Instagram has revolutionized the way the food and beverage industry does marketing and advertising — putting an emphasis not just on creating photo-worthy dishes and food trends, but also on building a following that translates to a loyal customer base.

No one said 'gramming is easy, but the platform and the food trends it inspires are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Why not take advantage? An engaged social media following keeps you top of mind for your audience, but that's not all. Your restaurant becomes visible to second- and even third-degree connections whenever someone likes or comments on a post, helping you reach an exponential number of people with each new follower.

The best benefit of all? Unless you want to run Insta ads, using the platform is totally free. If you're not taking advantage of available networks, you're leaving money on the table.

So, how do you achieve success on Instagram in the age of never-ending food trends? A few expert tips (and a little team effort) can go a long way. Read on, then prepare your camera for some activity.

Opening a quick-service restaurant (QSR) can be a lucrative business venture. The quick-service industry led the growth of overall restaurant spending in Q1 of 2018, which increased 6.6 percent, according to First Data. But, building a customer base from scratch can feel like an uphill battle. Whether you're just now taking ownership of an existing QSR or your restaurant is entirely new, it's necessary to focus your marketing efforts on establishing a brand image and attracting new customers.

Here are three marketing strategies that you can use to achieve these objectives.

Technology enhances every corner of our lives, and quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are no exception. We're busy. Time is tight. Value, convenience and a personalized experience are still expected even during a brief interaction that yields something as simple as our lunch. Implementing seamless digital brand alignment, from the point of deciding where to eat to opening that carry-out container, creates a cohesive user experience. 

QSR Magazine cautioned that a positive brand experience can easily get lost when upgrading the technology at quick-service restaurants. Customer engagement with your service should be consistent across all points of outreach including in-store, online and via apps. When working with third-party software, user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) must complement one another or brand messaging is lost. Let's learn a few ways to combine customer satisfaction with brand alignment.

With the holiday season just around the corner, retailers across America are preparing for annual shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Though less publicized, preparations in the dining industry can be just as intense. QSR Magazine reported that more than 33 million Americans eat at a restaurant on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, and 1 in 10 people dine out on Christmas Eve.

Now is a great time for restaurants to prepare for the rush of holiday dining in the coming months. With a plan to maximize the value of this busier season, you can turn one-time diners into repeat customers. Here are a few holiday dining incentives to drive more people to your eatery.

Modern restaurants need more than an appetizing menu, enticing ambiance and welcoming staff to drive diners through their doors. While a positive write-up in the local newspaper may have been enough to fill tables in previous decades, restaurateurs in the digital age must embrace new tech trends in restaurant marketing to drive new business — and keep customers coming back.

Tech Presence Is Critical

If your potential customers are among the 77 percent of Americans who own a smartphone, chances are they've used their device to look up local restaurants, check reviews or even place an order, according to Pew Research Center.

The key to any successful marketing strategy is reaching your key audience in the location they frequent most. When it comes to fast food marketing, millennials — a substantial 25 percent of the population — spend more money on dining out than any other age group, according to Restaurant Marketing Labs.

The average millennial shells out $174 per month on restaurant food, compared to non-millennials, who spend $153 per month. The $21 difference could easily translate into two or three more fast-food lunches per month, and a significant bottom-line boost for quick service restaurants (QSRs). How can you take advantage of mobile marketing offerings at your OSR?

According to Modern Restaurant Management, 80 percent of people will look at a restaurant online before trying it, and 88 percent of that group will visit the same day. With these statistics in mind, it's easy to see how crucial social media marketing for restaurants is. Your online presence can either bring diners right to your door or drive them to the competition.

Here are three things you can do right now to attract diners on social media.

Restaurants face the endless challenge of enticing consumers to walk through the front doors. Word-of-mouth carries a lot of clout, and the restaurant industry has been transformed by the heavy influence of online reviews.

But neither of these channels offer any control to the restaurant — that's where target advertising comes into play. By using digital channels to expose your restaurant to nearby consumers looking for a bite to eat, you can control some of your online fate while leveraging influential technology to make a greater impact.