Today, we are going to share 5 basic tips for those who want to start in digital marketing. These are simple yet crucial tips that will make your establishment successful.
Have an optimized website
This is the first and perhaps the most important tip. It is essential to start a digital marketing strategy that you have an optimized website, with impeccable usability. Some points to note:
Responsive: A responsive website is a website that adapts to different screen sizes. It is well known that today most of the accesses are via mobile, so it is essential that your website is adaptable to any screen size.
Blog: At first, a blog can look like work and it doesn't convert as much as an AdWords campaign. However, in the long run, it can become one of the most relevant channels for attracting and retaining customers. In fact, creating quality content requires a little work, but you will certainly reap good results by investing in Content Marketing.
SEO: Another very important issue is SEO. Think of it this way: You just opened a restaurant, brand new, with super affordable prices, delicious food, spectacular atmosphere, an impeccable experience. However, it is in the middle of a forest, with no access from streets, highways, roads, nothing. This is what happens when you create a website / blog that is not optimized. SEO is the path that takes the customer to your business, without it, all investment in digital would be in vain.
Make promotions on Instagram
Instagram is one of the most powerful tools that can help with digital marketing for your restaurant. You can make it your showcase to attract customers.
Available for free for iOS (App Store), and Android (Play Store), Instagram is currently one of the ten most downloaded apps in the world, with around 800 million active users.
It is important at certain times, including holidays, that you carry out some kind of promotion. Raffle for a special dinner, or a discount for those who take a companion, discount for those who tag your restaurant and publish it on their Instagram.
These are some tricks that attract more followers, generate engagement and win more potential customers for the restaurant.
Create a differentiator
The market is saturated with the traditional and boring marketing ideas. You need to have something that differentiates you from your competitors. Of course, this is not always possible to do, after all, innovating in a market like this is more complex than you can imagine.
Some suggestions that can help you:
Online Food Ordering: Although there are already several delivery platforms (Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats), having your own can give you more credibility, control and most importantly greater profitability, once you stop paying around 30% + Delivery Fee for contractors.
QR Code Menu: As we are entering a phase of de-confinement during the COVID-19 times, additional hygiene precautions are necessary for food service businesses. A QR code menu its an easy way to access the digital menu as the guest just need to scan a QR code at the table, it is a paperless, dynamic and hygienic solution.
These are some ideas that can make your customers and future customers have a different experience.
Invest in referral marketing
Referral or recommendation marketing is one of the most used strategies by businesses, whether online or offline. Perhaps because it is one of the easiest ways to attract potential customers on a scale effect.
In addition, the referral is usually made by satisfied customers, and this makes them become defenders of your brand, helping to promote it in your social environment. A similar strategy can be used with influencers.
Some tips for you to put into practice a referral strategy:
grant promotions, or discounts to the best customers;
make available discount coupons, or any advantage to people who go to your establishment in groups;
encourage your customers to advertise your restaurant on their social networks;
grant an invitation coupon for your customers to present their friends;
Anyway, there are several ways that can help grow the flow of customers in your bar or restaurant, just use your creativity.
Invest in relationship as a strategy
It is not enough just to run after new customers, it is necessary to take care of those who are already inside the house. Maintaining a good relationship with those who already consume in your establishment, directly reflects on satisfaction, in addition to making the referral to other potential customers is done in a natural way.
There are several ways to start a relationship with your customers. One of them could be, create a loyalty program, this is one of the ways to reward the most frequent customers, with discounts and gifts.
Providing a reason for the consumer to return to the establishment is a task that must be constant.
Another way to work on the relationship is by creating an ad on Facebook Ads for example, for customers who have a birthday in the next few days. Through Ads you have the option of attaching a spreadsheet with customers' emails and when targeting, it is possible to add the option “next birthday” to reach these people.
These were some tips that will help you take the first steps in the digital marketing of your establishment, be it a Bar, Restaurant, Pub, Bistro, Snack Bar, or any other model of commercial establishment aimed at gastronomy.