Instagram action buttons and the passion that drives restaurant sales

Few restaurant owners bat an eye when a patron snaps a photo and posts to Instagram before biting into a mouth-watering dessert. Mobile usage is a well-ingrained habit.

Millions of food and drink images are tagged daily. Accessing the reported 1 billion Instagram users makes watching a customers’ meal grow cold a little easier for a chef-owner to digest.

However, views and profile clicks don’t always translate into more sales. Luckily for restaurants, food invokes cravings that drive purchases. Hootsuite explains this phenomenon by saying that:

“People use Instagram as a way to follow their passions.”

Restaurant owners capture the attention of diners-turned-photographers by developing a digital marketing strategy. They see results after adding Instagram’s action buttons.

Embrace the passion behind Instagram users.

Restaurant guests love to share what they’re eating and drinking. Restauranteurs who fuel this fire with a well-executed social media strategy get more views on their website. Instagram proves that app users do more than scroll:

“75% of Instagram users take action, such as visiting a website, after looking at a brand’s post.”

Inviting yet authentic images stir emotional responses and trigger food cravings. Entrepreneurs nurture Instagram users with calls-to-action, hashtags, and new content. However, this alone won’t drive sales.

An effective social media strategy engages your audience and increases sales. That second part is essential. If you don’t see a return on your time investment, then it’s hard to stay motivated. Turning the consumer’s passion into action is crucial.

Understand why consumers make mobile purchases.

In the past, restaurant owners found it difficult to monetize their Instagram audience. The ever-changing algorithm and lack of clickable links on images didn’t help.

Bottom line, Instagram didn’t make it convenient for users to make a purchase. However, we know from stats reported by Hootsuite, that:

More than a third of Instagram users make purchases over their phone.

These social-savvy foodies don’t stress over mobile purchases, but convenience is essential. No one wants to click seven times to put in a reservation or open multiple tabs on their phone to place a delivery.

The key is capturing their attention and using action buttons for immediate sales.

Jump on the convenience factor.

Placing action buttons on your profile provides the ultimate convenient experience. App users scroll by an appetizing photo and their stomach growls.

With Instagram’s action buttons, hungry customers can click on your restaurant’s profile and tap “order now.”

Patrons can reserve a table, order delivery, or purchase a ticket to your event without leaving the app.

Instagram teamed up with third-party services to create a better consumer experience. A few big-name players include:

ChowNow,
GrubHub,
OpenTable, and
Yelp Reservations.

Third-party integrations provide the convenience Instagrammers crave, while your images tap into their emotions.

Create an urgency around your action buttons.

Connecting your existing services to Instagram is the first step. Getting consumers to click the action button comes next. Social Media Examiner’s guide tells us that:

“If you want to encourage more clicks and actions, however, you’ll want to create awareness and urgency around the ability to use these buttons.”

A robust strategy ensures that you’re not only capturing the attention of potential restaurant guests but that you’re also triggering a purchase.

Add visuals with limited time offers.
Tell app users to save time by ordering now.

Restaurant owners who focus on the consumer’s need for convenience and passion see increased business. If you’re not one of the 25 million companies using Instagram, then it’s time to amp up your Insta-game and invest in proven digital strategies.