6 Questions with Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Creators on the Power Of Food, Misconceptions Of Influencer Marketing, & Tips On Short-Form Video
Read time: 16 min
By Sophie Braker
During Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week, Jensen spoke to Tik Tok content creators about promoting restaurants, engaging with social media influencers, and why influencers are some of the most underutilized marketing in today’s restaurant industry. In an effort to build a bridge between restaurant owners and operators who are confused by the popularity of Tik Tok and content creators and influencers who want to help their local restaurants, we have created this guide to pull together all the knowledge shared from Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week.
Watch the full series here.
What do Chefs who are stuck in the kitchen need to know about social media?
Nick Howard of @MileHighFoodDude said…
They need to realize that in 2022 they need to be out there promoting their food, promoting their restaurant. That social media presence will eventually build an actual presence in their restaurant. The days of being stuck in the back of the house keeping to yourself are over. If you want to be successful and not be a part of a restaurant that closes it is all about getting out there and getting your name out there. We can’t just write a cookbook and hope for the best. Our cookbook is that social media. You have to be more proactive now. It’s like touching tables on social media. Being interactive with your customers and seeing what they want to see.
To learn more, watch Nick’s episode: BSP388: Eating In Your Car with Nick of @MileHighFoodDude - Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week
What's the best way for small new restaurants, without PR reps, to connect with Content Creators?
Alana Kaufman of @5280foodiez said…
I think DMs are always a great way to start out. If you’re a social media creator like me, you are checking your DMs constantly. That's a first great line of attack. Most people also have their emails in their bio line so that would be the next best place to go. DMs are usually the best because you can typically tell if someone’s read it as well. Hopefully you can get a response and go from there.
I think there is an interesting relationship between content creators and restaurants that people are working through at the moment. We, social media people, don’t want to reach out every single time. We don’t want to come off like we want a free meal. We don’t like feeling like we’re coming off as greedy or needy. We are there to help promote these restaurants and get the word out. I like when restaurants foster our relationship by taking the first step. From there, they set up their expectations. For example, they might comp your meal if you do a static post or they might offer you specific menu items that they would want in a reel.
I do reach out here or there if there’s a place I really want to highlight. But for the most part I take a step back. I’ve built a couple relationships with restaurants around town where I’ve done repeat content with them. If I’m doing a themed event or a give away, I’ll reach out to them. Hey, it's been a few months. Do you want to be a part of this thing? And I do hear no and that’s part of the job. It's come to a point that restaurants feel more comfortable and should feel comfortable to reach out.
To learn more, watch Alana’s episode: BSP387: Social Media Management with Alana of @5280Foodiez - Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week
What are the biggest most common mistakes restaurants make on their social pages?
Haley from @Mile.High.and.Hungry said…
One thing I notice restaurants doing is making videos that they think are right but not picking up on trends. How I clarified my vision for the account was I looked at what other people are doing. How do I use what other successful pages are doing, but then make it still my page and look like my page. Understanding how to use popular songs, whether or not you like the song doesn’t matter. It’s not about what you want. It's the same on social media as it is in restaurants. It’s not about you. It's about the customers.
It doesn’t take that much time to do the research. I go to the “For You” page and watch a couple of Tik Toks. It only takes a few to repeat a style or song. Things I look at are the “like counts” or the viewership. It just takes awareness. When I first started I was being cute and trying to find songs that went with the theme of my videos or made puns with the content. You’re overthinking it at that point. It just has to get the point across. Also using on screen text. That’s super beneficial. The important thing is to make it a little more representative of you and what you do.
To learn more, watch Haley’s episode: BSP386: Media Kit Best Practices with Haley of @Mile.High.and.Hungry - Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week
Jillian Brown from @Pao_Denver said…
My main thing that I see with restaurants when we come in and we start to help them is they are not utilizing short form videos. They are only doing static posts. They are not interacting with their followers, not interacting with other restaurants. I think that’s the biggest lack that I see. Especially with the new direction that Instagram is going. I know most restaurants are only on Instagram or maybe just Instagram and Facebook. Not using reels when it is pushing out to all the people in your community is a major mistake. They need to hop on the video. The virality in the past three months has been insane. Really big traction there.
To learn more, watch Jillian’s episode: BSP390: Customer Generated Restaurant Reviews with Jillian of @Pao_Denver - Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week
How much does it cost to produce one restaurant visit Tik Tok video?
Daniela Evans of @Colorado-Foodie said…
The biggest cost is my time. I live out in Elizabeth. It's probably 45 miles to Denver proper. So that’s 90 miles there and back. I do try and hit a couple of places each time I’m down there to make it worth my time. This isn’t my full time job though. During the school year, I’m a teacher. I will work until 4 pm then I head to a restaurant right after. With traffic, it takes me about an hour to get to Denver, around 5 pm. I do my filming and leave around 7 getting home around 8 or 9. It makes for a long day. And that’s just taking the raw footage.
Gas - $73 per full tank
Parking in Denver - from $3 to $20
Tipping - 20%
Camera - $400 - $600 (one time purchase)
Lights (for video lighting) - $50 (one time purchase)
Tripod - $30 (one time purchase)
Video editing software - can be very expensive but I just use my phone apps
If you’re in front of the camera…
Getting hair done - equipment (product, curlers, straighteners) can be hundreds
Nails - from $20 (press on nails) to $50 (to go to nail salon)
Makeup - can be hundreds
Engagement
Paying for boosts on social media - from $1 to $20 - can get expensive but I don’t often boost my posts
Time
Time to comment on comments - from 30 min to an hour
Time to share out to all your platforms - 15 min
Time to check DMs - from 30 min to an hour
Time to keep up with emails from restaurants - from 30 min to an hour
In Total = between $75 and $200 for one video
It can get overwhelming. It’s like another job for me. I am pretty self-sufficient on the costs but it can get expensive quickly even with restaurants comping your meals.
To learn more, watch Daniela’s episode: BSP384: Who Pays For The Meal with Daniela of @ColoradoFoodie - Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week
What are the best content pieces for restaurants to show more than just what's on the plate?
Larry Herz of @Ocn_eats said…
I think they think that you need a professional video team. Or maybe social media people are intimidated by kitchens. I’m from the kitchens so I’m not. I know I can get in there and get my content and not get in their way. I just started with a new client. They don’t know me. I don’t know them. I don’t know the rhythm. But still I can stand off to the side, generally stay out of the way.
If you just take one dish, I just did this for Avelina. They have a new Spinach Gnocchi. You just film the different steps of it, putting this ingredient, that ingredient, the sautéing, the plating, the finishing. You can capture thirty seconds of each and chop it down to five seconds of each step. Put that into a reel or a tik tok or you could do it separately as a story on Instagram. They absolutely go crazy for the process. I took a beautiful image of that actual dish. It would have done well but it’s boring af. I mean you’ve seen beautiful dishes millions of times. But so few people show the process. It’s not expensive. It doesn’t take time. You don’t need professionals.
And I’m a huge fan, maybe it's just me, but I love to see it in slow-mo. My videographer captures me every time I’m walking into a restaurant in slow-mo. I 100% think that it looks cooler in slo-mo. I love flames in slow mo. I know the results are there.
To learn more, watch Larry’s episode: BSP383: Perspective Of A Restaurateur with Larry of @Ocn_Eats - Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week
Kip & Chris of @StonedAppetit said…
If I was to give some great advice I would say to personalize your videos more. Humans have better reactions when they see another person on camera. It associates a personalized touch to the page. It humanizes the experience to get the true reactions of people enjoying bites of food or smokes of weed. Instead of only posting pictures of your food, get your kids in a picture. Or show your chef showing how they make a popular item on your menu. And then trying the food in front of the camera. Folks get to see the food a bit better. There’s too many cheese fondues on social media and they all look the same.
Mix it up. Be different.
To learn more, watch Kip and Chris’s episode: BSP385: Connecting Culinary & Cannabis with Kip & Chris of @StonedAppetit - Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week
How can immigrants embrace and get their stories out there?
Jesvyn Terraza of @Jes_Foodie said…
Just showing their talent. These food business owners, they have so much potential. They literally make something out of nothing. They underestimate themselves. They really do have talent behind it. They don’t see that they can really create something. I think the majority of them they’re stuck because of their status and they don’t believe in themselves. When I go do their Tik Toks, I hype them up and they really have something good going. Especially with food you need to be really informed with your permits and all these things. Because they don’t play here. I see a lot of talent in them. It’s sad to see them just doing it for a living when in reality they have the talent to do so much more.
Food, regardless of what language you speak, you understand each other. Food will make you communicate. Especially with the majority of them being Hispanic working in the back, cooking everything up. You have to be able to communicate with the front line too. It’s a matter of also giving them that hope that it’s going to be ok. Not to be scared. When you don’t have a status here, it does scare you. You don’t want to be out there. You’re doing it for a living. You’re really not doing it to build yourself up.
I had one guy I did a Tik Tok for. He was selling burritos out of his truck. One of my followers on Facebook tagged me. She said, “Hey, I saw this guy. He’s been selling burritos for years. Can you go do a Tik Tok for him?” I said absolutely. I pulled up and he had like three burritos left. I asked him if I could do a Tik Tok for him. He said no. I said, “Oh that’s okay. I’m not going to put you on it. It’s just going to be your business. The faster we get you out there the faster people can come support you.” He said he didn’t want anything to do with that. I told him it was so he could sell his burritos faster and go home early. He eventually said yes. His wife and him start their day at four in the morning handmade. They start selling at six in the morning and if he doesn’t sell them at this location he goes to another location. I made the Tik Tok and he’s not on there. I went back a few weeks later and he was so grateful. People had been coming by because they saw the Tik Tok.
To learn more, watch Jes’s episode: BSP389: Finding Hidden Gems with Jes of @Jes_Foodie - Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week
