digital marketing. Restaurants
DIGITAL MARKETING FOR RESTAURANTS
Author: Jessica Anguiano Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Define Your Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Develop a Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Monitor Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1
INTRODUCTION The competition among restaurants is fierce. In order to be successful restaurateurs must develop innovative ways to stay ahead of the competition. One of the most powerful tools to increase business is digital marketing. Restaurants everywhere have taken to digital platforms in order to increase customer loyalty and revenue. By developing online relationships a restaurant is more likely to see returning customers. Today’s customers become loyal through a number of ways. Actively following and engaging with their favorite brands online is among one of the most popular forms of loyalty for modern consumers. Digital platforms have no doubt become part of the dining experience and have steadily been embraced by restaurants.
WHAT IS DIGITAL MARKETING? Digital marketing is the bridge from the online world to the real world. It is the promotion of products or services on one or more digital platforms. It utilizes modern tools to establish and maintain customer relationships. While traditional marketing still exists digital marketing offers a unique approach to marketing. Taking marketing efforts online has several benefits. It is far more cost effective than traditional marketing, convenient and easy to measure. Digital marketing tools include; email, text, website and social media sites. An online presence is essential to the success of a restaurant. Being visible online will expand audiences and create greater brand recognition. The following chapters will explore the ways in which restaurants can best implement and benefit from digital marketing.
3
2
DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE A target market is a specified group of customers a business has aimed its marketing efforts towards. Target customers are those that are most likely to buy from you. Every restaurant will attract a certain group of people. To be successful in the restaurant industry, you must define your target demographic. Trying to appeal to everyone is not only a challenge, but can also lead to failure. While some restaurants are successful in catering to everyone most have more success in focusing on key demographics. Think about the restaurants concept and who is most likely to buy your products. Effectively targeting an audience is much deeper than knowing who to target. Business owners should develop a deep knowledge of what target customers desire. Doing research on specific target groups to gain an understanding of where they are looking for restaurant information, using the same social media apps and catering to their needs will lead to a far more successful online campaign.
4
3
DEVELOP A STRATEGY A strong marketing strategy is essential for every business, as it will set clear goals for what a restaurant wants to achieve both on and offline. Whether it is gaining more customers or staying in contact with current customers developing a marketing strategy will define the necessary steps to take in order to achieve desired goals. From the very beginning, businesses should establish their brand and values. A clear definition of where the restaurant is headed will ensure everyone shares the same vision. Many factors will influence a restaurants marketing strategy but there are a few essential key components to pay close attention to. Consider the following: •
The Competition: Who or what is the biggest competition for the restaurant? Gather information regarding local competition and put together ideas on what would best set the restaurant apart from all of the others. Compare everything from themes, menus, hours and offerings. For a stronger marketing campaign all competitive factors should be considered closely.
•
The Location: Is the restaurant concept going to be a success in its location? A restaurants location is a huge factor in the overall success of a restaurant. Not every restaurant will work in every location. Local income and values should be taken into consideration when attempting to brand a restaurant. If the restaurant is located near your targets it is more likely that the restaurant will have better results and gain the right attention.
5
•
Expenses: While digital marketing is typically far more cost effective, time and money needs to be invested. The amount of money a restaurant is willing to invest in marketing should be determined early on.
When deciding how to best get involved online restaurants should think about what would best represent their brand. Online messages should communicate what your restaurant stands for and has to offer. Verbiage and tone should match the style of the restaurant. For example, if a restaurant is upscale slang or overly casual posts should be avoided. Messages should set precedence for what is to be expected. Think about a restaurants online presence as its first impression.
6
4
WEBSITE A good website is extremely valuable to the success of restaurant marketing. A website should represent the brand and environment of a restaurant. Most often, a website is the first impression to a potential customer. Today’s modern consumers will often hit the web prior to visiting any dining establishment. A study performed by Singleplatform showed that 92% of consumers have searched for a restaurant through a web browser in the last six months. 75% of those consumers said they also most often choose a restaurant based on those search results. For this reason, it is important that restaurants have a strong online presence. Restaurant websites should be easy to navigate, clear and contain quality content. The main focus of any restaurant website should be to clearly list locations, hours and menu offerings. Clear, high resolution photos are also great to have on your website. People are highly visual so, showcasing your restaurant or menu items will gain even more attention. In addition to finding out restaurant information, customers now head to restaurant websites in order to make reservations. Having an online reservation section on your website will help to further increase traffic into your restaurant.
7
BLOGS Online blogs is another form of a social site that should not be overlooked. Many restaurants have started blogs on their websites and have been very successful. Starting a blog provides restaurant with even more opportunities to share content and connect with their audiences. Blogs offer a restaurant freedom to share photos, recipes and even restaurant insights. While a blog requires a lot more time it also offers further content to share online and more opportunities to establish meaningful relationships with customers. Modern customers enjoy hearing stories and establishing personal connection to their brands. It is important to keep in mind the look of a website via a mobile device as 81% of consumers search for restaurants via their mobile apps. Making sure that a restaurants website is accessible via mobile phones and is easy to navigate will encourage consumers to spend more time on the website. All of the resources available for a restaurant on the web should also be available on a cell phone.
8
5
SOCIAL MEDIA Just how important is social media? Well, 70% of customers check out social media sites or deals prior to making their dining decisions. Social media not only has an impact prior to customers dining at a restaurant, but also plays a role as they eat. Nearly 47% of millenials admit that they are engaged on social media sites as they eat. As you have probably already noticed food photography is huge. Log into any social media site and you are bound to come across several photos of food. In fact, 25% of diners photograph their food on a routine basis. On average 55 million photos are shared on Instagram daily. Social media has become an extremely valuable marketing tools. Social media sites allow restaurateurs to not only keep in touch with existing customers, but also makes it easier to discover new customers. Dining out has very much become a social experience so, it is essential for restaurants to utilize social media to connect with consumers and create a buzz. There are a countless number of social media sites available. Restaurants need to select what sites will work best for them and will be most effective in achieving their goals. Take your target audience into consideration; what sites are they most active on and what will have the best business results. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are among the most popular and have been very successful in gaining the attention of customers.
9
REVIEW SITES In addition to these popular social media sites online review sites have also had a tremendous impact on the restaurant industry. While many hear about restaurants via social media customers will typically search restaurants on review sites to hear what other people have to say. Approximately 72% of consumers have said that they trust online reviews just as much as they trust personal recommendations. This means, what people are saying about you online will significantly affect your restaurants success. Review sites are not to be ignored. They should also be monitored and tracked. Restaurant owners should utilize review sites to turn around any bad experience. While highlighting the positive reviews is great, the negative ones should be answered as well. Customers want to know they are being heard. By responding customers feel more comfortable knowing their concerns are being addressed. Simply having an online presence is not enough. Restaurants must stay active and relevant. Sites should be consistently checked and updated. To best accomplish this, restaurants should offer specials, connect with their local community and engage with their followers. The most well known brands are excellent at listening and responding to customers online. When used correctly social media sites can become a restaurants strongest marketing tool. When people engage with a restaurant online they are engaging in word of mouth marketing, which is arguably one of the most effective marketing tools to date.
10
6
MONITOR SUCCESS Success can be monitored based on followers, mentions, and online engagement. Take note in how many clicks certain posts are getting in comparison to others, how many people are actively engaged on your pages, and what your busiest traffic hours are. Keep the restaurants information up to date and current on all sites. Claiming a Google Plus page can also assist in monitoring a restaurants success. Google Plus not only allows business owners to interact with customer, but also makes it easier to gain a higher ranking on. What does this mean? It means that more people will be able to find a restaurant through a quick Google search. By ensuring all pages are up to date and correct, businesses ensure people will be able to find them. Sites such as Google and Facebook have made it even easier to track online success. Using analytic pages that are already available will ensure that online marketing efforts do not go to waste.
11
7
CONCLUSION
12
The power of online marketing in the restaurant industry is undeniable. Restaurants are among the most searched industries on the web. A great majority of today’s consumers hit the web prior to making any of their dining choices. For a restaurant, this means being visible on any application or social site a customer may look. Costumers want to feel that they are needed. They want to know that they are being listed to. A major part of the restaurant experience is the ability to identify with the brand or story. By developing a digital marketing plan restaurants can ensure that they are connecting with their brand. Digital marketing gives all companies an opportunity to gain far greater exposure, reduce cost, and easily measure success. Utilizing existing online tools will allow restaurants to promote their brand and properly market themselves among their competition. Think about the impact a strong digital marketing campaign can have on your restaurant.
Author: Jessica Anguiano Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Define Your Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Develop a Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Monitor Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1
INTRODUCTION The competition among restaurants is fierce. In order to be successful restaurateurs must develop innovative ways to stay ahead of the competition. One of the most powerful tools to increase business is digital marketing. Restaurants everywhere have taken to digital platforms in order to increase customer loyalty and revenue. By developing online relationships a restaurant is more likely to see returning customers. Today’s customers become loyal through a number of ways. Actively following and engaging with their favorite brands online is among one of the most popular forms of loyalty for modern consumers. Digital platforms have no doubt become part of the dining experience and have steadily been embraced by restaurants.
WHAT IS DIGITAL MARKETING? Digital marketing is the bridge from the online world to the real world. It is the promotion of products or services on one or more digital platforms. It utilizes modern tools to establish and maintain customer relationships. While traditional marketing still exists digital marketing offers a unique approach to marketing. Taking marketing efforts online has several benefits. It is far more cost effective than traditional marketing, convenient and easy to measure. Digital marketing tools include; email, text, website and social media sites. An online presence is essential to the success of a restaurant. Being visible online will expand audiences and create greater brand recognition. The following chapters will explore the ways in which restaurants can best implement and benefit from digital marketing.
3
2
DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE A target market is a specified group of customers a business has aimed its marketing efforts towards. Target customers are those that are most likely to buy from you. Every restaurant will attract a certain group of people. To be successful in the restaurant industry, you must define your target demographic. Trying to appeal to everyone is not only a challenge, but can also lead to failure. While some restaurants are successful in catering to everyone most have more success in focusing on key demographics. Think about the restaurants concept and who is most likely to buy your products. Effectively targeting an audience is much deeper than knowing who to target. Business owners should develop a deep knowledge of what target customers desire. Doing research on specific target groups to gain an understanding of where they are looking for restaurant information, using the same social media apps and catering to their needs will lead to a far more successful online campaign.
4
3
DEVELOP A STRATEGY A strong marketing strategy is essential for every business, as it will set clear goals for what a restaurant wants to achieve both on and offline. Whether it is gaining more customers or staying in contact with current customers developing a marketing strategy will define the necessary steps to take in order to achieve desired goals. From the very beginning, businesses should establish their brand and values. A clear definition of where the restaurant is headed will ensure everyone shares the same vision. Many factors will influence a restaurants marketing strategy but there are a few essential key components to pay close attention to. Consider the following: •
The Competition: Who or what is the biggest competition for the restaurant? Gather information regarding local competition and put together ideas on what would best set the restaurant apart from all of the others. Compare everything from themes, menus, hours and offerings. For a stronger marketing campaign all competitive factors should be considered closely.
•
The Location: Is the restaurant concept going to be a success in its location? A restaurants location is a huge factor in the overall success of a restaurant. Not every restaurant will work in every location. Local income and values should be taken into consideration when attempting to brand a restaurant. If the restaurant is located near your targets it is more likely that the restaurant will have better results and gain the right attention.
5
•
Expenses: While digital marketing is typically far more cost effective, time and money needs to be invested. The amount of money a restaurant is willing to invest in marketing should be determined early on.
When deciding how to best get involved online restaurants should think about what would best represent their brand. Online messages should communicate what your restaurant stands for and has to offer. Verbiage and tone should match the style of the restaurant. For example, if a restaurant is upscale slang or overly casual posts should be avoided. Messages should set precedence for what is to be expected. Think about a restaurants online presence as its first impression.
6
4
WEBSITE A good website is extremely valuable to the success of restaurant marketing. A website should represent the brand and environment of a restaurant. Most often, a website is the first impression to a potential customer. Today’s modern consumers will often hit the web prior to visiting any dining establishment. A study performed by Singleplatform showed that 92% of consumers have searched for a restaurant through a web browser in the last six months. 75% of those consumers said they also most often choose a restaurant based on those search results. For this reason, it is important that restaurants have a strong online presence. Restaurant websites should be easy to navigate, clear and contain quality content. The main focus of any restaurant website should be to clearly list locations, hours and menu offerings. Clear, high resolution photos are also great to have on your website. People are highly visual so, showcasing your restaurant or menu items will gain even more attention. In addition to finding out restaurant information, customers now head to restaurant websites in order to make reservations. Having an online reservation section on your website will help to further increase traffic into your restaurant.
7
BLOGS Online blogs is another form of a social site that should not be overlooked. Many restaurants have started blogs on their websites and have been very successful. Starting a blog provides restaurant with even more opportunities to share content and connect with their audiences. Blogs offer a restaurant freedom to share photos, recipes and even restaurant insights. While a blog requires a lot more time it also offers further content to share online and more opportunities to establish meaningful relationships with customers. Modern customers enjoy hearing stories and establishing personal connection to their brands. It is important to keep in mind the look of a website via a mobile device as 81% of consumers search for restaurants via their mobile apps. Making sure that a restaurants website is accessible via mobile phones and is easy to navigate will encourage consumers to spend more time on the website. All of the resources available for a restaurant on the web should also be available on a cell phone.
8
5
SOCIAL MEDIA Just how important is social media? Well, 70% of customers check out social media sites or deals prior to making their dining decisions. Social media not only has an impact prior to customers dining at a restaurant, but also plays a role as they eat. Nearly 47% of millenials admit that they are engaged on social media sites as they eat. As you have probably already noticed food photography is huge. Log into any social media site and you are bound to come across several photos of food. In fact, 25% of diners photograph their food on a routine basis. On average 55 million photos are shared on Instagram daily. Social media has become an extremely valuable marketing tools. Social media sites allow restaurateurs to not only keep in touch with existing customers, but also makes it easier to discover new customers. Dining out has very much become a social experience so, it is essential for restaurants to utilize social media to connect with consumers and create a buzz. There are a countless number of social media sites available. Restaurants need to select what sites will work best for them and will be most effective in achieving their goals. Take your target audience into consideration; what sites are they most active on and what will have the best business results. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are among the most popular and have been very successful in gaining the attention of customers.
9
REVIEW SITES In addition to these popular social media sites online review sites have also had a tremendous impact on the restaurant industry. While many hear about restaurants via social media customers will typically search restaurants on review sites to hear what other people have to say. Approximately 72% of consumers have said that they trust online reviews just as much as they trust personal recommendations. This means, what people are saying about you online will significantly affect your restaurants success. Review sites are not to be ignored. They should also be monitored and tracked. Restaurant owners should utilize review sites to turn around any bad experience. While highlighting the positive reviews is great, the negative ones should be answered as well. Customers want to know they are being heard. By responding customers feel more comfortable knowing their concerns are being addressed. Simply having an online presence is not enough. Restaurants must stay active and relevant. Sites should be consistently checked and updated. To best accomplish this, restaurants should offer specials, connect with their local community and engage with their followers. The most well known brands are excellent at listening and responding to customers online. When used correctly social media sites can become a restaurants strongest marketing tool. When people engage with a restaurant online they are engaging in word of mouth marketing, which is arguably one of the most effective marketing tools to date.
10
6
MONITOR SUCCESS Success can be monitored based on followers, mentions, and online engagement. Take note in how many clicks certain posts are getting in comparison to others, how many people are actively engaged on your pages, and what your busiest traffic hours are. Keep the restaurants information up to date and current on all sites. Claiming a Google Plus page can also assist in monitoring a restaurants success. Google Plus not only allows business owners to interact with customer, but also makes it easier to gain a higher ranking on. What does this mean? It means that more people will be able to find a restaurant through a quick Google search. By ensuring all pages are up to date and correct, businesses ensure people will be able to find them. Sites such as Google and Facebook have made it even easier to track online success. Using analytic pages that are already available will ensure that online marketing efforts do not go to waste.
11
7
CONCLUSION
12
The power of online marketing in the restaurant industry is undeniable. Restaurants are among the most searched industries on the web. A great majority of today’s consumers hit the web prior to making any of their dining choices. For a restaurant, this means being visible on any application or social site a customer may look. Costumers want to feel that they are needed. They want to know that they are being listed to. A major part of the restaurant experience is the ability to identify with the brand or story. By developing a digital marketing plan restaurants can ensure that they are connecting with their brand. Digital marketing gives all companies an opportunity to gain far greater exposure, reduce cost, and easily measure success. Utilizing existing online tools will allow restaurants to promote their brand and properly market themselves among their competition. Think about the impact a strong digital marketing campaign can have on your restaurant.
