As I sit down for dinner, I quickly log in to Instagram, do a quick search of the restaurant I’m at, and scroll through the latest photos other diners have posted. In a world where connectivity and instant gratification are king, imagining what a dish will look like when it hits your table is no longer needed. Thanks to Instagram, you can judge a dish by its photo in a few seconds — which helps you decide whether you want the mile-high stack of blueberry pancakes or the lobster eggs Benedict.
Social media has changed how restaurants, chefs, and caterers market their goods, whether they’ve upped their presentation, made their dining room lighting more social-media-friendly (no Instagram user loves a dark restaurant), or even joined specific platforms to engage with their customers. One popular account on-Island is @EatingMV, run by Yael Sternberg. Here’s what she has to say about Instagram:
“I started @eatingmv because I found that food Instagrams were starting to serve as a type of travel guide. I’d go to places like New York knowing that there were so many unique-looking and -tasting foods. So I would follow food accounts that documented those special places in New York. I spend my summers on M.V., so I thought, Why not provide a page just for the best eats here? Dining has become so much more about tasting and experimenting with flavors and ingredients, and making it look beautiful, more than actually eating because you’re hungry. Food is the new art form.”
Many restaurants on-Island have embraced the platform, posting almost daily to their accounts. Whether it’s a daily special, a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the chef at work, or quick snapshots of employees, it’s a creative outlet that more and more chefs and restaurant managers are adopting.
Peter Lodi of Blue Crab Kitchen (bluecrabkitchen.com and @bluecrabkitchen on
Instagram) said, “We take pictures of our food for fun. I’ve always thought of Instagram as a great way to promote my business and to share with everyone what we are up to in the kitchen. We get to play with incredible ingredients, and it’s fun to show off cool food finds and wild ingredients. It acts like a sort of hit list of what we do and things that we are proud of making. Overgarnished and elaborate decorating takes away from primary ingredients. It’s important to remember why we cook; it’s to make people say yum and come back for more.”
Here are some ways restaurants can use Instagram for marketing:
- Create contests: Guests love competition, so create a contest using a specific hashtag and have them post on their accounts. User-generated content is one of the best results from this technique.
- Develop a brand hashtag: Crafting your very own hashtag is a great way to crowdsource all the photos taken of and inside your restaurant. It’s like an automatic photo album that guests can easily scroll through.
- Integrate Instagram with other social media: if you don’t have the time or manpower to post on all social media platforms, Instagram makes it easy to share to both Facebook and Twitter by just swiping a button. Focus on posting on Instagram, and you’ll be able to populate the other platforms at the same time.
- Interact with guests, and reward them: Thank them for visiting your establishment if they post a photo of your place. If you’re lucky enough to catch the Instagram happening in real time, thank them by sending out an extra treat as a compliment. This creates brand loyalty and excitement to share more.
How to take that perfect Instagram shot:
- Natural lighting is your friend. Always ask for the table outside (if it’s not too sunny) or next to a window, so your photos have that gorgeous glow.
- Play around with utensils. Adding a spoon or fork to your photo adds interest, making it more approachable.
- Edit, edit, edit! Professional photographers edit, and so should you. There are a variety of free applications that make this easy, such as Snapseed and VSCO. Adjusting the brightness and sharpness of a photo can go a long way.
- The rule of thirds: You’ll notice a lot of photos apply this rule, where the main subject is to the side or corner of the photo. This draws the eye and brings focus to the dish. Overhead shots are also very popular.
Go forth and take that perfect Instagram! Tag your photos with #VineyardVisitor. The most delicious photo will get a regram from us!
Marnely Murray is a social media consultant and The MV Times “Good Taste” columnist. She can be reached at marnely@gmail.com.