We're a social media agency. Our business model depends on people hiring us. So writing a guide that helps you do it yourself might seem a bit counterintuitive.
But here's the thing: not every restaurant is ready for an agency. Maybe you just opened. Maybe your budget is tight. Maybe you want to understand the basics before handing it off to someone else. All of those are valid reasons.
So here's a practical, no-fluff checklist to keep your social media in good shape on your own. No jargon. No "10x your engagement with this one weird trick." Just the essentials that actually matter.
Before You Post Anything: The Foundation
Before you create a single piece of content, make sure these basics are locked in:
- Pick your platforms: You don't need to be everywhere. For most hospitality businesses in Amsterdam, Instagram is essential, Google Business Profile is free and powerful (and wildly underused), and TikTok is optional but growing. Start with two platforms and do them well.
- Define your visual identity: Choose a consistent look for your photos. This doesn't mean hiring a designer. It means deciding: are your photos warm or cool? Light or moody? Clean or busy? Pick a direction and stick to it.
- Write a bio that works: Your Instagram bio should tell someone three things in five seconds: what you are, where you are, and how to visit or book. Example: "Brunch & lunch in the Jordaan | Open daily 9-16 | Book via link below."
- Set up your Google Business Profile: If you haven't done this, stop reading and go do it now. It's free, it puts you on Google Maps, and it's the first thing most people see when they search for food near them.
Your Weekly Content Routine
The biggest challenge with DIY social media is consistency. Here's a realistic weekly schedule that won't eat your life:
- Monday: Plan your week. Decide what three to four posts you'll make. Write the captions. This takes 30 minutes.
- Tuesday and Thursday: Take photos or videos during service. Lunch service with natural light is ideal. Spend 10 minutes capturing two or three good shots.
- Wednesday and Friday: Post your content. Use a scheduling tool like Later or Buffer (both have free plans) to queue posts for optimal times. Most Amsterdam food content performs well between 11 AM and 1 PM, and again between 6 PM and 8 PM.
- Daily (5 minutes): Check your notifications. Reply to every comment and DM. This is non-negotiable. People who message you and get no response will go somewhere else.
- Weekend: Post to Stories. Behind-the-scenes moments, busy service shots, happy guests (with permission). Stories don't need to be polished. They need to be real.
Total weekly time investment: about three to four hours. That's 30 to 40 minutes a day. If you can't commit to that, social media will always be an uphill battle.
Photography Tips That Don't Require a Professional
You don't need a €3,000 camera. You need a clean phone lens and decent light. Here are the rules:
- Natural light is everything: Shoot near windows. Avoid overhead fluorescent lighting. The golden hour light that comes through your windows in the afternoon? That's your best friend.
- Clean the lens: Seriously. Wipe your phone camera before every shot. Kitchen grease on the lens is the number one reason food photos look hazy.
- Get close: Fill the frame with the dish. You don't need to show the entire table. A close-up of steam rising from a bowl of ramen is more compelling than a wide shot of a table full of plates.
- Shoot from multiple angles: Overhead (flat lay) works for colourful dishes with lots of components. A 45-degree angle works for dishes with height, like burgers or stacked pancakes. Side angles work for drinks and pour shots.
- Video over photo: When in doubt, shoot a short video. A 10-second clip of sauce being drizzled over a dish will outperform a static photo of the same dish almost every time.
The Hashtag Strategy That Actually Works
Hashtags aren't dead, but using 30 generic ones is. Here's a smarter approach:
- Use 10 to 15 hashtags per post: The sweet spot for most accounts. More than that looks spammy. Less than that misses opportunities.
- Mix three categories: Large hashtags (100K+ posts) for visibility, like #amsterdamfood. Medium hashtags (10K-100K) for competition balance, like #brunchamsterdam. Small hashtags (under 10K) for discoverability, like #depijpfood.
- Include your neighbourhood: Always. #jordaan, #depijp, #amsterdamoost, #oudwest. People search by neighbourhood when they're looking for where to eat.
- Rotate your sets: Don't use the exact same hashtags on every post. Create three or four different sets and rotate them. This avoids being flagged as repetitive behaviour.
Engaging With Your Community
Social media is called social for a reason. Posting is only half the job. The other half is engaging.
- Reply to every comment: Even if it's just a heart emoji. It signals to the algorithm that your post is generating conversation, and it shows your audience you're present.
- Respond to DMs within a few hours: DMs are where bookings happen. Treat them like phone calls.
- Engage with local accounts: Follow and interact with other hospitality businesses, food bloggers, and neighbourhood accounts. Comment genuinely on their posts. This puts you on their audience's radar.
- Repost user content: When a guest tags you in a great photo, share it to your Stories and thank them. This encourages more people to create content at your venue.
The Numbers to Watch
You don't need a complex analytics dashboard. Just check these three things every week:
- Engagement rate: Likes plus comments plus saves, divided by followers. If you're above 3%, you're doing well. Below 1%, something needs to change.
- Reach: How many unique people saw your content. If this number is growing, your content is being pushed to new audiences.
- Profile visits and website clicks: These tell you if people are taking action after seeing your content. If reach is high but clicks are low, your call to action might need work.
When It's Time to Get Help
DIY works. But there comes a point where it stops making sense. Here are a few signs you might be ready to bring in help:
- You're spending more time on social media than running your business.
- Your content quality has plateaued and you can't figure out how to improve.
- You're posting consistently but growth has stalled for three or more months.
- You want to expand to new platforms but don't have the bandwidth.
- You're getting enough revenue from social media to justify investing in making it better.
When that day comes, you'll know. And because you've done it yourself for a while, you'll be a much better client. You'll understand the process, know what good looks like, and appreciate what goes into the work. That's actually the best possible starting point for a partnership with an agency.
Until then, this checklist will keep your social media healthy, growing, and doing what it's supposed to do: bringing people through your door.
