Tips for Using Coupons in Restaurant Marketing
Just like any other business, the restaurant business is all about making a profit. This greatly depends on restaurant marketing to drive dining traffic. Two ways to achieve that are first, increase the retention rate of your current customers so that they become what is known in the business as “loyal customers”. Second, grab the attention of new customers and drive them into your restaurant.
How do coupons drive dining traffic?
Coupons should be a top restaurant marketing strategy. When you offer current customers a “bounce-back” coupon, their loyalty is strengthened. As for new customers, a “first-time” coupon attracts them to choose your restaurant over the rest.
Below we elaborate on how restaurant marketing may benefit from coupons to generate traffic in addition to a few tips for their use.
1. Coupons win new customers
Some people who haven’t heard of your restaurant. Also, some potential customers may have heard of you but need that extra incentive to drop by or place an order. In both cases, coupons work and help you widen your target market. It might just be the tweak your restaurant marketing strategy needs, especially in tough times.
2. Coupons attract Internet users
Many people browse the Internet searching for new dining options. A smart restaurant marketing tactic is to have your website’s homepage show a coupon or even mention it in your website’s meta description on Google as it pops up in the search results. This gives your restaurant an edge over competing businesses.
3. Coupons grab the money-savvy
Some people are coupon shoppers who simply won’t buy anything without a coupon. It’s worth mentioning that according to a study, coupon users visit restaurants on an average of 7 times a month as opposed to 4.8 times for non-coupon users; another reason to keep coupons a part of your restaurant marketing strategy.
Tips for using coupons to drive dining traffic
1. Email your coupons
To send coupons through an email marketing system won’t cost much as you’ll only bear the cost of your email service provider.
It’s a good idea to set up a coupon strategy before you send out coupons to all registered customers. For instance, you can send out a coupon with a certain percentage of discount to current customers. Another coupon with an extra discount could be sent out to new customers right after they sign up along with the welcome email.
2. Post your coupons on social media
Go the traditional way and post your coupons on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You probably know that restaurant marketing heavily relies on social media ads as well. So, running a geo-targeted ad with your coupon is one good idea.
Another idea is to have the ad direct users to a landing page on your website where they must sign up for your email list to access the coupon.
3. SMS message your coupons
If your restaurant marketing plan includes SMS messaging, you may simply send your customers coupons in your text messages. Anyone subscribed to your text message marketing list shall receive the coupons. To get more people to sign up for text messaging, let them know through a social media post that upon signing up they’ll receive a coupon. It’s a win-win for everyone.
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