Restaurants and pubs that do social media well do not post more. They post differently. The businesses driving consistent bookings and footfall from Instagram and TikTok have worked out what their potential customers want to see before deciding where to go, and they show them exactly that.
Why social media matters more for hospitality than almost any other industry
Food and drink is one of the most naturally visual categories in any market. A close-up of a well-made dish or a perfectly poured pint is genuinely interesting content to an enormous number of people. Most other industries have to work hard to make their product interesting to look at. Restaurants and pubs are handed this for free.
The discovery behaviour has shifted significantly in recent years. Research from Toast's 2024 hospitality industry report found that the majority of diners check social media before choosing somewhere new to eat. That number is higher still for venues they have not been recommended by a friend. Your Instagram is increasingly the first impression a new customer gets of your business.
And critically: when someone discovers your restaurant through a Reel on their lunch break, saves it, and books a table that evening, that is a genuinely new customer. Not a regular you already had. Not someone who walked past. Someone who had never heard of you who now wants to visit. That is the value that most restaurant social media fails to unlock.
The content that actually drives bookings
Across every hospitality account worked on, the content formats that consistently drive new footfall fall into a handful of categories:
- Food and drink reveals - a slow, close-up reveal of a finished dish or drink. Hold the camera close. Show the texture, the steam, the detail. This is what people actually want to see, and it is the single most shared format in hospitality content.
- Behind-the-scenes kitchen footage - prep time, service rush footage, the knife skills, the sauces being made. Most customers have never seen what goes on behind the pass. This content is fascinating, and it builds credibility and trust in a way that no menu copy can.
- Staff personality content - a front-of-house person explaining a dish, a bartender talking through a cocktail, a chef showing their technique. Personality-led content creates the emotional connection that converts a browser into a booker. People do not just choose venues; they choose experiences.
- Event and offer trailers - a 15 to 20-second teaser for quiz night, live music, a seasonal menu, or a limited special. Creates urgency. Gives people a specific reason to book rather than a general awareness of your existence.
- Customer reactions and user-generated content - someone genuinely enjoying your food or drink is more persuasive than anything you can film yourself. Ask happy customers if you can share their content, or reshare tagged Stories. This is free, credible, and powerful.
The content that wastes your time
Equally important is knowing what not to post. These are the formats that most restaurant accounts waste enormous time on, to almost no effect:
- Generic day-of-week posts. "Happy Monday" or "It's Friday" posts with a stock photo. Nobody saves these. Nobody shares them. The algorithm ignores them. Delete this category from your content calendar.
- Opening hours reminders. Your followers already know when you are open. This content reaches only people who already visit you, which means it is not bringing anyone new through the door.
- Stock photography. People can tell immediately. It feels dishonest. It suggests you do not have anything worth showing, which is rarely true.
- Cross-posted content with watermarks. A Reel cross-posted from TikTok with the TikTok watermark visible will be suppressed by Instagram's algorithm. Always remove watermarks before cross-posting.
- Corporate brand posts. "We are proud to announce..." content sounds like a press release. It performs exactly like one would on social media: nobody cares.
A simple weekly content plan for a restaurant or pub
You do not need a content team. You need a consistent system. Here is what three posts per week looks like in practice:
| Day | Content type | Time required |
|---|---|---|
| Monday or Tuesday | Food or drink Reel. Film during lunch service. 20-30 second close-up reveal. | 5-10 minutes filming, 15-20 minutes editing |
| Wednesday or Thursday | Behind-the-scenes or staff Reel. Kitchen prep, team feature, technique demonstration. | 5-10 minutes filming, 15-20 minutes editing |
| Friday | Event or offer post. Weekend special, live music this weekend, limited dish available. | 5 minutes filming or static image, 10 minutes to post |
Total weekly commitment: roughly 90 minutes of filming and editing. That is less time than a single paid advertisement would take to brief and produce, and the organic reach often exceeds paid performance for local businesses.
How to film good food content on a phone
A smartphone in natural daylight, held steady in portrait orientation, produces food content that performs better on Instagram Reels than most professionally shot material. Authentic, in-the-moment footage consistently outperforms polished photography on these platforms. You do not need a ring light or a gimbal to start.
Four things that make a significant difference:
- Natural light. Place the dish near a window. Side-lit food looks better than overhead or flash-lit food. If natural light is not available, a cheap LED panel pointed away from the dish (to bounce soft light) is enough.
- Portrait orientation. Always film 9:16 (vertical) for Reels and TikTok. Horizontal video is cropped awkwardly on short-form platforms and signals non-native content to the algorithm.
- Move slowly. A slow pull-back or a slow pan reveals more and holds attention longer than a static shot. The reveal earns the watch.
- Clean surfaces. Remove anything from the frame that is not meant to be there. A busy background dilutes the focus. The food should be the only thing the viewer is looking at.
How often should you post?
For most restaurants and pubs, three to four pieces of short-form content per week is the right target. Consistency matters more than volume. A business posting three Reels every week for three months will significantly outperform a business that posts ten in one week and then goes quiet for a month.
The algorithm learns from your consistency. A posting schedule that it can recognise as reliable earns broader initial distribution. When you disappear for weeks and then come back with a burst of content, the algorithm treats you as a new account again and your reach resets.
If three posts per week feels like too much, start with two. Two consistent posts every week for three months will still outperform irregular bursts. The worst thing for a hospitality account's social performance is inconsistency.
FIXX Media works with restaurants, pubs, and hospitality businesses across the UK to build social media content systems that drive real bookings. Not just likes.
★ Common questions
What is the best social media platform for restaurants in the UK?
Instagram is generally the best starting point for UK restaurants and pubs. The 25 to 44 age group that dominates Instagram is the primary booking demographic for most venues. Instagram Reels allows you to reach new potential customers without paid advertising, and the platform has strong integration with booking and discovery features.
How often should a restaurant or pub post on social media?
Three to four times per week is a good target. Consistency matters far more than volume. Posting three Reels every week for three months will outperform ten videos posted in one week followed by silence. The algorithm rewards regular posting with broader distribution.
Do I need a professional photographer for my restaurant's social media?
No. A smartphone in natural light, held steady in portrait orientation, produces food and drink content that consistently performs better on Instagram Reels and TikTok than most professionally shot material. Authentic footage outperforms polished photography on short-form video platforms.
Should my restaurant use TikTok or Instagram?
Start with Instagram. The audience demographic aligns better with restaurant booking intent for most UK venues. Add TikTok once you have an Instagram content system in place. The same videos can be cross-posted (with watermarks removed) so the extra effort is minimal.
How do I get more followers for my restaurant's Instagram?
Post Reels consistently three to four times per week, use location tags on every post, reply to every comment within an hour of posting, and cross-promote with local businesses and suppliers. Follower growth follows reach growth. Focus on content that earns shares and saves rather than just likes.