Getting Serious With Facebook: Check-In and Ads for Your Restaurant

Written by: Dan Dangoor

How your restaurant can utilize Facebook Check-In

Your Facebook company page for your restaurant is up and running, good content is flowing, your fans are happily interacting, and business is good. So how can you take this to the next level of Social Media advertising for your restaurant? Following the same principle as setting up a Facebook page, Facebook’s Check-In feature is also free. (Remember how nothing beats free?)

Facebook Check-In is a useful tool that boosts your search rankings on Facebook AND gives your restaurant free advertising. Customers simply press Check-In to your restaurant from their Facebook and all of their friends are notified that they’re eating in YOUR restaurant. The typical American 18-24 year-old has an average of around 500 Facebook friends, so this means a lot of word-of-mouth advertising. Imagine you have only 10 people checking in per day. 5,000 people are recommended to your restaurant each day for free. Incentivize your customers to check in with discounts on orders or free appetizers. Facebook allows you to control the incentives from your account. You can read how here.

Tips for Check-in Incentives:

  1. Make it a good deal – It’s an investment
  2. Create a status update for Facebook
  3. Make it obvious - Put up a sign in the restaurant
  4. Create Facebook ads to get the word out (see below)

Facebook Ads for your restaurant

Before you get started creating your Facebook ads, you should set aside the materials you need to build it.

  • A clear headline with the business name in it
  • A call to action you want your audience to follow
  • A sale or special offer your restaurant is offering
  • An eye-catching image that relates to the text (ideal size and dimensions are1200x627)

Set this material aside and click “Create ad” on the left-hand column of your Facebook Home and select the correct option for your restaurant.

Learn how to leverage Facebook Check-In as part of your restaurant marketing strategy.

From offer claims to page likes to sending people to your website, Facebook ads can drive more Likes, engagement, and business your way. As you set up ads, target your audience based on geographic location (state, city, radius) so only relevant people see your ads.

How much do they cost? You don’t have to break the bank to advertise on Facebook either, you can set your budget for as little as $5 a day. You should check your ads regularly to make sure they’re performing properly and your budget is where it should be. Each advertising objective you decide to follow is easy to learn – Facebook walks you through it, and if you get stuck, refer to the Facebook Ads Help section of their FAQ.