Want to Improve Your Restaurant Marketing – Do This
Restaurant marketing has evolved over the past 10 years. What once involved primarily written pieces, now encompasses many forms of media.
Your marketing strategies now include a different type of message. The message is one that instead of telling people why they shouldn’t go to the competition tells them why they should come to your restaurant.
Current restaurant marketing nurtures customers. It draws them by engaging with them and building relationships. So, as the marketing evolves over time, so must your strategy. (tweet this)
If you want to improve your restaurant marketing, do this. In this article, we look at some innovative techniques for moving your marketing strategy forward.
Reach Out to Bloggers and Influencers
One great way to take your restaurant marketing to the next level is to network with others.
This is a great way to increase the reach of your restaurant and introduce new people to your dining experience. It also lends credibility to your restaurant when local bloggers and influences are talking about you.
Reach out to these people. Take them samples from your restaurant. Invite them to dine free of charge. Then, ask them to share content about your restaurant.
This will help increase brand awareness and drive customers to your door.
Take Online Orders
Convenience is key in today’s marketplace. So, make it very easy for diners to access your food.
Many people would rather order online and have it delivered or pick it up than sit in your restaurant for a longer period of time.
A bonus of this is that you get new customers’ email addresses, and you can further market to these people through your email marketing system. You can also re-market to them using paid ads on Facebook.
Use Email Marketing
Restaurant email marketing is not dead. In fact, it’s one of the best forms of advertising for your restaurant and attracting and retaining customers. (tweet this)
If you aren’t currently using this, it’s a must for your marketing strategy.
Over 102 trillion emails are sent each year, and people do read them. Those numbers will continue to increase.
No matter what age group you are trying to reach, email is a highly effective strategy with some people checking their email more than 20 times per day.
Your restaurant emails allow you to get in front of current and potential customers on an ongoing basis. Through email, you can share promotions, specials, events, recipes, and more.
Create an email marketing strategy today to improve your overall marketing.
Create Social Media Contests
People are competitive by nature, and they love to enter contests on social media.
You can use contests to improve your marketing because when people enter contests, they have to give you their email addresses.
This makes contests a win-win for everyone – they get a chance to win something special from your restaurant, and you get easy access to their email inbox.
Promote your brand at least once a month with a social media contests. You’ll gain new followers, boost your brand awareness, and get more people interacting with your social media page.
Work on Getting More Reviews
Positive online reviews are the lifeblood of your restaurant. Imagine someone was searching for “Italian food near me.” You offer Italian food. Your restaurant shows up on the Google search page next to five other restaurants that serve Italian food.
Four of the restaurants have two-three stars, but your restaurant has five stars. Nearly all of those searchers will visit you and not the competition.
The more reviews your restaurant has, the more you’ll create trust with your customers. So, create a strategy for soliciting more.
In addition, you want to respond to every review that comes in, positive or negative. You can bet a negative review or two will come in, so you want to reply with empathy and kindness and offer some sort of solution.
Handle your negative reviews sympathetically because others are watching.
You can set up a Google Alert for your business to get notified when new reviews come in. Don’t forget to check Facebook as well.
Update Your Website
Has it been a few years since you’ve really updated your website? To improve your overall marketing, you want to take a good look at it. Check the following:
- Is it mobile-friendly?
- Do you have professional looking, up-to-date photos?
- Is there any online ordering platform?
- Do you have a spot for people to sign up for your emails?
- Is your website user friendly? Check your Google Analytics to see where people are going on your site, and how they are getting there.
- Have you updated your SEO (search engine optimization) lately?
Updating your website is vital because search engines want to see new content.
One way to do this is through blogging, and this is another great tool to improve your marketing.
Blog by sharing tips and tricks, recipes, videos, and fun information about your restaurant.
Create a Loyalty Program
It’s easier to retain a customer than it is to get a new one, and this is where a loyalty program comes in.
Not only is it a great retention tool, but it can help you increase your sales by encouraging customers to spend more.
Be sure and have access and invitations to it in your restaurant, on your website, in your emails, and on your social media.
Use Instagram
If you aren’t currently using this social media platform, it’s time to jump on board and create some great posts.
You have an advantage over other Instagram users because you have access to beautiful photos of food, and everyone likes to eat.
Posting beautiful photos of your food, your employees and customers, you can share your restaurant with others and increase brand awareness.
The most important thing with Instagram is to create professional, beautiful photos because Instagram is a visual platform. You probably have a great camera right in your pocket – your smartphone.
When sharing, do include a caption, emojis, and hashtags. A good rule of thumb is eight-10 hashtags. Do include local ones since you’re appealing to a local audience.
Final Thoughts
To improve your restaurant marketing, first you want to create a strategy.
Create a calendar and a list of tactics. Then, use the tactics, test them, and revise as necessary.
Know that some things will work, and some won’t. Be patient and flexible so you can adapt to meet changing needs.
With marketing in the digital age, you can always change it up and make it better to increase your results.
Get creative, start marketing, and watch the sales roll in.
At Restaurant Engine, not only do we create great, responsive websites, but you can count on us to create a website that drives business to your restaurant and edges you above the competition by using mobile-friendly design with a terrific user experience. Ready to take the plunge and create a website with an online menu, blog and beautiful photos? Get your free website consultation today!
Images: Merakist and Campaign Creators on Unsplash
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