Posting food on social media

Simple Content Plan: 10 Posts in 10 Minutes

It can be hard to think of new content to post each day on social media.

When you’re running a café, pub or restaurant, social media often ends up at the bottom of the to-do list. By the time you think about it, you’re either too busy, too tired, or stuck trying to think of something worth sharing.

As a result, nothing gets posted… until a few weeks later when someone remembers again.

The good news is that social media doesn’t need constant creativity. In fact, most venues already have plenty of content happening around them every day. You just need a simple way to spot it.

A quick content planning session – sometimes only ten minutes – can give you a week or two of post ideas in one go.

Stop Looking for ‘Content’

The easiest way to make social media harder than it needs to be is to think you’re creating content. You’re not – you’re simply sharing small moments from running your venue.

  • What’s cooking today.
  • What people love ordering.
  • What the place looks like before service.
  • What your team enjoys recommending.

Those everyday details are exactly the things customers enjoy seeing.

They make your venue feel real.

A Simple Way to Generate Post Ideas

Instead of trying to invent something new every time you post, it helps to think in categories. Most hospitality social media posts fall into just a few simple types and once you know those types, ideas appear very quickly.

Here are ten examples that almost any café, pub or restaurant could create without much effort.

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1. Highlight One Dish

Pick a single menu item and show it properly. It might be your most popular dish or simply something that looks particularly good that day.

Ask someone on the team what they would recommend. Guests enjoy hearing what the people working there actually choose themselves.

Preparation is interesting, whether it’s coffee being poured, ingredients being chopped, or desserts being finished. These small behind-the-scenes moments often perform very well.

Take a simple photo of the space. A sunny window table, a cosy corner, or the bar ready for service. People like to see what the place feels like.

There are always dishes or drinks that people regularly come back for and a quick reminder of these can prompt someone to visit.

Guests sometimes forget what’s available during the week. Lunch service, quieter afternoons, takeaway options – these are useful things to mention.

If something fresh or seasonal is on the menu, it’s worth highlighting as it gives people a sense that the menu is changing and current.

Quiz nights, live music, special menus or tasting events all make good reminders. Even a short post can help fill tables.

These often photograph well and can quickly catch someone’s attention while they’re scrolling.

Sometimes the post can be as straightforward as reminding people you’re open. A photo of the venue and a short message welcoming guests for the day is often enough.

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Keep It Manageable

The aim of this approach isn’t to produce more content, it’s simply to remove the pressure of constantly trying to think of something new.

If you take a few minutes to build a short list of ideas, you’ll always have something ready to post when you have a spare moment. Social media becomes much easier when the ideas are already waiting.

Guests enjoy seeing regular glimpses of what’s happening in a venue and these types of posts help people picture the experience before they arrive. When someone is deciding where to go, familiarity often wins.

10-Minute Content Planning Check

If you often find yourself stuck for ideas, try this quick exercise.

⏱ Minute 1–3: Look Around the Venue

Write down three things you could photograph right now.

☐ A dish or drink
☐ Something being prepared
☐ A part of the space that looks inviting

 

⏱ Minute 4–6: Think About What People Enjoy

Add three more ideas:

☐ One customer favourite
☐ One staff recommendation
☐ One reminder about something people forget (lunch, takeaway, bookings)

 

⏱ Minute 7–8: Add Something Upcoming

☐ An event, special menu or seasonal item

 

⏱ Minute 9–10: Review Your List

You should now have around ten post ideas ready to go.

Keep the list somewhere easy to access and work through it over the next week or two.

 

Need more hands-on support with your marketing?
At NCASS, we work with thousands of bars, cafés and restaurants across the UK. From getting found online to expert guidance when you need it, we’re here to help your business thrive. Call us on 0300 124 6866 to chat.