Every month, more than 3 billion people log into Facebook. Yes, you read that correctly — nearly half of the world’s population uses this popular social media app. Facebook’s enormous user base presents an exciting opportunity for restaurant owners; with an active Facebook page and a smart Facebook ad strategy, you can get your brand in front of a wide range of potential new customers.

The trick to mastering Facebook ads for restaurants? Finding ways to reach more customers and maximize your ad budget. With our tips and tricks, you can boost brand awareness, improve your social media presence, and increase orders.

Why Facebook ads are important for restaurants

The power of Facebook ads comes down to a few key factors: 

• Widespread usage. There’s a good chance your potential and existing customers have Facebook accounts — after all, 69% of American adults report using the platform. Restaurant Facebook ads are a great way to reach people where they’re already spending time.
• Industry-leading ad targeting. Facebook is known for its powerful, refined ad targeting; in other words, you can determine exactly who you want to see your ads. By defining a custom audience for each Facebook ad campaign, it’s possible to get the most from your social media advertising budget.
• Custom advertising design. When you’re making Facebook ads for restaurants, you can choose from a variety of ad campaign formats. Whether you want to highlight a new menu item with a video ad or create a photo-based post that leads to your Facebook page, the platform makes it easy. You can even add polls to certain types of restaurant Facebook ads to increase brand engagement.

The flexibility of Facebook advertising is critical; it enables you to fit paid ads easily into your overarching social media marketing and restaurant marketing strategy. And when you take advantage of the different formats, it’s easier to gain new followers and position your Facebook page as a valuable resource rather than a sales tool.

How to run ads on Facebook

The process of creating a Facebook ad is relatively simple. Here’s a quick overview:

1. Set an advertising goal. Before you start running a Facebook ad, decide what you want to achieve. Do you want to drive users to a recent post on your Facebook page? Create a quick link to your online ordering website? Reach new customers in your target audience? Getting clear on your goals in advance will help you design a more effective ad campaign for your audience.
2. Add visual and text elements. Start by adding a photo or video to your Facebook ad. Choose something that’s eye-catching — that way, potential customers on social media will be more likely to read or watch the ad. Then, add the ad text and the text for the action button. As with any type of Facebook marketing, it’s a good idea to keep restaurant advertising copy short, sweet, and compelling; you’ll encourage more audience members to click through.
3. Select your target audience. Create a target audience for your Facebook advertising campaign by specifying their location, interests, age range, and gender. As you set the parameters, keep your original Facebook ad goal in mind. Which audience members would be most likely to engage?
4. Set a budget. Decide how much you want to spend per day on your Facebook ad campaign. Then, determine how long you want the restaurant ad to run. If you set a budget of $2 per day for 7 days, you’ll spend a maximum of $14.
5. Choose a Facebook ad location. Decide where you want to run your restaurant Facebook ads. You can place them on the Facebook social media platform, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, or any combination of the three. If you’re not sure, try advertising on all three — it’s a good way to see which location resonates most with your existing audience and new customers.
6. Add a payment method. If you don’t already have a payment method set up, add one to your Facebook ads manager account. You can use this account for social media ads on Instagram and Messenger, too.
7. Publish your Facebook ad. Once you’re happy with the restaurant Facebook ad, you can publish it. It will show up on your chosen social media platforms right away.

Keep in mind that most businesses don’t find runaway success with Facebook marketing right off the bat — you may need to experiment to find the right audience for your restaurant ads. Don’t be afraid to tweak the copy or try out different photos and videos to see what has the biggest impact on engagement, website traffic, or online ordering revenue.

When you’re doing restaurant marketing on Facebook, you’re never flying blind. The social media platform makes it easy to track the performance of each Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger ad; just find the ad you want in the ad center and click “View Results.” There, you can see ad reporting metrics, including the number of viewers and clicks. Keeping an eye on this data can help you pinpoint the best Facebook ads for your restaurant business.

Creative Facebook ad ideas

Social media scrollers encounter dozens of ads when they open up Facebook. Tapping into eye catching graphics, fun captions, and engaging formats can help make your ad stand out. 

1. Boost page likes

Run an ad that drives awareness of your restaurant. Select “get more website visitors” to create an ad that prompts diners to like your Facebook page.

2. Announce a new location

Let diners know you have a new restaurant location with an ad. Prompt diners to like your Facebook page to keep up with future updates.

3. Highlight a promotion

Let diners know about an irresistible promotion you’re running with an ad. Include the deal details in the caption, and drive orders to your online ordering site.

4. Sell gift cards

Add a new stream of revenue for your restaurant by promoting your restaurant’s gift cards. Direct diners to purchase the gift card on your website with an action button.

5. Showcase your seasonal menu

Spread the word about your seasonal menu by running a targeted ad. Direct diners to your website to encourage them to place an order.

6. Promote an event

Encourage diners to go to your restaurant’s event by sharing a Facebook event invite.

Find more promotional strategies with Grubhub

With its broad reach and detailed audience targeting options, Facebook is one of the most powerful social media advertising options for restaurant owners. Level up your Facebook marketing and advertising game with the help of Grubhub for Restaurants. We offer a wealth of useful resources to help you maximize revenue from advertising and online ordering.

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