Marketing Strategies for Restaurants in 2022
The pandemic slowed down many things - going out for dinner to our favorite restaurants, too. Food experience and the way we eat in a social setting are things that have changed in the past two years, and restaurants had to change and adapt (unfortunately, this mostly included survival of the business). Restaurants adjusted their businesses, which involved lots of creative thinking in the process to make their business survive and succeed - despite the uncertainty that comes with a pandemic.
As we are already approaching the last quarter of the year, this is what restaurants can use and think of when it comes to their marketing and branding strategies for 2022.
#1. Consumer Data
Restaurants operate in a highly competitive environment, and one way to stay one step ahead of the competition is to know your customer. Restaurants need to gather precise and relevant data about their customers. With today’s technologies, it is much easier to do so. You can now analyze data about what your customers order the most, where do food platforms deliver your food most often, and you can analyze through which channel your customers find you and reach out to you. Restaurants need to examine every stage of the client journey to have customers coming for more.
If you’re in the restaurant business, this is what you can do:
Firstly, increase your business visibility by placing your name, address and phone number across all platforms (FB, IG, website). As a restaurant owner, you need to consistently provide the same information on all platforms you use because by doing so you will make it easier for your customer. When the customer uses the google search engine and types “local restaurants near me”, your chances of appearing in the search results will be much higher.
Secondly, when the data tells you who visits you the most or who orders from you the most, you can increase your repeat sales even more with loyalty rewards. Word of mouth will do the rest – attract other customers who would also like to be part of the reward program. You can be creative with loyalty programs and think about what kind of reward would be beneficial for your customer and you as a business owner. You can check Starbucks, Chipotle, Panera Bread, Dunkin’ Donuts for more ides or just google creative ideas for loyalty programs.
#2. Social Media
Statistics say that at least 87% of Internet users are influenced by reviews. Needless to say, it’s no different for restaurants; presence on social media is necessary, if not essential. But only an account on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn is not enough. Besides providing consistent information, the content on these platforms should be relevant and customized to the taste and needs of your consumers in order to increase engagement rates. You can also promote your business by using location-based advertising to attract more customers.
As for social media marketing, we already have a second client from this industry who is using our services to increase brand awareness and boost sales. Therefore, if you’re unsure how to handle your social media, contact us for a free consultation and potential collaboration.
#3. Promotions, Offers & Push Notifications
The best thing about promotions is creating a sense of urgency, and, as a result, it can bring in new customers and increase your sales. We also recommend using offers and promotions for special occasions, a welcome of a new season, or a special offer that results from a collaboration with another brand. Moreover, we suggest using social media campaigns so that more people hear about your promotion, or at least become curious about who you are and what you have to offer, and find out more about you on different platforms. And this leads to the importance of an appealing social media presence and an attractive and user-friendly website. Check our services to find out how we can help you in your brand identity and social media marketing.
And lastly, push notifications. When a customer comes to you for the first time, you want to gather information about them. Why? Because the goal is customer retention. And one way to do that is by using push notifications. A software app can send short messages to a user via a mobile platform (WhatsApp, Viber) or messages. You can use push notifications to inform the customer about a new menu or special menu offers, or promotions of any kind. Even better, personalizing the message will give you higher chances of engagement, positive reviews, and more importantly, return on the investment.
#4. Strategic Branding
Even if we put it here as the last point, it always should be the first and most important thing to consider. Brand Strategy is the core of what we do at Apher. It’s our starting point for every client. Strategic Branding means thinking about and precisely communicating your fundamental values, knowing your target market and reaching customers strategically.
Think about what your core values are: how are you different from your competitor? Are you mainly focused on dining in or events (celebrations, meeting, music events etc.), or maybe delivery? Knowing what you do best, or what you want to be the best at, is the first step of the branding strategy. On our website, you can find some projects we did on brand strategy, and get an idea of how and where you can start for your own business as well.
On the other hand, if you need professionals to help with your brand strategy, or you’ve been in business for quite some time and feel like it’s time for an update with fresh eyes, that’s what external consultants are for! We offer a special one-off package for small restaurant businesses: $999 for a brand strategy + social media strategy for 2 months. Contact us to learn more about this package, or any other customizable package we can offer!
