No matter what exceptional food you offer, what is the size, cuisine or vision of your restaurant, you will always have tons of competitors and new places constantly opening up. Having a successful restaurant business depends not only on the food quality and service, but also on your management, business and marketing skills. In order to survive in the field of high competition, you should be willing to do what it takes to become a digital marketing expert. We will introduce you with the main strategies that you should definitely employ in marketing your restaurant business.

1. Simply Ask!

   Communication is the key in any successful business, so the first thing you should do in terms of your digital marketing, is simply asking your clients, how they found out about your restaurant. It will let you know which of your current marketing vehicles are working the best. Find a way to contact your audience (e.g. via online questionnaire/contest).

2. Get yourself on Google

   Are you not there yet? Google Business (including Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube and Google+) is the best place to start marketing your restaurant business. Be sure to be on those platforms and update your information (menu, special offers, contacts, working hours) frequently.

3. Get on Yelp

   Yelp is another powerful platform for restaurant marketing which you must be on. Getting great reviews on Yelp can bring tremendous benefits to your restaurant business. Be sure to spend a lot of time on building a superb Yelp profile, including lots of quality photos, menu, price range, contacts, special deals, etc. Always reply to all reviews politely – responding nicely to negative reviews can make you stand out in your customers’ eyes.

4. Effective (Not Aggressive) E-mail Marketing

   Don’t be boring. We all get dozens of robotic e-mails, which do not bring any value to us. Be personal. Even if you, as a restaurant owner, are not writing those e-mail newsletters yourself, hire someone to write them in the first person. Create content by sharing what seems important to be shared with your valuable customers. Inform your clients, what special offers do you currently have and what menu updates have you recently done. Be consistent with your newsletters, but do not send them too frequently.

5. Keep Your Website Constantly Updated

   The first – and the most important – rule regarding your online presence is to ensure that your website is well-optimized for speed and your clients won’t start snoozing while trying to get the information they need. Website is a modern day business card, so make the most out of it. Your website has to be the engaging place that your customers will be frequently visiting. Include client testimonials and reviews, as well as videos of your chef making the food. Also, make sure that your contacts, working hours and menu are easily reachable. To make the most out of your website, think about ordering integration, allowing customers to order food with a couple of clicks.

6. Invest in Your Loyal Clients

   New clients are always great – the more the better, right? Gaining new clients might be relatively easy in the restaurant business (e.g. with special offers and deals), while retaining existing clients is a much more complicated subject. Be sure to show your appreciation for your loyal customers by offering them additional value. Think about loyalty programs which would offer a special discount or free purchase after visiting your restaurant a certain number of times. Might sound old fashioned, but everyone loves to feel special.

7. Be Consistent

   We are not talking about your food assortment here (although it should have consistency too!). Be consistent with all your marketing efforts, messages and communication strategy. Don’t do anything just because everyone else seems to be doing it. Sit down and analytically look through all your physical marketing items (menu, restaurant interior, photographs, printed materials) – does your whole marketing package reflect the message you want to communicate to your target audience? Is it consistent? If yes, you are definitely on the right path.

8. Be Social

   Visual social media platforms, such as Instagram, are on point right now, and they are perfect for restaurant marketing. Make sure to be on all popular platforms and post quality content (hire a photographer or become one with your smartphone). Remember, angle is very important, so make sure to practice a lot before posting anything on your Instagram account.

9. Think Less about Self-Promotion

   While everyone is trying to promote themselves in a best possible way, be smarter and think about value creation for your customers. When trying a new marketing technique, always think first, what additional value it will bring to your customers, not yourself.

10. Encourage User Generated Content

    User generated content (or UGC) is a trendy way to get your restaurant brand closer to your customers. Free gifts are always nice, so encourage your customers to post photos of their experience at your restaurant, share them on your website and social media, and randomly select winners each week.

11. Share Your Achievements

    We know you love your restaurant and follow every positive press release of it, although your customers might not even now about it. Always show off your good reviews and publicity to your clients – post it on your social media or on your website.

12. Be Honest

    If you are not a trendy vegan place, don’t try to market yourself like one. Including healthy options in your menu is great, but that does not mean that you have to become another hipster-like Instagram account, uploading green smoothies and yoga poses. Be honest and be who you are – it truly sells in the long term.

13. Try out Influencer Marketing

    Digital marketing trends are constantly changing and currently it is all about “people to people” marketing. Social media influencers (Public Figure) on Instagram, YouTube and other platforms can highly influence your business by sharing insights or sneak peaks from your restaurant with their followers. Be sure to look for such influencers in your region.

14. Understand Your Target Audience

    The sad truth is – being a restaurant for everyone actually means you are interesting for no one. Build a strong brand identity by clarifying your target audience and using all your digital marketing efforts to them. Find out their interest and use them in your campaigns.

15. Update your Brand Materials

    Visuals play an important role in the effectiveness of your restaurant’s marketing. Be sure to have top-notch menus, which are both stylish and functional, as well as other brand materials. Your customers are there not only for the food, but for the whole experience.

To sum up, there are many different marketing techniques, although, customer loyalty stays in a strong position as one of the main goals of restaurant marketing. Make sure to work on value creation to your customers by employing various digital marketing methods, mentioned in this article and constantly keeping an eye on restaurant digital marketing trends.