Guide to Effective Restaurant Marketing. Denny Bulcao, Jr.

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1 Guide to Effective Restaurant Marketing Denny Bulcao, Jr.

2 2 Denny Bulcao, Jr. GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Content Overview 3 Website 4 SEO 5 Advertising Tracking Tools 6 Blogging 7 Loyalty Programs 8 Social Media 9 Yelp and Other Review Sites 12 Radio, Print and TV Advertisement 13

GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Denny Bulcao, Jr. 3 Overview Restaurant marketing is more important today than ever before and can be the key to setting yourself apart in a saturated market.

3 GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Denny Bulcao, Jr. 3 Overview Restaurant marketing is more important today than ever before and can be the key to setting yourself apart in a saturated market. A successful marketing strategy includes both online and offline messaging; both are critical to building a brand, attracting new customers, and retaining loyalty. To get the most out of marketing for your restaurant, you need to familiarize yourself with the basics. The process of promoting your restaurant starts with you. In this document, we will touch on a number of ways to increase your visibility, connect with customers, and advertise your business in your community.

Your website will be your point of contact with your customers and is the most essential advertising

Even if your website is basic, it will become the central nexus point for all contact with your

Hiring a professional to design your website can be a great long term investment.

you can easily fill in and have your site up and running in a matter of hours.

With plenty of templates and user-friendly features, you can develop an eye-catching website within

4 4 Denny Bulcao, Jr. GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Website The first thing you need is a website. Your website will be your point of contact with your customers and is the most essential advertising tool you have. Even if your website is basic, it will become the central nexus point for all contact with your restaurant on the Internet. Hiring a professional to design your website can be a great long term investment. If that isn t in the budget, there are many companies online that offer free and low-cost templates that you can easily fill in and have your site up and running in a matter of hours. Wix: Wix is a cloud-based development platform that offers free website building. With plenty of templates and user-friendly features, you can develop an eye-catching website within hours. Wordpress: Though Wordpress may be a bit more complex than Wix, it offers more SEO-friendly features that can get your restaurant found online. Weebly: Weebly offers drag and drop design features that lets anyone build an attractive website even with no web design experience. Even if your site just has your restaurant name, address, phone number, menu, and , you ll always know that your basic information will be accessible twenty-four seven.

5 GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Denny Bulcao, Jr. 5 Search Engine AdWords and Optimization Having a website is essential, but making sure potential customers can easily find your website is almost as important. Search Engine Optimization refers to the strategies and techniques used to increase the number of visitors to a website by obtaining a higher placement in search results pages. Increasing your SEO takes time and skill. Ensuring your website is mobile friendly, has good load speed, includes most searched keywords, and includes pictures and videos can increase your search engine ranking. According to Google data, 76% of people who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a related business within a day and 28% of those searches result in a purchase. If you are trying to target a certain market, purchasing Google Adwords can be useful for targeting that market. For example, if you know that professional women in Atlanta, Georgia make up a good portion of your target diners, you can bid on keywords that this demographic may search for when looking for a place to go out to eat. Adwords can be useful for driving new consumers to your website and also can increase your sites SEO.

6 Denny Bulcao, Jr. GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Website Tracking Tools Once you have your website up and running, tracking your hits is important.

6 6 Denny Bulcao, Jr. GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Website Tracking Tools Once you have your website up and running, tracking your hits is important. You need to familiarize yourself with tracking software like Google Analytics. Google Analytics tracks and provides information on the kinds of hits you re getting. The program tracks users by region, computer browser, age, gender and a host of other factors you may find invaluable to creating a better profile of your customer base. Web Statistics you Should be Tracking: Number of Visitors Number of Unique Visitors Length of Stay Bounce Rate Traffic Source Number of Pages Visited 51% of the Fortune 500 use Google Analytics for their websites. The dashboard for Google Analytics allows you to create a series of graphs that illustrate hits hour-by-hour, day-by-day, week-to-week, etc. It can also tell you where your hits are coming from if your site is linked to others. So if you were to purchase a web banner ad, you can track how many hits you re getting from that purchase.

Blogging can be a platform for you to talk to your customers in long form. However, it is labor intensive, so make sure you re prepared for the time investment before you begin.

7 GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Denny Bulcao, Jr. 7 Blogging A blog can be a great way to increase your restaurant s online presence. These entries are updated on a regular basis and can focus on more minute details of the day-to-day operation of your restaurant or discussions of concepts related to your restaurant s values. Blogging can be a platform for you to talk to your customers in long form. However, it is labor intensive, so make sure you re prepared for the time investment before you begin. 70% of the links search users click on are organic - not paid There are two basic kinds of blogs. One is a website blog which appears on only your website. While it tends to require slightly more work, you will have more control over what you post and it can be uniquely yours. The second kind of blog is a social media blog like Facebook or Tumblr. The advantage to these is that you will have instant access to a variety of other like-minded pages and already be embedded in that social media s access. The downside is social media platforms have control over design and content so you will be more limited. SOURCE: MARKETINGSHERPA, FEBUARY 2007 One company that has used its blog with great success is Eat24, which is Yelp s answer to Grub- Hub. They ve created a hilarious and controversial blog, which Yelp members love to come back to again and again. This requires a writer that can capture the voice, but the payoff can be big.

8 8 Denny Bulcao, Jr. GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Loyalty Tracking Restaurant Loyalty programs can be a great way to engage with your customers while increasing retention, spend levels, and frequency of dining. Building a customer loyalty program is also a great way to compile valuable customer data. You ll have to decide how to structure your program and what types of rewards you ll offer. Newer POS systems have features to track rewards programs which can make the process relatively seamless. Building a customer database and getting consumers to enroll can be a challenge but has been made significantly easier with new technologies. Important to consumers: Ease of redeeming rewards (55%), ease of earning points (51%) and monetary rewards (51%) were all cited by consumers as being important. Meanwhile, (36%) of Americans are drawn in by access to exclusive deals and coupons and (22%) are looking for easy enrollment options. Zappos has done a great job of connecting with their audience using their Like- Like web banner button and providing exclusive content. When one becomes a fan of Zappos by joining their list, they get access to fans-only content that is provided on the clothing retailer s site. If you have a POS system that flips to become customer facing, add a box for them to enter their and opt-into rewards. Connect customer s credit cards to their rewards account so each time they use their card, their points are automatically tracked. Work with a company like Zenreach that compiles customer data when they login to your WIFI network. Add a page to your website with the program details and allow customers to sign up online.

9 GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Denny Bulcao, Jr. 9 Social Media What types of Social Media platforms you want to be active on will depend on what image you want to present and how you want to interact with your customers. Social Media has become very prevalent, especially amongst younger consumers; having some presence is important for any restaurant. Social media can be a way to humanize your staff and allow consumers to get an inside look into your company. The more your customers see personal moments, the more they will identify with you and your brand. 78% of marketers said they saw increased traffic with as little as 6 hours a week invested in Social Media Marketing. Facebook pages, like your website and review sites, will include your basic information and is another way for consumers to connect with you. This is the most important social media site today; and at minimum, you should have a presence by filling out your basic information and adding pictures. Facebook is arguably the best way to promote events of any platform as it allows you to create an event page that can gain exposure to a large audience beyond your usual customer base. Checking In at restaurants on Facebook is a popular trend which can be great free advertising for you. Be aware, Facebook also has a review component so you ll need to be cognizant of your ratings and any negative comments you might receive. Red Tractor Pizza in Montana uses their Facebook profile to great effect. The images are bright and red (like the pizza shop) and they take the time to interact with followers on their Facebook profile. The interaction makes customers feel like Red Tractor is one of their friends.

Twitter moves quickly, so posting multiple times a day is common and sharing trivial (but interesting) moments is perfectly acceptable.

10 10 Denny Bulcao, Jr. GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Twitter is a great platform for quickly getting your daily specials, location (for mobile restaurants) and other quick updates out to your followers. Twitter moves quickly, so posting multiple times a day is common and sharing trivial (but interesting) moments is perfectly acceptable. Retweeting posts from your customers, famous chefs, local farms or other relevant accounts can be an easy way to provide interesting content to your followers without much work. Instagram is all pictures and video so it can be quick and easy to post. You can also link your Instagram and Facebook accounts to allow you to easily share your Instagram photos onto your Facebook feed. An advantage of Instagram, is that the focus is on the visuals rather than the comments, which can be especially powerful for restaurants. Bear Coast Coffee, a small coffee shop in San Clemente, CA has amassed over 13k Instagram followers by being active on Instagram. They post pictures and videos of everything from new food items to the wave levels at the beach outside their door. They have run Instagram scavenger hunts and continuously provide novel content to keep their followers engaged. Myers & Chang, a Boston diner, uses their Twitter account to share events in the front of the house. Interaction between the staff and customers and customers just doing fun things are shared online. It makes their customers feel special and their staff feel like friends.

11 GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Denny Bulcao, Jr. 11 Snapchat is unique because it allows you to directly send images and videos that disappear after a set amount of time. You can also post a Snapchat story which allows all of your followers to view a picture or video within 24 hours. Restaurants use the Snapchat story feature as a way of showing a behind the scenes look at their business. Customers can see what it s like before the store opens or get a glimpse at being in the kitchen. Snapchat is also useful for offering specials or having contests such as, The first 10 people to show up and play us our video will receive a 10% discount. Snapchat has a large, established audience that is still growing with over 161 million daily users. All four of these social media platforms can play a role in growing your business online presence and loyal customer base. By coming up with creative posts, engaging your customers, and providing enticing visuals you can build up a strong following and increase your business. All four platforms also allow you to pay-to-promote your content to a targeted market which can help you to grow a following. While a strong social media presence does take time and effort, it can be accomplished without a professional.

12 Denny Bulcao, Jr. GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Yelp Yelp s mobile app handles 24 million people per month and has 73 million visitors to its website per month.

12 12 Denny Bulcao, Jr. GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Yelp Yelp s mobile app handles 24 million people per month and has 73 million visitors to its website per month. Yelp not only contains reviews of your restaurant, but it and other similar sites contain important information like your hours, address, menu, prices and pictures of your food and décor. While many restaurateurs have mixed feelings about review sites they are a necessary part of your online presence and like them or hate them they wield a lot of power and must be maintained. Some restaurants are worried about Yelpers or other customers giving them bad reviews. If a customer has a bad experience, you can often control the damage by responding positively online. When customers see that you ve apologized for a mistake and/or changed policy, it can restore consumer confidence and mitigate the damage. You should count Yelp as one of the social media platforms that s a necessity. At the very least, you need to make sure they have the correct information on your profile, clear pictures and a basic menu.

GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Denny Bulcao, Jr. 13 Radio, Print and TV Advertising Food is not just about the taste and smell; it s also about the visual presentation.

13 GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING Denny Bulcao, Jr. 13 Radio, Print and TV Advertising Food is not just about the taste and smell; it s also about the visual presentation. Radio is a challenging advertising medium for restaurants as it fails to communicate with consumers in any of these three ways. That being said, there can still be good opportunities for restaurants to advertise on the radio. If, for instance, you own a local sports bar and your target customer is a sports fan, you might find advertising on a local sports radio station to be a very cost effective form of advertising. Offering a free meal as a prize for a radio contest might be another way to get low cost buzz and have your restaurant gain exposure. If you do invest the time and money into making a TV spot you can increase it s exposure by cross promoting it onto other social media platforms where it can be played 24/7. If you don t have the big budget to make TV commercials consider making videos for YouTube. On YouTube, amateur video makers are the norm, so minor problems with the sound or lighting will be overlooked if your ad is interesting, weird or funny. Dos Toros, a burrito chain in New York went viral when they created a YouTube hip hop parody video Guac it Out with footage of their locations and their staff rapping.

14 14 Denny Bulcao, Jr. GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE RESTAURENT MARKETING TV ads give you an opportunity to showcase the décor in your restaurant and the amazing presentations your chefs create. While individual spots can cost as little as ten dollars apiece to air, they are generally sold in bulk. The hardest part about a TV spot is getting the commercial made. While making an audio commercial is relatively simple, making a professional looking TV ad can be very expensive. Print media can provide another option for marketing. The cost of advertising in magazines has dropped dramatically and you can get a lot of bang for your buck. Magazines are also often looking for content which can open up opportunities, including having your restaurant featured in a non-advertising article with the purchase of ad space. Radio, TV, and Print advertising can all be a part of a successful marketing campaign. Determining your target audience, budget, and company priorities will help you decide which avenue, if any, are the best option for your brand. Before choosing a medium ensure that you understand any recurring costs and how you will measure the return on your investment. There are an endless number of ways to market your restaurant and increase your online presence. Depending on your time, creativity, and budget you can build a marketing program that is as simple as a home built website and basic online presence to hiring a team to stay at the cutting edge. Wherever you fall on this spectrum remember that marketing, at its root, is about connecting with customers, new and old. Spending the time and effort to connect with your customers will increase engagement, increase revenue, and allow you to build a brand. To discuss how we can help optimize your marketing efforts, please contact us; EMERGING: or us at Hwright@Emerging.com

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