When it comes to marketing for your Restaurant business there is no method that quite compares to email marketing.

There are a number of reasons for this. First of all, once you get a customer through the door and get the chance to impress them with your food they are far more likely to return again and again, especially if you stay top of mind and give them a reason to come back.

Email marketing to existing restaurant customers

Capturing the email address.

The name of the game is to offer customers currently in your restaurant something of value in order to get them back. By far the easiest method is to offer something tangible with real perceived value, like a two for one offer, a free dessert, a bottle of wine or a free drink when they next visit.

Something they can touch / taste / feel just has a bigger perceived value than something non tangible.

The second best option is to offer a discount voucher for the next visit.

The key to either of these strategies is not to hand over the credit or voucher as they are settling up, but to offer to send it via email, in fact you should tell them it’s only available via email.

Once your customer is added to the list, you send them the offer, limited to a one time use and say they need to print out the “voucher” which should have a unique reference number (or at least give that impression)

From there you can send that customer periodic emails such as letting them know if you add new dishes to the menu, any news about the restaurant or specials you are running.

Filling up a restaurant with past clients.

If you have any times that are particularly slow and bookings are not at the level you would like, you can simply send out a broadcast email to your customer email list letting them know that tables are available. If you like, you can incentivize them to come in with a drink or free course offer or whatever works for you.

This works because these past clients know like and trust you and will be thrilled to get your emails.

Email marketing for restaurants - New Customers.

Getting new clients through the door is the lifeblood of any small business, and it is one of the most important things a restaurant can do to thrive.

Capturing a prospects email address should be front and center of any marketing strategy.

Incentivising new customers to visit your restaurant should enable you to collect their email address in the process so you can move them to your regular client list via regular communications.

One of the most cost effective ways to reach potential customers in a specific geographic location is using Facebook ads. But instead of doing the normal food picture and saying where they can find you, you can use an incentive and tell them to click through to a landing page to redeem the offer. Again a free tangible thing, a 2 for 1 offer and so forth.

This page asks them for their name and email address so they are added to your “Prospects” list. You can then start up a communications flow until they show up to redeem the offer at which point you can move them to your regular client list.

Tips and tricks for restaurant email marketing.

Make the discounts or voucher offers limited time offers. Not too short, but no longer than say 6 months. The expiry date will create a little fear of missing out, which is effective.

When people phone up to make a booking, ask them for an email address so you can confirm the booking via email (then add them to your customer list)

Run a business card competition. Drop your card into the fish bowl to win dinner for two, drawn monthly - the emails on the cards go on the list.

Run a similar concept, where people can jot down their email addresses on a post-it note, fold it and drop it into a fishbowl.

Email at least weekly.

Why should a restaurant bother with email marketing?

Email marketing has the best return on investment of any marketing method period. When you want to get an offer in front of your customer base, you simply write an email and press send. No ad spend, no touchy ad content robots to try and get your ad copy or imagery past, no newspaper deadlines and no expensive graphic designers or ad agencies need be involved.

Your list belongs to you. It is a concrete tangible asset that increases the value of your business should you ever decide to sell it.

Nobody can shut down your email list. The internet is littered with horror stories of businesses or individuals getting their social media accounts suddenly switched off, sometimes through no fault of their own. Ad accounts regularly get suspended or shut down permanently because some robot or fact checker doesn’t like something you wrote in an ad.

With an email list, you remain in total control.

Reviews are critical for hospitality businesses. Yet so few restaurants encourage customers to leave a review. With a customer email list, you can ask your customers for reviews. Not only that, but you can choose the platform or platforms that are popular in your area and send the customer a direct link to the review page. If you do this in the P.S. of an email handing over an incentive for their next visit, the review outcome is overwhelmingly positive.

You can get honest feedback privately. If someone has a below par dining experience they aren’t shy in letting the world know. If they have a good experience, they aren’t so motivated.

When a restaurant owner or GM personally contacts you and asks you how your dining experience was, what did you think of the menu options, how was the food, how was the service (not a survey but a genuine 1-1 email), then you are going to find out so much critical data about your business that you can use to improve or build on.

Very few restaurant owners do this. The ones that do will run rings around their competition provided of course that the food and service is on point.

How to set up email marketing for restaurants.

There are lots of email marketing platforms suitable for small businesses and restaurants in particular.

My recommendation is Aweber.

The platform has been around for years, is battle hardened, yet constantly evolving to embrace new technologies. It just works.

You can set up multiple Aweber lists to segment your active customers from your prospects.

You can set up Aweber landing pages to capture email details and automatically add them to a list.

You can set up automated responses. Say for instance to email a voucher to a person that just filled in details on a form attached to your Facebook offer.

You can use personalization to refer to customers by their first name within email content.

The system has fantastic deliverability rates and for compliance purposes gives people the option to unsubscribe automatically.

Price wise Aweber is extremely competitive and allows you to start collecting and emailing for free. The first 500 subscribers can be collected on the free plan.

This means you can start your email marketing campaigns for free, and if you get a single extra booking per month from those 500 customers, the first paid tier of $24.99 should be covered which allows you to add up to 2500 customer email addresses, multiple landing pages and email list segments.

Let’s look at email marketing in a little more detail.

Email marketing has long been considered a cornerstone of digital marketing strategies, offering a direct line of communication between businesses and their customers. A well-crafted email campaign can:

• Strengthen customer relationships
• Increase brand awareness
• Drive sales and conversions

Email marketing for a restaurant business is a vital tool in your marketing arsenal, allowing you to reach your target audience in a personal, cost-effective manner.

Building a Bountiful Subscriber Base

Before diving into the world of email marketing campaigns, it’s essential to first establish a solid foundation. Building a bountiful subscriber base is a critical step in ensuring the success of your campaigns. Here are some tried-and-true tactics to help you grow your email list:

• Offer exclusive promotions for subscribers
• Offer to confirm bookings via email
• Encourage social media followers to subscribe
• Add a signup form to your website

Crafting Compelling Campaigns

Once you’ve established a strong subscriber base, it’s time to start crafting compelling campaigns. Here are some key elements to consider when creating your email marketing content:

• Subject Line: An eye-catching, creative subject line is the gateway to your email, enticing recipients to open and read further.
• Personalization: Addressing your subscribers by name, or tailoring content based on their preferences, adds a personal touch that can lead to higher engagement rates.
• Visual Appeal: Including images, videos, and a clean design can make your emails more visually appealing and easier to digest.
• Call-to-Action (CTA): A clear, concise CTA is essential for guiding your subscribers to take the desired action, whether that’s making a booking, leaving a review, or attending an event.

Analyzing and Adapting

As with any marketing strategy, it’s essential to track the performance of your email campaigns to determine their effectiveness. Key metrics to consider include:

• Open rates
• Click-through rates
• Conversion rates
• Unsubscribe rates

By analyzing these metrics, you can identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement. This information will enable you to adapt and optimize your email marketing efforts for even greater success.

FAQs:

Q: How often should I send emails to my subscribers?

A: The ideal frequency for sending emails will vary depending on your business and audience. It’s crucial to strike a balance between staying top-of-mind and not overwhelming your subscribers with too many messages. Generally, sending 1-2 emails per week is a safe bet for most restaurants.

Q: What is the best time to send marketing emails?

A: The optimal time to send marketing emails can differ based on your audience and industry. It’s a good idea to test different days and times to determine when your subscribers are most likely to engage with your content. With Aweber you can see how many emails get opened. You can experiment with different days and times of day to see which works best.

Q: Is email marketing still effective in today’s digital age?

A: While there are many marketing channels available, email marketing remains a highly effective method for reaching and engaging with your target audience. In fact, studies have shown that email marketing can yield an impressive return on investment (ROI), making it an indispensable tool for small businesses in today’s digital age.

Q: How do I ensure my emails don’t end up in the spam folder?

A: To avoid the dreaded spam folder, make sure you’re following best practices for email deliverability. Some tips include:

• Using a reputable email service provider (ESP) like Aweber
• Sending emails only to subscribers who have opted in (don’t buy a list)
• Avoiding spam-triggering words and phrases in your subject lines and content
• Regularly cleaning your email list to remove inactive subscribers

Conclusion

Email marketing for restaurants is a powerful and cost-effective way to build customer relationships, increase brand awareness, and ultimately drive success in today’s competitive hospitality landscape. By focusing on building a robust subscriber base, crafting compelling campaigns, and continually analyzing and adapting your strategies, you can harness the power of email marketing to elevate your entrepreneurial endeavors. So, whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your restaurant journey, don’t overlook the immense potential of email marketing. With a little creativity and dedication, you’ll soon see the fruits of your labor, propelling your small business to new heights.

Don’t Have the Time or Skills to Set Things Up

If you have a skills gap when it comes to implementing technology like Aweber I am always happy to talk. Just use the book a call button at the top of this page and we can discuss your requirements and any services I may be able to provide in the areas of set up, content and ongoing operations.

In all honesty Aweber is pretty simple to use and there’s plenty of help on Youtube. Just click the banner below to get started for free.

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