Google. Social Media. Are They Actually Driving Customers?

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Simple ways to turn two important marketing channels into more restaurant visits.

Chris Towland

Sep 10, 2026

From Chris Towland

Hi,

Welcome to today's Restaurant Owner Intel.

A lot of restaurant marketing looks busy without actually producing much business.

You can be posting regularly, updating your profiles and spending money promoting your restaurant - but the question that matters is whether any of it is helping more customers find you, choose you and visit.

In this issue, we’re looking at two areas where restaurants often leave money on the table: Google Business Profile and social media.

Both can be powerful. Both can also become wasted effort when there’s no clear strategy behind them.

I hope you find a few ideas below that you can put to work in your restaurant this week.

Hope you find them useful.

Chris

Featured Articles

Why Most Restaurant Owners Leave Money on the Table with Their Google Profile

Many restaurant owners stop at claiming their Google Business Profile, but this is just the beginning.

Treating your profile as a simple digital card means lost revenue and missed customers.

Today’s diners make decisions based on up-to-date, engaging online listings.

An active and optimized profile distinguishes you from the competition and builds instant trust.

Fine-tune your profile with accurate hours, targeted categories, and attributes like “outdoor seating” to increase your chances of being found.

Regularly share posts to highlight specials or events, creating urgency and giving people a reason to visit right now.

Respond thoughtfully to every review, using feedback as both social proof and marketing material across your online channels.

Track true engagement by focusing on direction requests, calls, and website clicks to see what really drives traffic.

The key is consistency—brief, regular updates keep your restaurant visible, relevant, and busy.

Restaurant social media marketing can transform empty seats into a bustling dining room by reaching customers faster than traditional methods.

Consistent posting is rewarded on platforms like Instagram, where visually stunning dishes attract potential diners who are deciding where to eat now.

Choosing Instagram and Facebook gives access to both younger fans and older, higher-spending groups, while TikTok appeals to frequent younger visitors.

Engaging content—daily specials, behind-the-scenes moments, and customer photos—builds loyalty and urgency, turning online interest into walk-ins.

Timely posting, especially before meal hours, places your dishes front of mind when people make dining decisions.

Natural-light photography and real interactions with followers make your feed relatable and appetizing.

Simple paid ads targeting locals boost high-performing posts, driving even more foot traffic.

Ultimately, restaurant success online depends on authenticity, community engagement, and measuring what fills your seats—not just your follower count.