Do you own a restaurant, or are you responsible for promoting it on the internet? In this vast world where each company tries to develop its brand image and attract its target audience, it is not always easy to find original strategies!
In the past, restaurants relied heavily on newspaper reviews and word of mouth to promote themselves. Nowadays, it’s a lot of fads and the presence on social networks that draw people to establishments. So, what tactic should you adopt to present your restaurant and establish a loyal clientele?
In this article, we’ll introduce you to 8 proven techniques suitable for different target audiences. Next, we’re going to share with you examples of restaurants that have marketing strategies that stand out, so you can brainstorm your own.
1) Find your target audience
If you haven’t already, you will need to determine who you are talking to and what kind of audience you want to attract to your restaurant. Most restaurants will say they want to attract as many people as possible, but being realistic, certain segments of the population are more concerned than others.
For example, a brewery will target more young professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who have a certain salary and more free time. The marketing strategies will be adapted according to the target audiences, among other things about the vocabulary, the segments of the population targeted by the advertisements, the color palettes, the content of the images, etc.
2) Define your goals
Once you have decided who you are talking to, you will need to define your goals. You can create multiple levels of goals, i.e., realistic, optimistic, dream goals, etc. For example, as a goal, you could aim to reach 10,000 followers on Instagram by the end of the year. You might also want your restaurant to appear on the first page when people type “vegetarian restaurant in Bromont”.
3) Optimize local SEO
Local SEO is an optimization technique that appeared when Google decided to take geolocation into account in its search results. For example, when you write “bathroom renovation”, the search engine wants to introduce the person to renovation contractors or stores located in their region. So if the person writes a very simple query like “bathroom remodel” even without specifying their city, Google will want to present them with suitable results. To show relevant information, algorithms will use user data and data from pages that have taken the time to optimize their websites, profiles, and social media accounts.
Here are some techniques to optimize your local SEO:
- Optimize your profile on Google My Business (which appears when people type your name);
- List your restaurant in online directories and directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, RestoMontreal, etc.);
- Optimize your website to clarify where you are located and what you offer;
- Encourage the opinions of Internet users.
4) Social networks
These days, it’s almost unthinkable not to develop a social media presence. After that, it is unnecessary to create accounts on each social media, but at least to put effort into our target audience. As you will have already determined who you want to talk to, you will choose the social network where this audience is located. In Canada, the largest networks are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat. For a restaurant, Facebook and Instagram are the networks that offer the most potential.
How to use it?
Instagram is a social network that is heavily focused on images and less on written content. It’s time to show off some mouthwatering photos of your dishes and pretty pictures of your decor and employees. Create a certain aesthetic that matches the branding you want to showcase, for example, choosing a sepia tone for photos or highlighting a color that matches the logo. Another idea: put text in the images.
Encourage people to comment on your images, and make sure you’re using the right hashtags to reach more people. You can also encourage people to share their photos taken in your restaurant and then share them on your account (by tagging them). This will have the effect of creating a sense of belonging.
On Facebook, you can bet more on the text, talking about your dishes, your specials, and even pushing a few quips. The goal of Facebook is to create a certain dialogue between the company and those who follow it on the social network. Therefore, it is recommended to create posts that generate discussion (without falling into controversy unless it works with the target audience).
5) The creation of a website for a restaurant
The creation of a website can be very useful for a web marketing strategy. This is a great way for a restaurant to bring out the establishment’s ambiance, menu type, and personality. In most cases, it is not necessary to design a very complex site containing several pages.
A showcase site will be more than enough to get your messages across unless you feel like launching a big content strategy with a blog, photos, recipes, videos, and so on. This type of content can be very relevant for large restaurants with family audiences and chains.
6) Online reservations
Offering the possibility of online reservations has practically become a must for mid-range and high-end restaurants. Most people prefer to book in 30 seconds from their computer or mobile phone rather than taking the time to call. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you integrate a tool to take bookings from your website and social media accounts.
Several tools are available in Quebec, including Bookenda, OpenTable, and RestoMontreal. Study each of the options before choosing the one that will best suit your needs. On Facebook, you can use a plugin installed directly on your page.
7) Promotions for fast food restaurants
As mentioned earlier in the article, some strategies are better suited for fast-food restaurants and would not necessarily suit the tone associated with other types of restaurants. One thinks, for example, of the strategy of asking people to report their presence in the restaurant to win a free meal or another such prize.
It is an effective and interesting technique for fast food because it attracts “likes” and visibility on social networks. On the other hand, this type of practice does not really match the brand image as a general rule for more upscale restaurants.
We invite you to consult the articles presented below in the article for specific ideas of promotions and strategies for fast food restaurants.
8) Work with a marketing agency to promote your restaurant
As a restaurateur, you may be creative, but you may not have the time or the knowledge to initiate and complete marketing strategies. As a consequence, it is strongly advised that you employ the services of a web marketing firm.
Do you want to promote your business in the social world? Are you seeking persuasive Social Media Marketing Services? Touch base with us. We offer Social Media Marketing in Pakistan at an economical price.
The Digital Hub 