Got Stuck? Try These 10 Restaurant Marketing Ideas
Running a successful restaurant business isn’t an easy job. With rising competition every day, and with most customers on the hunt for new food experiences, many restaurants eventually suffer a slump. To help your sales pick up, why not try these ten restaurant marketing ideas? We know they shall improve your business and help you get the deserved attention you seek.
1. Develop a clear brand identity
Even if your restaurant is only starting to take off, think big. Pay a closer look at your brand identity. Ask yourself, who is your target customer? What makes your restaurant stand out among the rest? Reflect on these points on your social media platforms. It could be your large family or teen customers, or it could be your retro interior style or current, hipster vibe.
2. Make an appealing online menu
You won’t believe how restaurant marketing is positively influenced by high-quality, user-friendly online menus. Loyal as well as prospective customers usually do research before ordering from or visiting your restaurant. Don’t give them a hard time looking up your menu, but rather offer them an accurate and updated one.
3. Partner up with an online ordering system
When it comes to restaurant marketing, this one is an absolute winner. With an online ordering website or application, menus get easily accessed, orders placed, and payments accepted from a distance. Your restaurant is; thus, promoted on the online ordering system, orders are organized, and the ordering process is made simple for customers.
For the best online ordering management platform for restaurants, check out Taker
4. Post mouth-watering food photos
As it is frequently said that “People eat with their eyes first”, you may want to go visual with your restaurant marketing. Pick out your best dishes, and get them photographed by a professional food photographer and stylist. Post them on your website and social media, especially Instagram where playing with popular hashtags and coming up with new ones can be loads of fun.
For Instagram marketing for restaurants, check out these twelve detailed ideas here
5. Turn your customers into marketers
Host a photo contest and ask customers to share a photo they’ve taken of their favorite dish at your restaurant. Share the entries on your social media platforms and make sure to award winners with discount coupons or free side dishes! Such a restaurant marketing tactic will cost you almost nothing, but you’ll get a ton of engagement and publicity in return.
6. Do influencer outreach
It is a great way to get honest reviews and press on the web. All you have to do is get in touch with food bloggers – preferably the ones interested in your specialty cuisine – and invite them to give your restaurant a try. Some food bloggers have thousands of followers. Imagine getting honest, positive reviews of your restaurant posted on their social media platforms! That is what we call clever restaurant marketing.
To learn more about influencer restaurant marketing, click here
7. Go old-school blogging
You may think blogs are so yesterday, but Google thinks otherwise. A recent study found that blogs are the third most influential digital resource (31%) when making purchase decisions after retail and brand sites; 56% and 34%, respectively. On your blog, share your success stories, struggles, or even recipes that customers find of great benefit.
8. Offer discounts, coupons, and giveaways
This tactic never gets old, for people tend to like anything free/discounted. By advertising your offers online, you’ll increase your exposure and will have customers running to place orders. Another restaurant marketing strategy that works well in keeping customers coming back is a loyalty program. How does it work? In return for placing a certain number of orders, a customer gets a special discount.
9. Send out an email newsletter
By sending your customers a monthly email newsletter, they will be kept updated without having their inbox flooded by email messages. There is various stuff to share with your customers via emails such as new menu items, expansions and milestones, and special discounts.
10. Target ads to your geographic location
In restaurant marketing, you win the game by going local. Investing in geo-targeted ads saves you money and ensures targeting customers within your geographic radius. This works on Google and other social media ads alike. A more current restaurant marketing tactic is to make sure your ads are visible on mobile phones. Mobile ads work well during dinnertime, especially when people are looking for dining options while on the move.
