Restaurant Marketing is changing quickly and it is something as a restaurant owner or manager you need to stay on top of.
There are several things we have seen emerge as trends that can’t be ignored in 2019 that as a restaurant you MUST be doing. Here are a handful of the top items that we have found to provide the best ROI to restaurants in 2019.
Social Media
As a restaurant, you cannot ignore Social Media. Currently, over 77 percent of the population is active on social media. To stay in front of your current and future guess it is important to have an active profile on Social Media. There are a handful of platforms as a restaurant you should focus on, however, the top ones we suggest you start with are Facebook and Instagram.
Here are some of the key reasons your restaurant must be on Facebook:
- Increase Your Exposure to Potential Guests – Facebook has over 1.19 Billion users
- Fans (aka customers) can endorse and provide exposure for you on Facebook for FREE when they check-in on Facebook and/or post a review
- It is Free to post an event on Facebook that you are having at your restaurant and Events provide great exposure
- Get great demographic information – Facebook insights shows you who your fans are and gives some great insights
- Easily target your ideal customers – Facebook Ads allow you to target those that would be great customers and track your results – this works much better than Val-pack or similar coupon pack marketing
Instagram is a Social Media platform you can not ignore for your restaurant. Here are some key reasons your restaurant must be on Instagram
- Reach Millennials and Gen-Z – Instagram is Millennial and Gen-Z focused – and 53% go out to eat once a week compared with 43% of the general population
- 30% of millennial diners actively avoid restaurants with a weak Instagram presence
- 69% of millennial diners take a photo of their food before eating
- Instagram allows you to easily engage with foodies and others that are great connections for your restaurant
Chatbots
If you haven’t implemented chatbots in your restaurant you really should pay attention to this trend. A chatbot can be implemented to answer common questions your guests have, to help with contests, to deliver coupons and to build a VIP list. The following are some top reasons you really should consider adding a chatbot for your restaurant:
- They can provide 24×7 automated customer support for questions
- Messenger Bots are currently delivering an 80% open rate
- Can be used to respond to people once they comment on a Facebook post
- Can be integrated with other tools to show ROI of promotions
WIFI Marketing
Are you providing Free WIFI at your location? If you are it is critical that you turn your WIFI into a money maker and tool instead of an expense. WIFI Marketing can be used to help you drive more customers back to your restaurant on a regular basis. (We offer a version that ties directly into your email marketing) Here are some reasons you need to implement WIFI Marketing today:
- Build your email list 5x faster by tying this to your WIFI
- Automate requests for reviews
- Track Customer visits to your restaurant
- Set up automated Email messages tied to your WIFI Marketing to send birthday greetings, loyalty customer deals, re-engage lost customers and more
As a restaurant owner or manager, it is critical that you pay attention to these trends and begin to implement them into your restaurant.
If you would like to book a strategy session to find out how we can help you implement these items – just click here to book a strategy session.
