With the UK’s ‘eat out to help out’ scheme now in full swing, bars and restaurants across the country are trying their best to tempt customers back across the threshold. And, with competition fierce, those working in the hospitality industry need to find a real point of difference.
Yet, when it comes to choosing where to eat, it’s important not to underestimate the power that social networking, or rather Instagram, can play. Last year, Metro.co.uk shone a light on this very subject, stating; “A recent study found that 13% of Londoners choose to go to a restaurant based on how ‘Instagrammable’ it is.
“So, it’s a commercial no-brainer to cater to this need by providing attractive plates of food in an enviable setting. Employed well, this use of Instagram-focused marketing can be invaluable in helping new and emerging businesses build an avid following.”
You only have to look at the Instagram feed of Menagerie Restaurant – one of our personal favourites – to see how social selling has done wonders for this forward-thinking eatery. Desirable décor, a selection of signs and an iconic bathtub all act as photo ‘must-haves’.
Done right, stylish – and sharable – design investments will pay dividends as savvy advertising tools, and it’s no fluke that the restaurant has a whopping 67.5k followers either. Because, let’s face it, have you even visited Menagerie if you haven’t posted that photo on the ‘gram?
Social selling using LED neon
As the UK starts to embrace it’s ‘new normal’, venturing out of the house to visit a café, bar or restaurant has become something of a serious event. And, a digital document of the day is all part-and-parcel of leaving the safety of your own four walls.
It’s true, that the social media generation actively seek out ‘Insta-worthy’ places for food and drink, which has led to a resurgence in ‘old school’ signages across the hospitality industry – and here’s where LED neon, and neon Xtra can play a real part.
Alongside the usual ‘open’ and ‘cocktails’ signs, bars are recreating their logos with LED block acrylic, building huge angel-wing backdrops, and sourcing tongue-in-cheek slogans such as ‘let’s stay home’ and ‘good vibes only’ to pull in the punters looking for the ideal social snap.
An eye-catching selfie opportunity (or three) ensures that – after plenty of pictures of their cocktails and canapes – each visitor will look for an opportunity to check in against a bold backdrop. And, once a handful of people have seen said sign on Instagram – or even from the street – others will want to pay a visit, in order to add that ‘money shot’ to their own social media feed.
With every one of our LED neon and block acrylic signs made to order, we can work with you to find exactly the right content for you. Drop us a line today, or take a look at our neon sign creator tool, to get you started.
