Marketing

TikToker influence growing in restaurant industry

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October 1, 2021

TikTok'ers like restaurants and will patronize ones they see on videos.

That's a prime finding of a national TikTok survey that revealed 36% of TikTok users have visited or ordered food from a restaurant after seeing the restaurant on the social media platform.

Additionally, 65% of TikTok content creators have visited or ordered food from a restaurant after viewing videos on TikTok.

The survey was conducted by franchise marketing and communications agency MGH, and polled 701 TikTok users in the U.S, according to a press release. There are 65.9 million monthly active TikTok users in the U.S. and 1 billion global active users.

The survey found food matters for TikTok'ers, serving as the key driver behind why people visit or order food from restaurants after seeing TikTok restaurant content. Of the surveyed users, 55% said they wanted to visit the restaurant because the food looked appetizing, and 51% wanted to because the video showed a unique food item.

"As TikTok continues to grow in popularity, many restaurant marketers have been left wondering if the platform is worth the investment. The results of our survey show it is," Ryan Goff, EVP, social media marketing director at MGH, said in the release. "Often restaurants and other businesses are hesitant to invest in new platforms, but the increasing popularity and breadth of users — coupled with direct feedback from users — demonstrate the power of TikTok and should encourage restaurant owners to add this platform to their marketing mix."

Other TikTok restaurant stats include:

• More than 45% said they would be interested in visiting a restaurant in a different state based on a TikTok video, with 35% saying they have already done so.
• 38% wanted to visit a restaurant they saw on TikTok because the video showed a cool atmosphere.
• 36% wanted to visit the restaurant because the TikTok video showed a cool way of serving food or beverages.
• Nearly 30% cited a great view as the driver for their interest in visiting.