Buzz
Opening a restaurant with few or decreasing customers after the first month is a headache for every restaurant owner. So, how do you maintain and consistently increase customer traffic to your restaurant? What are the quick and cost-effective ways to attract customers to your restaurant?
Here is an article compiled by PasGo on effective and impressive restaurant marketing strategies, commonly applied by restaurants to advertise and attract customers (around 20 methods). Check it out!
1. Build Free Social Media Networks
Unlocking an email, Facebook fan page, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Zalo business channel for your restaurant takes less than 5 minutes—completely free. Simple, right?
Amidst the technological storm, developing an online presence for your restaurant or eatery is now the easiest thing you can do—right after giving it the perfect name.
According to the 2019 statistics from the Ministry of Information and Communications, Vietnam boasts over 70 million social media users, constituting approximately 70% of the population. They primarily flock to major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Zalo, and TikTok. Facebook and Zalo lead with over 50 million users each, approximately 30 million on YouTube, 12 million on TikTok, and around 5-8 million on Instagram.
Expert advice suggests promoting your restaurant on these social media platforms by establishing a cohesive brand identity across at least Facebook, YouTube, and Zalo. Kickstart it by posting the name, address, or the initial image of your restaurant or eatery.
3. Boosting your restaurant on Google Maps
Add another cost-effective marketing strategy for you by putting your restaurant information on Google Maps. The process is straightforward; you just need a Google Business account to 'check-in' with Google Maps. Check out the detailed guide on how to do it HERE
4. Crafting a brand identity kit
A brand identity encompasses various elements such as the brand name, logo, icon, slogan, tagline, typography, font style, and primary colors. It's the visual representation that sets your brand apart.
Designing a brand identity involves creating cohesive elements that resonate with the brand's personality and essence. These elements find application in various communication materials like restaurant staff uniforms, aprons, utensil holders, paper-wrapped chopsticks, coaster sets, takeout bags, or thank-you envelopes.
To cut costs, consider segmenting the branding process based on business phases. Choose brand identity materials that align with the restaurant's scale and marketing objectives.
The brand identity of the Kombo Singapre restaurant chain is elegantly simple, leaving a lasting impression without breaking the bank.
5. Establishing an Online Presence with a Website
Many restaurants may not see the need for a dedicated website, relying heavily on social media channels, thinking they've covered their bases. However, for the long haul, we still advise having a website for your establishment. It's a platform to openly share insights about your restaurant, your dishes, and much more.
In essence, it's a space for you to create content, enhance credibility with search engines like Google and Coc Coc, boost SEO rankings, and in the long run, make it easier for customers to discover your restaurant without the need for extensive or expensive advertising (see more below).
6. Crafting SEO-optimized Articles to Showcase Your Restaurant and Cuisine
You can either do it yourself or hire specialized SEO writing services. However, for the initial articles, we recommend doing it yourself as only you truly understand your identity. Let customers know who you are, what makes you special, and what defines your restaurant's cuisine. If outsourcing, choose reputable agencies with expertise in the culinary field.
These are the articles you'll utilize for posting on your website or various blogs, and on the restaurant's social media platforms to boost engagement, enhance customer experience, and improve website rankings.
7. Crafting PR Articles and Placing Editorial Content
Unlike the SEO-focused articles mentioned earlier, PR articles serve as purposeful communication and advertising for the restaurant (crafted cleverly to not appear overtly promotional). Afterward, secure advertising spaces in reputable major newspapers or trusted culinary platforms.
For this type of content, if your restaurant doesn't have an in-house marketing team, we recommend hiring professional restaurant advertising agencies. There's no shortage of such agencies providing specialized marketing services for restaurants.
8. Optimize SEO for Your Website
The goal is to make your website more search engine-friendly, such as Google and Coc Coc, making it easier for diners to search for your restaurant and dishes.
SEO optimization for the web involves more than just optimizing SEO articles, as mentioned earlier. It requires implementing synchronized techniques to optimize the website, including domain optimization, image size reduction, page load speed improvement, and more. You can delve deeper into on-page and off-page SEO optimization, or our advice is to seek professional restaurant marketing services.
9. Run Advertising Campaigns
Allocate budget for advertising campaigns on platforms like Google, Facebook, Zalo, etc., in your to-do list. During key phases of your restaurant business, especially during openings or when introducing new dishes, running ads is an effective strategy. It helps attract a large number of potential new customers to your establishment.
Running ads during opportune times significantly boosts your revenue
10. Customer Loyalty Cards
In the era of Industry 4.0, where everyone is embracing digitalization, even the management of citizens is being reconsidered using personal identification cards instead of traditional IDs or household registration books. Honestly, we do not recommend the use of customer loyalty cards in this age. In reality, customers may prefer a smartphone that manages all types of membership cards and payment methods, allowing them to go anywhere with just one device, right?
However, if your restaurant falls under a unique culinary category or you integrate various businesses (spa, gym, hotel, etc.), or you aim for a highly specific customer group (such as politicians, CEOs, etc.), then you may consider using these membership cards.
11. Optimize Customer Lifetime Value
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV or LTV) is an industry term in economics, representing the total value a customer brings to your restaurant throughout their lifetime.
For instance, if a customer regularly has lunch at your place, let's say 3 times a week, at 35,000 VND per meal. In a week, you earn 35,000 x 3 = 105,000 VND. Annually, it adds up to 52 x 105,000 = 5,460,000 VND. If they've been loyal to your restaurant for the past 10 years, the total lifetime value they've brought to you is 54,600,000 VND, and it continues to grow.
Hence, customer lifetime value is measured over a specific period, calculated by the total number of times a customer utilizes the service, irrespective of the monetary value each time.
We don't advise you to differentiate between one customer and another for service selection. Instead, we want to emphasize considering the overall long-term value to make business decisions at each stage.
Think about the overall long-term value that each customer brings to you
12. Training Every Employee as a Marketing Asset
Front desk, receptionists, service staff, restaurant managers, cashier accountants... all those faces regularly in direct contact with diners can become marketing assets for your restaurant. Providing professional training, especially in enhancing the service attitude of your staff, is the solution to optimize customer lifetime value. It ensures that customers love your restaurant and want to come back for a second, third visit and beyond.
13. Don't Skimp on Thank Yous
Expressing gratitude to customers is a given, as mentioned earlier. What we want to highlight here is how you convey your appreciation. Innovative restaurant marketing lies in how you differentiate yourself from competitors.
For example, instead of saying a typical thank you when a customer leaves the restaurant as a routine, you can 'transform' the gratitude into thank-you cards or accompany it with a small token of appreciation like a keychain or a pencil for kids. Of course, remember to incorporate your restaurant's brand identity on those cards or gifts (name, logo, reservation hotline, etc.). It may incur a bit more cost, but think about the long-term value that customer brings in the future. Clearly, you're advertising an impressive restaurant without appearing overtly promotional.
Instead of routine thank-yous, let's 'innovate' impressive ways to express gratitude that leave a lasting impression on customers.
While many restaurants may have 'natural fragrance,' there are also many like a beautiful girl standing in the corner, unnoticed. Hence, restaurant marketing is an essential task for every manager and owner.
There are numerous impactful, practical, and effective advertising methods for restaurants, especially after the Covid-19 outbreaks in 2020. We'll reserve those for the next article: “25+ Effective Revenue-Boosting Restaurant Marketing Strategies - Part 2”
Stay tuned for more!
Warm regards.
