As we enter another lockdown, it’s important to think about how we can increase JustEat, Deliveroo and UberEats orders through clever digital marketing. With customers stuck at home once again, social media remains the only method for F&B businesses to reach their isolated audience. During the last 2 lockdowns, takeaway and delivery really took off and we expect the same to happen again this winter. With this in mind, we’ve taken our experience of utilising social media to increase delivery orders during lockdown over the last 9 months and compiled our top tips!
1. Focus on your highest sellers
What is everyone’s must have from your restaurant? Is it the burger, pizza or your famous crepes? As much as one may want to push their least popular items in order to sell more, it may not be the best policy. take McDonalds as an example. You won’t see McDonalds advertising their Fillet o Fish – they'll likely be highlighting their iconic Bic Mac.
Your high sellers are popular for a reason. People recognise these products as a staple from your brand, so use this visual aid to your advantage and draw your audience in. If you are eager to promote something new, why not try making alterations to a product which is already popular? In late 2020, McDonalds released a new variation of the Big Mac. It was a low-risk item, but offered high rewards. By utilising existing stock, they upgraded an already popular item that people know and love and created a sense of urgency through their digital campaigns.
2. Make it easy for your followers to place an order
We’ve highlighted this in a previous blog but here’s a quick reminder! Integrating your delivery links on your social profiles will reduce the number of clicks (and time) needed to purchase an order.
To do this, you need to ensure your social media accounts are business accounts. This will allow you to direct people to external websites once you have caught there attention. Once you have done this, you can add a delivery link and Order Food button to your Instagram bio, which once clicked will direct your audience straight to your delivery service website.
The easier it is for your audience to reach your delivery partner the more likely they are to place an order immediately.
3. Share delivery-focused photos & videos
Your audience may know you as the perfect place to visit for a family celebration, but ever considered your takeaway capabilities. You can change this by creating delivery-focused imagery that clearly shows your delivery partners and bundles. Perhaps you could take photographs of your best sellers in delivery boxes, sitting on the sofa or tucked up in bed; emphasising the convenience or comfort when ordering with you. Use catchy captions such as ‘Netflix & pizza’ or ‘game & wing night’ that will get your audience wanting more and will make your brand appear more relatable to their lifestyle.
To go one step further, you could also highlight your delivery partner’s logo by placing it on the corner of your photos. The easier you make it, the more likely your audience are to engage.
4. Provide an incentive
Incentives are always the best way to grab someone’s attention and create urgency. Freebies such as a complimentary side, with a limited time offer, are often a good way to encourage a consumer to commit to an order before it's too late. You can also add different promotional codes such as free delivery over a certain spending limit or 25% off the entire order. The exclusivity of a social-only discount is a great way to drive deliveries and build your social following.
An example I hear you asking? Starbucks were offering £5 off the entire order, but only advertised this through their social media platforms. These exclusive offers will encourage consumers to begin following your account to ensure they don’t miss out on future discounts and incentives.
5. Use stories to show behind-the-scenes
Stories, vertical content that disappears from your profile after 24 hours, are a free way to increase brand visibility and, based on recent algorithm changes, are often viewed more than feed posts themselves. This can also provide much needed variation to your account - allowing you to create weekly highlights throughout different areas of your operations.
Authenticity is the key here. Try showing kitchen staff preparing meals going out for delivery, as well as the delivery drivers picking up the orders. You can also create stories that indicate the safety measures you have applied in your restaurant, reassuring your consumer that their dishes are prepared accordingly. Be creative with these stories, you could film one of your chefs writing “Enjoy your meal!” on the delivery bag for example.
Last year, Instagram also added the 'Food Order' button to stories, allowing you to link straight to one of your delivery partners, without the need for a swipe up feature. Utilise this to lessen the clicks needed for your customer to make an order and make their user journey more efficient.
To wrap up, 2020 was a tough one, and so seems 2021 – restaurants have been closed for nearly a year with many relying solely on takeaways as their fundamental income source. It may be a while yet until we can safely open our doors to the public once again, therefore we must embrace takeaway and delivery orders moving forward.
With that in mind we hope these tips will help you to succeed in increasing your business through social media, and that you benefit from the positive effect it can bring!
For more tips and tricks on how to benefit from your social media outlets make sure to check out our other blogs! https://www.doubleupsocial.com/post/get-more-orders-from-social-media
Comments