If you really like food, then you probably really like restaurants, too. And if you have missed your favourite eatery during the 2020 lockdown, you’ll be looking forward to getting back to enjoying that dining out experience as more and more restaurants start to open up again.
As the hospitality industry embarks on its Post-COVID bounceback and recovery, all the newly-reopened restaurants will be looking for the best ways to woo back their old customers and entice a whole host of new ones. This is great news for diners! Because some of the best restaurant marketing techniques include special offers, discounts and promotions – all designed to tempt you into making a booking and venturing out to eat. Savvy restaurant-lovers can take advantage of these enticing deals and discounts, as long as they know where to look.
To help you stay in the know and in the loop with your favourite restaurants and their latest offers, here are some of the ways restaurants may be looking to boost their marketing and reach their customers with tempting deals in the months ahead.
Social Media Marketing
Social networks and social media have become one of the most popular ways restaurants connect with their target audience. Whether it’s through Facebook ads, tantalising Instagram posts, or behind-the-scenes tweets on Twitter, your favourite restaurant most likely has a social channel where you can connect and follow. This is undoubtedly one of the best places for restaurants to share their new deals and discounts, so be sure to add them to your watch list or check in on their feeds regularly.
INSIDER TIP: The complex algorithms that social media platforms use these days can be complex and ever-changing, but one way to ensure you see more of the posts from your favourite restaurant is to engage with their posts often. This will help them show up more frequently and prominently in your feed.
Social media channels also make it really easy for you to get in touch with any restaurants you love, and you can even message them to ask what special events or offers they have coming up. They’d be delighted to hear from you!
Google Adwords/Pay Per Click (PPC)
If you’re keen to see what your favourite restaurant is up to, you can of course always google them and visit their website. The only downside of this is that some restaurant owners are so busy making delicious food and looking after their customers that they sometimes don’t update their own business websites for weeks or even months! They are often better at delegating their marketing to the experts and one of the common ways they do this is to hire Pay Per Click (PPC) specialists.
These experts help restaurants to reach customers old and new by making sure their restaurant name and website link show up near the top whenever people search for related topics such as ‘restaurants near me’ or ‘thai restaurant london’ etc… These sponsored listings, commonly called Google Ads, show up at the top or to the right of the other search terms. Because these are carefully crafted advertising campaigns, they will usually be designed to include an irresistible offer to entice you to click through to that particular website. You can spot some amazing promotions and discount deals if you keep an eye on these sponsored listings when you’re searching for somewhere to eat online.
INSIDER TIP: Make sure your web browser is set to allow sponsored listings, as some settings can block ads – and you don’t want to miss out on these tasty offers!
Email Marketing
One of the most reliable ways to stay in touch with your favourite restaurant is to sign up to their email newsletter. Email marketing is one of the oldest forms of online marketing but it’s still going strong, possibly because it’s one of the most reliable ways for businesses to connect with their customers on a regular basis.
So, if you have a restaurant or chain that you can’t wait to visit, make sure you have signed up to their email list. This way you’ll be included whenever they send out details of new promotions or events etc. You can usually find details of how to sign up on their website, or sometimes you can opt-in directly from their social media channels.
INSIDER TIP: Make sure you whitelist any emails from restaurants you want to hear from, to make sure their newsletters don’t get lost in your Spam Folder.
With just a little insider info and a keen eye, diners hungry for their restaurant fix can find some great deals online. And by taking advantage of these offers, you’ll be helping your favourite eateries to get back to normal service, as well as doing your bit to kick-start the economic recovery. So, if you’re eager to finally venture beyond your own kitchen, take note of these simple ways to stay connected with the restaurants you love as they get back to the business of feeding your foodie passions.
