Starbucks
Fast-food chains are turning to Instagram to bring in new customers.
"Instagram and food are kind of made for each other — I would say it’s the perfect platform for food," Sonic CMO Todd Smith recently told Business Insider.
However, if Sonic wants to successfully turn Instagram likes into fast-food sales, it needs to catch up with the competition.
Engagement Labs recently released a report ranking the top restaurant brands on social media, according to Nation's Restaurant News. The tech and data company ranked the chains by measuring engagement (an amalgam of likes, comments, favorites, shares, clicks, etc.) generated by content, as well as how many users could be exposed to content through organic, viral, and paid reach.
Here are the 10 quick-service chains that outrank the rest of the industry when it comes to Instagram:
10. Chipotle
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Chipotle fills its Instagram with clever captions. On April 20, for example, the chain noted: "Usually when you roll something this good, it's illegal." (Fortunately, marijuana is legal in Denver, Colorado, where the burrito chain is based.)
9. Domino's
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As Domino's doubles down on mobile (more than half of its orders are through digital channels), it has been sure to pack its Instagram feed with endless photos of appetizing pizzas.
8. Pizza Hut
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Pizza Hut has the most followers of any other pizza chain in the business, with about 669,000.
7. Taco Bell
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Taco Bell is one of the most social media-savvy chains around, with an extremely active Snapchat account in addition to an Instagram filled with brightly-colored food photos.
6. Chick-fil-A
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Chick-fil-A's recent explosive growth extends to Instagram, where the chain has more than 400,000 followers.
5. Culver's
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While most of the country may not have heard of the burger-and-custard chain, its primarily Midwestern customer base is extremely loyal to Culver's.
4. Whataburger
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Texans' intense love for the regional chain means plenty of engagement on Whataburger's Instagram.
3. Shake Shack
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Shake Shack has the most active user base in the quick-service industry, according to Engagement Labs' data.
2. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
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Krispy Kreme has an ideal mix of photos of both seasonal treats and the classic glazed doughnut.
1. Starbucks
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Starbucks has by far the farthest reach in the industry, with more than 8.5 million Instagram followers eager for photos of the chain's creative and aesthetically-pleasing beverages.
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