Restaurant Brands: Looking To Drive Traffic? Time to (Double) Tap Influencers

Influencers have the power to contribute significantly to restaurant traffic, according to an article on QSR. Influencer Jane Ko, who runs the high-traffic blog A Taste of Koko and an Instagram account by the same name (which boasts over 58,000 followers), said that she “knows the new media landscape can be daunting but emphasizes that ignoring it is a lost opportunity for businesses,” according to the article.

Because popular influencers have built a successful personal brand that attracts new followers and keeps existing ones, restaurants should take care to collaborate with them, as opposed to “unilaterally control the collaboration,” the article said.

Jonathan Cheban, also known as Foodgod on Instagram to 3.1 million followers (also also known as Kim Kardashian’s bestie) enjoys sponsored partnerships with restaurants such as Burgerim, an L.A.-based burger franchise, according to the article. The brand knows to keep the creative control solily in Cheban’s hands: “‘[Cheban] is going to do what he does well,’ says Tom Meiron, CEO of Burgerim. ‘I want him to have the ability to flourish on his own and see where this takes us,’” the article said.

“Since each influencer works differently, restaurants that want to work with them need to do their research to find the right fit. Ko recommends operators begin by examining their own social media followings to see who is tagging them and talking about them. ‘I have brands I just love and talk about but who unfortunately don’t respond to me,’ Ko says,” according to the article.