So you’re in the midst of starting a restaurant. Or, maybe you’re looking for inspiration for new restaurant marketing tips. Either way, they’re vital for your business.

As a restaurant manager, it’s likely that you often search for new ways to boost the restaurant profit margin. If your wait staff isn’t super busy most days or you don’t stand out within your niche market, it might signal you to turn back to your restaurant business plan.

Learning about restaurant marketing done right is the first step toward promoting your business. Continue reading to learn more about it.

Restaurant Marketing Done Right

Let’s begin by noting that the kind of restaurant you operate will dictate your marketing efforts. A casual dining experience like a quick service restaurant won’t use the same strategies as a five-start establishment.

From learning how to find a target audience to determining which types of restaurant tech are right for you, we’ve listed all the advice below. Continue reading this blog to learn about ideas to accomplish restaurant marketing done right.

Restaurant Marketing Tips

As a business owner, here’s your chance to hone your creativity. Restaurant marketing tips can utilize innovative restaurant technology or lean toward the more traditional route.

Whichever tips you choose, ensure that your marketing plans are cohesive and on-brand. Once you coordinate a strategy that suits your restaurant, optimal results should follow. Now, let’s dive into ten of the most effective restaurant marketing ideas.

1. Learn How to Find A Target Audience

Most of the restaurant marketing tips you will follow depend on your target audience. Marketing is all about speaking to the right people, which begins with some market research.

If you’re already utilizing social media, check out your analytics dashboards to learn about your audience. If you don’t have a digital presence, simply observe your clientele.

When you’re learning how to find a target audience, ask yourself the following questions:

• In which towns and counties do my customers live?
• Which age group encompasses most of my customers?
• What are my customers’ go-to menu items?
• What is the average cart value of each party?
• Which days and times of the week are busiest?

Answering the questions above will help determine the type of restaurant marketing tips you employ. Plus, they might also help you learn how to price a menu, publish digital campaigns, and more.

2. Create Custom QR Codes

Believe it or not, QR codes can help you from a marketing perspective. If you add QR codes to each table, customers can constantly view your restaurant menus. In doing so, they’re likely to order additional food and drinks.

QR codes are also beneficial in print ads. For instance, if an advertisement for your restaurant was in a local paper or venue that didn’t offer catering services, people could scan it with their smartphone to view your menu.

If you want to create a custom QR code for your restaurant, we recommend you book a demo with SproutQR. Not only is it a self-automated platform, but you can frequently update your menu without losing its aesthetic. Plus, who doesn’t love an extra touch of professionalism?

3. Launch A Loyalty Program

A restaurant loyalty program is key for restaurant marketing done right. It’ll quickly take your restaurant promotion ideas to the next level.

Rewarding your most loyal customers is sure to drive tons of traffic. Consumers enjoy free stuff and perks, so it’ll incentivize for many people to come back. With this in mind, don’t miss out on the chance to promote your loyalty program outside the restaurant.

Loyalty program data can sync with your restaurant POS platform to simplify rewards. Rather than handling punch cards, waiters or hosts can look up a loyalty member with an email address or phone number. In doing so, you’ll also simplify restaurant operations.

4. Offer Promotions and Discounts

Discounts will work great for those who don’t want to join a loyalty program. Promotions are an effective way to serve returning customers while simultaneously introducing new people to your business.

Happy hour and half-off items from the appetizer list are just a couple of ways that restaurants offer promotions. However, it’s up to you to be more creative.

Is there a certain day of the week that’s always slow? Offer unique drink specials. Or, is there a time of year where revenue tends to decrease overall? Maybe promote seasonal themes.  

Promotions and discounts will depend on your target audience. So, observe what seems to be best-sellers and let your offers revolve around them.

5. Utilize Food Delivery Apps

If you want to promote your restaurant to the masses, mobile food ordering will serve you well. When you offer delivery services, you also have the chance of accepting higher cart values.

If you’re not fond of your restaurant’s location, delivery apps will be a major driver of traffic. As potential customers browse what’s in the area, they’ll eventually stumble across your business. Plus, they can order food from the comfort of their own home.

Delivery apps can integrate with your POS system to streamline payments, data storage, and orders. Not only will this help with basic operations, but for when you take inventory, too.

6. Host Restaurant Events

People are always looking for something fun to do. With this in mind, create a space that consumers gravitate toward.

Live music usually results in successful turnouts. It’s a way for the community to come together; plus, artists may bring in crowds who might not be from your town. In this case, it’s a great way to boost awareness.

If your restaurant doesn’t accommodate live performances, consider hosting game nights. Whether you become the go-to spot for sporting events or trivia nights, events will likely be ideal for sales and customer service.

7. Be Active On Social Media

Just think about the amount of time people spend scrolling through social media. Make sure that you stay active on all relevant platforms to generate awareness.

Create original and eye-catching content that’ll entice followers to visit your business. But first, learn how to calculate social media ROI to track your results. Your numbers may be growing, but it doesn’t mean they’re converting to sales.

Even if social media doesn’t result in an influx of new customers, it’s still important to be active online. Some of the best reasons to remain on social media are:

• It serves as a place for customers to send questions and concerns
• You can easily stay connected to your loyal customers
• Social media platforms can support paid advertising
• You can promote content about drink and food trends

8. Implement Restaurant SEO Strategies

If you live in a densely populated city like New York or Los Angeles, you’ll want to utilize a restaurant SEO plan at some point. SEO tactics will help you rise above the competition when people search for restaurants like your own.

The reason why we specifically encourage restaurant SEO for businesses in major cities is due to tourism. As people plan their travel, they’re likely to search for the best eateries, the best beer garden, etc. Since they’re not in your city yet, they can’t search for “restaurants near me.”

By optimizing your website, people will organically find your business. If an SEO strategy makes sense for your restaurant, we encourage you to equip your team with the right skills and resources.

9. Conduct A Restaurant Review Program

Positive reviews will serve as the best marketing collateral for your restaurant. People have a natural tendency to trust their friends and family. As new people have great experiences at your eatery, they’ll likely tell others about it.

Giveaways and discounts in exchange for a review will entice customers to write one. However, feedback and recognition don’t always have to mean a review. Other ways to generate traffic to your restaurant include:

• Entering local food competitions
• Donating to local charities and nonprofits
• Participating in town or county-wide events
• Hosting fundraisers for local schools

10. Don’t Forget About Print Ads

Traditional marketing isn’t completely obsolete and can still contribute to restaurant marketing done right. Consider all of the places where you learn about new businesses. There are many ways to gain exposure, from local magazines to highway billboards. Digital marketing strategies aren’t the only ideas on the table, so weigh your options.

Just remember that with traditional marketing efforts, it can be nearly impossible to track results. With this in mind, opt for them once you generate some traction for a while.

Frequently Asked Questions About Restaurant Marketing Done Right

How Do Restaurants Do Marketing?

Restaurants conduct marketing efforts in several ways, from social media to specials. If you want to implement restaurant marketing tips, consider the following options:

• Social media
• Catering services
• Delivery apps
• Paid advertising
• Hosting events

What Are Marketing Goals For Restaurants?

The goals of any restaurant should be to accelerate profits, generate more revenue, establish customer loyalty, grow the team, and boost customer satisfaction. By implementing the right restaurant marketing tips, you should be able to achieve these goals and achieve restaurant marketing done right.

Do Restaurants Need Marketing?

Yes, restaurants need to implement marketing strategies! Without the right marketing efforts, a restaurant might not reach its entire potential customer base. If this occurs, they’re missing out on substantial profit.