If your restaurant has a phenomenal menu and dishes that are hard to forget, word-of-mouth marketing will do the trick, right? But what if there are ten other good restaurants in the same neighborhood as yours? Will you receive the same number of visitors? Most likely not.
However, with successful advertising (which isn’t as scary as you think), people will start visiting you more and more, thus bringing their loved ones to spend quality time there.
Like it or not, billboards, flyers, and other traditional marketing methods no longer have the impact they once had.
What’s more, 22% of people decide to buy new products or services based on a business’s social networks. So, it’s time to learn how to promote your restaurant in a modern way – here’s how!
Bring Your Camera to The Kitchen
By now, we are addicted to the video format. We’re spending a huge amount of time watching TikToks and Reels just to make our daily lives more fun. So, why don’t you make the most of it?
Bringing your camera to the kitchen may sound like a recipe for chaos, but it can be imagined in so many different ways.
For example, take some of your most popular recipes and dissect them into different videos. What kind of ingredients do you use, and why? What makes them special? Is there a unique twist to a traditional meal?
In fact, you can go through your most popular recipes without revealing your secret ingredients – something that could be as simple as white pepper, but if you don’t include it in the scenario, people online will wonder what it is.
As a result, you’ll get more comments from people guessing the secret ingredient. And, in case you didn’t know, more comments equal more interactions, which leads to a viral video!
Think Smart and Be Recognizable
Thinking smart and not that hard is key to creating content that people love to watch. Especially if your kitchen has a charismatic chef who loves food and adores talking about it. Having a recognizable face for your business is something people online will love, as they can connect familiar people to brands, giving your business a more human approach.
So don’t be afraid to go behind the scenes. Just make sure you don’t get in the chef’s way during a sunny weekend brunch!
Be Strategic with Your SEO Tactics
In digital marketing, we take search engine optimization (SEO) very seriously, as that hard work can really pay off in the long run. There are many SEO strategies you can implement, but maybe the easiest one is running a good blog.
Blogging is one of the most effective SEO strategies, as it includes numerous activities that can bring more online traffic to your business. And it’s not always about what you offer at the moment; it’s more about what you know at any given time. It may sound ridiculous at first, but let’s take a look at a great example.
What Are Good Blogs Writing About?
While writing this article, we came across Oysterlink, a new platform for restaurant jobs and networking. What’s odd is that the platform won’t be available until late 2023. Nonetheless, their website is already full of useful information. They are producing great blog content that spreads the word about the platform even before the official launch, such as career advice, salary trends, and interviews with professionals.
That is a prime example of putting yourself out there as an industry professional. And what do people do with industry professionals? They trust them.
So as long as you’re writing about something your audience is interested in, you will see more traffic on your website and, thus, more people finding out about your business.
Host Local Events
As primarily social beings (with all due respect to introverts!), we love being part of communities. They satisfy our need to belong to a group of people with similar interests, and those interests can be diverse.
Think about creating exciting nights that people can’t miss. You can take so many different paths, for example:
- Wine tastings
- Live band shows
- Specific cuisine nights
- Karaoke nights
- And so much more!
Get people excited about the events on social media, write about them on your blog, and create unforgettable experiences. Those nights can stick with people for a long time, making them come back again to your restaurant and share their memories with their loved ones (and that again is word-of-mouth marketing).
Share Your Craft, and Others Will Share It Online
If you’re enthusiastic enough, you can even host a cooking school. People can pay to participate and learn basic cooking tricks from professional chefs. Or, you can invite different influencers for a free pasta making night that they can post about on their social media.
Once a big online name talks about your restaurant online, make sure you’re ready for a crowded night.
Participate In Online Communities
Being present online is one thing. Interacting with your audience is completely different and more important. Not many restaurants are great at this, so it’s time to master your skills of communication.
Gather as Many Positive Reviews as Possible
Today’s businesses can’t afford to lose any new customers due to a lack of online reviews. If you run an established restaurant, provide outstanding service to your customers, and cook delicious food, you should have no trouble receiving glowing reviews.
However, satisfied customers may need to be gently guided in the right direction before they actually go and leave a positive review on Yelp or Google. Here’s what you can do:
- Remind people to post their reviews on the fiscal receipt.
- Include a link to an online review platform inside their email receipts.
- Simply ask for one!
If someone can’t find the words to describe their satisfaction at the given moment, give them time to think about it and encourage them to share their opinion online.
Once the reviews are up, make sure to respond to them. Interact with your customers and show that you appreciate their opinion and the time they took to put good words in your name.
Create Accounts on Online Forums
Reddit and Quora, the most popular online forums, are great places to promote your restaurant business in a valuable way.
People are solving the biggest cooking mysteries on online forums, like how to perfectly poach an egg, or how to make the best starters for sourdough. Here’s an idea: create an account under your restaurant’s name and start providing useful tips to people in similar discussions.
That way, your restaurant’s name will pop up as a valuable source of information, making people want to learn more about what you bring to the table.
You can even start your own discussions or create helpful content for others, all with the goal of advertising your restaurant’s services.
Sponsor Local Sports Teams
If you have a successful takeout business, you are already serving the people in your neighborhood. So why not show your dedication to the community in some other way?
Supporting local sports teams is yet another great way to promote your business and show your dedication to the community and the same people who rely on you for great food. Nonetheless, they are likely to be fans of the local teams.
Sponsoring a local team is a great way to promote your business and show community support for your area. Your restaurant benefits, and so does your neighborhood.
Takeaways
To sum up, advertising is crucial for a restaurant to stand out in a crowded field. Modern methods of promotion, such as video content, SEO strategies, and taking part in online communities, are required because traditional marketing strategies are less effective.
Making videos that highlight your restaurant’s most popular dishes, ingredients, and chef’s personality can draw customers in. Hosting neighborhood events and utilizing SEO techniques can help you increase traffic to your website and give your visitors memorable experiences.
Finally, engaging with your audience, obtaining positive feedback, and participating in online communities can all help develop trust and loyalty. You can improve your restaurant’s visibility and draw in more customers by using these strategies.
Namaste UI collaborates closely with clients to develop tailored guest posting strategies that align with their unique goals and target audiences. Their commitment to delivering high-quality, niche-specific content ensures that each guest post not only meets but exceeds the expectations of both clients and the hosting platforms. Connect with us on social media for the latest updates on guest posting trends, outreach strategies, and digital marketing tips. For any types of guest posting services, contact us on info[at]namasteui.com.