How to Launch a New Restaurant – Website and Social Media Growth

Strategy

The most important item to address early on was the creation of a new website for the restaurant. We discussed core website elements with the client, content topics we’d be including, and various design elements, with consistent collaboration between our SEO, website development, and creative teams. We also considered other SEO elements that would need to go hand-in-hand with the new website for Locale to have the greatest impact in local search results. Our strategy included:

• Creation and verification of a Google Business Profile listing with core business information and additional best practices.
  • Consistent response to GBP reviews to create rapport with customers and gain trust.
• Distribution of business information to relevant local citation websites.

On the organic social media side, our strategist came up with a killer post creation and upload strategy, with social content focused on signature dishes, locally sourced ingredients, and the overall dining experience at Locale. We analyzed Locale’s competitors and target audience to come up with the best possible posting concepts and schedule, ensuring that our content would be fresh, authentic, and engaging. Our social strategy included:

• Gaining followers – utilizing hashtags and giveaways, joining local Facebook groups, and consistently engaging with users on Instagram.
• Boosting impressions/engagement – creating content with the potential to go viral
• Collaborating with influencers – creating interactive content that would get people talking
• Hosting giveaways – encouraging engagement and participation around upcoming holidays and seasons.

Execution

SEO Strategy Execution

With our goals and strategy established, our team got to work. With a small website in place for the initial restaurant opening, we focused on our Google Business Profile listing, which was created and optimized with core business information, photos, an engaging description, specific hours for dining and takeout, and more. Via a comprehensive citation burst, we distributed Locale’s business information to a wide range of local citation websites and aggregators – covering everything from ride-sharing apps to major and niche local citation sites. This helped ensure that as we worked on a fully functional and optimized website, the business’s information would be circulating online. 

From there, we gathered the information and details we needed to start building out fresh, new content. While our creative and website teams worked on the design and functionality, our SEO team wrote about the restaurant and its history, its dine-in, takeout, and bar specialties, its comprehensive catering options, and more, all with SEO-friendly keywords incorporated throughout. We organized the content to slot neatly into our final website design, and with a variety of pre- and post-launch optimizations completed, we celebrated the launch of Locale’s gorgeous new website. Launching a site like this also includes the integration of Google Analytics and Google Search Console, allowing us to track and measure our performance and the impact of the work we’ve done.

Social Media Strategy Execution

Execution of our social strategy began with the announcement of the restaurant’s opening on social media, followed by posts highlighting the location, ownership, and hours. We also began research and outreach to relevant social media influencers, along with planning out future content shoots so we’d have a wealth of authentic, high-quality photos and videos of Locale’s offerings. Some of our core posting concepts throughout the first few months of our social media strategy included:

• Dish highlights – posting BTS content in the kitchen, from cooking to final plating.
• Engagement posts – giveaways, collaborations, and interactive stories.
• Community focus – highlighting events, partnerships, and locally-sourced ingredients.
• Holiday highlights
• Bar highlights and unique drink options.

With a combination of authentic photo and video content, mouthwatering shots of Locale’s menu items and pizza, trending audio, seasonal catering highlights, and more, we were able to take Locale’s following and engagement on social media to new heights.