How to Capture and Create Short-Form Videos for Restaurant Staff
Short-form video is reshaping how restaurants reach diners with scroll-stopping visuals and an easily digestible and accessible format. Social video content offers a high-impact, low-cost marketing solution that fits right into the routines of busy restaurant staff like general managers and front-of-house teams. Mastering the basics of short-form video can be a game-changer in creating content that captivates audiences with minimal lift.
This guide offers simple, effective tips to help you make video creation a seamless part of your week.
Short-Form Video Best Practices
1. Plan Ahead When You Can
Before shooting, take a peek at your restaurant calendar to align on key events, special dates, holidays, or any recurring themes that could make for great content. Got some downtime? Evergreen content is your friend—think behind the scenes (like Lasita (Los Angeles) showcasing their family meal at the restaurant to announce their holiday closures, hitting over 10K views.) Everything can be content if appropriately used.
Pro Tip: Keep communication with BOH staff open — ensure they are prepared and dishes ready for the shoot.
2. Keep it Short and Snappy
Attention spans are short, so your videos should be too! Aim for less than 30 seconds. Add a strong hook in the first few seconds to pull people in, and pair it with a trending sound to boost engagement.
3. Lighting is Everything!
Natural lighting is your best friend when it comes to shooting clear videos. Plan to shoot during the day when you can. No natural light? Don’t sweat it—just keep it well-lit and clear! If you’re working with audio or are considering doing voiceovers, investing in a simple mic is worth it.
Pro Tip: Make sure your phone grid is on – a tool that helps you align and straighten photos (Usually under Setting > Camera > Phone Grid > ON) . Also make sure your flash is off and to shoot multiple angles of the same shot.
4. Get the Team Involved
Showing off your restaurant’s personality by bringing the whole team into the action – such as including the owner or chef – is proven to increase engagement. Whether it’s the chef plating a dish, bartenders shaking up a cocktail, or the front-of-house crew greeting guests, the human aspect makes your content more relatable. A great example is this kitchen team video from Si! Mon (Los Angeles).
Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s:
- Batch content creation. Dedicate 2-4 hours once a month to capture video footage in one go. While organic moments happen and should be shot when and if you have the time, having a backlog of content ready ensures you’re consistently posting.
- Edit and schedule content in advance. Keep your videos cohesive with quick cuts to maintain viewer interest. Save videos to your drafts for quick and easy posting later.
- Hold team brainstorming sessions to generate ideas and keep an ongoing list for when inspiration strikes.
Don’ts:
- Don’t overthink your content. Keep it simple and have fun. Spend time scrolling through social feeds to find inspiration from other restaurants like this plating from Mariscos San Pedro (Chicago) or this farmer’s market haul from Four Horsemen (New York). Don’t forget to include your restaurant’s unique personality.
- Don’t shoot video directly from a social media app. Use your phone’s camera instead, and switch to 4K if possible for higher-quality footage.
Pro Tip: If you’re not in the mood to shoot a video, you can always edit together photos or create a photo carousel set to a trending sound—it’s still effective! If all else fails, look to user-generated content (UGC), also known as videos that previous guests may have tagged you in, such as this one from Perry’s (Washington DC), but make sure to reach out to ask for permission to repost!
A Real Life Example
Nossa Caipirinha Bar (Los Angeles), a bar and restaurant part of the Last Word Hospitality group that specializes in Brazilian-inspired dishes, was looking to boost its social media presence and increase foot traffic in the restaurant. Their approach involved investing time into short-form video content by selecting a dedicated and passionate front-of-house (FOH) staff member to handle the process and hiring a strategy consultant to cross-train the staff member. The FOH person was compensated for their time, reinforcing the importance of social media efforts as part of the overall business strategy.
By implementing a consistent short-form video strategy, Nossa saw impressive growth – one of their reels went viral, and they saw a nearly 30% increase in their average weekly covers!1 The best part? The total time commitment was between 6-9 hours for the month – about one full day of work – at a posting schedule of 1x video a week for one month.
Key Takeaways
1. Cross Train Staff Member(s)
One day a week, have a passionate team member focus on capturing content – this ensures consistent, quality output and allows the opportunity for skill sharing. Just remember to compensate them for their time.
2. Batch Your Content
Prep and shoot multiple videos in one session – this can alleviate mid-month scrambling to post.
3. Always Edit & Review
Optimize your videos with trending media and thoughtful, brand-aligned copy – this can significantly enhance the performance and visibility of the post.
4. Post Strategically
Review and optimize your reels based on trends and posting times (think: posting before service so guests that check social media regularly know what to expect when they arrive) – this can help amplify the restaurant’s reach and engagement.
1. Based on Resy’s reservation data from December 18, 2023 – June 2, 2024.
Gabrielle Lenart (she/they), a co-founder of Sault Media, is a content strategist with 8+ years working with food, beverage, and hospitality brands. Follow her at @gabriellebakes.
*Opinions and views in articles shared on Resy OS are presented for the purpose of discussion and commentary on topics of interest in the restaurant industry; they should not be viewed as substitutes for advice given by professionally engaged business consultants and advisors.
