How to Stay Consistent With Your Restaurant Marketing Strategy
How do you stay consistent with your restaurant marketing strategy? The answer is not as simple as it may seem. In almost any aspect of our lives, we may eventually feel burnt out and find it hard to stay consistent. To help combat that, we’ve put together a few strategies that will help keep your restaurant marketing relevant and on brand. These strategies will help you make sure that your marketing efforts are aligned with what works best for your business and show you how to stay consistent.
Use print, online, and social media to communicate your brand.
If you’re trying to be consistent with your restaurant marketing as well as your brand image, you’ll want to start showing up in multiple different places. This way your guests will be able to engage and support your brand across multiple platforms.
Printing your business cards and menu cards is an easy way to get your message in front of more customers. You can also use printed materials to assist in giveaways, trade shows, conventions, or other events. If you’re launching a new menu item and want to spread the word, utilizing printed advertisements can be a big help!
Your website is one of the most important places for you to communicate with potential customers online and is an easy tool to use in your restaurant marketing strategy. You should update your site regularly so that you're always consistent with what people see on their screens when they visit yours. This means making sure that the information on your website is always updated and on brand.
Create an online presence for your restaurant.
You can create an online presence for your restaurant marketing strategy in many different ways, and you should! Your restaurant guests are all over the internet, and they should be able to find you there as well.
The easiest way to connect with your guests online is by using your restaurant website. Your website should be easy to navigate, load quickly and have a clear call-to-action button on each page that leads back to your designated offers. It’s also important to have a clear form of communication that guests can use to have any questions answered. This can be as simple as linking your social media pages and business phone number in the footer of your website.
If you want to consistently be showing up on social media as a part of your restaurant marketing strategy, then you’ll have to be selective about which platforms you choose. If you have the marketing tools to successfully run multiple social media accounts then go for it! But, if you aren’t there yet you can pick one platform and focus all of your restaurant marketing efforts in that direction. The most important thing is that you choose a platform that has your specific target audience using it. Meeting your guests where they already are will help you better understand their wants and needs.
Your social media strategy should be a reflection of the tone of voice you want to use with your audience. If you're not sure, ask yourself: Do I want to be friendly or authoritative? Am I comfortable asking questions or getting personal in response? If you're unsure how much interaction is appropriate for a particular platform, don't hesitate to ask someone more experienced than yourself what they think. It might seem like an obvious question but it's important for consistency's sake!
Create a blog for your restaurant.
Blogging is one of the best ways to connect with your audience and keep a consistent restaurant marketing strategy. It can be used as a platform for sharing information about your restaurant, food, and staff, as well as any special events or promotions that you're running in the community.
Depending on your resources you can post a blog once a week or multiple times a week, but try to stay consistent with what you choose. Once you get into a good groove of posting blogs each week, your restaurant guests will know they have something from you to look forwards to! This helps keep them engaged and excited about your restaurant brand.
Advertise in the right places and with the right people.
The first step to a successful restaurant marketing strategy is knowing where you want your restaurant to be seen. There are many mediums that you can use, but the most effective ones will depend on what kind of audience it's targeting and how much effort you're willing to put in. Here are some ideas of where to advertise your business besides on social media:
Radio: If your target market is older, then radio advertising may be best for them because they're less likely to hear commercials on TV or online. However, if your audience is mostly from the younger generations then this may not be the best choice. If you have the resources to use radio advertisements and that’s where your target audience is then go for it!
Print: Print media like newspapers tend not only to provide more space than digital platforms do but also allow advertisers access even when they don't have internet access themselves! This means businesses with smaller budgets have another opportunity where they can reach potential customers without having an expensive computer system in place first.
Plan your restaurant marketing ahead of time.
With the right strategies, you will be able to stay consistent with your restaurant marketing efforts. One strategy that will help you feel less stressed and more consistent with your business is planning. This means making sure that you have all of your ducks in a row before starting any new projects or campaigns. Ensure there are no holes in the plan and everything is accounted for—from budgeting and staffing levels to social media strategy and more.
The most important thing, however, is that you stay consistent with your restaurant marketing strategy for an effective outcome. If you don’t have one yet, start now! You’ll be glad you did.