In today’s digital world, a customer’s journey to discovering your restaurant has changed. Some marketing strategies for restaurants would boost your business indeed. But with all of these new possibilities, it can be difficult for an owner to know where to start.
Gone are the days when you could rely solely on classic marketing strategies for restaurants like word of mouth and flyers.
Below are certain concrete ideas for promoting your restaurant and reaching new customers while retaining existing customers.
Before you start, remember that your goal should be to create a realistic marketing strategy for your restaurant.
Some strategies will be easier to implement than others; you must therefore consider both your budget and resources to choose the ones that are right for your restaurant.
Here is the list of Marketing strategies for restaurants:
1. Win customers with your content.
2. Design an attractive online menu.
3. Make your website intuitive and user-friendly.
4. Offer the possibility of ordering online.
5. Start blogging.
6. Optimize your Google My Business profile.
7. Place yourself on customer review sites.
8. Be active on Instagram.
9. Try video marketing.
10. Contact food bloggers and influencers.
1. Win customers with your content.
The best way to get people to visit your restaurant is to take quality photos.
Photos of appetizing food allow Internet users to “taste” your dishes before they even visit you.
It is therefore important to invest in professional photos of your dishes to showcase them on your website.
But you don’t have to stop there. People also want to experience the same of the restaurant that you introduce. So make sure you show them the same, whether it’s a warm atmosphere, friendly customer service, or a classy environment.
- How did your restaurant start?
- What inspires your food?
- What makes you different?
All of this will help you bond emotionally with your potential customer and persuade them to try your restaurant for themselves.
2. Design an attractive online menu.
Your menu is one of the most important elements of your restaurant website.
Who does not consult the menu before choosing a restaurant? The data also confirms this: A study found that 86% of consumers regularly consult an online menu before eating out.
3. Make your website intuitive and user-friendly.
What is the use of having a beautiful website if visitors can’t get the information they need?
Make sure that when someone comes to your site, they immediately know where to find what they’re looking for.
You could even use a live chat tool so people can contact you directly from your website.
4. Offer the possibility of ordering online.
Even before the Covid-19 outbreak, the popularity of food delivery was on the rise.
Today, research indicates that this trend has accelerated by almost three years. If you haven’t already, then it’s time to jump on the bandwagon and offer a delivery option.
If you’re put off by the logistics of managing online orders, partnering with a delivery service like Uber Eats, Zomato, or Idowaz may be a solution.
These services have the advantage of being able to market your restaurant to people who otherwise might not be able to find it.
5. Start blogging
Once you have created a website for your restaurant, you can think about starting a blog.
This provides a platform to share news such as upcoming promotions, changes to your menu, and special events.
It’s also an opportunity to take your audience behind the scenes of your restaurant through content such as staff interviews, articles about your suppliers, and the creation of dishes.
A blog is also a valuable tool for improving your website’s ranking in search engines, as they promote sites that are regularly updated with new content
6. Optimize your Google My Business profile.
At first, it’s difficult to jump straight to the first page of Google. Fortunately, there is a quick way to get the best results, by signing up for Google My Business.
Your Google My Business profile is a selection of information about your business listed on Google.
This is one of the most important parts of local SEO, which is ensuring that your business ranks well in searches related to a location, such as those that contain a place name or the words “near to home”.
7. Place yourself on customer review sites.
Another element that will strongly influence your visibility on search engines is online site reviews.
Once you’ve set up your profile, you’ll be able to manage your reviews – and you should take full advantage of it by responding to as many reviews as possible, both positive and negative.
By acknowledging positive reviews, your customers will feel valued, while responding to questions raised in negative reviews will give you the opportunity to showcase the quality of your customer service.
8. Be active on Instagram.
Instagram marketing works well for restaurants because it is visual content, which makes it the perfect platform to share your best food photos.
To broaden your reach, use relevant hashtags, especially ones that are location specific and that will help locals discover your account.
When creating your posts, be sure to maintain consistency in the color scheme and the way you photograph food.
This will ensure that your business page will look clean and professional.
9. Try video marketing.
Once you have a steady stream of quality photos for Instagram, you can consider adding video content.
Just like your blog, videos can give a more intimate view of your restaurant and make it come alive for your audience.
For example, instead of a still image, you can post a video of your food in action, like someone pouring sauce or making the first cut of a dish.
You can share short videos using Instagram’s Story feature. If you are feeling brave, you can even try producing live videos.
For example, take your audience behind the scenes in your kitchen and chat with the staff or give them a taste of the atmosphere in your restaurant.
10. Contact food bloggers and influencers.
To take your content strategy to the next level, you can target people with a larger audience.
It doesn’t have to be an “A-list” celebrity. Instead, look for bloggers and influencers in your area, with up to around 10,000 followers.
Then invite them to a free meal in exchange for sharing their experience with their audience. This is all about marketing strategies for restaurants.
