How To Get More Email Subscribers For Your Restaurant

Email marketing is a strong component to your marketing mix.

Email marketing is, or should be, a huge component to your digital marketing war chest. Why?

According to global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, email is your best bet when it comes to the online acquisition of new customers. In a study, they found the following to be true:

“91% of all US consumers still use e-mail daily, and the rate at which e-mails prompt purchases is not only estimated to be at least three times that of social media, but the average order value is also 17% higher.”

Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach your customers. (tweet this) What’s more, they want to hear from you because they’ve handed over their email address and given you permission.

Consider, also, the following: nearly 87% of consumers say they would go to or order from a restaurant if provided with a savings offer.

Now that we’ve made a case for the importance of email marketing, let’s talk about how to get more email subscribers for your restaurant.

Use Your Wi-Fi as a Tool

If you are one of the many restaurants offering free Wi-Fi to your diners, it’s time to leverage this and ask for a little something in return. We suggest putting a “gate” on your Wi-Fi.

This is done through a tool like ZenReach. By using this in your restaurant, you get immediate access to a customer’s email the first time they access your Wi-Fi. Then, each time they return to your restaurant, the system learns more about them including their spending habits.

ZenReach can use this information to help you send out intelligent emails. Consider customer, John Smith. John accesses your Wi-Fi and hands over his email. He eats dinner. Then, ZenReach automatically sends him a thank you email.

You can also set your email marketing up to send relevant information to your customers, such as a Happy Birthday gift, a promo for their 10^th visit, and much more.

It’s also worth noting what ZenReach can do with your “lost” customers. Once it sends out an email, it can tell you if they returned to your restaurant after getting your message.

Using your restaurant’s Wi-Fi as a tool to get more email subscribers is a simply way to get more names and drive repeat business.

Leverage Social Media

We recommend including sign up forms on all of your social media platforms. Facebook allows you to add an app from your email service provider. With other platforms, you may need to use your about us section to include a link to your email sign up landing page.

Another great tool is Twitter Lead Generation Cards. With this tool, customers can join your list without ever leaving Twitter. You can also use this tool in your Twitter ad campaigns. Here’s how it works:

• Create a card with a short description. Here’s where you’ll tell them what the benefits are for joining your list.
• Add an image and strong call to action.
• When a person clicks your Tweet, their contact info is pre-populated by Twitter. So, if they like your offer, all they have to do is click your call to action to join your list.
• Later, you can print a CSV file of email subscribers. Alternatively, Twitter integrates with MailChimp, SalesForce, InfusionSoft and others. You can then start sending automated email immediately.

Another way to grow your list is with Facebook’s fairly new call to action button that is seen right on your timeline photo. You have several options including contact us, shop now and others.

Today, we are focused on the email sign up button. You can link this button to a landing page with your sign up form. This is a great way to get more email subscribers.

Add a Pop-Up Sign Up Form

These types of sign up forms are proven effective. The best time to add a pop-up sign up form is when your website visitors are about to leave. (tweet this) This is called the exit intent pop-up.

For example, say a visitor is browsing your online menu. As they click away, you offer a pop-up with an offer such as a free appetizer in return for their email address.

You’ve made it easy for them to join your email list and given them a bonus in the process.

People are more apt to sign up for your email list when they’re offered something in return.

Offer an Incentive

Another way to get more email subscribers for your restaurant is to offer an incentive. This involves you offering something in exchange for your website visitor’s email address. Here are some incentive ideas:

• Offer a coupon for email sign up.
• Offer an exclusive recipe for email sign up.
• Offer exclusive event information to people who give you their email.
• Offer a discount on a cooking class for email sign up.
• Offer an exclusive meet and great with your chef for email sign up.

Add a Sign Up to Your Checkout Page

If you offer online ordering, don’t miss the chance to either add a sign up box or check box for your customers. Invite them to join your email list to learn more about your loyalty program or to receive weekly/monthly specials and/or coupons.

Conduct a Survey

Surveys are a great way to get ratings and reviews from your satisfied restaurant customers, but they’re also a great way to build your email list.

For example, after they complete your online survey, you can offer them a coupon or membership to your rewards program in return for their email. You can drive this from inside your restaurant, your website or social media.

To Conclude

The secret to email marketing is growing your email subscriber list coupled with forming a strategy. Once you’ve started building your email list, it’s important to make a plan.

Lay out a month or two worth of emails. Set up your automated responses. Above all, test your emails as well as your methods for garnering new email subscribers. Testing is the only way you’ll know what works and what doesn’t.

We encourage you to start at least one of these list building tactics today. You’ll be surprised at how fast your email list grows!

Have you found another way to get more email subscribers for your restaurant? We’d love to hear your tips and tricks and email marketing success stories! Please share them below.

Images: Yoel Ben-Avraham and Tom Page