Restaurants throughout the world are using social media to increase exposure and attract diners, and at the same time foodies are using social media to share photos of their culinary adventures. To run a successful social media marketing campaign, restaurants must focus on not only what they are doing, but also what others are doing.

With the popularity of Instagram, Facebook, Yelp and a variety of other social networks that allow the sharing of photos, we can say with 100% certainty that images of food will be posted on a regular basis. And often times photos are accompanied by a check-in.

Restaurants must understand they’re only as good as the last dish they send out the window, and must ensure that every plate leaving the kitchen is properly executed and visually appealing. The reality is that the kitchen has no idea if the food they’re preparing is for a regular that doesn’t care about presentation, or on the other hand an influential food blogger with 50,000 followers on Instagram.

The moral of the story is that restaurant social media marketing success is derived from having a supportive team both internally and externally. The internal team consists of management, cooks, and the marketing arm, while the external team consists of patrons themselves. People that eat at an establishment, are satisfied with their experience, and therefore decide to share photos with others.

Whether you work with a mom and pop restaurant or a global restaurant chain, it’s imperative to hold a meeting to ensure everyone understands how critical plating is.