Each restaurant has its own way of marketing that they keep pretty confidential. As they should. A restaurant’s marketing strategy hugely involves their loyal customers and loyalty sharing programs. Keeping their customer list and marketing concepts as a trade secret is the only safeguard a local restaurant has to protect against theft of competing businesses. Here are some pointers:
- It is very important to make your customers feel warm and welcome with your message
- Customers want to feel that they have VIP status even if they don’t. Give it to them.
- Make each customer feel like your favorite. Do this by offering them discounts or free items every so often.
- People love food. Make this love work for your restaurant.
- Decide what you want out of your marketing campaign: more loyalty or more reviews?
- Get exposure at local campuses and events. The energy of a marketing campaign spreads fast with groups.
- Get your food reviewed and featured on local magazines….get in contact with all the media managers.
- Offer loyalty rewards. This wires your customers to buy 9 to get the 10th free. Customers love stuff like this.
- Have specialty items to break the monotony on holidays or seasonal change. Many major restaurant chains do this. Locals should too.
- Make sure your customers are greeted with a smile when they come in, and given incentive to come back or offer improvement when they leave. If they come in for breakfast, offer them a free dessert with their lunch when they come back, the same day. Hand them a coupon or offer that expires the same day. We eat three times a day, so why not?