If you are in the hospitality industry then TripAdvisor should be taken very seriously. Over 65% of people are influenced by online reviews and with over 600 million reviews left in 2017 alone TripAdvisor is really the feedback king of social media. Founded at the start of the millennia TripAdvisor has grown from strength to strength quickly becoming a social media which restaurant marketers must pay attention too. Let's look at 4 ways you can improve your restaurant marketing by ranking well. 

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Respond and Analyse Your Reviews

Do you have reviews being left on your TripAdvisor account? if so, fantastic! Feedback is such an essential tool for improvement, every review should be taken seriously and analysed. Pay close attention to what is being said in your reviews, is there any trends or correlations? How many families are dining as appose to couples? Information such as this is valuable as you can then tailor content towards your demographic.

If one of your diners has taken the time to leave a review and a comment then it's only polite and professional the acknowledge this response. People love brand interaction on social media so a simple reply will not only engage your diners but also let them know you are taking their feedback seriously.

Take Negative Feedback On The Chin

It may be the case that you have some not so happy diners leaving reviews of your restaurant, it happens! However, how you respond to negativity is essential. As a restaurateur, your restaurant is your pride and joy and if someone has something to say against it, it's sure to hurt.

How should you respond to a negative review? First, make sure it’s a priority and it's dealt with in a timely manner, if there is a problem then address it quickly. The response needs to be genuine and the reader needs to know that their feedback is valued and important.

Encourage Diners To Use TripAdvisor

We know how important TripAdvisor is so let’s encourage people to use it! If you don’t ask you don’t get right? Of course, NEVER ask for a positive review, you want to make sure people leave genuine feedback.

There are a number of ways you can encourage people to leave a review, you can leave a message on your menu or even use TripAdvisor's very on review widget and place it on your website. If you would like to find out what you can do to promote reviews check out 5 Free Tools to Remind Guests to Write Reviews.

Update, Update, Update

 Updating your profile can’t be underestimated, if the content on your TripAdvisor account is outdated, not relevant or simply incorrect then immediately this is going to affect expectations.

What potential diners see online should be an accurate reflection of your restaurant. So if your restaurant has had renovations, changed its opening hours or even altered the menu that is served make sure your account lets your diners know! You would be surprised how many outdated and inaccurate TripAdvisor accounts we come across, get the basics right and your diners will find what they want, when they want.

For more on how you can market your restaurant check out our Restaurant Marketing Guide by clicking here!