Five Ways to Increase Revenue Through Social Media Ads in 2018

Social media has become a key part of the business model for modern companies. It has revolutionized how companies and brands interact with their target market, while also providing detail feedback on consumer habits. Advertising agency Zenith Optimedia reports that social media spending was over $30 billion in 2016 and predicts this form of advertising will comprise of 20 percent of all internet advertising by 2019. The also suggest social media as a whole will overtake newspapers in 2020.

Unsurprisingly the restaurant industry has taken advantage of social media’s immense weight and power. As AJ Beltis covered, the number of restaurants using social media ads  in 2017 increased by 20 percent from previous years and that trend is expected to continue.

This means social media advertising should also be part of your restaurant’s marketing plan. So with that in mind, here are five essential ways to increase revenue through social media ads:

Pay for Social Media Ads

Beltis is betting on social media’s influence, which is why he wants you to include social media ads in your marketing plan for 2018. He also recommends paying for some of those ads so they can reach a wider audience. Organic social media posts—a status on Facebook, an image posted on Instagram, a video uploaded on YouTube, among others—only reach about 4% of your fan base. A bigger part of the target market can be reached through paid ads.

To this end, Beltis recommends that you take full advantage of Facebook, which has a page dedicated specifically for restaurants. This business page helps you kick start your restaurant’s social media campaign as it includes pointers on how to make an ad, how to choose an audience, and how to select a budget.

 Connect with People on a Personal Level

Using social media ads is a great way to connect to people on a personal level, and you can do so through what Entrepreneur describes as visuals that evoke positive emotions such as joy or hope or love. Such visuals can often persuade people to support a product or service, or to at least press “share,” which is pretty much the social media equivalent of word-to-mouth marketing. You could, for instance, share on your restaurant’s social media platforms a short commercial showing a family happily celebrating an important occasion in your restaurant. Even posting a simple photo of someone enjoying a meal in your restaurant can help you connect with social media users on a personal level.

Go Mobile with Your Ads

The main way that people connect to social media is via their mobile devices. Smart devices have not only allowed people to stay in contact, they have allowed brands to be in constant contact with their customers through mobile ads. Many of the social media platforms have advertising services that can be taken advantage of. Facebook Canvas is one such advert service that has seamlessly integrated advertising into the Facebook feed without it feeling intrusive. The advert also allows brands to create a visually attractive and interactive advert that can convey both the attitude and services of the company. The restaurant industry is ideal for social media advertising as it is easy to generate new content through new menus and special events.

 Harness the Power of Lead Ads

Lead adverts are a highly effective way to not only get people interested in your restaurant, but also to generate customer feedback. A lead ad features a contact form that people will fill out without leaving the website or platform. A high quality lead ad will stir the interest of social media users and have them clicking through it. Digital agency Ayima states that lead ads need to be creative, specific, and uncomplicated to be effective. Of course, what you will do with the data you obtain afterwards is equally important, too. You can use the data to help sort out which stock is doing well and what trends consumers are following. Lead ads are particularly useful to restaurants as they can also allow guests to immediately get in touch and inquire about the menu or reserve a table.

Share Customer-Generated Content

Customer-generated content are more familiar and relatable because they show the actual experiences of real people. The restaurant industry has been able to successfully increase interest in an establishment through allowing customers to post pictures of their experience and post them on the restaurant’s social media page, as well as their personal page. This creates a good relationship with the customer, as their experience is valued, while also creating free advertising.