What to Include in Your Influencer Brief for Restaurant Promotions

Working with food influencers is one of the most effective ways to increase restaurant traffic, generate buzz, and grow your online presence. But here’s the secret: the success of your campaign depends on how well you brief your creators. 🙌

A clear, thoughtful influencer brief sets expectations, avoids confusion, and helps influencers create content that actually drives results—like more bookings, takeout orders, or social media followers. 📈

Whether you're hosting one local foodie or launching a city-wide campaign with Mustard, this guide will walk you through what to include in your influencer brief (with real-world examples and tips!).

💡 Why the Influencer Brief Matters

Imagine inviting someone to your restaurant without telling them what to wear, what you’re serving, or what you’d like them to do. It’d be chaos, right?

An influencer brief:

• Aligns everyone on the goal 🎯
• Saves time and back-and-forth 💬
• Helps creators deliver high-performing content 📸
• Ensures you can legally use the content they produce 📜

At Mustard, we’ve seen campaigns perform 2–3x better when influencers receive a clear brief before their visit.

🧾 What to Include in Your Influencer Brief (With Examples)

Here’s a full checklist of what to include in your influencer brief for restaurant promotions 👇

✅ 1. Campaign Overview

Start with the basics:

• Who you are (restaurant name + vibe)
• What you’re promoting (e.g. new menu, delivery app launch, special event)
• Why you’re partnering with the creator

Example:

"We’re launching our summer patio menu at Shorebird Tacos and would love to invite you for a hosted visit. Our goal is to showcase our limited-edition birria tacos and tropical cocktails on social!"

✅ 2. Key Details About the Visit

Avoid confusion by including:

• Date/time of visit (or range of availability)
• Contact person at the restaurant
• Reservation name or confirmation
• Address + parking info
• What’s covered (e.g. comped meal, drinks, tip)

Example:

"Your dinner for 2 is fully covered (including dessert & drinks). Just let the host know you’re there for the influencer tasting under ‘Mustard Campaign.’"

✅ 3. Content Deliverables

Be clear about what you expect them to post—without stifling creativity.

Common deliverables:

• 1 Instagram Reel or TikTok
• 1 in-feed carousel or photo
• 1–3 Instagram Stories
• Must tag: @restaurantname
• Use hashtags: #YourBrand #YourCityEats

Tip: Don’t write a script—but give guidance on what to feature (e.g. ambiance, staff, a specific dish).

Example:

“Please highlight our flaming tomahawk steak and cocktails if possible—they’re our top-performing dishes.”

✅ 4. Brand Guidelines

Keep this short, but helpful:

• Restaurant vibe (casual, upscale, family-friendly, nightlife)
• Preferred tone (fun, elegant, authentic, bold)
• Anything to avoid (e.g. profanity, music with swearing, competitor tags)
• Optional talking points (e.g. locally sourced, 100% vegan)

🎨 Bonus: Include a few visual examples or links to past content you loved.

✅ 5. Usage Rights (Very Important!)

Let creators know how you plan to use their content:

• Can you repost to your Instagram or website?
• Can you use it in paid ads or email campaigns?
• Will you tag them when you share?

✅ Be clear—and respectful. Most influencers are happy to share rights if you ask up front.

Mustard Tip: Campaigns run through Mustard include automatic content rights for repurposing. Easy peasy. 🍋

✅ 6. Tracking or Promo Links (Optional)

If you're running a promo code or want to track conversions:

• Share UTM links, QR codes, or promo codes
• Ask them to include swipe-up links in stories (if eligible)
• Track usage to measure performance 📊

Example:

“Use code MUSTARD10 for 10% off online orders. We’ll send you your custom link to share in Stories!”

✅ 7. Deadline & Post Date

Let them know:

• When you’d like the content to go live
• If there’s a launch date or embargo
• If you’d like to review content before it goes live (optional)

Example:

“Please post within 3 days of your visit—or by Friday, April 28 at the latest. Let us know if that’s an issue!”

✅ 8. How to Contact You

Always include:

• Email or phone number
• Instagram handle (for DM questions)
• Mustard campaign manager info (if using our platform)

Make it easy for the creator to reach out if they have a question.

🧡 Mustard Makes Briefing Easy

We get it—coordinating with multiple creators can get messy.

That’s why Mustard does the heavy lifting for you:

• Automatically generates influencer briefs
• Handles content requests, scheduling, and reminders
• Tracks campaign results in one dashboard
• Ensures usage rights are clearly agreed upon

👉 Start your influencer campaign with Mustard

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