How to Coordinate an Instagram Takeover for Your Restaurant

Instagram has the potential to be a powerful restaurant promotion tool. But it’s not always easy to capture the attention of your audience on this popular social media platform. Your message may be lost in a sea of rapidly updating posts. The Instagram takeover offers your restaurant a chance to stand out from the crowd.

An Instagram takeover is a great way to collaborate with other brands, freshen up your social media content, and expand your target audience. But what exactly is an Instagram takeover, and how can you use this strategy to improve your restaurant promotion effort? 

Well, if you don’t have a strong Instagram profile,  the first step is to create one ! If you’ve already done this, an Instagram takeover could expand your restaurant’s online visibility. 

But, First: What Is An Instagram Takeover?

An Instagram takeover is a promotional event in which another Instagram account temporarily takes control of your profile in order to share content with your audience. Key features of Instagram make it possible for the guest poster to share Stories, livestream videos, and save content as “Highlights” to preserve for future viewing. 

An Instagram takeover can be a great way to facilitate cross promotion, creating greater exposure for your restaurant and resulting in fresh, unique content both for you and for your takeover partner. A successful takeover campaign should result in greater engagement and visibility for both brands. 

5 Steps For A Successful Instagram Takeover

If you're looking to create an effective restaurant promotion event around an Instagram takeover, it's important to follow these five general rules:

1. Set clear goals 

First, start by identifying clear objectives for your takeover. What do you want to accomplish? If you need some inspiration, consider the following:

• Increasing your audience
• Raising brand awareness 
• Improving audience engagement
• Promoting a new menu item or product
• Creating buzz around a special event

In all likelihood, your goal will be to achieve some combination of the priorities above. Setting your goals is a critical first step, one that will help shape the strategy and tone of your Instagram takeover as well as help you identify the right brand partner for this social media event.

2. Choose a takeover host

Your Instagram “guest star” should be someone whose brand, identity, and image aligns with your brand. Seek out an Instagram takeover host who complements your broader restaurant promotion goals. 

The following factors can help you identify an ideal Instagram takeover partner: 

• Target market: Choose a takeover host who lines up with your target market. If your audience consists largely of millennials, then your takeover host should have a similar demographic of followers.
• Content style: As you seek an Instagram takeover partner, look for an influencer with an online voice that is compatible with your brand. Priorities influencers with content that you enjoy, photos that capture your attention, and a feed that feels organic and unforced.
• Audience engagement: If the goal is to increase audience engagement on your Instagram feed, you’ll need to select a partner with proven success at engaging their own audience. Get a sense of how engaged your prospective partner’s audience is, and how effective this partner is at addressing comments. 
• Previous experience: Does your prospective partner have some experience hosting Instagram takeovers? And if so, what were the results? Do your due diligence and try to select a partner who has already had some success with this type of promotional activity. 
  
  

3. Determine your style and format 

Once you‘ve selected your takeover host, you’ll want to set clear ground rules and expectations.  It’s absolutely critical that you and your partner are on the same page regarding the tone, language, and goals of the intended restaurant promotion. 

Outline the following details:

• Duration of takeover: Identify a start and end date. Will your Instagram takeover last a week, a day, or just for the duration of a specific event? Make sure that you and your takeover host are clear on these details.
• Number of posts: Provide your takeover partner with a target for both the number and frequency of posts to be created and shared over that duration.
• Content guidelines: Outline exactly the type of content you’re hoping to yield. If you’re seeking a balance between feed posts, Instagram stories, and live videos, be sure your partner is aware of these expectations. 
• Balance of power: Determine exactly how much control you’ll have over the nature of the content produced and posted by your Instagram takeover partner. Do you intend to contribute or review materials before posting, or is the goal to simply let your partner engage with free rein? Whatever your plan, make sure you and your Instagram takeover host are both clear on the procedures for approving and posting content.
  
  

A branded hashtag can be an extremely useful promotional tool, helping to drive awareness of your takeover event as well as encouraging reposting, and making it easier for you to find and engage with related content. If you can, try to piggyback off of hashtags that are already popular with your demographic but which also carry brand relevance. 

Do a bit of research on the types of hashtags that are trending in your space. Then create campaign hashtags that are clear, pertinent, and which match the tone of your content.

5. Cross-promote

Now that you’ve taken all the preliminary steps, it’s time to engage your audience. You and your guest star should both post regularly and in full detail about the takeover as it approaches. Alert your respective followings of the details, build excitement, and make sure to share across all of your social channels. 

You can also use this time to create a public-facing connection with your Instagram takeover partner. Tag one another in your respective posts, engage with your partner’s audience, and use every opportunity to plug your restaurant promotion to followers of both accounts. 

Social Media Management and Restaurant Promotion

Getting a foothold on the social media landscape can be challenging. Building an audience takes time, consistency, and thoughtful brand management. A third-party digital marketing team can provide a major boost for a restaurant working to establish a following on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, and more. 

Not sure where to start? Book a Discovery Call with our expert consultants and learn more about your options.

[Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels]