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ADvocate Dec 20, 2021
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Your thumb mindlessly swipes up on your pixelated screen, repeatedly. Over and over, various content creators find themselves in front of your perusing eyes. You scroll through loud pop music duets, emotional stories, and home renovation tutorials, all at your fingertips. The virtually endless bank of information that is TikTok is poised as the latest marketing tool for many businesses, and the food-service industry is no exception. As an Asian restaurant owner, you may be wondering if this app is a viable means to generate new customers for your own business.
Originating in China around 2017, the app underwent several rebrands and name changes before positioning itself as an international sensation. Even after its global rise to fame, various security concerns compromised the usage of TikTok within certain countries, including the United States. After some uncertainty around the app’s usage authorization in the West, this past June President Biden withdrew Trump’s 2020 executive order to ban TikTok in the United States. The platform continues to rise in popularity among content creators and business owners alike. Today, it is certainly worth trying out various social media platforms as you build your restaurant’s online presence.
Ways to Promote Your Asian Restaurant Via TikTok
One of the unique aspects of TikTok is its ability to generate creators from a variety of eclectic landscapes. From flawlessly edited cosplay transitions to astonishing art project creations, TikTok is bursting at the seams with innovative digital makers. This vibrant platform truly has something for everyone in its midst. This diverse virtual portfolio offers an expansive space for businesses to creatively market their services and products. This also applies to Asian restaurants; there are countless ways to develop engaging content while also promoting your business.
Share Cultural Facts and Trivia
As a U.S. based Asian restaurant owner, you have a unique opportunity to share pieces of your Eastern culture with Western clientele. Assuming the majority of your non-Asian customer pool has never been to the country where your cuisine originated, it is up to you to offer a window into that world. You can use TikTok to share notable facts about your nation’s foodie culture or relevant trivia about national holidays and celebrations. Topics like “How to use chopsticks,” “Making wontons from scratch,” and “Chinese New Year traditions” are all excellent topics to start building your content pool.
Share Your Most Popular Recipes
Food brings all of us together, no matter the cultural background. As an Asian restaurant owner, you naturally live and breathe your delicious recipes. TikTok is a great place to feature your most popular customer orders as well as provide snapshots of behind the scenes action within your restaurant. Use your page to share new dishes to build the hype. You can also share snippets of the preparation process for your menu selection. Of course, you won’t have to give away all of your secrets, only share just enough to keep people coming back for more.
