The Imperfect Restaurant Marketing Plan using Social Media and Texting
Restaurant marketing ideas are a dime a dozen. More so since you can Google "restaurant marketing ideas" and there is no end to the number of ideas to promote a restaurant. Magazines, websites, consultants, next door neighbors, reputation management software, Point of Sale (POS) Software, advertisers and of course the food suppliers are all very opinionated and will show you data about what is hot on the market and offer your next big idea for the future.
Even my recent article on Inside Hospitality Blog shows how you can use free Google tools to know more about what people are searching for and hopefully gain the ability to be more effective.
STOP. Stop looking and listening for ideas from every tom, dick, and harry.
There has never been a substitute for one-on-one, eye-to-eye questions to those who are emotionally engaged. I am speaking of those who are so emotionally engaged they either tell people NOT to visit your restaurant or go out of their way to recommend your restaurant.
Here is a question:
- How do you separate the people with an agenda from those who are sharing serious and honest opinions?
- What should you do when a person speaks kindly about your operation or gives it a big thumbs down?
- How do you connect with people who are basically anonymous?
If people are dining at your restaurant and they are strangers? Fix this. If they leave strangers? Then you have failed. Every person dining in your place can't be just a face. They are people who have the need of support in other areas of their life. For example, celebrations, fundraisers, meetings, volunteering, school participation, impress the boss, or impress the in-laws. The list is deep for reasons to gather a group of people at a place to dine together.
In reality, how can you connect?
Everyone has an address: InfoUSA or American Clearinghouse have database. Restaurant Marketing with a database.
Everyone has an email address: How do you learn about it? Contests, drawings, memberships, ask for it, birthday club, chamber of commerce, newspapers, etc. are potential resources. Here is the best list of Email management services on the planet.
Everyone has a cell phone: Texting is one option and Slydial is another. Slydial you can read about in 10 Magic Marketing Tips free ebook. There are companies that also offer texting on the best list of Email management services on the planet.
OR here is a list of online resources you can send text messages free from the Internet. You need mobile numbers of course.
If text language is confusing, here is a website that will translate your text into real English. Lingo2Word. Netlingo is another resource to translate your text messages.
Not everyone uses Social Media: The number participating is high and it is growing but now you will include in each contact: "How would you like me to invite you to return for lunch and dinner? What is your preferred way for me to reach you?"
The restaurant marketing plan that uses social media to broadcast the same way as using a mail list, email list, etc. becomes an imperfect plan. The density of those using social media may be growing but the reality is that everyone has a mailbox, an email address and a cell phone they use on a regular basis. The social media tools are not used consistently across the board... yet. It is growing. There is hype around the new style of communication. How do you reach out to the rest?
Every customer or potential customer is communicating in multiple ways. It is up to you to know how, when and why.
Your biggest resource is your customers and potential customers. Now... translate "customers" into the word "guests" and you have it down. It may be time to start asking your current guests and potential guests each day by the dozens "What sounds good today?" or "What will satisfy your palate?" or one I like to say: "Close your eyes and tell me what flavor you are imagining and let me know what it is."
There are resources to learn about and reach out to your customers on PushButtonTechTools that will help fill in the gaps and bring you into the 21st Century. That is your next stop if you want to know more. PushButtonTechTools will save you dozens of hours of research and get you up to speed with the latest technology.
