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Online Content and the Food Industry

At first blush, food and the internet seem like two items that could not be more different. Yet, as usual, a peek beneath the surface finds that opposites attract. In fact, having an online presence is absolutely crucial for restaurants and other food industry insiders in the modern era. A report by Campaign Monitor reveals that the average person spends more time perusing the internet than consuming all other forms of media. Simply put, digital marketing has begun to replace traditional paper-based or word-of-mouth advertising. Since content is the bedrock of any successful digital marketing strategy, any business that doesn’t have consistent, high-quality content on their website is missing out on a significant chunk of the market share.

Social Media Reigns

If you are in the restaurant business and want to revamp your online image to get more customers, one of the key elements you need to consider is your presence on social media platforms. While nearly 60% of chain restaurant brands use social media to boost sales, according to statistics gathered by QSR Automations, that amount increases to almost 80% of independent restaurants. What this should show you is that smaller eateries can use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media apps to carve out a space for themselves.

Professional restaurant content writers can help you craft high-performance social media posts that showcase the food and customer experience your restaurant brings. Even better, social media allows you to interact in real-time with your customers. For example, one good idea is to search for any User-Generated Content (UGC) related to your business. You might find someone using your restaurant’s name as a hashtag on Instagram, showing off their date night dinner, and offer them congratulations. Or, host your own pictures, video, and restaurant blog content and encourage customers to like, share, and comment.

Some tips when working out a good social media writing strategy include:

  • keep the content minimal (don’t post long paragraphs that will bore readers)
  • find engaging topics that customers can interact with
  • use hashtags or keywords to expand your audience

Content and Search Engines

Your goal when providing online content should be twofold:

  1. Inform and entertain readers by providing them with answers to their search queries.
  2. Increase your visibility by climbing up the search engine results pages (SERPs).

These two goals go hand in hand, but it is worth teasing them apart and discussing each on its own.

First, your content should be written with the user in mind. That means you want to make sure that you use proper spelling, grammar, capitalization, etc. Write at or slightly below the average reading level for your area so that a wider group of people will be able to read and understand your content. Typically, good website content is geared at about an 8th grade reading level (according to the United States education system). Also, you should design your content around a central question, answer that question in the first paragraph, and then go into detail farther on in the article. Most users will click away from your page if the answer to their question is not immediately clear, and you don’t want to lose site visitors.

Secondly, you need to climb the SERPs in order to get on the front page of Google. Very rarely do internet users click past the first page of a Google search, and rarer still are the user who will delve into the depths of page four or five to find the restaurant they want. If your content is not designed to attract the all-seeing eye of Google, you risk remaining unseen by the masses.

Trusting the Professionals

Writing for the internet is a difficult task. However, your restaurant depends on having the best online content to draw in new customers and expand your clientele. Your best option is to turn to the professionals. Copywriters and specialists in content for restaurant websites know what it takes to attract Google, users, and potential consumers while converting them into clients. They know how to craft elegant writing that includes keywords to rank higher on Google’s search results page, answer user’s questions thoroughly before they click away, and provide several “calls-to-action” throughout the article so that users are given opportunities to purchase products or book reservations.

If you own a restaurant, bakery, cafe, or other food industry business, consider getting professional writers to craft online content for you and your company.