Are you opening a new restaurant soon and need to promote it to potential guests? The restaurant industry in Australia is worth $20.8 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow by 3% this year.
Like with any business, the more people know about your restaurant, the more they'll want to visit it. But you need to make their dinner experience appealing and something they'll never forget.
From serving the best food possible to paying attention to the little things and details, customers' feedback and reviews can be your most powerful marketing tool.
Keep reading to discover the 7 most common restaurant marketing mistakes you might be making and how to fix them.
1. You're Not Using Social Media Properly
Today's world is powered by the internet and social media, and if you're not online, you're missing out on building brand awareness and attracting new customers.
If you want to get noticed, you need to be where potential customers hang out the most, which is on social media. This is vital for marketing restaurants online and having an online presence.
You don't have to be everywhere. Choose the platforms with the most potential for growth and create content regularly. For restaurants, the best platforms are Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and maybe Facebook.
2. Your Website Is Outdated
Your website should be an essential part of your restaurant marketing strategy. If it's outdated, slow, or doesn't have any content, it's time to redesign it. You can either hire a professional web designer to make your restaurant website design from scratch or choose a restaurant theme and fill it with content.
Don't forget to include a menu for people to see your dishes before they visit. If you offer take-out, you should also have an order and delivery system for that.
Finally, consider starting a blog on your website to educate and entertain potential customers. This is a great way to boost SEO for restaurant marketing and build trust with your guests.
3. You Don't Have Cohesive Branding
Your branding is what sets you apart from your competitors. Aside from your name, you also need a recognizable logo and brand elements that you'll use on all your communication channels, products, and in-store.
Branding is also the story behind your restaurant, why you do what you do, and how customers interact with your establishment. It's also the message your restaurant sends to existing and potential customers and how much you care about their experience with your food.
Your branding should be cohesive everywhere, including your website and social media channels. This way, people will remember and recognise you, and you'll start building trust.
4. You Don't Know Your Target Customers
Most restaurants that don't succeed or barely keep afloat don't cater to their ideal customers. For example, as a restaurant, your customers are not just people who love food. You need to know their demographics, what they like and dislike, how they spend their money, and what kind of lifestyle they have.
Then, based on this information, you can create a dining experience that'll blow their minds. Let's say your restaurant is a vegan bistro, and your customers are mostly people who are vegan. However, this doesn't mean vegetarians and people with no dietary preferences won't come to your restaurant.
So how do you attract them? By targeting their other needs and offering fresh, homemade, unprocessed food that's a healthier choice than a fast food joint. To reach a wider audience, you can use social media marketing and share images of the food you serve, your behind-the-scenes, or testimonials from happy customers.
5. You Don't Use Word Of Mouth
Word-of-mouth is both the easiest and the hardest restaurant marketing principle that can make or break your business. If you use it wisely, it can bring in a full house of guests. If you ignore it, it can deter people from visiting your restaurant based on a single bad experience.
Word-of-mouth marketing is when a customer tells their closest circle of friends and family about your restaurant. If they were happy with the experience, you'll get an entire group of new guests to try it for themselves. If the customer didn't have a good experience, they'll also share this with their circle.
Luckily, you can encourage positive word of mouth by offering a great dining experience, excellent food, kind servers, and an overall friendly atmosphere.
6. You're Not Interacting With Your Guests
As a restaurant owner, most of your job is behind the scenes, but this doesn't mean you should never interact with your guests. It's a great gesture to go greet your guests, ask if they're enjoying their dinner, and if there's anything they need.
Introduce yourself to them and invite them to come again for lunch or breakfast. People will feel closer to your restaurant and will love telling others they got to meet you. You could even offer them an incentive for their next visit if they bring friends or family with them.
7. You're Ignoring the Important Details
From the way your restaurant looks and feels to the way your staff treats the customers, the magic is in the details. From the lighting and music to offering free snacks with bar drinks, your guests must have a great experience while dining if you want them to come back.
For couples celebrating anniversaries, you could offer a romantic menu, a more private couples' table with candles and roses, or a personalised dessert from the chef. Everyone wants to feel special and appreciated, and these details can bring you more business than you can imagine.
Avoid Making These Restaurant Marketing Mistakes With These Simple Tips!
Whether you're a new business owner or have been running your own eatery for years, these restaurant marketing mistakes are too easy to make if you're not careful. These tips will help you promote your business to the right crowd and bring in more customers in no time.
Ready to open your own restaurant and set it up for success? In this post, we talk about everything you need to know before your grand opening.
When setting up your own restaurant for a successful grand opening, it's crucial to consider every aspect, from commercial kitchen equipment, including bain marie and bar fridges Australia offers, to effective restaurant marketing strategies.
By paying attention to these key elements, you can ensure that your business attracts the right crowd, promotes itself effectively, and ultimately brings in more customers.
