You may have heard (possibly even from me) that it’s a good idea for restaurants to blog on a regular basis. It helps you get found online by the people you want dining in your restaurant. And the more you do it, the greater your chances of discovery are.
The problem isn’t whether you should blog… it’s what the hell types of blog posts you should write.
You see, blogging about the wrong things is a pretty common mistake business owners fall into when they’re just getting started. And while blogging about the wrong things probably isn’t going to do any damage to your business — it can be a colossal waste of time that fails to drive any actual revenue.
Because I would hate for you to waste your time, this post gives you five core post types to keep in your blogging repertoire. Set a goal for yourself to publish 2-3 posts a week, and simply rotate these five post types to keep your content fresh and your blog thriving.
Not only are these topics pretty easy to write, even for new bloggers — they’re specifically designed to bring in actual business to your restaurant.
Blog about diet-specific dishes.
Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, paleo — these are terms your servers are probably hearing time and time again from their customers. If you blog about dishes on your menu that meet certain dietary restrictions, it’ll help you turn up in search results for patrons looking for a dining experience that meets their dietary needs. It’s a long-tail SEO play.
Sample Titles:
- 5 Menu Items That Make for a Delicious Gluten-Free Brunch
- Why We Decided to Turn Into a Paleo-Friendly Restaurant
- How to Eat Low-Carb in a Milwaukee Restaurant
Blog about recipes.
If there’s one thing you know, it’s delicious food and drink. Blogging about your best menu items — whether from behind the bar or in the kitchen — opens you up for two big wins: you have the opportunity to brag about what you do best, and you’re attracting someone at their point of need.
Just think of all the hungry and thirsty people out there Googling for recipes. And just think of the opportunity that exists when you show up as a result for your world-famous blackberry bramble recipe, and get that reader’s (aka future customer’s) mouth watering for a night at your establishment.
Sample Titles:
- A Secret Glimpse Into Our World Famous Bourbon Truffle Recipe
- How to Make a Radish Flower and Dress Up Your Dishes
- How to Tell If Your Steak’s Too Rare, Or Too Well Done
Blog about local-specific interests.
A local fan base is critical to your restaurant’s long-term success, and can help drive you a ton of referral business. One way to build a local fan base is to create blog content centered around locals’ interests — whether it’s celebrating local traditions, a food that your area’s known for, or getting involved in the community through service projects.
Sample Titles:
- 10 Beulah Chefs Making the Most of This Year’s Cherry Festival
- Watch 3 Aspiring Chefs Under 13 Cooking in Tavern Square’s Kitchen
- Where Your Favorite Athletes Are Watching the Bruins Take the Stanley Cup
Blog about special events at your restaurant.
People are constantly searching for things to do in their own city. Unfortunately, not a lot of people are actually writing about things going on in those cities. Start ranking for “things to do in Clarksville” (but, you know, fill in your own city) by blogging about the kinds of events your restaurant hosts.
Sample Titles:
- Cool Things to Do in Boston: Irish Session Band Weekly at Green Briar
- What to Do in Franconia Tonight: Painting and Poetry Party at Pinnacle’s
- Fun Events in Brookline: Silent Film Night Every Tuesday at Regal Beagle
Blog about your strengths and differentiators.
The best marketing doesn’t just draw a crowd — it draws the right crowd. By blogging about the things that make your restaurant unique and successful, you’re helping to draw a crowd that will be a good customer match — helping you generate repeat and referral business from your first-time patrons.
Sample Titles:
- Whiskey Lovers Rejoice: New Relationship Forged With Local Distillery
- The Top 5 DJs in the Country (and Which Ones Are Coming Here)
- An Exclusive Interview With Our Long-Time Fishmonger
Image credit: mkhmarketing
