How to Use Social Media to Sell Your Food
MW
Madison Webster
Nov 24, 2025
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Nov 24, 2025
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Nov 19, 2025
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Nov 18, 2025
Customers demand authenticity, trust, and quality when browsing restaurants on social media. If you're looking to enhance your online presence, this article goes through everything you'll need to know.
Around 50% of diners use social media to gather recommendations on where to eat next, while a further 22% become interested in revisiting a restaurant or takeout based on their social media presence.
Despite this, restaurant and takeout owners struggle with their social media marketing. That's usually down to not posting consistently or understanding what kind of content is needed. But the elephant in the room is that for many of us, we're too busy working IN the business to work ON the business.
Even so, the facts are stark:
Pro Tip: The Top 7 Social Media Platforms Restaurants Should Focus On
When it comes to photo content in the food industry, high-quality visuals matter to create the best first impression possible. If you have a small budget, it is worth its weight in gold to have a freelance photographer photograph some of your best dishes. These images can be used on your menu, on your website, and on social media. If you can hire a professional, it really does make a difference.
One of the biggest changes in social media this decade is the shift to short-form video content, including the rise of platforms such as TikTok and the introduction of Reels on Instagram. Around 50% of social media users have a preference for video content over static imagery.
Customers demand to know exactly what is available, as well as how much the products are and how to order them. Examples of menu highlights may include weekly specials, seasonal items (such as Christmas specials), or limited-time discounts, boosting conversion rates through urgency.
The best way to advertise these offers or promotions is by maximising the features provided by platforms for stories, including link buttons for ease of access or countdown stickers to build excitement among would-be customers.
Around 79% of customers find that they are positively influenced by User-Generated Content (UGC) posted on the social media channels of restaurants or takeaways. UGC refers to any form of content, including text, images, or video, that is created by customers rather than a brand or organization. Examples of UGC can be images of food taken by customers and/or reviews.
Sharing behind-the-scenes content is a great way to help people get to know you behind your logo and your storefront. As social media platforms have enabled the opportunity to create such content, customers are now looking to not only enjoy the product that your business has to offer, but also support the team of people who are responsible for what your business can do.
Showing pride in your business's local area online is an effective way of turning social media customers into users. Some ways of doing this can include participation in local events, collaborating with other businesses, or highlighting any local suppliers that your business may use. Effective practice also includes geotagging each of your posts and optimising your hashtag strategy by including regional tags (for example, #StokeEats).
Community management is also a great way to engage with the local area and build an audience of local customers. Commenting on posts from fellow local businesses is a useful method to engage with your community and helps with follower growth as more people spot your profile in the comments.
There are a variety of things to consider when managing your food business's social media account. Firstly, ensure that the number of weekly posts remains consistent (ideally three posts per week).
Each post should also maintain a familiar brand image. This involves sticking to your brand's colors across all visual content and the tone of voice when creating captions.
Call to actions (CTAs) refer to a clear prompt that tells your audience exactly what you want them to do next, playing an important role in converting users to customers when they see your content on their feeds.
A few examples of a CTA include:
Accessibility is important for users when browsing food outlets on social media, and as such, all key information about your business should be visible as soon as a potential customer visits your profile. Features such as Instagram's story highlights and the ability to pin posts on various platforms allow users to learn more about the important parts of your business.
An effective way to build followers on social media is to consistently monitor engagements on social media content each day, as users look to build more personal connections between themselves and your brand. Replying to any comments posted on your content and DMs is the best practice to engage with your audience.
Effective social media marketing practice takes time to execute correctly, and, as such, those who manage social media channels are prone to making errors that can hurt you.
Some of these errors include:
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An easy-to-use graphic design platform, offering templates for images or video assets. A basic version is free.
A central hub for scheduling and analytics for meta platforms (Instagram and Facebook)
A video editing software that gives access to trending TikTok/reel templates. Download to your phone for a small monthly fee.
Combine all your important links into one place, giving your audience easy access to your important info
Selling your food via social media means impressing your audience with show-stopping visuals, boosting accessibility by outlining all the key information, and building trust by engaging with your community.
In order to promote your food business more effectively, work on establishing your content plan and make sure to stick to it consistently. Social media has the power to make your food business shine, so don't waste the opportunity to turn scrollers into paying customers.
Every restaurant or takeout has been there... It's been a busy night, a constant wave of orders has kept your hard-working team on their toes for hours, and after all of that, you receive an earth-shattering 1-star review from an angry customer. In today's digital-first society, reviews surrounding your business are as visible as ever, so it's important to respond to negative feedback accordingly.
Reviews on restaurants and takeout businesses influence purchasing decisions among diners. Previous research has found that diners are likely to spend around 31% more at food businesses that have more positive reviews.
Furthermore, 72% of customers say that positive reviews help boost their trust in a food business. While positive reviews are important for the reputation of your food business, negative feedback, when presented constructively, can help spot weak points in business operations and provide areas for future improvement.
It is important to respond to any negative feedback in order to maintain a good rapport between your food business and its customers, but this must be handled appropriately.
The first recommendation is to acknowledge the complaint made within the feedback and refrain from responding defensively. This shows the customer that you have listened and taken the feedback on board and will subsequently work to improve based on what is said.
Another recommendation is to consistently monitor the reviews being posted each day in order to acknowledge and respond to any negative feedback promptly, making your customers feel seen and believe you're making the response to the complaint a priority.
When responding to any negative feedback, it is important to show empathy and be apologetic, regardless of what the complaint may be. Responding in such a way helps to build and maintain trust between your business and diners. Additionally, if necessary, provide the customer with a direct contact method (e.g, a phone number or email address) should the complaint need to be resolved offline.
It is important to respond to any negative feedback professionally so that your business's reputation is not hindered further. Responses should be polite, professional, and remain brand-appropriate in order to avoid any backlash.
Customers demand authenticity and honesty online, so be sure to avoid generic responses to negative reviews. Instead, mention the specifics of the complaint so that the customer knows that you've taken their review on board.
Transparency is also important to diners upon responding to feedback online. Highlighting the steps your business will take to improve from any negative reviews is a good practice for maintaining high levels of trust among your customers.
Social media serves as a useful tool for capitalising on negative reviews and turning them into an opportunity to promote honesty and transparency within your business and build trust with your customers.
If someone has complained about the food on offer, promote any menu upgrades. Additionally, if a customer isn't happy with the service provided, showcase any changes to protocol you've made. When sharing these changes, it is ideal to tell your audience that it is the customers' thoughts and feedback to your business that have shaped how you operate. Lastly, incentivise diners to share positive reviews, helping maintain a good reputation among your local community.
In the food industry, negative feedback is inevitable, but most certainly manageable. If your business comes across any negative reviews online, remember to remain professional and empathetic in your response to maintain your customer base's trust in your restaurant or takeout.
Social media isn’t just for scrolling — it’s your most powerful sales tool. From eye-catching photos to genuine customer interactions, every post has the potential to turn curiosity into conversion. By staying consistent, engaging with your audience, and responding with authenticity, you can build a community that not only loves your food but also champions your brand.
Ready to turn your social media into a steady stream of new orders? Visit Foodhub for Business to book a demo, connect with our marketing team, or browse more expert blogs on growing your restaurant online.