Restaurant Marketing Finland: How I Rescued a Local Brand

The Beginning: A Restaurant With Great Food but Dead Socials

Every marketer has that one project where theory meets chaos. For me, it was a small restaurant here in Lahti — amazing food, lovely people, and zero online life. Their socials were inactive, their Google profile was half-done, and their customer flow reflected it.

So, I did what any marketing-obsessed creator would do: grabbed my camera and decided to shoot raw content to bring this brand back to life.

This post breaks down every step I took — the strategy, the execution, the frictions — so you can replicate the same system for your own local clients or small business.

Phase 1: Strategy — Attention First, Always

The goal was simple: build attention velocity. That means creating enough consistent, engaging content to make people stop scrolling and start noticing.

Here’s the situation:

• Inactive social accounts

• Low awareness in the local area

• No content pipeline or system

The objective: generate visibility that would drive Google searches, profile visits, and — ultimately — walk-ins.

To do this, I built a plan around a framework I call The 3Vs: Vibe, Value, and Vouch.

• Vibe: Capture the atmosphere — decor, music, the overall feel of the restaurant.

• Value: Show what makes the food special — ingredients, prep, cleanliness, portion sizes.

• Vouch: Highlight credibility — owners, staff, or customers sharing something authentic.

That last part, “vouch,” turned out tricky. The owners were camera-shy, but I found creative ways to fill that gap later through captions, storytelling, and voiceovers.

Phase 2: Execution — Shooting, Editing, and Packaging the Content

I decided to keep the content lean and authentic. Just macro food shots, prep sequences, and plating moments. These clips became the raw fuel for all social media channels.

Then came editing. For Instagram and TikTok, my golden rule was:
Fast cuts, strong hooks, and short length — 15 to 20 seconds max.

Each video was edited with:

• Fast-paced transitions and effects

• Finnish voiceovers to connect with locals

• Captions to boost engagement and retention

Even though each clip looked effortless, it took serious time and attention to make it all come together. The goal wasn’t perfection — it was momentum.

The Secret Weapon: AI-Assisted Copywriting

For captions and post copies, I teamed up with my favorite assistant — ChatGPT.

The structure for each caption:

1. A promise or hook in the first line

2. The location or offer in the second line

3. A call-to-action (CTA) to encourage a visit

Everything was written in Finnish and optimized for social engagement. This workflow made the posting process fast and efficient without losing creativity.

Posting Strategy: Cross-Platform Cadence

For the first two weeks, I posted every single day.
Sounds simple, but it was a grind.

I used one creative per day and cross-posted across all platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts). I also repurposed the same footage in different aspect ratios to fit each channel’s format.

For Instagram and Facebook Stories, I added:

• Food photos

• Polls and questions

• Quick behind-the-scenes snippets

Each post linked to the restaurant’s Google Business Profile and website, creating a full loop from discovery to search to visit.

Tracking and Optimization: Data Over Guesswork

After two weeks of consistent posting, I started gathering data.
Social media metrics were easy to track, but Google was another story.

I began optimizing the Google My Business profile — cleaning it up, adding images, and preparing to track actions like “call,” “directions,” and “website clicks.”

The plan is simple: use these insights to refine future content batches and convert attention into actual foot traffic.

The Frictions and Fixes

No creative project runs smoothly.
Here were my biggest roadblocks — and how I fixed them:

1. Content Volume Overload:
Two weeks of unique content is a mountain. My fix was smart cross-posting — one piece of content reformatted for multiple platforms.

2. Brand Inconsistency:
The restaurant had no visual identity. I standardized fonts, colors, and layouts, eventually creating templates that saved hours and kept everything on-brand.

Over time, the process became faster, cleaner, and far more efficient.

What Comes Next

This project taught me how powerful raw content and AI-assisted marketing can be for small local businesses.

The next steps:

• Fine-tune the system based on analytics

• Build stronger “vouch” content with the owners on camera

• Share a follow-up video with all the results

For now, the restaurant’s online presence has gone from ghost town to buzzing feed — and it all started with a camera, an idea, and a little help from AI.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a small business owner or a local marketer, remember this:
You don’t need a Hollywood setup to grow online. You just need a consistent system, real stories, and a way to connect with your audience where they already are.

At ArcInfini, that’s exactly what we help you build — custom marketing strategies designed for your brand, your story, and your city.