Restaurants are some of the hardest businesses to manage. It’s one of the only businesses where you can have competition literally on both sides of you, behind you, above you, and across the street. Restaurant marketing ideas can be difficult to come up with because trends in this industry are always evolving. It’s not enough to just keep up with the competition. You have to beat them at their own game.
Here at Tradepay, we’ve noticed that restaurants use our services to brand and market at a deep discount. They’re also always looking for new food promotion ideas. We would like to help restaurant owners market their businesses in innovative ways that bring in customers and establish a strong client base. Here are our top restaurant marketing ideas to put you on the map.
Professional Photography
Images sell. According to Inc.com, approximately 84% of communications will be visual by 2018. You don’t want your restaurant to be left behind. But if you’re not a professional photographer, there’s a good chance your food pictures are coming off as less than appetizing. Invest in a professional photographer to showcase some of your top dishes. You can use these images on your social media sites and website to appeal to customers. Don’t know where to find a top photographer? Try Tradepay, where you conduct a local search.
Locally Targeted Ads
Facebook ads don’t work for every type of business. But they’re perfect for restaurants because you’re able to locally target viewers. You can target based on where they live, their sex, and age. So if you’re promoting a sports event, you can target males in your ideal location between 25 and 35. If you’re offering a cooking class, you can change your targeted ad for women between the ages of 30 and 50. This might take a little research to find the perfect demographic for your event, but it can really pay off in the end. If you have no idea how to design a Facebook ad, search for a marketer or designer on Tradepay.
Newsletter
Many restaurant owners feel that a newsletter is only good for doctors’ offices or maybe retail spaces. But they’re great for marketing a restaurant. Get customers to sign up for your newsletter by offering a free appetizer or discount off their bill in exchange for an email. You don’t need to send out weekly newsletters or even monthly newsletters. A seasonal newsletter to let your customers know about new specials, events, and discounts is a great way to remind them that you’re a part of their community and are dedicated to making their dining experience enjoyable. You can find a great newsletter designer on Tradepay.
Business Lunches
Long gone are the days of the hour-long lunch break. Local businesses are busy but their employees still have to eat. One of our more personal restaurant marketing ideas is to visit neighboring companies and let them know that you either have the space to host meetings, where you can either plan a meal or let employees order off the menu. Or, if you have the staff, offer delivery services for lunches in office. If you really want to push the marketing, be sure to include coupons for dinner hours to give to the employees.
Reward Programs
Even top fast food chains are now offering loyalty programs. It’s becoming standard in the restaurant industry and if your establishment doesn’t offer one, patrons will find one that does. It’s not difficult to start a reward program. Advertise your program on table tents and make sure that your servers are pushing it as well. Collect customer information and decide on the best way to track points. Prizes can either be free appetizers or desserts, a percentage discount, or a flat amount off the final bill. A reward program might seem counterintuitive because you’re giving product away, but you’ll be surprised how it can boost sales and your reputation.
Upgrade Your Online Menu
In today’s technologically driven world, you can’t be a successful business without an online menu. But don’t make the mistake of just uploading a PDF file or a basic copied picture of your physical menu. Your online menu needs to be interactive, visually captivating, and easy to navigate. If you offer delivery or call in orders, there should also be an online order feature, which is one of our top restaurant marketing ideas. Busy professionals and parents might not have the time to call in an order. But if you give them the option of ordering online, they’ll always choose your restaurant over another that doesn’t offer the feature. If you have no idea how to design an online menu, you can find an experienced professional on Tradepay at a steep discount.
Host a Community Event
Have you heard of cause marketing? This is a type of marketing that involves giving back to your community, either with monetary donations or through free services or products. Restaurants event ideas are almost endless when it comes to cause marketing. Consider hosting a free cookout for veterans or dedicating a day where you donate 100% of your profits to a charity of your choice. If you’re able to get word to everyone in town, you won’t only see an increase in patrons but also a positive boost in your reputation.
Contests
Who doesn’t love a contest? Restaurant event ideas don’t have to be complicated either. You can run a kid coloring contest where the winner gets a free dessert or meal of their choice. Or there are adult themes you can choose from, like a sports related contest. You can also run a contest where customers try to come up with your next famous dish. If you own to pizza shop, invite customers to come up with their craziest combinations of ingredients and the best name for their pizza. Choose a winner, reward them with a gift card, and put their pizza on the menu for an entire week.
Buy Local Ingredients
This will be easier for some locations than others, but if you’re able to, do your best to source as many of your gradients locally as you can. Thanks vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meat. If your restaurant has fresh flowers on the tables, skip the floral service and look for a local provider. Make sure this change is advertised and stick with it. If you own a bar, you can also look at local breweries and feature a different beer on tap each month. Feel free to conduct a local search on Tradepay to see if there are suppliers near you. When it comes to restaurant marketing ideas, the more involved with the community, the better.
Text Message Advertising
Text message ads are one of our favorite restaurant marketing ideas because you can send them at the perfect time to put your establishment’s favorite dishes in the minds of hungry customers. If you’re running a daily special or your chef just came up with a new pasta dish, send out a text a couple hours before your typical dinner rush. If you offer delivery or take out, make sure you mention this and include a link to your new updated menu with an online ordering future. There are plenty of text messaging providers who can help you manage your ads. You’re sure to find one on Tradepay.
Tradepay can become a major force in your marketing ventures for your restaurant. With a wide variety of website designers, marketers, writers, photographers, and branding specialists, you can take your marketing to a new level. And the best part is that you only pay 60% cash value. The remaining 40% is paid in Trade Dollars, Tradepay’s virtual currency. You can learn more here, and you can sign up for your free profile here. With great restaurant advertising ideas, you’ll learn how to keep customers coming back again and again.
