Social Media Marketing Best Practices for Independent Restaurants

More than 90% of restaurant customers trust reviews online, and over 70% make purchases based on online or social referrals. That's according to Santa Clara, California social media analytics firm's NetBase, in its 2018 Restaurant Industry Best

And social media success is not won simply by beating your proverbial drum to existing and prospective guests. More than ever, it requires listening to what they are posting. Particularly for restaurants, social listening provides an opportunity to operationalize customer data and win on both product and experience.

Social Media is gaining in value and importance for independent restaurants because "it is how we live," believes Wayne D. Beers, the owner of W.D. Deli, a 28-year-old cafe and catering business in San Antonio, Texas. "Anything we want to know about, we look it up on line."