In a perfect world, customers would discover your restaurant organically. They might smell the delicious aromas wafting out your door and decide to stop by for a meal. Or they may hear their friends rave about your entrees and rush to schedule a reservation. But you can’t rely on word-of-mouth alone — restaurant marketing can help you proactively seek customers and consistently grow your business.
Restaurant marketing is an essential method of promoting your company and building a loyal customer base. This approach uses various communication channels to spotlight your restaurant and engage your audience. For example, you could use email marketing to build hype for new menu items and events. Many restaurants also create social media posts with drool-worthy photos and videos of their food.
As a restaurant owner or marketer, you’ve already got creativity and an eye for visual presentation. Channeling these skills into a restaurant marketing strategy will help you attract more patrons and boost your restaurant’s visibility. This comprehensive guide explores the latest marketing techniques and tools for restaurant marketing.
Introduction to restaurant marketing
Restaurant marketing uses traditional and digital communication channels to promote businesses and engage customers. This approach aims to increase profitability and help restaurants distinguish themselves from competitors.
Marketing a restaurant offers many benefits for businesses of all sizes. This strategy can help your restaurant:
- Attract new customers: Promoting your restaurant can generate new leads and increase traffic. For example, a customer could stumble across your Instagram account and decide to sample your food.
- Boost your bottom line: As your customer base grows, so will your profits. Increase your earnings by promoting the most profitable items on your menu.
- Improve personalization: Restaurant marketing enables you to deliver personalized content to your target audience. For instance, you can send emails with the user’s name and tailored menu recommendations.
- Meet customer expectations: According to a Deloitte survey, 30% of customers want to receive communications from a restaurant once a month or more. Discounts and special offers are the most popular types of marketing content, with 80% of customers wanting this type of interaction.
Developing an effective restaurant marketing plan
Operators can choose from dozens of restaurant marketing strategies, from billboards to social media posts. Follow these steps to create a practical restaurant marketing plan that fits your budget, goals, and customers.
Define your target audience
Identifying your target audience will allow you to deliver a tailored marketing plan. Start by researching your existing customers and gathering data on these areas:
- Buying habits
- Demographics (age, gender, income level, etc.)
- Favorite foods
- Feedback about your restaurant
- Preferred communication channels
This information will deepen your understanding of your audience’s interests and needs. Say, for instance, many of your customers prefer savory foods. You can appeal to this segment by promoting your restaurant’s charcuterie board and savory desserts on social media.
Establish your restaurant’s brand identity
Every prominent restaurant has a distinct identity. For instance, McDonald’s golden arches are instantly recognizable, while Voodoo Doughnuts gained fame for its unconventional pastries. These innovative symbols and products help these companies to stand out in crowded markets.
Your brand identity should include some of these elements:
- Brand voice
- Color palette
- Company values
- Logo
- Mascot
- Unique products
Keep these elements consistent across all marketing channels to increase brand recognition and familiarity.
Set the right marketing budget for your restaurant
It’s easy to get carried away and spend too much on your marketing campaign, especially if you’re excited about growing your brand. Establish a strict budget to protect your restaurant’s financial health.
Research marketing channels to estimate potential costs. For instance, a famous food influencer may charge thousands of dollars for a collaboration. By contrast, Constant Contact’s email marketing plans start at $12 monthly. Use this data to set a realistic budget that aligns with your financial goals.
Use low-budget marketing ideas effectively
Small and mid-sized restaurants often operate on thin margins. Luckily, you don’t need to invest a fortune in your marketing campaign to see results. Here are a few affordable restaurant marketing ideas:
- Create a monthly e-newsletter
- Encourage guests to share user-generated content, such as photos of their cocktails
- Invite customers to review your restaurant online and spotlight top reviews on social media
- Send coupons and menus to local customers through direct mail
Determine your unique selling points
Identify what makes your restaurant different from competitors. For example, you might cater to families or offer unique cocktails and mocktails. Highlight these strengths in your marketing campaigns to appeal to new customers.
Measure your performance with KPIs
Track your campaign’s performance to assess the effectiveness of your restaurant marketing strategies. These key performance indicators (KPIs) can provide meaningful insights:
- Conversion rate
- Customer acquisition cost
- Email open rate
- Social media engagement
- Return on investment (ROI)
Building your online presence
According to Deloitte’s 2023 The Future of Restaurants report, 40% of customers order food directly from restaurant websites. Many diners also visit restaurant websites to view menus, testimonials, and other information. Creating a functional and sleek website will give customers a frictionless online experience and attract them to your restaurant.
Search Engine Optimization
Use search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results. This process involves designing a user-friendly website and using relevant keywords. For example, you could include “Thai restaurant in Atlanta” and “best Thai in Atlanta” to attract local traffic.
Additionally, online reservation tools make it easy for customers to plan a visit to your restaurant. These tools also reduce the time your staff spends on the phone so they can focus on providing excellent customer service for in-person diners. Popular online reservation tools include OpenTable and Resy.
Finally, optimize your Google Business Profile to help potential clients discover you online. Your profile should include appealing photographs, an updated menu, and accurate contact information.
Engaging with social media
Social media is one of the most accessible and powerful restaurant marketing tools. A post featuring a beautifully plated meal could get hundreds of views (or more!), raising awareness of your brand. You can also engage with customers through social media to strengthen your relationships.
Follow these tips to get the most out of your restaurant social media marketing:
Create a content calendar
Plan your social media content ahead of time and post on a regular schedule. For example, you could spotlight the chef’s weekly special every Monday and share events on Fridays. Consistent posting increases user engagement and your account’s visibility in social media rankings.
Design Instagrammable meals
Many customers enjoy taking photographs of their food to share online. Take advantage of this free advertising by creating colorful meals with unique plating. You could also install flattering lighting inside your restaurant to make it easy to capture beautiful pictures on a smartphone.
Develop an authentic social media voice
Tailor your online persona to your brand identity and target audience. If you have a family-friendly diner, you could use a friendly and playful tone. By contrast, a sophisticated bistro might use a more witty, formal voice.
Encourage user-generated content
Create a unique hashtag for your restaurant and invite customers to share photos and videos on their social media accounts.
Leverage multiple platforms
Repurpose content across social media platforms to reach the widest possible audience. For instance, you could share short videos of your restaurant on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Organize social media contests
Host contests and giveaways to boost engagement. These events could include caption contests, food trivia quizzes, and funny video competitions related to your restaurant.
Using email and SMS marketing
Connect with customers through email and SMS marketing. These methods allow you to send promotional messages directly to your audience’s computers and phones.
Email marketing
Email is one of the most affordable and effective marketing channels, yielding an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent.
As you build your email list, use automation and personalization to improve your restaurant email marketing. Constant Contact allows you to create automated paths to trigger emails at specific times. For instance, you can send clients a birthday email with a free dessert coupon. Additionally, you can use dynamic content blocks to quickly customize emails based on each recipient’s demographics and interests.
Tip: In the United States, the CAN-SPAM Act requires businesses to obtain explicit consent before sending promotional emails to customers. Build your email list by including a sign-up form on your website and inviting social media followers to join.
SMS marketing
SMS marketing enables you to promote your restaurant through text message. Customers open up to 98% of SMS marketing messages, so it’s one of the easiest ways to increase your visibility.
Constant Contact offers many convenient features for SMS marketing, including an artificial intelligence (AI) content generator and live preview. The platform also uses data analytics to track results and help you refine your campaigns.
Improving customer engagement
Restaurants rely on customers to buy products and promote their businesses through word-of-mouth. Delivering exceptional customer experiences will allow you to enhance engagement and build a loyal following.
Use these strategies to improve customer interaction:
- Ask customers to review your restaurant, then respond with a friendly message
- Create a customer loyalty program to incentivize repeat visits
- Offer creative coupons and discount campaigns, such as happy hour deals when a favorite local sports team wins
- Optimize your menu by including clear descriptions, colorful photographs, and other relevant information
Exploring advertising and public relations
Once you master restaurant marketing, explore other forms of advertising and public relations. These areas will amplify your brand and broaden your audience.
Many restaurants invest in pay-per-click advertising services. Google Ads, Meta for Business, and other platforms allow companies to buy advertisements and display them to specific audiences. For instance, you can create ads spotlighting your pasta dishes for users searching for Italian restaurants. These targeted promotions generate leads who have shown interest in your products and boost conversion rates.
Restaurants can also collaborate with local magazines, newspapers, and television stations. For instance, you could invite a journalist to dine at your establishment and write a review. You could also send press releases about significant milestones and other news to media outlets. These strategies raise awareness of your brand in your local community and improve your image.
Finally, research local food influencers and offer to collaborate. You might invite them to review your food or host an event at your restaurant. This content can make your brand seem more authentic and trendy to social media users.
Innovative restaurant marketing techniques
As you gain experience, don’t be afraid to experiment with more creative marketing tactics. Innovative techniques can improve the user experience and make your restaurant more memorable.
Here are three technologies to consider incorporating into your campaign:
- AI can help you brainstorm content ideas and personalize marketing materials
- Sentiment analysis deepens your understanding of how customers perceive your restaurant and enables you to improve guest experiences
- Reservation systems collect customer data, which you can analyze and use to tailor your marketing campaigns
Maximizing offline marketing efforts
In-person marketing allows you to strengthen your connections with your community and customers. Consider using these offline strategies:
- Create promotions for relevant holidays, such as National Donut Day and National Sauce Month
- Draw a crowd and boost sales by hosting weekly or monthly trivia nights
- Participate in local events, such as bar crawls and fundraising dinners
- Start a food truck to cater local events and spread brand awareness
Step up your restaurant marketing game
Restaurant marketing will help you spotlight your unique value and attract new customers. It can also help you engage existing customers and boost retention rates.
Here are a few final tips to maximize your campaigns:
- Use social media analytics to identify successful content and determine the best time to post
- Start small with one or two marketing channels
- Study effective marketing campaigns from competitors and make their tactics your own
Finally, consult a marketing agency if you need assistance developing your campaign or producing engaging content. With the right guidance and resources, you can start promoting your restaurant in no time.
Get the word out faster with automated campaigns. Download our free guide to marketing automation.
