Tips to Make Your Food Instagram-Worthy
Over the past few years, Instagram has become one of the most prominent social media outlets for restaurant advertising. It is almost impossible to scroll down your feed without seeing at least a couple food photos with a restaurant shout out. Many restaurants have reached fame due to Instagram success, so we’re going to share a few tips for you to get your customers advertising your food online.
First of all, food presentation comes before all else.
Every restaurant should be valuing presentation, not just to impress the customer, but to encourage your staff to set up each plate for a photo. Keep it neat, and expose the best qualities, such as unusual and high quality ingredients.
Also, don’t be afraid to use the rainbow.
Try to incorporate colors as much as you can into your plates. Depending on the dish, display a variety of colors all together, or choose an accent color to pop.
When looking for that splash of color, get creative with the garnishes!
The garnish is extremely important for every dish, and is one of the easiest ways to guarantee your plate makes it to Instagram and gets “likes.” Be versatile by incorporating fruit into a dessert dish, a simple drizzle of condiments, or a few dashes of fresh herbs to give some rustic detail.
Make sure you have the right background.
This includes everything from white plates of various shapes and sizes, wooden cutting boards, a photogenic table for your guests to sit at, or a photo-inspiring wall that is painted with a vibrant color. If you want to take it one step further and incorporate your restaurant’s branding elements that trademark your restaurant at first glance, use a background with your restaurant logo.
Don’t forget about lighting.
This is more technical and creative work on your end, but great lighting is key for photos of any type. Ensure your guests can take great photos by having plenty of natural light, or if you have a more dim atmosphere, that there is enough light strategically placed around each table. The food could look fantastic, but if the light is making it look flat, chances are it won’t get as much feedback on Instagram.
Encourage your guests to share!
Simply write a post asking customers to take a photo and share their favorite menu item, or better yet, hold a contest where they can win a gift card, or even restaurant merchandise, that they can also post a photo of.
Finally, always remember to reciprocate when they give you free advertising!
People, millennials in particular, love it when you like their photos, comment and follow their account!
For best results, try out all these suggestions with your staff. Get the cooks and the waiters involved in the process, have them work together in the creation of dishes and the presentation of said food on social media.
All these tips will help you gain attention on Instagram with beautiful food presentation. It will increase your online presence and will make people want to try the delicious dishes that your restaurant cooks up.
