Restaurants are where we create some of our most precious memories – from birthdays to proposals to reunions to tasting that perfect bite of food that transports us to happier times. Be it times of hardship or joy, you’ll often find people reconvening over food, which is why the restaurant business has grown so rapidly in the past decade.

But this rapid growth has meant that the industry has become saturated, and it’s no longer enough to serve decadent food in a homely environment. If you want your restaurant to grow and flourish, you’re going to have to market it – and what better form of marketing for a food-based business than the good old video? 

And of course, video marketing can seem scary and complicated, especially if the extent of your video-making experience has been restricted to the casual – but with the right help, you can make some stunning content for your restaurant. And luckily for you, there’s a ton of information you can take help from. 

Here’s how you can use video marketing to promote your restaurant:

1. Revamp your Menu

A mix of Covid and today’s technology-driven world has meant that the traditional hand-held menus are stories of days gone by. Digital menus are all the rage now and adding a video element to them will take your restaurant to the next level.

Not only will customers be able to see exactly what they’re ordering – driving down instances of wrong orders and complaints – but mouthwatering videos of your menu items will also drive up your total charge per table as people will be tempted to try more. After all, there’s little willpower that stands against the perfect swirl of pasta or the break of a tempered chocolate shell. 

Not to mention – with a digital menu you can easily make changes without having to rack up a whole new printing bill. And just because you’re making your menu digital and adding video doesn’t mean you need to hire a professional – there are numerous design tools available to fill that gap, and recently PosterMyWall has been a crowd favorite when it comes to business marketing. 

PosterMyWall’s menu templates are oh-so-easy to customize – coming right from a non-designer here – and produce great results even if you’re a beginner. And of course, the biggest benefit is unlimited edits all free of charge, truly helping your restaurant grow! 

2. Create Food-Based Video Content  

A great way to use video marketing to promote your restaurant is by focusing on the food! After all, that’s what your customers will be coming for, so it’s best to make as much content around it as possible! 

Get a videographer and film some behind-the-scenes live kitchen action, taking viewers through the day-to-day of your restaurant’s kitchen, or even get one of your chefs in for a virtual cooking class. Once you’ve got the content filmed, you can put up your videos on your restaurant’s social media handles or even on a YouTube page – be sure to make use of hashtags and SEO-optimized captions for maximum reach. 

3. Hop on a Digital Billboard 

Imagine driving home during rush hour after spending a hectic day in the office where the only lunch you could manage was half a PB&J. You’d be tired and starving, right? And all the more susceptible to a billboard playing videos of delectable food, which is exactly how you should be using videos to market your restaurant. 

There are two things to nail when it comes to billboard video marketing: the visual quality and the location. For the latter, it’s best to pick a spot that embraces heavy traffic and pedestrian flow and is likely to be frequented by what could be potential clientele for your restaurant. 

And as for the video content itself, you could look into hiring a professional but when it comes to some of the most successful businesses, they prefer to work with design tools such as PosterMyWall’s business professional video feature. Not only is PosterMyWall hassle-free and easily customizable, but it allows the user to work on their schedule – and budget! – which is really much better than working with a professional. And after all, the results are stellar, so it’s really a win-win!

4. Get the Diners Involved!

Word of mouth holds a very sacred place in the restaurant world and now you can use video content to bring customer testimonials directly to your potential diners. Create fun, interactive videos where either a member of your staff converses with a customer about their experience, or one focusing on just the customer raving about the food. 

The goal is to keep the videos short, light, and enticing so viewers want to try out the restaurant for themselves. Once you’ve got the content in hand, then it’s time to get it to your audience. Populate your social media handles – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the likes – and even think about using paid promotions to increase your reach. All in all, you better get prepping for a lot more dishes to go out!

So, if you’re looking to promote your restaurant using video marketing, then these tips and ideas are your go-to for a round of success. Just be sure to add your creative flair and have your restaurant’s vibe shine through the screen, and you’ll be set to welcome food lovers all around!