What Is the Best Marketing Strategy for Restaurants + Food Business Promotion Tips
- By Otilia Dobos
- PROMOTE YOUR RESTAURANT
- MAR 04, 2024
In the competitive food business, getting noticed and attracting new clients is no easy feat. It can be tempting to look for easy and magical fixes like "What is the best marketing strategy for restaurants?".
But the truth is, there is no one marketing strategy to rule them all. If you want to achieve your goals, you need to mix and match a couple of measures.
Below, we show you the most efficient marketing strategies that have been proven to work for many restaurants:
1. Get a SEO-optimized website
When you ask people in the industry what is the best marketing strategy for restaurants, they will often tell you to get a website. But not just any kind of website, if you want to enjoy the benefits, you need a sales and SEO-optimized restaurant website.
Why:
- To increase online visibility
- To rank higher in Google searches
- To attract more customers
- To offer clients the answers they seek about your restaurant
How:
- Create an account on GloriaFood and navigate to admin -> Setup -> Publishing -> Sales-optimized website;
- Generate your website and go through the customization process;
- In just 10 minutes, you create a website with personalized content that is already SEO-optimized and increases conversions. Check out this demo website.
2. Use an online ordering system
If you are wondering what the best marketing strategy for restaurants is, a short answer would be using a free multi-purpose tool to achieve multiple purposes. For example, a free online ordering system.
Why:
- Increase restaurant sales by accepting online orders
- Streamline your online ordering process
- Allows customers to order directly on your website, through social media, or using a native app
- Has multiple integrated marketing modules to attract new and loyal customers
How:
- Create an account on GloriaFood and go through the fast set-up process;
- Create an irresistible menu with the help of our wizard;
- Download the order-taking app on iOS or Android;
- Start accepting online orders and discover the other GloriaFood features.
3. Implement restaurant promotions
When promoting a restaurant, you don't always have to reinvent the wheel. Some marketing strategies have proven themselves to be efficient time after time, such as promotions.
Why:
- Attract potential customers to place their first orders
- Persuade people to order more
- Get more loyal clients
How:
- Use the online ordering system from GloriaFood to set up any promotion in a matter of seconds;
- Choose from the tried-and-tested promotion templates;
- Customize the restaurant promotion. You can even set it up to be available only during certain hours or only for a selected type of client.
4. Try email marketing
What is the best marketing strategy for a restaurant to get more returning clients? Email marketing!
People often check their email hungry, and if they see an enticing offer coupled with a mouth-watering image, they won’t be able to resist.
Why:
- It is cost-efficient
- It helps increase client loyalty
- Inform clients about new items and promotions
How:
- Go to GloriaFood’s admin -> Marketing Tools -> Autopilot;
- If you go to Your campaigns, you will have three options: Encourage second orders, Re-engage clients, and Cart abandonment;
- Set up the one you want and the system will send the emails for you;
- What’s more, Autopilot segments the customers according to purchasing history so every client gets a personalized email.
5. Partner with local businesses
Your restaurant must not be a separate entity if you want to get potential customers to trust you, and visit your place repeatedly, and become part of the community. You can do so by partnering up with local complementary businesses.
Why:
- You build a strong connection with your community
- You get access to a new audience
- Partners can send new business to you
How:
- Research businesses in your area that are not a direct competitor of yours and choose ones that could benefit your restaurant such as wineries, distilleries, craft beer makers, or hotels;
- Send them a message where you outline your desired partnership, such as selling their beer in your restaurant and having a pop-up at their place every Sunday;
- Participate in community events where you can meet other local business owners.
6. Invite press coverage
Before social media, the only way to get noticed was to have the press talking about you. And, like it or not, a lot of people still rely on your local press to get their news. Therefore, if you want to get more customers, you must get them to feature your restaurant.
Why:
- Increase brand awareness
- Attract more customers
- Promote products or events
How:
- Get listed in local directories. Why not exactly press, it still helps your SEO efforts to have your info listed there;
- Invite food-centric media to visit your restaurant for a review;
- Invite the press to events you organize at your restaurant;
- Collaborate with a PR agency if you have money to spare.
7. Become a master of social media
What is the best marketing strategy for restaurants that don't have a big budget? Having an active and persuasive social media presence. As most of your potential customers spend their time on social media, you must reach out to them.
Why:
- Helps you reach your target audience
- It is a free form of advertising
- You can create a community of loyal customers
How:
- Post mostly professionally taken photos of your mouth-watering food with captions that encourage people to visit or order from your restaurant;
- Allow clients to order directly from social media using the online ordering system from GloriaFood;
- Respond to all messages and comments;
- Share positive reviews;
- Promote your restaurant deals;
- Collaborate with food influencers;
- Organize restaurant competitions that require people to share your post to win a meal;
- Consider paid ads to reach a bigger audience fast, especially at the start.
8. Take advantage of review sites
Before someone decides on a restaurant, they check online to see what other people's experiences are. The higher the ranking, the bigger the chance they will choose your business. Potential customers also weigh in the number of reviews; the more, the merrier.
Why:
- You allow people to give you feedback
- You create a positive image for your restaurant
- You attract more customers
How:
- Claim your business on all active review platforms in your area;
- Add a link to your menu, exact address, working hours, and a variety of photos of photos of your food and location;
- Encourage clients to leave positive reviews. You can offer a small incentive such as a free dessert;
- Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative. If you do it right, you can change people’s opinions and persuade them to visit your restaurant again;
- Set up your Google Business Profile. Not only do you allow clients to review your business, but you also increase your chances in ranking high in Google Maps searches.
9. Organize events
While you may have a certain type of target customer, organizing events empowers you to reach a different and bigger audience. Thus, with more clients, you sell more and increase your revenue.
Why:
- Reach a new audience
- Sell more in a single day
- Increase interest in your restaurant
How:
- Choose the days where you sell the least to organize different events;
- Try out ideas such as trivia night, wine tasting, celebrating different holidays, live music, etc.
Final words
Now you know that “What is the best marketing strategy for restaurants?” is not the right question. The better question is “What efficient marketing strategies can I use for my restaurant?”. Try all the measures suggested above to attract more new and returning customers and skyrocket your sales.