As a new restaurant owner, you know you need to engage your target audience. The million-dollar question is how to reach your customers in the most effective way. Should you go for traditional marketing methods, digital strategies, or both?
You have the best food, location, and experienced staff, but the tables are still empty. In the next section, find out about the top strategies that bring in customers.
Identify Your Target Audience
What would be the ideal profile of your customers? Are you looking for college-goers, freshers, or the office crowd? When you know who you want to cater to, you can know where they can be found.
This information helps you promote your products on the right social media platform that ensures the highest engagement from viewers.
You could also have a kind of online survey to understand what kind of food people would be interested in. The feedback from the survey will help you design an effective digital marketing strategy for your new restaurant.
Be Present on Social Media
You need to start your social media page on different social media platforms as soon as you name your restaurant. Start with a teaser campaign. Share the step-by-step recipes, behind-the-scenes interaction with your staff, launch day, and more on Instagram using the Instagram reel maker.
Including viewers at the beginning of the journey gives them a sense of belonging, and they become followers of your restaurant. They feel like family and are likely to become your future customers.
Bond With Your Neighborhood
Your restaurant’s greatest partners in growth are the residents of the neighborhood. Whether it’s coffee and snacks in the morning to lunch or dinners on weekends, they fill in the seats. When you get so much from them, you should reward them in some way.
A great idea is organizing a social hour for them with free wine and snacks. This lets neighbors interact with your staff and create a foundation for long-term relationships.
Ask them to drop their names and basic details so you can wish them on their birthdays and anniversaries.
Sneak Preview
Reserving one day for the press wins you their attention. Talk about what your restaurant offers and the people you want to cater to and offer free samples of the items on your menu.
People who love food take food critics very seriously, and a positive review from the press ensures your restaurant gets the visibility it needs. Food columnists are interested in the ‘new restaurant on the block,’ and if your restaurant has something unique to offer, you’ll get the coverage you want.
People interested in dining want to experiment with healthy and new forms of cuisine, and if they find that in your restaurant, you can develop a strong customer base.
In-Person Branding
To let the retail stores, restaurants, and hotels in your area know that a new restaurant has opened its doors, you need to pay them an in-person visit. Don’t forget to carry samples of your food items when you meet them.
Make sure you share information on your menu, working hours, location, and other details so that when someone is looking for the food you sell, your neighboring stores can refer to your restaurant.
Be There, Everywhere
Make guest chef appearances at other restaurants, get involved with local charities, and host free dinners to ensure your presence is felt. In addition to media coverage, these activities will help boost revenues faster.
Share freebies like caps and t-shirts at such events so that people remember you.
Online and Offline Influencers
A popular figure in the neighborhood or an influencer online can give you access to their huge community of followers. Partner with an influencer or a food blogger and brief them about your restaurant. These bloggers, in turn, will promote your restaurant on their videos and social media pages.
When people find influencers promoting a particular restaurant, they pay attention and start interacting with your social media pages. You need an active administrator on your social media platforms that respond to queries posted by visitors.
There are people in your neighborhood who are extremely popular. Interact with such people and invite them for lunch or dinner with their friends. Don’t be surprised if almost the whole neighborhood turns up!
Consistency in Branding
There needs to be consistency between your social media promotions, website, and any other form of branding. When you are consistent, the target audience can associate easily with your brand, and there are higher chances of conversion.
Prepare a script for your videos and graphic posts. The flow of your video or other ads needs to be smooth to send the right message to your viewers. All these marketing tools need to be related to each other.
If you want to organize a giveaway, plan it well and offer a select menu. Make sure you decorate your restaurant in bright colors and train your staff to receive the guests warmly. This will help register your brand as a customer-friendly entity, and more people will get to know about your restaurant through word of mouth.
Print Media
Newspapers offer many opportunities for brands to get more visibility, and the good news is that some options are free.
Meet lifestyle editors of local newspapers and invite them to your restaurant in person. Follow up with a call and email. Arrange for a private get-together and offer select items on your menu exclusively for them.
Newspapers have e-editions, and this medium gives you access to thousands of readers. These patrons will visit your restaurant after reading detailed reviews about your food.
Conclusion
Before you create a buzz about your restaurant, you need to know your brand. What makes your restaurant different from others apart from the food? Check the promotions of other restaurants in your category before you start.
The platform that works for others may not work for you, so try to find one that fits your brand profile. Promotions with videos are more effective, so create videos with a strong storyline. Create professional videos using online video-making tools and watch the popularity of your restaurant soar!
