Billions of people are using social media today, and a great way for restaurants to reach them is to use a call to action on their online page.
You can add a “Book Now” button to your Facebook page — here’s how to quickly add this button, using it to help customers and direct them to your restaurant’s booking page via Carbonara.
Facebook by Book Catalog via Flickr
Facebook’s “Book Now” Feature
Facebook has followed other online platforms in expanding its business features.
This has been around a while now. Whether you’re a restaurant, gastropub, or non-booking venue, social media sites are now making it easier for customers to make bookings and purchases.
This is great for restaurants — thousands of people are browsing Facebook all the time (one source says that the average Facebook user spends 325 hours a year scrolling through its news feed).
So why not attract these customers to your restaurant? With a “Book Now” button, diners are one click away from reserving a table.
Also, many restaurants currently use Facebook as their sole webpage. If this sounds like you, then a web booking link will provide the main portal for customers to reserve tables.
Restaurants using Carbonara’s free reservation features can embed a booking link onto their own social media page via Facebook’s call to action feature, making it both faster and easier for customers to book tables online.
We offer step by step instructions, plus, we offer a few pointers on how to increase booking via your social media outreach.
How to Embed Booking Link
First, you’ll need to download the Facebook Business Suite App. This gives businesses special priority to manage their public profiles.
To successfully transform your Facebook “Book Now” button, you’ll need your unique Carbonara URL. We’ll have sent you a unique link via our recent correspondence with you, that is, Carbonara users will find this URL in their welcome email.
However, if you haven’t created an account/received this link yet, contact us for more information — it takes no time at all.
Access the app, enter your business’ login details, and follow these instructions.
- Locate settings
- Select the Page Info tab (step 4)
- Find and access, Action Button
- Tap, Connect Another Tool
- Enter your unique Carbonara URL
Copy and paste your Carbonara link to embed your booking link on your Facebook page
Facebook may ask you to login again to verify the change. Now you’ll have a booking link on your restaurant’s Facebook profile. This directs customers to a separate tab on Carbonara’s website, allowing your customers to make cost-free reservations with you directly.
Tips for Increasing Bookings
Giving customers the chance to book via Facebook is a great way to increase your bookings. However, this just doesn’t happen automatically: usually, customers will want a good reason to dine out with your establishment.
So give them one. Social media platforms give you the opportunity to exhibit your business at its best. Here are a few tips.
- Personalise your business page. It’s a bit like crafting a menu: design something that’ll catch your reader’s attention. Showcase star reviews and display awards to make your restaurant stand out. Importantly, complete your profile and list operating hours. Display details of your services — specify your cuisine type, for instance, in delectable terms.
- Schedule posts. This is a brilliant way to engage with both dedicated followers and new customers alike. Pay attention to variation: ideally, your online posts should make readers excited about eating out at your restaurant. Post on specific days; share news for example about what changes your restaurant makes during the weekend.
- Manage advertising (optional). Facebook offers its own online advertising system. This helps you reach larger audiences, both local and beyond. Access Facebook’s ad manager to promote your restaurant page elsewhere on the website. This usually costs around £50—£100.
We’re helping restaurants make the most out of online reservation technology. Find out more about the work we do, offering the first-ever truly free reservation system for all restaurants.
