Ordinami.itFor a restaurant, Instagram isn't about becoming famous: it's about making people in your area hungry and giving them a reason to choose you tonight. If you look at it that way, half the doubts disappear: you don't have to follow trends, you just need to show your restaurant at its best, consistently.
What to post, in practice
- Dishes, obviously, but in motion: mozzarella being pulled, an egg yolk flowing over carbonara, a freshly baked pizza being sliced. A ten-second video is worth more than a static photo.
- People: the pizza maker baking, the pasta maker in the morning, the owner talking about the dish of the day. Faces create a connection, and connection brings bookings.
- Behind the scenes: the fish delivery at dawn, the shopping at the market. Tell the story of quality without having to declare it.
- Operational news: new seasonal menu, outdoor seating opening, holiday closures. Instagram is also a service bulletin board.
How often to post
It's better to post two or three pieces of content a week for years than to have a daily flash in the pan that dies out in a month. Stories, on the other hand, can be almost daily: they're low-cost, disappear in 24 hours, and keep your restaurant on the minds of your followers. A practical tip: during busy times, take a series of photos and videos, then post them over the next few days. No one will know that the three reels come from the same Tuesday.
As for technical means, don't worry: the phone you use to photograph dishes is more than enough, and ten minutes after the lunch service is sufficient to assemble a simple reel. If you have a young team member who enjoys this kind of thing, delegate to them with trust and a few clear rules: a lively profile managed by a switched-on waiter is better than a perfect but abandoned one.
Mistakes that are seen everywhere
- Dark, rushed photos taken during service: better not to post at all.
- Only promotional graphics: a feed that looks like a flyer won't make anyone hungry.
- Ignoring comments and messages: on Instagram, you get booking requests, and leaving them hanging is like not answering the phone.
- Buying followers: inflated numbers, empty dining room.
From profile to table
The step that matters is from post to visit, and it should be short: in your bio, include how to book and a link to the menu. A link in bio to the digital menu is particularly effective: someone who arrives from a carbonara reel wants to see the rest of the menu and prices, immediately and from their phone. With Ordinami, the public link to the menu is designed with this in mind — and the photos you prepare for Instagram are the same ones that enhance the menu, so you do the work once. If your menu isn't online yet, creating a digital menu is the first link in the chain that turns a like into a booking. And respond to messages within the day: on Instagram, you win bookings fast or you lose them.