The Great Restaurant Marketing Change-Up Part 1
Raise your hand if you are tired of the word “PIVOT”? Swivel, Recalibrate, Change Up, Tweak, Overhaul…I’ll take any of those. Maybe its because mainstream brands are using it so much it is starting to sound like a really good song that has been played so much that it no longer has the appeal or even meaning of its artist.
Regardless of what you call it, marketing your restaurant during the time of Covid-19 and beyond requires creativity and organization but it also allows you to get back to basics. Hence the Great Restaurant Marketing Change-Up Part 1.
Take it Back to Your Roots
Most restaurants prior to sheltering in place struggled with keeping menus exciting and pleasing for even the pickiest eaters. Items were added to the menu to give customers more choices, but in reality it left the restaurant with a huge headache. Speciality items were added to your supplies, along with additional pricing and programming in your point of sale .. And don’t forget about training your waitstaff.
Eliminate the menu clutter, pick the best signature items you make perfectly and offer those only. The In & Out model works for a reason. Less is More.
Socialize with Others
Make sure you are regularly posting on your social media channels. The more you post, the more likely you’ll show up in your follower’s feeds. And don’t forget stories. Add stickers like relevant hashtags and locations so that your content is showing up for those in your area. Did you see the “Support Small” sticker that just popped up in Instagram? This is a great tool to showcase one of your suppliers or producers which can help in growing your restaurant’s exposure.
Don’t just stop there and call it a day. Partner up with tourism organizations, downtown associations or chamber of commerces and request they tag you when they feature local restaurants who open and more, but don’t forget to promote these groups on your feed as well. The Santa Rosa Downtown Association is a great example of an organization who is showcasing businesses every day who are open.
Become an E-mail Whiz
Anyone else receive their weekly screen time reports and see a week over week increase? You aren’t alone. Everyone is online and e-mail is no exception. In addition to posting updates regularly to your social media channels, communicate with your customers via weekly e-mails. Even if its just an update to your weekly offerings, this will keep you top of mind.
E-mail platforms like MailChimp and Constant Contact are inexpensive platforms that can be customized to fit your brand or you can utilize one of their templates.
Tips Roadside in Kenwood, California has been doing a great job in sharing their weekly menus in addition to letting their customers know where their food truck will be each week. It lets me plan out nights I’ll for sure not cook so that I can partake in their delicious BBQ.
Get Noticed
From the beginning, local restaurant Ausiello’s 5th Street Bar & Grill in Santa Rosa took to social media by showcasing one of the owners making food deliveries dressed up as a classic mullet clad 80’s character they dubbed “Biff”. Not only did their followers laugh at the footage of Biff rocking out to his radio while dropping off orders to customer’s homes, but they shared the stories so much that they got noticed and the local lifestyle newspaper Sonoma Magazine featured the business as being creative and having fun during these not so pleasant times.
At the very least, let the media and press know when you are open for business. Local lifestyle publications and newspapers are culling this information together for the community to reference as restaurants open back up.
This might be overwhelming to many, or it could be something that comes naturally. If you don’t know where to start or are hung up on a specific project, our agency can assist in getting your restaurant or small business set up for success now and into the future. Drop us a note, we are here for you.
Part 2 up next week.