Standing out from the crowd in the restaurant space can be difficult, but if done correctly, it can be the difference between a packed-out reservation list and clean plates. There are multiple ways for you to promote your restaurant to ensure you encourage repeat customers to dine with you.
Contents
1. Know who you are as a brand
2. Invest in your website
3. Social media marketing
4. Google My Business
5. Discounts and loyalty promotions
6. Influencer events
1. Know who you are as a brand
Before you start any marketing campaign or efforts, knowing who you are as a brand is essential. This includes knowing the tone of voice of your brand, your brand ethos and the type of messaging you want to relay to customers.
One of the advantages of creating a recognisable brand is that your audience will know what to expect when they hear your name. With consistent messaging, your audience will slowly but surely become more familiar with your brand, and when they need something you offer – you will be at the forefront of their mind.
If you don’t know how to create a brand, check out our guide on branding, which outlines how to craft a brand and its importance within your overarching business strategy, including examples you can refer to.
2. Invest in your website
Creating a functional website is one of the most useful things you can do when establishing and marketing your restaurant. Most people will Google a restaurant before they visit to see what is on offer, opening times and more.
But what should you include on your website for your restaurant? Check out the table below to see what you should include on your site and how it can positively impact your customers.
| What to Include on your restaurant Website | Why you should include it |
| The menu |
You should show off your restaurant’s menu on your website. This allows customers to choose what they want to eat before visiting. You could also include images of your most visually appealing dishes. Make sure to include prices in your online menu to ensure that customers know the value of your establishment and can budget for their meal before attending.
|
| Opening hours |
Make sure to include a list of your opening hours and days on your website. This will keep customers informed about the timings of your restaurant, and they can inquire about a reservation or reschedule according to their plans.
|
| Contact number |
Include a phone number, email address or a live chat on your site so your customers can contact you.
|
| Address or map |
Adding a map or address to your website will let customers know where your restaurant is and how to get to it easily. You could also make recommendations about parking within this section.
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| Reservation or booking functionality |
Adding a reservation or booking system to your website is a simple way to increase your bookings This allows users to easily put in their recommended reservation time, the number of guests dining, and any special requirements the party may have.
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| Imagery + Social media links | Customers visit your website to check out your food before trying it out. Ensure to include visually appealing imagery of your food, your restaurant interior, and any drinks or desserts you sell that will entice customers to try you out. If you share this type of content via social media, include links or plug-ins that show your feeds on your site. |
3. Social Media Marketing
We briefly touched on social media marketing in the last point, but getting it right when marketing a restaurant is important, as it can be such a powerful tool. This is why we're giving you some handy tips and tricks on the social media content you should post for your restaurant.
- Food pictures: Your customers will visit your social feeds to see your food’s aesthetic. This can be a big factor in whether someone will come to your restaurant; if they see something they like, they’ll want to have it to share it with their followers.
- Behind-the-scenes content: You can show your chef preparing for the evening, cooking meals, or even teasing new recipes for your restaurant. You will find that showcasing staff members on your social media profiles will get a lot of engagement.
- Utilise different social media channels: Make sure to build an online presence on various social media channels, and don’t just rely on one singular platform. We recommend utilising Facebook and Instagram for your main posts, but the likes of TikTok can be a great way to get exposure and go viral.
Reshare User-Generated Content: Once you create a brand that people want to engage with, you will find that you will start to receive more user-generated content from your customers. This is perfect marketing as you will receive free customer exposure and extra content you can repurpose.
4. Google My Business
Establishing a Google My Business account is a vital online marketing tool if you don’t have it already. By having a Google My Business account, you can appear in Google search results, local search results and even right-side Knowledge Panels.
A Google restaurant listing should include the following information:
- Contact information (including phone number and email address)
- Address
- Questions and answers about the business
- Reviews
- Photographs
- Posts
- Opening times and busiest hours
- Menu + website links
Optimising this effectively ensures that customers can find you, contact you and interact with your restaurant, which is important as this will be many users' first impression of your business.
5. Discounts and loyalty programmes
If you’re looking to build a loyal customer base, it is important to show them you value their presence. As a retention incentive, you can introduce loyalty programmes or discounts to those who regularly visit your restaurant.
By offering incentives to visit your restaurant, such as a points or loyalty system, customers will feel they are getting more for their money and want to return.
6. Influencer events
To push your restaurant even further, you can invite local influencers to an event at your restaurant. Inviting local social media influencers to come to a free event can gain online exposure and content that can be shared on social media and help increase your online following.
Make sure to impress the influencers when they attend your event, as the messaging they send to their followers about your premises will impact whether they decide to visit your restaurant.
Take your restaurant to the next level with Displaysense
At Displaysense, we have a wide range of merchandising equipment for you to utilise to take your restaurant to new heights. Show off your menu to customers waiting for a table with the range of sign & menu holders available. Within this range of menu holders, you will find signs to fit a range of paper sizes from A5 to A2. We want to ensure you have all the Retail Equipment and information you need to succeed in business, so check out our advice and inspiration hub.
