Do you also believe that marketing a restaurant can be the most daunting yet critical part of running a successful dining business? As important as food and other services are, marketing to the right people using the right strategies is quite essential as well. It plays a vital role in helping your restaurant sustain itself in the competition. Striking the right balance between restaurant business marketing strategies and maintaining the quality of restaurant services paves the way to success.
With the growing competition in the restaurant business, it is almost impossible to crack the right marketing strategy that will work for you throughout. There has never been and never will be a particular set of marketing strategies that yield positive results forever. It is so because every restaurant has something unique to offer, which fuels more competition. Some restaurants may deliver great service, some may deliver great food, while others may give their audience a great taste at affordable prices.
“According to statista.com, In 2022, the worldwide market size of the full-service restaurant industry was estimated to be 1.5 trillion US dollars. By 2030, this estimated figure is expected to grow to 1.8 trillion US dollars.”
One thing that plays a vital role in moving your restaurant business forward is your customers. Serving your customers in the best possible way helps shape a positive perspective and eventually leads to success. It also brings a long-term business identity to the competitive market. Hence, your marketing strategies must be tailored to target your customers and keep them coming back.
To understand the strategies for marketing your restaurant, let’s first look into its needs. It helps grasp a clear picture of how marketing strategies can transform your failing business into a highly profitable one.
The Need for Marketing Strategies In Your Restaurant
The key goal of restaurant marketing is to create a distinct identity and a lasting impression of restaurants and promote their services to gain more customers. However, many dining business entrepreneurs, in their initial stages, believe that good food and ambiance are the only things that matter to a customer. But it’s not quite right.
Let's examine from the customers' perspective:
Customers have a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to experiencing various dining places. It takes them less than a minute to strike off a restaurant from their list of choices if they don’t find enough information. They tend to choose the one that:
- Provides good food
- Is updated with technology
- Good ambience
- Provides convenience in all aspects
- Offers a decent ambiance and dining experience
Of course, there are many more factors to consider based on the customer’s choices and needs. However, the above-mentioned items top the list.
So, what else is required?
Apart from great food and a pleasant ambiance, business aspects such as customer retention rate, satisfaction, and the business’s unique selling propositions do matter. These factors must also be considered when curating marketing strategies and campaigns. It helps target the right audience and also gives better results.
Marketing your restaurant not only brings more customers to your restaurant but also…
- Builds brand identity
- Increases brand awareness
- Improves customer retention rate
- Increases sales and revenue
- Attracts eligible staff
- Enhances business growth and more.
Although there is no “one way” to crack the marketing strategy for a restaurant business, mastering its basics and focusing on building a brand identity adds more steps to successful campaigns. Marketing to the right audience is crucial, as keeping them coming back is what runs a restaurant.
Let’s dive into the marketing strategies that help boost your sales by 50%.
But there’s a catch…
Merely applying the marketing strategies mentioned below will not yield the desired outcomes until they are tailored to the needs of your business. Hence, it is essential to identify the business model and the marketing strategies. They must target the ideal customer’s pain points. It is also equally important to provide top-notch services in order to keep up with what you have promised in your marketing campaigns.
Let’s get started!
Restaurant Marketing Strategies
First things first. Nothing about marketing is “one size fits all.” If that were true, would any restaurant ever be successful? The marketing techniques of every business vary and require trial and error. It demands strategic planning and execution to attract the right audience. It can’t be done just like your competitor does.
Here are eight restaurant marketing strategies that will help you gain more customers and eventually boost your revenue.
Leverage Digital Platforms
Digital marketing is the most effective approach, while traditional marketing techniques may or may not be applicable to your business. Various digital platforms allow restaurants to market their services. With rapidly changing times, marketing strategies have also turned towards what we depend on the most today– the Internet and technology.
In today’s competitive business world, restaurant businesses need to upgrade themselves with technology. Digital platforms are the new way to build brand awareness. As a restaurant business owner, leveraging platforms that are used by your target audience is one of the vital steps you must take. These platforms not only market or promote your services but also help build the credibility of your restaurant.
For starters, you can build a website for your restaurant that showcases your services, menu, prices, services, customer reviews, etc. It not only builds brand awareness but also sets expectations for your potential customers. Other ways to leverage digital platforms are by using blogs on your website, signing your restaurant up in Google Business, getting your restaurant on food delivery applications, etc.
Social Media Marketing
Another effective digital marketing approach with a high ROI is social media marketing. Restaurants can reach a wider audience as more and more people join various social media platforms. If you think restaurants cannot leverage social media, you are wrong. The goal here is to get more customers and build brand awareness, not just to increase followers.
“Approximately 60% of consumers say they use Instagram to discover new restaurants in the market.”
Social media marketing techniques include profile optimization, engaging with potential customers, informing the crowd about discounts and offers, posting relevant content consistently, etc. Restaurants can also grab attention by posting creative, engaging, and informative content on social media. Hopping on what’s trending and following a strategic approach to marketing your restaurant on social media can increase sales faster.
Incorporate Online Booking
Thanks to technology, online booking of anything and everything is now possible with a few clicks. Not just e-commerce, but also restaurants can make use of online table bookings, ordering, reservations, and more. It is a part of the business automation techniques that can help market the restaurant’s USP. It also provides convenience to customers, making it easy for them to make reservations and order food online.
“According to Capterra’s 2022 Restaurant Automation Survey, 56% of restaurants say automation has increased their revenue.”
Make use of platforms that offer automation services. However, the problem here is that not many automation platforms or systems come with a lot of features. That’s where Picktime comes into play. Picktime is a restaurant scheduling software that manages more than just admin tasks. This online scheduling system enables restaurants to take reservations at any time and from any location.
As a restaurant business, would you keep your customers waiting in line or making numerous calls to confirm a reservation? It keeps swaying the customers away. Hence, to eliminate such inefficiencies, Picktime provides an online booking feature. It offers a unique URL for your restaurant, which can be used to check availability and book tables. This gives more convenience to customers by helping them reserve a table whenever they wish to.
A missed reservation call is a lost customer. So why depend on calls during business hours when Picktime can take in bookings and reservations 24/7?
Picktime stands out from many other automation applications as it provides various features in one place at an affordable price. These features include easy online bookings, automated scheduling, team management, an online calendar, multiple location access, automated reminders, a secure database, third-party integrations, and more. It not only eases restaurant management at your end but also enhances customer satisfaction.
Optimize SEO
SEO is one of the most important marketing strategies to apply. It gives long-term and high returns if applied strategically. Search engine optimization helps rank your business in the search results. This process includes the optimization of web pages or websites to help the search engine find and rank them. It helps potential customers find your website or business profile at the top of the search page, bringing more visibility to your restaurant business.
SEO marketing is one way to give your brand more visibility and get more sales. Strategically applying SEO techniques can bring more visitors to your site and eventually build brand identity. Create a comprehensive local SEO marketing strategy for your restaurant based on location and other factors. Ensure your business profile on the Google business page has a map embedded along with a contact section.
Email Marketing
Contrary to popular belief, people do prefer receiving emails about restaurant offers, discounts, updates, etc. Many restaurant owners believe that no one really opens emails to read a promotion, but this is not always true. To support this statement, the statistics say…
“49% of customers said they wanted weekly promotional emails from their preferred brands.”
Sending an email per week does not harm. Email marketing has a high ROI when applied strategically. This marketing strategy does not require a lot of time or upfront costs, yet it gives great results. Besides social media marketing, email marketing is also an effective strategy. It helps restaurants to engage and interact with customers and target audiences. Create engaging email copies that make the customer take action. Get existing customers to sign up for your newsletter in exchange for an incentive. Anything from a complimentary dish to savings on their subsequent meal could be the incentive.
A few ideas for your next email newsletter are:
- Announce discounts or offers
- Limited-period menu additions
- Give a brief about your restaurant
- Write about the chef’s special meal
- Inspire them with your restaurant’s story
- Send thank-you emails to loyal customers
Paid Advertisements
Paid advertising is a marketing technique that helps restaurants promote their services to targeted audiences after payment agreements are made. When it is done online, restaurants can bid their spots and timings on a particular web page to advertise themselves. Platforms such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads charge to promote your business. They also provide analysis of the same to help you track progress.
Online paid advertisements use various platforms, including websites, social media, and applications. Here, restaurants fall into the food industry; hence, using food-related websites, social media pages, and applications is a smart choice, as most of your potential clients are present there.
Customer Loyalty Programs
One of the easiest and best methods to keep your consumers happy is through loyalty programs. These programs reward the loyalty of customers. It appreciates the customer’s loyalty and increases sales through word-of-mouth. Referrals and recommendations are also effective marketing strategy. The secret to many successful restaurants is their customer loyalty programs, as it is the best customer retention strategy.
Everyone loves a reward, a free item, or a discount. So why not make the most of it? It will hardly cost the restaurant anything but give long-term returns. Customers are willing to spend their money again if you offer a discount for their loyalty. Don’t shy away from asking for recommendations or reviews for your restaurant in exchange for a free item at their next meal. Also, it is important to note that these programs must have terms and conditions based on your business model.
Collaborations and Partnerships
Partnering with various food businesses and marketing your services through them can be your best bet. Here, you not only target your audience but also theirs. A wider target audience brings a bigger opportunity for increased sales. Collaborate with various marketplaces and businesses, such as food delivery applications, to reach potential clients faster.
Another way of collaborating is through food influencers. The internet has a lot of influencers who charge to promote products and services. Find and collaborate with influencers in your geographical area who have a decent following and good credibility. This strategy not only builds visibility but also brand awareness.
And those are the marketing strategies that can never fail you if applied in the right way. If you want to manage your business more efficiently, don’t forget to check out Picktime!