search.
Add a link to your website in the YouTube descriptions for some extra Google love!
The big boy in social media is still very much working for businesses. Although, if you have a page, you’ll no doubt have noticed a fall in the number of people you interact with and reach organically. Facebook is very busy, and the timelines are full, so Facebook has had to make some changes and continue to do so to keep it relevant to its users.
There are always going to be new ways to make Facebook work, but here’s what we hear works to help you promote your catering company now.
10. Facebook groups
Facebook Groups have improved a lot over the years and the community in these groups is what Facebook is trying to create so they’re pushing more engagement there instead of to your business Page.
You can’t post in all groups as your catering company business (page) but you can go and network as your personal profile and this is a good bit of after-work online networking. Just keep your personal profile tidy and free of controversy and appear as you’d want fellow business owners to see you.
Groups are searchable and our top tip for groups is to head there and network whilst searching for ‘events’ ‘weddings’ ‘parties’ ‘50th party’ and so on. Find those you can help and offer them some help and then inbox them. It’s social media – go talk!
11. Facebook Live
Video is the channel to use on any social media, so it makes sense to use their ‘Live’ platform on Facebook. Live streaming on Facebook could work the same as Twitter or Instagram, sharing cooking lessons, or maybe ‘How to sharpen a knife’ or ‘Silver service tips’.
You get the idea, right?
12. Facebook Pages and Ads, and the Meta Pixel
Facebook is ‘pay to play’ now and if you’re not running the odd advert then you’ll no doubt be struggling to get people to see your posts. The good news is, Facebook ads are relatively cheap in comparison to other channels, so running some ads shouldn’t break the bank.
The best way seems to be using the clever re-marketing tools that Facebook has.
Adding a Meta Pixel to your website gives you the chance to run ads or promote everyday posts to the people who visit your website. This is very powerful when you consider how many people research caterers for an event and then leave the websites without contacting the company.
With Facebook, you can keep nudging them with ads or simply by promoting your daily content and social media posts. This helps them to get to know and trust you.
However, your business page will, by default, have a smaller reach due to Facebook’s complicated algorithms, which only show your posts to a percentage of your followers. Your personal profile, however, will reach all your ‘friend’ connections. If you use it for business, you need to balance it out with personal posts – remembering to keep the truly personal things to yourself.
LinkedIn is changing a lot this year and it’s far from the online CV site that it used to be. Now it’s more about content and most of the marketers we follow are raving about LinkedIn. Some even say that LinkedIn is becoming more like Facebook, but it does tend to be a bit more relaxed with plenty of emojis and reaction images, as well as a fair bit of naughty words!
Sharing content is much like the other channels but the big difference with LinkedIn is that you can search for individuals with specific job titles in specific areas and that makes LinkedIn great for finding and connecting with key decision-makers in the businesses that you’re looking to work with.
13. Content
Just like the other social media channels, hashtags, media (photos and video), and then straightforward text posts work well on LinkedIn.
With promoting your catering business, you could take some of the content from the other channels and make your LinkedIn an expert feed or include food and beverage tips, or simply share updates from events like weddings and parties.
There are really no rules and as LinkedIn changes to be more social you’re encouraged to try and stand out. Share some sizzling food videos or mouth-watering business lunch photos and then connect with the right people so they fall in love with what you do.
14. Connecting
LinkedIn is, at its heart, a people-to-people business connection tool, so use it that way. Work out whom you need to connect with and then search and connect with them. Set up your profile to attract them (LinkedIn is searchable so think about the words you have in your bio) and then connect.
The best way to use LinkedIn is to create a bio written for your ideal connection and then search for them and connect with them.
15. Video
Video is a very powerful force on LinkedIn and thanks to the way LinkedIn works, videos play automatically and most comments and likes share your videos with your connections’ followers.
- The people you are connected with are called 1sts
- The ones they are connected with (that you’re not) are called 2nds.
Interactions on your posts can really help you reach those not already connected with you (2nds) and video is really a great way to do this.
Use the same ideas for short videos as before, but maybe get in front of that camera and be the face of the business. We know you may not like the idea, but you’ll soon get used to it and it’s great for your business visibility! But make sure you have a company page that you also keep updated, else your business won’t benefit as much.
Social media allows big companies to act small again, so use LinkedIn to be human and show your brand personality.
16. Search and comment
This is the key to LinkedIn. Work out who you need to connect with in your business and then go and find them on LinkedIn. Even with the free version of LinkedIn you can find people in the businesses you’d like to work with and connect with them.
Maybe you’re interested in more corporate work?
- Write a great first line and bio.
- Post great content on your profile.
- Go connect with the decision makers in those businesses.
- And then watch the magic happen.
Be ready to go to message and set up a call or meeting. LinkedIn is a place where people go to connect so be ready to do so. Just remember to make your messages and content all about your readers. They don’t care how long you’ve been in business; they care about what you can do for them to make their lives easier.
Pinterest is built for beautiful things, and that includes food photos. Catering creates a wealth of content for a site like Pinterest and it’s also the best place to put things like recipes, event tips, or lists like “Things to ask your wedding caterer”.
This is a reverse-engineered social media. Work out what your future customers will be researching when they’re looking for a caterer and give them the answers in your content. This is a key in the wedding game as brides, grooms, parents of and friends of will do a mountain of research before the big day. Brides go on Pinterest for inspiration, so help them see what you can do.
Be the answer and get noticed.
17. Wedding boards
Pinterest is built around ‘Boards’. Boards are like an old-fashioned scrapbook where users ‘pin’ content they find from the web. A great way to get found and interacted with on Pinterest is to share great images, tips, and advice like ‘Best man lists’, ‘Bridesmaid duties’ and of course dresses, flowers, décor, food choices, marquee advice, and anything wedding-related.
18. Search and SEO
Pinterest is searchable and that means you’ll get found… if you name your ‘pins’ well.
Naming your images (pins) with search-friendly titles is important. Avoid jargon or in-house terms and instead, stick to the language your customers use instead. It’s a really effective way to promote your catering company in a natural way.
The added bonus with Pinterest is that if you pin the images from your website, and then others ‘re-pin’ your pin, this creates ‘backlinks’. Backlinks are well-known to help your website get indexed and ranked better on Google.
- Get a list of the topics you know you could add value to when someone is planning a wedding.
- Add that content in images on your website.
- Pin them on your wedding board.
- Use some relevant hashtags.
The 18 best catering hashtags
It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, here are the top 18 hashtags you should be using to promote your catering business!
#catering
#foodie
#instafood
#foodlover
#restaurant
#delicious
#chef
#events
#foodies
#eventplanner
#cateringcontent
#foodgasm
#gourmet
#eat
#menu
#buffet
#tastyfood
#cheflife
Put the social back into social media
Our number one tip must be to add the social back into your social media.
Share your team news, your day, your journey, your events, and your behind-the-scenes and create some timelines that your customers and future customers can watch from afar and get to know you and your catering company better.
Business is built on relationships, and social media allows you to build 100s of them over and over again, post after post.
Get found, connected with, and talked to. Social media is an online conversation you can’t afford to ignore.
Remember – the key is in the word social. Engagement counts – and that’s not just asking people to engage with your posts. Find your ideal client and respond to the marketing and posts they are creating. You never know who you might create a connection with.
At Plato we try to embrace social media so we’d love to hear from you with any tips or comments on this blog.
Plato is also a member of the SafeHire Certification Scheme, which means we have a proven competence in safety, health, environment, and quality. This ensures you’ll receive the highest possible quality of service and catering equipment hire.
Why not connect with us on Facebook and Twitter? We share lots of tips from our world of catering hire, plus the odd bit of news from us too!
[Please note: The information is correct at time of writing (Dec 2022) and we’ll be updating this blog again in the future, but, in the meantime, there will be plenty of changes – that’s just the way social media works!]
