A blog can bring in traffic to your restaurant’s website.

Traffic to blog posts can come from search engines (SEO), social media (Facebook, Pinterest, etc.) and links from other websites. That traffic can turn into online orders, phone orders and it can even get people interested in coming to your restaurant. But you need blog content in order to attract people to your site. Many restaurant owners and managers know the benefits of blogging, but it’s difficult to maintain a blog. There is research, writing, formatting and scheduling that all goes into maintaining the restaurant blog. It’s tough for anybody to maintain. And then if you do find a process for writing posts on your restaurant blog you still have to make sure you’re writing the kind of posts that bring in traffic. It can all be very frustrating. So we’re here to help. We’ve collected some of the formulas you can use to create the type of posts your potential customers will want to read. use these restaurant blog post ideas as inspiration for your blog. Use them exactly or tweak them to fit your unique restaurant. Let’s get started.

1. New Menu Item Descriptions

People love your current menu items, but they’re always curious about what’s new. You can pique their curiosity with a post explaining the inspiration and process for creating a new item on the menu. Share it by telling a story and you’ll get people salivating, wanting to come in right away to try it.

Examples

• The Story Behind The New Jailhouse Burger (You Won’t Believe It)
• A Happy Accident Is The Inspiration For The New Max’s Mac ‘N Cheese
• The Patriot Drink Is Inspired By A Very Special Local Resident

2. Featured Menu Item Stories

Don’t hold the blog post for only the new items on the menu. There are plenty of things you can talk about that already exist on the menu. Again, stick to the storytelling aspect. People love reading a good story. You could even ask a few customers why they love the item and share those comments in the post.

Examples

• Customers Share Why They Love The Seafood Chowder
• Our Steaks Come From A Very Special Local Farm
• How It’s Made: Bangers & Mash

3. Answers To Common Questions

You can never go wrong by answering the common questions your customers ask. (tweet this) You probably hear questions all day long. And you probably answer them without thinking twice. Put those answers on your blog. You can bet that if people are asking you in person that they’re asking them online. Talk to your staff too. Chances are they’re answering a lot of customers questions.

Examples

• 3 Favorites Customers That Love Sweets Always Order
• The Best Drinks For Each Of Our Menu Items
• How To Properly Eat King Crab

4. Event Announcements

Are you hosting an event? Announce it on the blog. People see your website as a source of the real information. Share all the information people need. Entice them to come by sharing the benefits with them: Come and enjoy great music this Saturday!

Examples

• Help The Smith Family By Eating At Joe’s This Saturday
• Joe’s Hosts Its 5th Annual Dart Competition
• Network With Other Professionals At The Chamber’s Next Event – Hosted At Joe’s

5. Complementary Business And Organization Features

If you really want to generate some traffic from social media then write about complementary businesses and organizations. (tweet this) They have followers on social media and when you write about them they’ll want to share your post with their followers. That sends you all kinds of traffic that you wouldn’t get otherwise. And the best part is that these posts often do well with your readers.

Examples

• 10 Must-See Events This Summer
• Our Favorite Things To Do In Town
• The Best Radio Stations In Town

6. Customer Involvement Posts

You can take things one more step by involving your customers. You know that many of them are on social media. When you feature them on your blog they’ll want to make sure that all of their family and friends know about it.

Examples

• Customer Of The Month: John Smith
• 5 Customers Share Their Stories About Joe’s
• How One Customer Helped Us Create A New Menu Item

7. Employee Feature Stories

Your employees can help you with the blog even if they’re not the ones doing the writing. Take a couple minutes and ask them a few questions. Make sure they want to be featured on the blog. Most will probably be okay with it. Ask them about what they like doing and be sure to ask what their favorite dish is on the menu. Your customers will appreciate getting to know the staff. They purchase from the restaurant, but they really purchase from the people that work for you.

Examples

• Joe’s Employee Of The Month: John Smith
• Featured Employee: John Smith
• Learn What Our Waiter, John Smith, Loves On The Menu

8. Local Commentary

Restaurant owners are always tuned in to the local world. You know what’s going on in the community with the people and the businesses. If there is something happening, provide your commentary on the subject. Politics can get you in trouble, but there is no reason you can’t comment on the local sports team that’s doing well or comment on the music festival that’s coming to town.

Examples

• Cheer On The Bulldogs With The Special Bulldog Burger
• Our Story Of Going To Every Bulldog Game This Season
• Help Us Raise Funds For This Great Cause

9. Seasonal Trend Discussions

As a restaurant owner, you have the inside scoop on what’s coming up in the next few months. Your customers don’t speak to vendors and dealers every day. You can give them the inside scoop in the food and drink industry by sharing some of your knowledge. People love feeling like they’re getting something others are missing.

Examples

• 5 Unexpected Food Trends For This Summer
• The New Drink Craze Everybody Will Be Talking About
• This New Ingredient Is So Crazy That People Will Love It

10. Suggestion Lists

The final title idea on the list is a list post. Your customers see you as an authority on all things food and drink. You can provide them with very useful information by using your knowledge to give them insight into the best food and drink for various occasions. These types of posts are very popular and very sharable for your customers that use social media.

Examples

• 10 Mixed Drinks For Your Next Outdoor Barbecue
• 10 Appetizers To Make For Your Next Family Picnic
• 10 Patriotic Snacks For The Fourth Of July