Tips to market your restaurant well

Tips to market your restaurant well

You have just opened up a new restaurant in downtown, and now you want it to be the most happening thing there. Having no experience in the business, and given the competition in the market, you are finding it difficult to achieve your goal. Also, you are unable to rely on expensive marketing techniques such as television and billboard advertising because of your limited budget. There is no need to worry anymore, as following tips will help you to effectively market your restaurant within fewer costs:

  1. Host an event:

On a small scale, host various events in your restaurant that will provide you with a regular customer base. You can hold small gigs or have karaoke to attract college students or young couples, who will form a greater percentage of your clients.

One effective way is to offer your space to charitable organizations for their fundraising events. This will promote your restaurant’s reputation among philanthropists.

 

  1. Reward loyalty:

About one-third of your business is dependent on your regular customers. Develop a concession plan for people who often visit your restaurant. Make membership cards and reward points to your customers according to their frequency of visits, with more frequent visitors getting more points.

 

  1. Online presence:

Utilize the benefits provided by social media websites and adopt catchy means to promote your restaurant. Keep an updated Facebook page and upload mouth-watering photos of your food on your Instagram account. This is a very successful marketing technique these days.

 

  1. Partner up:

It will be very wise of you to partner up with other industries that tend to target the same consumers. Look for a local tourist program, theater or a cinema and provide them free food for free ads and posters.

 

  1. Start a blog:

Offer a free meal to one or two of the local bloggers, and let them attract customers for you through their praising reviews.

 

  1. Show off your staff:

If you want to hike your reputation, then show the smiling and pleasant faces of your employees. In this way, the customer notices the welcoming environment of your restaurant. Happy employees will always attract and generate happy customers.

 

  1. Organize contests:

Keep the attention of your customers grabbed by holding various contests. These contests might require them to share the photo of their favorite meal, or better, to take a picture with it. The prizes will make the customers coming back to your restaurant again and again.

 

  1. Promote user generated content:

Reaching out to the customers and promoting what they have to say about the restaurant is a very wise technique in making dedicated client ship. Users will feel appreciated and worthy, making your restaurant their favorite dine-in spot.

 

  1. Partner with flash deal sites:

Your restaurant marketing plan must include partnering with online food apps or flash deal sites that offer special discounts. This is a very useful and modern marketing strategy.

By giving a head to all these points, you’ll have your restaurant business thriving in no time. Hold promotional offers and provide discounts from time-to-time so, in the end, it is a win-win situation for you as well as the customers.

Designing for Millennials – Why is it Important?

Designing for Millennials – Why is it Important?

Millennials, although not have much of the spending power currently, are said to dominate the consumer behavior in the near future. The trend has started to take place and it will continue to grow. A restaurant operator must connect with the millennials for a successful run.

Five defining characteristics of Millennials have been presented in a research by Nielson.

  1. Millennials are divers, expressive and optimistic:

Not all millennials are the same, they believe in self-expression and their level of education has really a say in their choices.

  1. They are urban thinkers:

Most of the Millennials prefer living in big cities, away from their parent’s home. They have an urban though process and way of living. They are in the quest of vibrant energy when it comes to housing, shops, and offices.

  1. Desire to authenticity and care:

Locally produced and high-quality items are preferred by the Millennials. The places that have a social impact; Millennials are drawn towards them.

  1. Millennials are well-connected and they look for the personal touch:

Millennials depend largely on the technology gadgets in almost every aspect of their lives. Social media has enabled them to communicate on a personal level with brands.

  1. Millennials are struggling, yet climbing the ladder:

Millennials had to struggle hard because of the Great Recession. Their economic position may not be so strong, but they always prioritize value when it comes to purchasing decision.

A restaurant operator must be aware of these above-mentioned five characteristics in order to understand the needs of Millennials. If you are opening up a restaurant targeting Millennials, you must set your core values according to their characteristics. Creating a brand image requires everything in your business and restaurant reflecting that image.

To get start with, your brand should cater the passions of Millennials. Setting the core values that are relevant to them will be beneficial in creating a long term relationship with them. You should make particular efforts in respecting their diversity, creativity, and authenticity.

This generation is really active on social media networks, you can reach up to them through such means. Create value by supporting their causes, and offer them those deals which give them a great value. All this will help in catching their attention through which you can convert them into long term customers.

Read on to know some additional ways through which you can cater the millennials.

  • Communicate your Causes:

Make them known what social causes you are supporting. This can be done through social media networks or at the point of purchase. You can highlight the ingredients in your menu that you have purchased from local suppliers to support the local industry or the items that benefit a charitable organization.

  • Variety:

Provide your target customers with a variety of food and settings. You can have different types of settings in your restaurants to cater people with different interests such as lounge areas with soft seating, community tables, counter tops with bar seating.

  • Show what you are offering:

The design and food of your restaurant must be clearly communicating the concept and brand image. If you claim your restaurant to be a healthy one; you need to show the way it’s healthier like having fresh and organic options in the menu and the setting should display a healthier style.

Knowing these things will definitely give you a better idea of dealing with the target customers (Millennials) in a better way to gain the better outcome.