Get a crash course on marketing for restaurants. Find out what you need to know about social media, email, paid and other forms of marketing.
Restaurant marketing attracts new customers, keeps regulars coming back and sets one place apart from the rest. It’s more important than ever to make savvy marketing central to your business. In this complete guide to restaurant marketing, we’ll cover everything you need to know to take your restaurant to a new level of success.
Quick links
What is restaurant marketing?
Why is restaurant marketing so important?
How to develop a restaurant marketing plan
What is the right restaurant marketing budget?
How to use social media for restaurant marketing
How to use paid advertising for restaurant marketing
How to use email marketing
What role does AI have to play in restaurant marketing?
What is restaurant marketing?
Nobody got into this business for the love of marketing, so restaurateurs can be forgiven if they lack expertise and interest in this part of the work.
Let’s start with the absolute basics: restaurant marketing refers to the strategies and tactics that restaurant owners use to promote their business and attract customers.
In the competitive landscape of 2023, effective marketing is a key driver of growth for restaurants and all other businesses. Ignore it at your peril.
There are loads of types of restaurant marketing these days. You’ve got the old ways, such as traditional advertising methods in the form of signs and billboards as well as print and radio ads.
Then there are the newer ways. These include digital marketing tools like social media, email marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO). And the quest to land media coverage on TV, in print, and online, also known as “earned media,” is eternal.
The good news is that you don’t have to do every kind of marketing under the sun. The secret sauce of successful restaurant marketing is to pick the strategies that work best for your specific restaurant, guests and goals.
Why is restaurant marketing so important?
Today, restaurant marketing is essential for success. This is just as true for independent neighbourhood restaurants as it is for large chains. The restaurant industry has been evolving at warp speed and so have the wants and needs of guests.
It’s vital to have a thoughtfully planned and expertly executed marketing strategy to magnetise the right people. Regularly brainstorming restaurant marketing ideas should be built into your workflow.
Not only does marketing put people in seats directly; it also builds your brand identity and reputation as you continually get the message about your restaurant out there over time. Through marketing, people can get to know you, your menu, the kinds of events you host and even your team before they ever step foot in the restaurant.
Social media platforms, an OpenTable profile page, email marketing and paid advertising can all be used to entice potential guests through the door and drive traffic to the restaurant’s online presence.
But even when guests aren’t dining with you, marketing helps you stay top of mind between pop-ins, driving repeat visits and creating loyal customers. By staying in touch with guests in their inboxes, through social media posts and elsewhere online, restaurants nurture relationships that keep their brand relevant.
How has restaurant marketing changed over the years?
Pre-Internet, old-fashioned marketing methods such as print ads, radio ads, direct mail and billboards were the best ways for restaurants to promote themselves. The rise of the Internet and social media has completely reshaped the marketing landscape.
Today, there’s a staggering variety of digital marketing tools at your disposal: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, email, Google ads, Boost campaigns and Bonus Points campaigns, to name a few. These tools let restaurants target guests in amazingly specific and effective ways.
All this tech has also made it easier for restaurants to collect data about guest preferences and behaviour, allowing them to create highly personalised marketing campaigns and tailor their offers to the needs and wants of specific groups.
In a way, digital marketing has levelled the playing field in the industry and given small and independent restaurants a chance to compete with larger chains. It’s clear that those who prioritise digital restaurant marketing strategies and stay up-to-date on the latest trends are more likely to see sustainable success in the years ahead.
How to develop a restaurant marketing plan
The first step to uplevel your restaurant marketing is to create a marketing plan. In a nutshell, a marketing plan is a blueprint that outlines your efforts for a specific time period.
It spells out your marketing objectives and actions as well as the results you want to achieve. A marketing plan takes some effort to put together, but it will save time in the long run.
A simple but strategic plan can help you identify your ideal guests, set concrete goals, allocate resources wisely and create campaigns that get results.
Ready to jump right in? Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write a comprehensive restaurant marketing plan.
Who is your ideal guest avatar and how do you create one?
The ideal guest avatar can be like a decoder ring for your whole marketing strategy. Simply put, an ideal guest avatar is a fictional representation of your restaurant’s perfect regular. It’s a profile that includes demographic information, interests, behaviours and pain points.
By creating an ideal guest avatar, you can better understand your guests and send marketing messages that feel like you’re talking personally to them.
4 steps to creating your ideal guest avatar
- Gather and review information about your guests. Use tools like surveys, customer feedback, guest notes, and social media analytics to learn more about their preferences and behaviours.
- Create a profile that includes details such as average age, gender, income, occupation, hobbies, and preferred dining occasions for some imaginary person who would be your dream regular.
- Give your ideal guest avatar a name and a backstory. This will help you imagine them as a real person with specific needs and motivations. Think about the challenges they face when dining out. Consider how your restaurant can solve these problems and provide a special dining experience that exceeds their expectations.
- Use your ideal guest avatar to guide your marketing efforts. Create content and creative promotions that speak directly to their interests. Customise your messaging and advertising to appeal to your ideal guest avatar and use social media platforms they frequent.
Creating a strong connection with your ideal guest avatar allows you to build a loyal customer base and increase your restaurant’s revenue. It’s counterintuitive that marketing to a single imaginary guest can help you draw a lot of new people to your restaurant, but it’s a time-tested marketing strategy that gets results.
What is the right restaurant marketing budget?
Finding the sweet spot in terms of how much to spend on marketing is notoriously tricky. You want to get as much out of those pounds as possible. Overspending and underspending are both real risks.
The first step to determining the right marketing spend for your restaurant is to set a budget that feels comfortably within your means.
- Determine how much you can really afford to spend on marketing each month or quarter, and stick to that budget.
- Decide on your channels, such as social media, email, paid search, etc. These options all come with different price tags and varying bang for the buck.
- Think about what you want to spend on each and consider the potential reach and effectiveness of each channel.
Over time, you’ll be able to get granular about the ROI for various types of marketing and that will shape your plan and budget as you move forward.
If one particular marketing channel is performing well, it’s time to increase the budget there. At the same time, keep your eyes peeled for underperforming channels so you can move that money into marketing that works.
How to build a strong restaurant brand
Branding can be an overlooked form of marketing because it’s less quantifiable than other strategies. Building a beloved restaurant brand requires showing up with clear and consistent messaging over time. It takes strong visuals, memorable dining experiences and media savvy.
Following these tips to build a brand that wins fans:
Define your brand by your values
Start by laying out the restaurant’s values. This will help you create a clear and consistent message that resonates with your target guests. Many restaurants have core values of community, fun or social justice.
If things like sustainability and community service matter to you, shout it out. Many customers are drawn to restaurants that prioritise values they share. Highlight your efforts in these areas to build a strong brand that connects with people.
Hone a visual identity
Your visual identity includes everything from your logo, restaurant name and colour choices to the look of your menu and website. Make sure all visual elements are consistent and reflect your chosen vibe.
Focus on the guest experience
The experience your guests have at your restaurant makes or breaks a brand. Make sure the service is friendly and welcoming, your food is high-quality and consistent, and your atmosphere is warm, memorable and preferably Instagrammable.
Engage on social
Social media marketing is a powerful tool for building your brand and engaging with guests when they aren’t in the dining room. Show off your food, people and events – anything that brings your restaurant’s personality to life. If you come across a negative review online, respond and try to make it right if possible.
How to optimise your website for SEO
As more and more customers are turning to online sources to pick restaurants and make reservations, you’ve got to have a strong online presence. You want your restaurant’s website to be optimised for search engines (SEO).
It doesn’t have to be complicated. Use words on your website that you think potential guests will search for. Place these keywords throughout your website, especially on your menu items description and about page.
A website’s structure and navigation also play a role in SEO. Make sure it’s easy for visitors to find the information they’re looking for, such as the menu, hours of operation and contact information. Also, check that the website is mobile-friendly. Most people will be looking at it on their phones.
Overall, optimising your restaurant’s website for SEO can boost online visibility and drive more guests through your doors.
How to use social media for restaurant marketing
Social media has become an essential tool for marketing in all industries. With billions of active users, it’s a powerful way to engage guests and potential guests.
If you aren’t already active on social media, start with one platform where you know your guests spend time. Post the best photos and videos you can. Don’t forget to keep the “social” in social media by actually having conversations with followers. When people comment on a post, reply. Pose questions, ask for suggestions and repost things your guests share about you.
Using social media for restaurant marketing can help increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and ultimately boost sales, both on-premise and online. Remember to track your results to refine your approach over time.
How to use paid advertising for restaurant marketing
Paid advertising, also known as paid media, can be a powerful tool for restaurant owners looking to build brand awareness and attract new guests. On the flip side, the world of paid advertising can be confusing and expensive.
If you’re going to invest in paid ads, spend some time investigating which are the right advertising channels for your restaurant. Google ads and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) ads are popular choices, but they’re far from the only ones. Research the different options and choose the channels that best fit your restaurant’s goals.
When investing in ads, you want to make sure you have the most effective ad copy and visuals as possible. It may be worth the money to enlist a professional to create the kind of polished ads most likely to get results.
Setting and sticking to a budget is also crucial for successful paid advertising. Start with a smaller budget and test different strategies to find what works best for your restaurant. And always track your metrics and know your ROI. That way you can adjust your strategy to maximise the benefits and minimise the risk of wasting money.
How to use email marketing for restaurants
In the digital age, email marketing is an essential tool for any business to reach customers.
For restaurant owners, email marketing can be especially beneficial. Here are just a few reasons why your restaurant should be using email marketing:
Drive repeat visits
Send personalised messages to your guests that invite them to come back to your restaurant, especially when you haven’t seen them in a while. This can be in the form of special offers (such as buy one get one free), loyalty rewards or even just a friendly reminder that you’re open. Repeat customers, aka regulars, can make or break a restaurant.
Save money
Compared to most other marketing channels, email marketing is relatively cheap. It allows you to reach a large number of people at a low cost. Email can provide a significant return on investment.
Track results
Email marketing campaigns can be easily tracked, allowing you to see how effective your campaigns are and make changes accordingly.
>What role does AI have to play in restaurant marketing?
Artificial intelligence is becoming a helpful tool for restaurants looking to raise their marketing efforts. It has the potential to provide more insights into hyper-personalised marketing through advanced customer data analysis and segmentation. Machine learning can also help improve marketing spend across channels by identifying the highest-performing tactics.
As the technology continues evolving, AI solutions will likely play a growing role in areas such as dynamic pricing, predictive analytics, automated creative generation and building omnichannel brand experiences (great for restaurants that offer more than a dine-in experience). Early adoption has the potential to provide a competitive edge.
It’s still an emerging application, but AI is poised to be a driving force for more efficient, effective and customer-centric restaurant marketing in the years ahead. Exploring tools like ChatGPT, Blueconic, and Marketo now can put you in a good position as they become increasingly important in the near future.
Restaurant Marketing 101
Effective restaurant marketing drives growth and sets your restaurant up for success. By developing a strategic marketing plan and making the most of select channels, you can win a steady stream of new guests and foster loyalty in your customer base.
