Bloggers and influencers are all over the internet describing their experience with food and with a restaurant itself. Treating a food blogger to a free meal at your restaurant can be beneficial, but how do you know if you’re choosing the right blogger that can connect with your audience? Below are some tips for choosing a blogger/influencer that is a good fit for your restaurant.
Research: First, visit the blogger/influencer’s blog and see if their articles are well written. You also want to see what they’ve said about other restaurants and businesses they’ve reviewed. Be sure to check out their social media pages as well and make sure their audience aligns with yours. If your blogger/influencer focuses more on food that is great for children, but you’re looking to have an influencer that showcases how great your food is for an older age range, you might want to choose a different blogger.
ROI: Ask the potential blogger/influencer what their return on investment (ROI) is. Some influencers might not have any clue what you’re asking for, but if the blogger has great statistics on getting people to click from their blog post to your website, that’s a sure sign that they know what they are doing and might be right for you.
Form: Create a form that potential influencers/bloggers have to complete in order to get a free meal and write about your restaurant. On this form, you can include minimum requirements for an influencer (xx followers, xx visits to their website, etc.). You can use this form to help you decide if the blogger might be beneficial in writing a review of your restaurant.
Influencers and bloggers have become figures that people rely on when deciding whether or not to try out a new product or service. Make sure to choose an influencer/blogger that is big enough to be found by your audience and appeals to your audience.