Key points at a glance
- Basics first: your Google Business Profile, your own website and reviews bring in the most guests. Social media comes after that.
- Weekly plan in 30 minutes: reply to reviews, check opening hours, one post, a few photos, work through messages.
- Monthly plan in one hour: update the menu and website, look at the numbers, prepare the next month.
- Yearly plan: enter holidays, seasons and events into a content calendar early, so nothing happens at the last minute.
- Clear responsibilities: every recurring task has one person in charge and a stand-in.
This post is general information and does not replace legal or tax advice. Rules change and some differ between federal states: check the details with your chamber of commerce (WKO) or IHK, the competent authority or your tax adviser.
Why a plan saves time instead of costing it
Online marketing in hospitality rarely fails for lack of knowledge, but for lack of routine. If you only post or reply to reviews when you happen to have time, you have too much online in quiet weeks and nothing at all in busy ones. Right in high season, when guests search the most, everything gets left undone. A plan turns this around: small, fixed tasks become as routine as cashing up at night.
The second advantage: you no longer have to work out what to do every time. A short list for the week, one for the month and a calendar for the year are enough. That lowers the threshold, and staff can take over tasks without having to ask.
The right order: basics first
Not every channel matters equally. People looking for a place to eat usually land on Google first: in search, in Google Maps or in the local pack for “restaurant near me”. From there they go to the website to check the menu, prices and booking options. Reviews help decide whether they come. Only when these three basics are in place is it worth spending time on Instagram, newsletters or ads.
| Priority | Channel | Why | Ongoing effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google Business Profile | First contact in local searches, opening hours, directions, calls | Low, but regular |
| 2 | Your own website | Menu, bookings, enquiries, your own data with no platform in between | Check monthly |
| 3 | Reviews | Trust and prominence, they influence local rankings | Reply weekly |
| 4 | One social media channel | Atmosphere, regulars, events | One to three posts a week |
| 5 | Other channels | Newsletter, Apple Maps, platforms, ads | Depending on your goal |
How to set up the profile completely is explained in the guide to the Google Business Profile. What belongs on the website is covered in Restaurant website: the 13 things your guests look for. How to ask for reviews fairly and respond to criticism is in the guide to Google reviews.
The weekly plan: 30 minutes on a fixed day
Set a fixed time, ideally on a quiet morning before service. Put it in your calendar like a delivery slot. Once the basics are set up, the following five steps fit into half an hour.
Reply to reviews (10 minutes)
Read and reply to all new reviews on Google and the most important platforms, critical ones first. Short and personal, without stock phrases that sound copied.
Check opening hours and special dates (5 minutes)
Are the hours right for the next two weeks? Public holidays, company holidays, private events or an early kitchen close belong in your Google profile as special hours and on your website. You can create consistent hours for Google, your website and the door sign with the free opening hours generator.
Publish one post (10 minutes)
One post is enough: the new dish of the week, an event, a look into the kitchen. You can use the same content as a Google post and on your social media channel, slightly adapted for each.
Upload photos (3 minutes)
Add two or three current photos from the week to your Google profile: dishes, dining room, terrace or outdoor seating, team. Real pictures look more credible than stock photos.
Work through messages and enquiries (2 minutes)
Check open messages on Google, Instagram, Facebook or by email and reply, or pass them on to the person responsible.
The monthly plan: one hour for upkeep and a look ahead
Once a month, take a little more time. This is not about individual posts, but about making sure all your details are correct and the next month is prepared. The last week of the month is a good slot.
Monthly tasks
- Compare the menu on your website with the menu in your venue: dishes, prices, allergens
- Click through the website on a phone: phone number, booking, contact form, directions
- Check your Google profile: suggested edits, photos from guests, category, links
- Check listings on platforms and directories for consistent details
- Write down the numbers: views and actions in your Google profile, website visits, number and average of reviews
- Enter topics and dates for next month into the content calendar
- Prepare posts for next month's events and promotions
Pay particular attention to suggested edits to your Google profile: Google and users can propose changes to opening hours, phone number or address. If you open the profile regularly, you spot wrong details before guests end up in front of a locked door.
The yearly plan: plan occasions early
Many guests plan occasions weeks ahead: Christmas parties, Mother's Day, Easter, weddings. If you only post about them a week before, you are too late. So once a year, perhaps in your quietest month, sit down with the team and enter all important dates. For every occasion, decide when you will announce it.
| Period | Typical occasions | When to announce online |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | Valentine's Day, carnival (Fasching), Lent, company holidays | Valentine's Day from mid-January |
| April to June | Easter, Mother's Day, asparagus and wild garlic season, start of outdoor seating | Easter and Mother's Day four to six weeks ahead |
| July to September | Summer menu, terrace, school holidays, summer break, autumn menu | Enter the summer break in your profile as soon as it is planned |
| October to December | Game, St Martin's goose, Christmas parties, Advent, New Year's Eve, holiday hours | Christmas parties from September, holiday hours in early December |
Every type of business has its own highlights: a café has brunch and Easter cakes, a bar has sports screenings and New Year's Eve, a hotel has school holidays and trade fairs, a Heuriger its opening dates. Ideas for seasonal specials throughout the year are collected in the guide to seasonal specials and the yearly calendar. How to promote individual events on your website, Google and social media is covered in Promoting events online.
Content calendar: collect ideas instead of hunting for them
A content calendar is nothing more than a list with date, topic, channel and person responsible. You don't need special software: a spreadsheet, a shared calendar or a sheet on the office noticeboard will do. What matters is that everyone on the team knows where it is.
- Recurring formats save the most time: “Dish of the week” on Monday, “Behind the scenes” on Wednesday, a weekend tip on Friday.
- Idea bank: write ideas down as soon as they come up, such as a new supplier, an anniversary or a question guests often ask.
- One piece of content, several channels: a good photo with a short text becomes a Google post, an Instagram story and a note on the website.
- Work ahead: prepare several posts in quiet weeks and publish them later with the platforms' scheduling features.
How to get it right
- Use a few channels regularly
- Show real photos from the kitchen, dining room and team
- Announce promotions well before the occasion
- Add dates to Google posts about events and offers
Better not
- Start on five platforms at once and stop after a month
- Use stock photos that don't show your venue
- Leave old promotions online
- Keep up social media while your profile shows the wrong opening hours
The same principle applies to Instagram: two good posts a week beat seven half-hearted ones. How to build your profile, reels and stories is explained in Instagram for restaurants.
Sharing tasks within the team
Online marketing doesn't have to stay the boss's job. Many tasks can be shared well, as long as it is clear who does what and where the limits are. A proven split: the owner or manager keeps reviews and anything legal, the team supplies photos and ideas, and one person who enjoys social media looks after the channel.
| Task | Who fits well | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Replying to reviews | Owner or manager | Weekly |
| Opening hours and special dates | Manager, together with the staff rota | Weekly |
| Photos from kitchen and service | Head chef, service team | Ongoing |
| Social media posts | A team member who is interested in it | One to three times a week |
| Menu and prices online | Kitchen and management | With every change, checked monthly |
| Numbers and yearly plan | Owner | Monthly and yearly |
Measuring success without getting lost
You don't need elaborate reports. Writing down a few numbers once a month is enough to see whether the work pays off. Under “Performance”, the Google Business Profile shows how often your profile was viewed and how many people called, requested directions or visited your website. Google Search Console shows which search terms people use to find your website. Also ask guests when they book how they heard about you.
Compare with the same month last year, not with the previous month: a day-trip destination has different numbers in July than in November. Which figures are worth tracking and how to measure in a privacy-friendly way is explained in the guide to measuring success.
More reviews without extra effort
Create a QR code that leads straight to the review form of your Google profile, for table stands, receipts or the menu.
Your online marketing plan at a glance
- Google profile complete, website up to date, reviews get replies
- A fixed 30-minute slot every week in your calendar
- One hour a month for upkeep, numbers and a look ahead
- Yearly plan with all occasions and announcement dates
- Content calendar with recurring formats
- Responsibilities and stand-ins agreed within the team
A website you can update in minutes
See in a free preview how your venue can look online with an up-to-date menu, opening hours and bookings.
A free preview of your venue website, designed by us.
