Social proof is the idea human beings are conditioned to copy the actions of other people with whom they relate. It’s noticeable from a young age. A child that can barely walk or talk will naturally get drawn to other children playing. Teenagers get pressured into doing things by their friends. Adult’s choices are influenced by the people in their social circles.

Social proof is the driving force behind why we do the things we do. Make your restaurant stand out online by using social proof as the foundation of your digital marketing strategy.

1. Proactively collect ratings and reviews

Nearly 90% of people research restaurants online before dining out. Ratings and reviews are pivotal in this process. Modern consumers are reliant on restaurant reviews because they allow them to make accurate judgments based on other people’s feedback. It’s favorable for a business to have more positive reviews than its competitors.

Start proactively collecting reviews for your restaurant. Studies show up to 70% of people will leave a review when asked. You can also get a Google My Business page to streamline the process. In this way, reviews will also help with SEO.

The more positive reviews your restaurant has, the more it will stand out online. According to an Upserve study, 33% of people wouldn’t eat at a restaurant with less than 4 stars. Also, take the time to respond to all your positive or negative reviews. That shows that you care about what people have to say. Negative reviews are as important because they show what areas need improvement. That said, learn how to respond to negative restaurant reviews and take appropriate steps to keep negative reviews from becoming a PR nightmare.

2. Leverage “FOMO marketing” tactics

FOMO, or “fear of missing out,” is the anxiety we feel when we believe we’re missing out on something. FOMO in marketing deliberately induces that anxiety in consumers. This psychological marketing trigger aims to entice guests to make impulsive decisions to avoid “missing out” on exclusive deals they may not be able to access later.

You can use numerous FOMO marketing tactics to build social proof and get people to talk about your restaurant online. Social media contests are an excellent example. Hold monthly contests on Instagram or Twitter. Ask followers to use your hashtag or share a photo of their favorite meal to enter to win something. It could be a dessert, cocktail, or even their shared meal. The more attractive your prizes, the more people will participate.

If only 20 people with around 1,000 followers each share photos of your food, their posts could be seen by up to 20,000 people within their networks. Now, imagine if you had hundreds of people participating. The value of publicity and social proof you’ll get will be worth much more than the cost of the free meals you dished out.

Another great way to use FOMO to build social proof is to get influencers to talk about you on social media. Influencer marketing is currently one of the fastest-growing forms of marketing. It not only helps businesses reach their target audiences but also builds credibility and social proof through the endorsements of well-known personalities.

The underlying principle of FOMO marketing is to combine an appealing offer with a strict deadline. For example, if you do an Instagram contest, only run it for a single weekend in a month. If you offer discounted prices on certain menu items, set a strict expiry date for the promotion. The incentive shouldn’t be accessible all the time. That puts people on their toes and gets them to take action immediately.

Also, make sure to use trigger keywords in your messages. This includes phrases like “This offer expires soon!” and “This is your last chance!” to create a sense of urgency. Using psychology to boost restaurant marketing doesn’t have to be hard!

3. Be omnipresent online

Be in all the places where your target customers are likely to conduct their restaurant research. For example, if they search on Google, your website should appear among the top results. And if they go to social media, they should also come across your pages. You should have a presence even if they go to review sites like Yelp or TripAdvisor. The more times people encounter your name while researching, the more familiar they’ll be. Consumers favor brands they recognize.

There are countless tools you can use to enhance your online presence. For instance, platforms like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace make it easy to create a professional website without spending money on expensive developers. And if you’re too busy to do it yourself, find experts on platforms to build it for you completely free. If you don’t have the time to run your social media, hire a digital marketing agency to help. There’s just no reason you shouldn’t have a completely dominant online presence.

4. Leverage influencer marketing

According to this Forbes article, influencer marketing grows faster than all other digital ad forms. The average consumer trusts recommendations from famous personalities more than a business’ self-promotional messages. If you currently spend money on display ads, consider influencer marketing as an alternative.

Find influencers on platforms like Mavrck and GRIN, or do a manual search on social media to identify people who would be an excellent fit for your brand. Most influencers require some compensation to promote you to their followers. However, some may be happy to do it in exchange for freebies.

Only work with local influencers whose main following consists of people from the exact location of your restaurant. That way, their endorsement directly impacts your restaurant visits. Influencer marketing is most effective when there is relevance between the influencer and the products or services they promote. Micro-influencers are great to target, and many are in the food space.

5. Get featured in well-known publications

Your credibility and social proof instantly soar when a popular blog, magazine, or media outlet mentions you. There are several ways to get featured on well-known publications. The easiest is through sponsored articles and reviews. That said, it can get quite expensive.

If your marketing budget is limited, contributing to niche blogs and magazines would be a great alternative. Although contributors are usually not allowed to promote their businesses blatantly, they can mention them in their author bios. Contributing articles is a commonly used tactic to get backlinks to help increase a website’s SEO rankings.

Conclusion

The average consumer’s decisions are largely influenced by other people. If you can make social proof the core of your marketing approach, then you’re sure to get their attention. Success in this digital age is determined by a business’s ability to stand out online.

People should keep stumbling upon your name whenever they search for places to eat. Be omnipresent on social media and search engines. Your ratings and reviews should set you apart from other restaurants.

If you want to take things further, unleash an army of influencers to talk about you actively. Or get popular blogs and magazines to feature you. Most people go online to search for restaurants. Win them over through your unparalleled display of social proof.

Author bio: Emmanuel Soroba is a digital marketing strategist and the founder of Growth Strategies 101, a marketing consultancy and award-winning blog for growing businesses.