October 01, 2019
11 Ways to Master Restaurant Marketing
Because running a successful restaurant business can be challenging, it's crucial that you implement marketing strategies. Without having a strong marketing plan in place, it can be hard to attract and build a strong customer base.
In this post, we'll review top restaurant marketing tips, so that you can succeed in this competitive market.
How to Develop an Impressive Restaurant Marketing Plan:
1. Outline Your Marketing Strategies
Marketing and advertising are essential for any industry, but restaurants must be especially targeted in their approach to these areas. Meet with your team, brainstorm restaurant marketing ideas, and make a set schedule for your advertising plans. From there, you can start trying these different ideas, and track how effective they are. Below, we'll outline some of the ideas you can try.2. Develop a Clear Brand
As long as your food is delicious, that is all that matters, right? Think again. Having a consistent brand theme is necessary. It'll help customers remember your restaurant and will hopefully attract new patrons too. Create brand awareness and incorporate it into all your marketing collateral. For example, you can use your branding in coupons, social media posts, flyers, and anywhere else that you advertise your business. Ultimately, you should make sure all your restaurant marketing strategies reflect your brand’s identity. By doing this, you can make a lasting impression on customers, and hopefully gain more sales over time.3. Promote Your Restaurant Online with a Website
Don’t doubt the value of a strong website. A professional domain name, accessible menu, and attractive layout will make viewers more likely to visit your restaurant. If the site looks old, tacky or difficult to use, people will assume your restaurant will offer the same feeling. If you already have a website for your restaurant, focus on making improvements. Hire a professional web designer to update landing pages, reorganize your site, and give the design a revamp. Also, you can hire someone to optimize your website for search engines. This person can include relevant keywords in your copy, start a restaurant blog on your site, and conduct backlink outreach.4. Get Active on Social Media Platforms
If your business doesn't already have social media accounts, you should start by creating profiles on multiple social media platforms. Not everyone uses the same platforms, so being active on numerous sites can help you interact with more customers. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are all good social media sites to join. Although you can share the same posts on each platform, you should try to get promote different content when possible. For instance, by featuring your restaurant’s décor and menu on Instagram, you'll serve your loyal customers with more than food. It'll will make them feel like your restaurant is an experience. In comparison, LinkedIn is a better place to post about your business's culture and share information about open positions.5. Create a Yelp Profile
Chances are, if you’re in the restaurant industry, you already know all about Yelp. Yelp allows users to write reviews, post photos and check-in when they are at your restaurant. For free, business owners can create Yelp Deals, respond to customer reviews, and upload photos. If you’d like to take advantage of Yelp’s other services, pay for Self Service or Full-Service Yelp ads. Yelp offers another avenue to advertise your business and interact with customers. If you don't already have a Yelp profile, start by creating a listing.