For restaurant operators, there is plenty of opportunity to boost consumer engagement through the power of digital assets. Beyond the basics of having restaurant information (hours, location, etc.) and ordering available online, there is a constantly-evolving world of social media and digital menu trends to leverage.
Boost Engagement with Digital Trends!
What is “Digital?”
With over half of restaurants (53%) reporting that they use social media advertising to draw in customers (Datassential/IFMA CPP Report: Menus & LTO Decisions, March 2023), it’s clear that social media has secured a place of importance in foodservice. Plus, a low barrier to entry (just sign up online!) means social media is an approachable way for restaurants to stay connected to consumers.
Datassential/IFMA CPP Report: Menus & LTO Decisions, March 2023
Social media has the power to drive traffic, and it holds even greater power with younger consumers – approximately 7 in 10 Gen Z (71%) or Millennial (69%) consumers have visited a restaurant because of social media (Datassential/IFMA CPP Report: Social Media & Technology Use, January 2022).
Datassential/IFMA CPP Report: Social Media & Technology Use, January 2022
The Shift Toward Video
While Millennials, Gen X, and even Boomers look to Facebook for food trends and restaurants, Gen Z’s top platform is video-centric TikTok (followed by Instagram, with its growing video focus). As Gen Z continues to gain importance as a consumer group, social media video has become a critical connection to younger consumers.
Datassential/IFMA CPP Report: Social Media & Technology Use, January 2022
Video as a Social Media Opportunity
We saw above that TikTok usage skews heavily toward Gen Z, but restaurants tend to favor Facebook when it comes to promotion of new menu items and limited-time offers (LTOs). Only 13% of restaurant operators have used TikTok for LTO promotions (Datassential’s LTOs Keynote Report, May 2022), which highlights a huge opportunity for restaurants to engage in this favorite Gen Z platform.
Datassential Limited-Time Offers Keynote, May 2022
Taking Advantage of Menu Hacks through the “Quesadilla Wars”
Toward the end of 2022, a Philly cheesesteak quesadilla menu hack went viral on TikTok at a top Mexican fast casual chain as consumers inundated the chain with the off-menu request. That chain announced they would release the hack as a menu item in March, but a major competitor swooped in and launched a similar item much earlier (with Today.com asking, “Is this the start of the Quesadilla Wars?”). Even with its delayed launch, the original still reported standout sales with their March launch. Continue below to see both quesadilla concepts and to take advantage of these social media lessons.
Social Media Lessons from the “Quesadilla Wars”
Take Advantage of Digital Menus
Whether driven by innovation, supply chain issues, or both, menu changes are a common occurrence for restaurants. Digital menus handle these changes with ease, enabling swaps, edits, and high-quality pictures without the need to print and re-print paper menus. And, of course video is only possible with digital menus!
Datassential FoodBytes: What's Hot in Menu Design, March 2023
Get in on Digital Trends!
A digital presence enabled by social media is clearly a powerful tool for connecting to consumers, and video in particular is gaining importance – after all, 38% of users across all generations have gotten food from a restaurant after seeing it on TikTok (MGM Survey, 2022). Glean inspiration from viral food trends with built-in consumer demand or engage with consumers by promoting new menu items and LTOs on social media. National French Fry Day (NFFD) on July 13 is a great opportunity to take advantage of hashtags and post craveable or over-the-top loaded fry dishes to excite and entice social media-savvy consumers – check out nationalfrenchfryday.com for more NFFD inspiration!
