Study Shows 45% of Diners Try New Restaurants Because of Brands' Social Media

According to a recent study by MGH, a restaurant marketing agency, 89% of American diners have social media accounts—and they use them to determine where to eat. QSR Magazine reports that an impressive 45% of U.S. diners surveyed have gone to a restaurant for the first time under the influence of a brand’s social media post, and 22% said a post was what convinced them to go back for more.

“For restaurant marketers, it’s clear that high-quality social media content, along with active engagement practices, still has great relevance to consumers,” QSR quotes Ryan Goff, Executive Vice President and Social Media Marketing Director at MGH. “When done right, social content marketing can have great influence over where diners choose to spend their hard-earned money.

Of course, not every post whets every tweeter’s whistle. The survey found that 21% of respondents have been deterred from patronizing a restaurant due to its social media presence, with 13% saying posts have deterred them from going back to a place they’ve tried before.