Restaurant marketing is frequently broached in my business classes and employment seminars. A common query arises: “How does one effectively market a restaurant?” The answer to this query is theoretically simple, yet the process is often challenging. Ensuring your restaurant attracts fresh clientele and retains the existing ones demands a strategic and effective promotional plan.
The crux of thriving restaurants lies in superior marketing. To join the ranks of such establishments, mastering the art of marketing is imperative. Marketing should not be considered a sporadic activity; it is an ongoing venture that requires regular and scheduled attention for the business to prosper. The initial stride towards effective marketing involves understanding its non-identical twin – advertising. Unlike advertising which is just one facet, marketing encompasses every action taken to forge a connection with your customers, prompting them to share their experiences with your brand. This could encompass engaging social media posts on platforms like Facebook or Twitter, visually appealing Instagram food photos, YouTube videos demonstrating how a new dish is prepared, or launching special promotions like “buy one entrée at regular price and get another free.” Social media is an effective tool for disseminating information about your restaurant, enticing customers, or even gathering valuable feedback.
Enlist Your Team Members
In addition, ensure that all your employees serve as ambassadors for your restaurant. While they may not be proficient in detailing the menu’s intricacies, they can undoubtedly share personal anecdotes and experiences associated with your establishment. Be it the host or the server; they can communicate their job satisfaction, making your place seem more appealing. Moreover, they can respond to customer queries regarding dietary options without sounding like a sales pitch.
Become Active In Your Community
Be sure to transform your restaurant into an active community participant. Consider the image you wish to portray within your community as your restaurant materializes. Do you aspire to be the trendy hangout for a particular demographic or aim for a broader, more varied audience? Will your restaurant be perceived as a family-oriented space or something more chic and exclusive? The answers will guide your marketing strategies. For instance, if your target is families with children, consider sponsoring local youth sports teams or offering free food at community events. Alternatively, sponsoring an art exhibit might be the way forward if you aim to attract a younger crowd, such as college students. No matter your target demographic, ensure they know a good dining place in town and that other businesses are equally aware of you!
Get Social And Engage
Cultivate engagement with your customers through social media and online reviews. Social media platforms provide an excellent avenue to interact with your customers and heed their views. You can also use them for networking with other local businesses. Here are a few suggestions for reacting to your customers’ online sentiments:
- Swiftly respond to any negative reviews about your restaurant posted on platforms like Facebook or Yelp. Express gratitude for their feedback and explain how you intend to use it to improve future experiences.
- Similarly, promptly respond to positive reviews about their visit to your restaurant, mainly if there’s scope for further conversation regarding their experience (e.g., “What was your favorite dish?”). Leverage this chance to engage with satisfied customers!
- Actively listen to your customers’ feedback, both online and in person.
- Respond to customer comments respectfully and transparently.
- Even when inconvenient, honesty is vital for preserving your business’s reputation as a community-conscious establishment that values its employees.
It’s crucial to foster conversations that involve respectful listening rather than heated debates about differing opinions.
Matt Plapp, CEO of America’s Best Restaurants, shared his insights: “Restaurants are very fortunate. They are one of the only business segments that can get customers to spend money every week and multiple times. And for that reason, email, text, and messenger databases are ultra important. Restaurants need to dedicate the majority of their marketing efforts to collecting customer data and then using it properly.”
Build A Solid Base
The creation of a loyal customer base propels your business growth. Strive to cultivate a loyal customer base, as these individuals will rave about your brand to their friends and invite them to dine with you. Customers often emerge as the most effective marketers because they are passionate about what you offer and wish to share it. A more extensive loyal customer base translates into more people wanting to dine at your restaurant, increasing your food and drink sales – directly boosting your profitability. By consistently offering them what they crave (like delectable food at reasonable prices), these loyal customers will frequently return, bringing along their friends. It’s essential to make these loyal customers feel valued by occasionally rewarding them with exclusive benefits like complimentary meals or special offers only available through their email or phone.
My final thought is that restaurant marketing extends beyond merely posting a few advertisements and hoping for the best. It demands a willingness to invest in your business, seek customer feedback, and engage with them online. The restaurants that truly flourish passionately dedicate themselves to their marketing endeavors.
Read the full article here