If you have started your small restaurant business, then you must already be overwhelmed with so many tasks on your plate. No matter how good your food is or how amazing your restaurant’s ambiance is, you need to let your audience know about it through marketing. Regardless of the location and size of your restaurant, you need to make sure that you are investing enough in marketing to let the word out.
Today, the digital world is booming with advertisements, news updates, and much more. Those who want to compete with their rivals are already in the race to use this platform to their advantage. Before starting with the whole list of ways to market your small restaurant, it’s important to improve your digital footprint to connect with your customer.
But, if you are looking for more, then this post has got you covered. Here are a few ways that can help you in marketing your restaurant to your audience.
1. Create an Appealing Website to Showcase Your Menu
About 22% of customers say that they don’t visit a restaurant unless they have a running website with their menu on it.
Times have changed, and people don’t like to risk their hard-earned money by experimenting with new restaurants. A website lets your customer know what cuisine and dishes you are offering, so they can make a quick decision.
A website is the first thing that a customer checks, so it’s important to have one for your small restaurant. It tells the world about your restaurant, your journey, your dishes, your staff, your story, etc. It’s the first step of communicating with your potential customer.
Be as creative as you want with your website, but make sure it contributes to your branding. Don’t put anything unusual such as wrong fonts or colors on the website that does not match your restaurant’s voice and image. Use the website to your advantage.
2. Post Regularly on Social Media Accounts
A business stands nowhere without its social presence today. Be it a big restaurant or a small one; everyone is bound to be active on social media today. It’s not just a place to post content, but it’s a great way to answer customers’ queries as well.
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other platforms can help you set up your business profiles and connect with your audience. If you’re posting the right message, then there’s a huge chance that your potential customer will convert.
You need to post regularly on all your social media platforms so your audience knows that you are active there. Not just posts, you can also create social media ads and connect with more customers in less time.
https://www.menucrm.com/admin?af=4&aa=2&ad=1&cid=132&id=126#
3. Submit Your Restaurant on ‘Google My Business’
Google has not only made people’s lives easier, but it is also a great space for businesses to market their brand. People are always looking for new eateries, and Google My Business is the perfect place to look for them.
Google My Business presents a list of businesses near the searcher’s location. So, when a person searches for restaurants, then Google will come up with options of eateries near them. If you have registered your business there, then your name will come up as well.
It’s a great way to find local eateries and serves as an excellent opportunity for businesses to get noticed by their customer. Make sure to create an SEO-optimized Google My Business profile to capture the audience’s attention.
4. Throw Events at the Restaurant to Create Hype
A lot of restaurants celebrate events at their restaurant to get the hype. If you’re just starting, then find out a special event or create one to celebrate it with your audience. On special occasions, you can give limited-time discounts to your customers as well.
Events create hype and encourage people to see what they are missing out on. Make sure to use this time to make your customers try new dishes. Offering exceptional customer service will also let them see how great of a restaurant you have. Use the time to your fullest!
5. Offer Discounts, Vouchers & More
Nothing attracts customers more than discounts and vouchers. If you want to increase sales dramatically, then all you need is to give discounts to your customers. You can also make it interesting, which can add an extra appeal. For instance, you can encourage your customers to play a game to get discounts.
If there’s a bunch of friends visiting your restaurant, then playing these games can give them an enjoyable experience at your restaurant. In short, you are not only offering discounts but an unforgettable experience as well. You can also give discounts during special occasions such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and others.
??
6. Send Email to Your Loyal & New Customers
A lot of people consider Loyalty programs make the customer feel valued and appreciated, which encourages them to keep coming back to you.
You can opt for a point-based reward system or others to show appreciation to your customer. If you are unable to do it on your own, then you can get a restaurant's online food ordering software that comes with built-in loyalty program ideas for your restaurant.
MenuCRM is one of the best CRM for restaurants that let the owner edit their menu, collect customer data, devise marketing strategies, use loyalty programs, and more. If you’re looking for CRM software to help you manage all processes from one place, then this is the one that you need.
8. Share Your Story With Your Audience
Stories regulate emotions in people, which is all you need to connect with your audience and form a special bond with them. Today, everybody remembers the story of KFC’s owner, and his struggle has turned out to be a motivation for people to never give up.
Similarly, if you have a story that is worth telling, then you need to let it out. It shows your commitment, motivation, and love for your business and makes you stand out from the crowd as well.
??
9. Collect Customer Data for Improvement
A lot of big names collect customer data including demographics, food preferences, dining preferences, and others, through software or questionnaires/surveys. The data helps the restaurant owner to make sound decisions at the right time.
The restaurant CRM system is a great option to collect customers’ data automatically and use it to improve your services. You can take care of your customer’s food allergies, improve the dining experience to their taste, work on your dishes, introduce new cuisine, and more using this data.
10. Start a Blog on the Website
Blogging is the perfect way to connect with your audience. It creates a community where you can interact with your audience and create a voice for your brand. Since you’re a restaurant owner, you can post reviews, success stories, recipes, and others to keep the customers engaged.
Posting regularly or once a week is your choice. Just make sure that the content you’re putting out is worth reading and can capture your customer’s attention in no time. You can hire a writer for the job or do it yourself if you have the time on your plate.
11. Get in Touch With Food Bloggers
Another great way to market your restaurant is by connecting with food bloggers. Instagram is specifically a hub of bloggers and influencers that help new and old businesses to connect with a wide audience. You can invite a few bloggers to your food tasting event to create hype about it on social media. Although it can be a little expensive, the attention you will get against it will be worth it.
Handle All Tasks with the Best Restaurant Management Software
Keeping tabs on everything in a restaurant, from staff to customers and inventory, is hard. You need a restaurant CRM system to help you manage all tasks from one place.
MenuCRM offers the best platform for restaurant owners to connect with their staff and customers along with gathering customer data. If you’re looking to plan restaurant customer loyalty programs, then this software will be of great help to you. You can also integrate the restaurant point-of-sale software into it to gain more benefits.
MenuCRM offers a free customized demo on their website, so customers can check if this platform will cater to their needs. You can further get in touch with them to discuss more.
