User-Generated Content (UGC) is the cheapest and easiest way to promote your restaurant and gain new customers. It is totally free of cost if you do not run a UGC website. It is the best Marketing tool for beginner restaurateurs. In this article, you’ll read about what is User-generated content, how to encourage customers to create UGC & how to grow your restaurant with UGC.
What is User Generated Content?
As the name suggests, it is the content generated by users. Users are the customers of your restaurant. UGC's content is photos, videos, testimonials, reviews that users create or post on online platforms. You don't have to pay a single penny for acquiring it as it is voluntarily for customers to create it.
How to encourage customers to create User Generated Content?
If you want a steady flow of UGC then you need to encourage your customers to do so. Here are the top 3 interesting ways to encourage your customers to post more about your restaurant on social media platforms.
1. Create a unique photo background at your Restaurant
Put up a unique photo background having cool signs or interesting icons in your restaurant to attract customers. They will take pictures with it and post them on social media and tag your restaurant social media handle.
2. Give your customers an incentive for sharing any photo or writing any review
Offer your customers a discount or freebie or any free voucher for posting a photo or video or writing a review about your restaurant. Give prizes
You can organize a contest like, post a photo on social media by tagging you in them, and with unique captions, best ones will be given exciting prizes and also their photos with captions will be posted on our social media handle.
How to promote your restaurant by using User Generated Content?
Here are the top 3 ways to use UGC for promoting your restaurant:
1. UPshow
UPshow is a software that takes UGC from social media and automatically displays it on a big screen in your restaurant. On one side, customers will get the thrill of featuring on a big screen and will be motivated to create more such content and on the other side, you’ll get more UGC to repurpose in other way.
2. Keep social media handle up to date
Nowadays, people believe Customer sayings more than the restaurant’s marketing tactics. So keep your social media handles up to date like Instagram, if any of your customers put the story of your restaurant and tagged you in it then put this in your story with mentioning the person before the 24 hours as after 24 hours the story will get archived and also keep customer's reviews as highlights on your Instagram account with names such as “customer sayings”. People will believe More in the words of your customers.
3. Don't forget the paper marketing You can use UGC on your flyers, posters, or cards but you don't have to put all of the reviews or photos on posters, choose the best ones and print them on your posters or cards. Let these reviews speak themselves. Don't forget to take permission from your customers who give that review because it is legally necessary to take permission from that person whose content you are using.
User-Generated Content is the best, easiest, simplest, and cheapest way to promote your restaurant and gain new customers. Learn these tactics and soon you'll start using UGC successfully for your restaurant. Subscribe to us for reading more on such topics.