How to promote your restaurant on Facebook & Instagram
In this article
Restaurant marketplaces can bring new diners through the door, but they charge a fee, typically a monthly subscription plus a cost per cover, every time someone books through them. Facebook and Instagram let you reach the same local diners directly, often at a lower cost per booking, while keeping the guest relationship (and their data) with your restaurant instead of a third party.
This guide walks through setting up both channels and explains when they’re the better option.
Part 1: Set up your foundation
Before running ads or adding booking buttons, you need the right accounts linked together.
- Create a Facebook Business Page for your restaurant if you don’t already have one (facebook.com/pages/create).
- Convert your Instagram account to a Business or Creator account: in the Instagram app, go to Settings → Account type and tools → Switch to Professional Account.
- Link the two accounts: in Instagram settings, connect to your Facebook Page. This lets you manage both from one place and keeps booking buttons in sync.
- Set up Meta Business Suite (business.facebook.com). This is your control center for posting, messaging, and ads across both platforms.
Part 2: Add a “Reserve” or “Book Now” button
This turns your profile into a direct booking channel, no marketplace listing required. With the Resos Reserve with Facebook & Instagram add-on, guests can book a table directly from your profiles. Reserve with Facebook & Instagram is a paid add-on, so it requires an active paid plan; see the setup guide for what else has to be in place first.
- Go to your Instagram profile → Edit Profile → Action Buttons.
- Choose Book Now or Reserve.
- Select your booking provider from the list and log in to authorize the connection.
- If your Facebook and Instagram accounts are linked, the button will automatically appear on your Facebook Page too.
Once live, anyone browsing your profile can book a table in two taps: no phone call, no third-party app, no commission.
Once your accounts are linked and the booking button is live, the next step is getting people to look at your profile in the first place. See content and ads that drive Facebook and Instagram bookings for organic posting and paid ads guidance.
Part 3: Why this can beat a marketplace
| Facebook / Instagram | Third-party marketplaces | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost structure | Ad spend you control, no per-cover fee | Monthly subscription plus a per-cover fee for every booking through their network |
| Guest data | Stays with your restaurant (CRM, email, remarketing) | Largely stays with the marketplace |
| Brand control | Your page, your content, no competitor listings nearby | Diners see competing restaurants on the same page |
| Repeat guests | Free to reach again via organic posts, email, retargeting ads | You pay the same per-cover fee whether it’s a first-timer or a regular |
| Discovery for new restaurants | Limited, depends on your existing following and ad spend | Strong, marketplaces have built-in diner traffic actively searching |
The short version: marketplaces are good at discovery, putting your restaurant in front of people who weren’t already looking for you. Facebook and Instagram are good at conversion and retention, turning your existing audience, past guests, and local awareness into bookings without an ongoing per-cover cost.
When a marketplace still makes sense
- You’re a new restaurant with little local following or reputation yet.
- You’re in a tourist-heavy area where diners are actively browsing marketplace apps rather than searching your name directly.
- You want the review and reputation boost that comes from being listed alongside established restaurants.
Many restaurants use both: a marketplace listing for discovery, and Facebook and Instagram (routed into their own booking system) to capture and retain the guests they’ve already earned, without paying a commission on every single one.
Quick checklist
- Facebook Business Page created
- Instagram converted to a Business or Creator account and linked to Facebook
- “Reserve” or “Book Now” button added and tested
For the content and ads checklist, see content and ads that drive Facebook and Instagram bookings.
We hope you found this guide useful. If you have any questions about promoting your restaurant or any general questions about Resos, do not hesitate to contact us at hi@resos.com. Our support representatives are excited to offer their help!
