Digital Marketing Journey of A Successful Restaurant – Episode 3
In this episode, we delve into various digital marketing strategies to maximize customer engagement for restaurants. These strategies include optimizing your Google Business Listing, creating a compelling restaurant website, leveraging social media, utilizing email marketing, and harnessing the power of SMS marketing.
Google Business Listing
Overview
A Google Business Listing is arguably more crucial than a restaurant’s website for initiating digital engagement by enhancing online visibility and credibility. This listing allows restaurants to display essential information like location, hours, menu, and contact details directly in search results and on Google Maps. Customers can read and leave reviews, ask questions, and see photos, fostering interaction and trust. It also supports updates on special offers and events. By optimizing their Google Business Listing, restaurants can attract local customers actively searching for dining options, driving more foot traffic and online engagement through accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible information.
Engagement Opportunity
The Google Business Listing offers a variety of valuable opportunities for a restaurant to engage its customers and prospects, such as:
- Visit Website
- Order Online
- Make a reservation
- Get directions
- Click to Call
- Read reviews & ratings
- Post a review and rating
- Chat with the restaurant – ask a question
Ways to Maximize Engagement
Here are four top ways to optimize a restaurant’s Google Business Listing to maximize user engagement:
- Complete, current, and accurate restaurant information.
- Visual appeal and high-quality photos and videos.
- Relevant content, such as attributes like “Offers Delivery,” “Outdoor Seating,” “Wheelchair accessible.”
- Regular posts featuring updates, promotions, events, and special offers.
Additionally, consider buying Google Map sponsorship ads to drive more traffic to your Google business listing. For more ways to optimize your listing, the Platr team offers free consultations for our audience members.
Restaurant Website
Overview
A restaurant’s website is its most comprehensive and detailed digital asset for fostering and growing digital engagement. It serves as a central hub for information, reservations, online ordering, and promotions. The website offers a controlled environment to showcase the menu, share the restaurant’s story, and collect customer data. With SEO optimization, it attracts organic traffic and integrates seamlessly with other digital channels like social media and email marketing, enhancing customer interactions and loyalty.
Engagement Opportunity
A well-designed website ensures a consistent brand experience, driving digital engagement in various ways, including:
- Viewing the menu
- Getting directions
- Clicking to call
- Ordering online
- Making online reservations
- Opting in for newsletters
- Job applications
- Catering requests
- Event sign-ups
- Submitting feedback
Ways to Maximize Engagement
Optimizing a restaurant’s website involves a combination of user experience design, content strategy, and technical SEO. Key strategies include:
- User Experience (UX) Design: Ensure mobile friendliness, easy navigation, and fast load speeds.
- Relevant & Compelling Content: Feature menu items and specials, use engaging visuals, regularly update content, and provide timely alerts and notifications.
- Interactive Features: Include online ordering, reservations, and other interactive elements mentioned above.
Social Media
Overview
Social media channels, especially Facebook, Instagram, Google, TikTok, and X (Twitter), are excellent for creating digital engagement for restaurants by allowing direct interaction with customers and prospects. These platforms offer easily accessible venues for sharing visually appealing content, such as food photos and behind-the-scenes videos, which attract and retain attention. Social media enables real-time communication, responding to comments, and addressing feedback, fostering a sense of community. Additionally, these channels can amplify promotions and events through targeted advertising and user-generated content, enhancing brand visibility.
Engagement Opportunity
Restaurants can leverage social media to drive key digital engagements:
- Likes
- Follows
- Customer-generated posts
- Reviews
- Shares
Ways to Maximize Engagement
Here are four rules for maximizing restaurant’s engagement through social media:
- High-Quality Photos & Videos: Encourage customers to share their dining experiences on social media using a branded hashtag, repost their content, and share behind-the-scenes footage.
- Consistent & Timely Posting Schedule: Post consistently, at least three times a week, and adjust the frequency based on the platform. Post during high-engagement times, such as noon and Fridays.
- Get Involved: Respond and repost customer content.
- Boost Posts and Place Local Ads: Utilize paid promotions to increase visibility.
Email Marketing
Overview
Email marketing is a powerful channel for restaurants to create digital engagement by delivering personalized content directly to customers. It allows for targeted communication, offering special promotions, event announcements, and loyalty rewards tailored to individual preferences. Regular reminders and promos keep customers informed and engaged with the restaurant. Email also enables automated campaigns, such as birthday discounts or follow-up emails, fostering a personal connection.
Engagement Opportunity
Digital engagement via email campaigns occurs in three key ways:
- Opens
- Clicks
- Shares/forwards
Ways to Maximize Engagement
Here are five best practices for maximizing the efficacy of the email channel:
- Keep your list clean with easy-to-find opt-out links.
- Send compelling and regular offers and reminders, ideally weekly.
- Use great restaurant visuals.
- Craft great subject lines.
- Include prominent calls to action.
SMS Marketing
Overview
Mobile/SMS marketing is an effective method for restaurants to initiate digital engagement due to its immediacy and high open rates. By sending personalized messages directly to customers’ phones, restaurants can quickly communicate special offers, promotions, and event reminders. SMS is ideal for time-sensitive updates, such as daily specials or limited-time deals, ensuring customers are always informed.
Engagement Opportunity
Digital engagement via SMS marketing occurs in two key ways:
- Opens
- Clicks (embed shortened links)
Ways to Maximize Engagement
Here are key considerations to maximize the efficacy of SMS marketing:
- Upgrade your privacy policy to be compliant.
- Have well-defined and compliant SMS opt-in programs on your website and in-store (use QR codes to drive opt-in traffic online).
- Embed shortened links to the restaurant website, reservations page, online ordering page, etc.
- Always add the “Reply STOP to Opt-out” message to avoid getting blocked.
By leveraging these digital marketing strategies, restaurants can significantly enhance their engagement with customers and prospects, driving both foot traffic and online interactions.
