Here are some tips to develop relationship with influential food bloggers and get them to feature your restaurant.
Do you want to grow your restaurant? When it comes to the restaurant business today, it has become tough for restaurateurs. The main reasons are that amazing chefs are graduating from culinary schools and going on to work at famous restaurants.
Customers are also demanding high-quality food. With the rise of social media, another thing to worry about is what your customers are saying about your business online.
Then there are food bloggers who influence the public’s opinion. However, you don’t need to worry about these food writers. The reason is that you can use them to develop your restaurant business. The truth is that food bloggers have the ability to take better pictures of your food and get the attention of local odd blogs.
They also know how to go about with food words.
For instance, it’s only them who can say things like the bacon “adds a smoky note” to your salad and work. They know the latest food trends for 2017, more than anyone else. It means you need to develop relationships with them if you want your restaurant to grow.
Enlist the Help of Food Bloggers
Developing relationships with food bloggers is one of the best ways to integrate your marketing strategy when it comes to restaurant marketing. That’s because it enables you to enjoy online exposure to potential clients that you wouldn’t be able to reach.
Good reviews about your restaurant from food bloggers allow you to have a regular flow of customers within months.
For instance, you can post reviews online and get about 3000-7000 views from your target market, which your restaurant is looking for. They are from people who enjoy food, and many of them are online searching for your restaurant.
Helps with Search Engine Results
Search engines, for instance, Google like to show local sites that are relevant to the searcher when it comes to the restaurant business. Connecting with food bloggers enables you to get help in your search engine results.
If they develop links to your website, it contributes to keeping your restaurant’s site search engine rankings higher. The reason is that the more the food blogger links to your site, the better you rank well when searchers use certain keywords.
If the food blogger site is reliable, it gives credence to your restaurant’s website.
Linking affects your search results in the same way that endorsements from celebrities and business executives work. They have credibility and a broad reach, which means that their opinion has weight.
While working class customers also have credibility, they don’t carry the same weight to the public.
How to Develop Relationship with Food Blogger
The restaurant business is time-consuming, which means many restaurateurs lack the time that they need to develop relationships with bloggers. It means you may try to send them a quick invite and expect them to write about you the next day.
This method won’t work when it comes to food bloggers. While it may good for online marketing, it’s not the best way.
You need to follow the following steps.
- Find the time to know the local food bloggers in your locality. You can use social media to know who the top bloggers are, for example, by checking the number of their views. The best ones should have links with other bloggers.
- Take your time and read their blogs to know which types you need for your food blogger outreach campaign. Bear in mind that food bloggers are not food critics, which means they have personal preferences for food. Many food bloggers may not prefer the food you serve but can take up your invitation to try out various foods. It means that if you serve raw food such as sushi, you need to know which bloggers don’t consume raw fish. You also need to know which ones won’t consume bacon.
- Know which food bloggers are relevant to your restaurant. The reason is that you may be running an Italian restaurant, but if most of the food blogger’s reviews are about Ethiopian food, chances are they are not the best candidate. Look for bloggers who write about food that’s similar to yours by checking their search box on their blog.
- Make sure you engage them on their blog once you know your target blogger. It enables you to develop relationships with them. Comment on their blog, since it shows that you have taken a personal interest and you know the blogger. It’s important that you write what you specifically like about the post and recommend other restaurants that you prefer. It enables you to have an easier time when you are inviting the food blogger to your restaurant.
- Engage with the food blogger on Facebook and Twitter, since they are the places that bloggers have lots of followers. Developing relationships with them takes effort and time. However, if you have the best conversations with them, they will have more with you. The best way is by hiring the services of a digital marketing agency that has previous relationships with the blogger.
- When making the food bloggers invitation, make them personal by addressing them by their name. You should also state any of their interesting post that you saw or read. It shows that you have an interest in their writing. Bear in mind that it doesn’t guarantee that your restaurant will get a good review. You should treat any comments they give to be their feedback. It gives you the chance to invite them back to another event. Remember to thank them for coming to the event.
- Be patient as you wait for them to write the review. That’s because some take 1-2 weeks while others up to two months. Ensure you treat them as any other customer in your restaurant and make sure your food is superb.
Summary
If you want to get food blogger to write about a restaurant, the above tips should be of help to you. Make sure you’re the one coming up with creative ideas, which will make the food blogger think more on how to promote your restaurant.
Ready plans make food bloggers decide fast if they can work with your restaurant. Food blogs are vital when it comes to restaurant search engine ranking. Incoming links from reliable sites tell search engines that you’re a reputable business.
