Festive Social Media Posts Ideas for Restaurants
Christmas is a social time of year. Work parties, friends catching up, the family obligatories; the social calendar is about as busy as it gets all year round. We’re living in a world with constant access to a social conversation that includes your friends, family (even your cats in some cases!) and, crucially, your customers.
We’ve suggested our “Twelve Posts of Christmas” to help you engage with customers, clients and, if you really want, the pets of social media.
As with social media all year round, content, images, channel, timing and audience are all key factors in optimising your social media presence and will be specific to different users. With that in mind, we’ll leave the drafting to you but here are some options you may want to consider.
1. Party time!
With company Christmas dos now worth an estimated £1billion, why not offer some Christmas dining solutions that are suitable for the workplace. Similarly, universities are a hub of social groups, all of whom will want to get together and celebrate before heading home. Whether cocktail recipes or eating options, show how you can help streamline a difficult night for many to organise.
3. Christmas Recipes
As foodservice providers, you may have recipe ideas that will spruce up your followers’ Christmas offering. Whatever your speciality, a bit of thought leadership goes a long way – remember to be unique! Here some great ideas!
3. Christmas Jumper Day
A great, charitable cause, this day really ticks all the social media boxes. It’s a great excuse for a picture, the chance to interact with followers, to associate your brand with a charitable cause and to encourage others to get involved by sending their photos. You will also be able to piggyback on what is certain to be a trending hashtag.
4. Christmas Day
This one speaks for itself. A small gesture but one that goes a long way. Easy to schedule and a quick one to draft, it will say more if you don’t send a ‘Merry Christmas’ message than if you do, so just do it!
5. New Year
For many the celebrations will now be well and truly over and thoughts will have already turned to undoing all that Christmas excess. Get involved by suggesting your healthy living tips and how your service will aid customers attack that waistline
6. December Sports
Are your customers and followers likely to be hosting live screenings? Perhaps they’re the venues these sports are on at. December is a big month for sport, especially a busy Premier League schedule, so offer advice on how your followers can make the most of the sport on offer.
7. January Sales (looking ahead)
Will you be offering some kind of January sales type promotion to entice customers? Is there an offer for the post-Christmas blues that you want to push out? The ‘no man’s land’ space between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to drum up some interest with deals, discounts and
8. Ask a Question
It’s amazing how many people forget the word ‘social’ in social media; that exactly what it is. Social media should be a conversation, a two way experience rather than a one way dialogue. Asking simple questions such when your followers will be celebrating their work Christmas do, what their favourite Christmas roast is or what’s top of their Christmas list will encourage a two way discussion and improve engagement for future posts.
9. Christmas Competition
Budgets are tight around the Christmas period and offering followers a chance to a free something, anything(!) is likely to be met with enthusiasm. Make the competition something Christmassy and something social. The more images you have coming in and the more your associated hashtag is posted, the more interaction and positive results you’ll achieve.
10. Caption competition
Light hearted, easy to attach a Christmas theme and an open invitation for replies, all you need is an ever-so slightly compromised or unusual image. The aim of the game is for followers to reply with their funniest caption relating to the picture you post. Retweet your favourites to encourage others to join in.
11. Speciality offers
Are you adapting your offer or service to make it relevant to Christmas? Our blogs on Christmas burgers is one example of how food operators can adopt a Christmas theme that will give an otherwise business as usual offer something a bit more festive. Cost effective an invariably visual, promote whatever you’re doing on social media and see what response you get.
12. Christmas opening hours
Not the most interesting, nor the most eye-catching post you’ll send out to followers but a necessary one. Let customer, consumers or clients know when you’ll be available over the Christmas period. Manage their expectations in advance to avoid any difficult conversations upon your return!
