Your feed posts are your storefront window. Your Stories are your daily conversation with guests. Stories disappear in 24 hours, which makes them the perfect place for the small, real, in-the-moment stuff that keeps your restaurant top of mind. Here's how to use Stories and their interactive features without overthinking it.
Post a Story almost every day
Stories are where you stay visible between the 'big' posts. A quick clip of tonight's special, a photo of the dining room filling up, a behind-the-scenes moment — these keep you in the feed without needing to be polished. Consistency here is what keeps you in a guest's habit.
Use polls to spark engagement
A poll sticker — 'Burger or tacos tonight?' or 'Are you a sweet tea or lemonade person?' — is the easiest way to get taps. Every tap tells the algorithm your content is engaging, which pushes your posts to more people. Plus it's fun, and it tells you what your guests actually want.
Ask questions and reply
The question sticker lets guests ask you anything — 'what's your most popular dish?' or 'do you take reservations?' Reply publicly and you've turned a question into content and a stranger into a relationship. Engagement signals like DMs and replies are now some of the most valuable metrics on Instagram.
Countdown to events and specials
The countdown sticker builds anticipation for a wine dinner, live music night, or limited-time special. Guests can even set a reminder. It's a simple way to turn a one-off event into something people plan their week around.
Reshare guest posts (with credit)
When a guest tags your restaurant in their Story, reshare it. It's free, authentic content that shows real people enjoying your food, and it encourages more guests to tag you. User-generated content is the most trusted advertising there is — and it costs you nothing.
Keep a highlight reel
Stories vanish, but Highlights stay on your profile forever. Create highlights for your menu, reviews, events, and behind-the-scenes so a new visitor can get your story in a few taps. Think of Highlights as your Instagram business card.
Stories and stickers are the lowest-effort, highest-frequency tool in your social kit — and they're where relationships get built. I help restaurants turn daily Stories into a habit that keeps guests coming back, backed by View 360 Marketing. Let's build your plan.
Look, you've read this far — so let's skip the small talk.
If any of this hit a little too close to home, that's a sign it's time to do something about it. We're local, we've run restaurants, and I'd love to help you sort yours out — no jargon, no pressure, just an honest read from somebody who's been behind the line.
