How to use Twitter for restaurant marketing

Published by
Geert Roete
Last update:
September 9, 2022

Compared to other industries on Twitter, Twitter users have the highest engagement with restaurants. With 73% of UK customers visiting a restaurant genuinely based on a twitter recommendation and an additional 53% regularly engaging in restaurant recommendations via twitter. The platform has its potential to boost your restaurant business.


Get started with creating the best twitter account for your restaurant

The first thing to do is to create a Twitter handle. Try to create an account with a unique username that is closest to your restaurant’s name. Even if it’s an official account, you may take some time to get it verified, and the way to get it done is to be consistent and relevant in your Tweeting activities. Tweet around two to three times a day about the latest happenings about your restaurant. Create your unique hashtags and use appropriate photos in tweets, whenever possible.

What’s the best strategy to a successful restaurant Twitter:

  1. Engage and Respond - When somebody posts a tweet about the dining experience at your restaurant, always acknowledge it. If it is favorable, you can “favorite” or retweet it. Offer a coupon, discount, or just a word of thanks to those who give you free publicity by sharing their experiences with the world.
  2. Encourage - Encourage diners to post personal pictures from their experiences in your restaurant. Mention your Twitter account on the menu. Engaging and interacting with your customers is one of the most prime steps in restaurant marketing. Twitter campaigns for restaurant marketing have to be appealing and should make your followers repost your tweet!
  3. Jump into Conversations- Twitter allows you to read other people’s tweets and jump into relevant conversations. This will help to raise awareness about your restaurant. For example, if someone tweets about craving a dessert, you can reply to their tweet and invite them to try out your sweet treats.
  4. Tailor your Tweets - According to the statistics, among those who visited a restaurant as a result of something they saw on Twitter, 52% cited promotional offers and discounts; 43% said it was a photo of the food, and 39% said it was great customer service.
  5. Community- Cheer other restaurants or chefs by posting congratulatory tweets on their accomplishments or by simply retweeting their pictures. It promotes goodwill in the industry and more often than not results in others doing the same for your restaurant.
  6. Reward Loyalty - Encourage more tweeting by handing out exclusive prizes to Twitter followers for their loyalty. For example, offer a 5% discount to everyone who retweets your daily special or free appetizers to the first person who retweets your promotional tweet. Running Twitter campaigns and contests are a great way to engage with customers.

Remember: Use a professional loyalty program like Sayl for restaurants to build a long-term relationship with your customers ;)

Be Consistent and Patient - Don’t just use Twitter for a month or two only to abandon it later. It takes time to build a loyal fan following. So, be patient, and put in a little bit of your effort every day. You won’t see the results instantly. Wait for a few months, and the world of social media will acknowledge your consistent efforts.

These are our tips for a successful Twitter restaurant campaign:

  1. “Special Day” - Host a “Special Day” where Twitter enthusiasts can meet their fellow Tweeters in person – at your restaurant. You can also attract your Twitter followers to form a group by offering them a discount or voucher. For example, you can tweet something like, “Mention this tweet and get 20% off for a group of 10 or more!”
  2. Twitter chat - Run Twitter chats on a regular basis, focusing on a different topic each week or month to keep things interesting and get some fantastic interaction with your followers. You could run chats that explore the things people love, get their thoughts on restyling the décor in your restaurant, what they’d love to see on your specials board or the drinks they’d like to try.
  3. Make a tradition - Choose to rely on humorous conversation based on images or use Twitter to discuss your traditions and recipes, share recipes, anecdotes or unique delicacies. Experiment, make consistency, follow the lead of your followers and take advantage of the great opportunities twitter has to offer.

Check our complete guide to restaurant social media (Instagram & Facebook) to master social selling! We also have amazing articles on how to leverage TikTok to grow your restaurant business. Do it!

Pass the knowledge further
Free 30-min call
Do you have plans to jump into the exciting web3 world? In need for a platform that helps you kickstart your journey that doesn't require technical skills? Sayl is your answer. We're happy to showcase you our solution.

The Sayl newsletter

Subscribe to the Sayl newsletter and receive each month the following goodness in your mailbox:

- tips and tricks on loyalty & promotions
- customer case studies
- industry news
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.