Digital or traditional media? Organic or paid content? Restaurant marketing today is more competitive than ever. To attract the new age guest, restaurants can no longer afford to kick it old school. signage simply won’t cut it anymore. Crafting the right marketing strategy for restaurants isn’t always easy. Restaurants may not be able to find the right marketing mix just yet, but this infographic will certainly help. People working in the marketing field often search for the information on Youtube, don’t miss out on your chance to get more views. Buy youtube views now and see the results instantly.
The Sweet Spot Of Restaurant Marketing
“The sweet spot is a place where a combination of factors results in a maximum response for a given amount of effort.” – Wikipedia
With 80% of people looking up a restaurant online, before visiting for the first time, the digital space can no longer be ignored.
Nailing the sweet spot of restaurant marketing means more than the icing on a cupcake. Consumers are evolving. They are now online, and with different trends emerging every now and then, their interests are bound to change.
Building Your Restaurant’s Digital Presence
While it’s true that 72% of consumers take interest in integrated marketing approaches, where do you start? Building your buzz online takes more than keeping an updated website. You will need to stand out from the sea of competitors.
Here’s where you can dig deeper into two important tactics: social media and SEO. Social media is a great platform that keeps you engaged with your customers. With SEO tactics, you’re making sure that your restaurant website stays visible.
1. Get Social
Anyone can create a social media account. That’s the easy part. To make it your go-to platform for engagement, you will have to think about your restaurant’s brand identity online. Your consumers want an identity which they can associate your brand with. For starters, you can use your restaurant’s images and logos for your social media aesthetics e.g background wallpaper, display icons and banners, to build up your online identity.
But you know what they say; it’s not all about the looks. Once you’ve got your restaurant visuals all ready, don’t stop there. It’s time to get social.
Be sure to connect with your diners. Get to know who your followers are and initiate conversations with them. Leave comments on their posts and reply to any feedback that customers have on your food. Engaging with your customers is the first step to creating a loyal community of diners online.
2. Stay Visible
Did you know, 72% of all searches are related to local content? When a customer searches for your restaurant on Google, Yahoo or any other search engine, you’ll want to be sure that your website is found. It’s only intuitive for web users to click the first few links that show up on their search results page. Here’s where search engine optimization (SEO) can make that work for you.
“How can I get started with SEO?”
Before you dive deep into SEO technicalities, here’s one thing you will need to get acquainted with: keyword research.
Google’s job is to give relevant information to users, while yours is to get Google to select your restaurant’s website as that most relevant, go-to source.
Traditional Restaurant Marketing With A Twist
Digital marketing is indeed the trend today. Your customers are online, why shouldn’t you be?
As a restaurant owner, you’re wondering:
“Is there still a place for traditional marketing in this digital age?”
Traditional marketing encompasses TV, radio, mail, direct sales advertising and printed promotional materials. As long as you know where your target market is and you’re reaching them where they are, the answer is yes.
Whether you’re marketing through collaterals, brand partnerships or TV commercials, you wouldn’t want to miss out on customers who may be less tech-savvy, especially if they form a significant segment of your audience.
1. Power Of Word-Of-Mouth
Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth marketing. In fact, 84% of consumers are more likely to trust recommendations from family, colleagues, and friends about products and services as compared to any other source of recommendations. Here’s the sweetest part: your first few referrals could potentially result in a trickling effect which can multiply and convert your potential audience into customers. How’s that for growing your customer base?
In practice, you need to get diners talking about your restaurant. For instance, you can invite your regular customers to be part of an exclusive event at your restaurant!
Chances are that they’ll share their experience at your event with family and friends and who knows, those people might feel inclined to check out what your restaurant has to offer!
2. Leverage On Brand Partnerships
Your restaurant is cruising on a long road to success. Why not partner with another business to speed your way through? Gain access to a bigger consumer base when you work with a brand which can complement your restaurant’s marketing goals.
Ever heard of WiFI marketing? It’s a classic case of using a traditional marketing tactic with a twist. WiFI marketing platforms add value to your restaurant by directing your customers to a branded login page. It’s a tactic that big names such as Starbucks and McDonald’s have tried and tested. The sweetest part? It’s super effective in making sure that your brand stays at the top of your customers’ minds.
Making Sense Of Your Restaurant’s Sweet Spot
Having an integrated marketing approach all sounds good on paper! If you haven’t found the right mix of tactics for your restaurant, getting started is everything.
Regardless of the platform you choose, consider this:
“As a restaurant owner, what is the theme, purpose and intended outcome of my restaurant’s marketing plan?”
Your tactics can work as standalones for sure, but ensuring that they align towards your overall marketing goals means your game plan stays effective.
For instance, you could share your dine-in promotions with your social media followers with a simple CTA, such as:
“Hurry down to our restaurant to enjoy exclusive dine-in deals for a limited time only!”
There are many resources out there that provide you with tips and tricks on how to market your restaurant, to empower restaurateurs and grow your brand. However, this information can be overwhelming, given how many fantastic pointers you have to take note of.
To sum it all up, here’s a neat infographic that we did to help you find the sweet spot of marketing success.