3. Develop a social media marketing strategy
Utilizing social media will give you the most return on your investment, if done strategically. Start by setting specific, attainable, and measurable goals that align with your business objectives.
Now, get to know your audience. Follow the brands they support and learn their spending habits. Utilize social platforms’ marketing tools. Google Tag Manager will supply you with in-depth analytics on your customers’ ordering habits. Facebook Pixel helps you create your own Abandoned Cart campaigns, and will bring customers back. A little bit of research will unearth a lot more.
Meanwhile, make sure to learn your competitors. Learn from their mistakes, and be creative in emulating their successes. Pay attention to your own wins and losses. Adapt with the current trends in order to stay relevant and interesting, but keep your brand strong and consistent.
Create a calendar and a posting schedule. Use a variety of media types, spaced apart sensibly and shot beautifully. Keep track of holidays, restaurant events, and specific sales. Evaluate and adjust as often as you see fit.
If all else fails, speak to your guest directly, from the heart. Here’s a template to help you get started:
Subject: [Restaurant Name] needs your help!
Body:
Hey,
My name is <<Your Name>>.
I am the owner of <<Restaurant>>.
I need your help. Unfortunately, I don’t make any money when you order from <<insert third-party marketplaces >>. It would really help us if you ordered directly from our website, and you’ll probably end up spending less, too!
As a thank you, I am giving everyone <<offer something that has low food cost>> with their first direct order.
[NOTE: It is absolutely OK if you don’t want to offer anything. Simply cut this paragraph entirely!]
Your neighbor,
<<Your Name/Your Restaurant>>.
4. Utilize print and digital marketing
The sheer volume of digital advertisements the average human sees on a daily basis has created a special appreciation for print ads. Digital may be processed more quickly, but people spend more time with print. They remember print better. Maybe it’s nostalgia for simpler times. Maybe it is the current trendiness of everything vintage.
Either way, don’t underestimate the power of print. People find a stronger emotional response to print marketing, and connecting on an emotional level is one of the best ways to make a sale. The above email can be printed on a small postcard and put into every bag that goes out to marketplace customers. We have seen a conversion as big as 34 percent so far, which is huge.