By Kevin Urrutia, Contributor
Whether you are a new restaurateur or would want to improve your existing business, it would be practical to use make email marketing a central part of your restaurant’s marketing efforts.
When done right, it can help:
Attract new customers to dine in
Show your appreciation to your existing customers
Promote your promos, events, new menu items, etc.
Simply put, email marketing is what can make your restaurant survive in the fiercest of competition. It’s also a marketing tactic that does not cost much compared to traditional advertising in papers, magazines, TV, and radio.
That said, here are three email marketing tactics that you can use to ensure your restaurant's success:
Build Your Restaurant’s Email List
Of course, you cannot run a successful email marketing campaign without a email list. Luckily, there are various ways a restauranteur can build it.
One, you can use your website. If you accept orders online, you can add a popup or a header bar that encourages people to subscribe. You can also have a “subscribe” CTA in your header or nav bar, too.
You can also use your social media pages. Mind you; Facebook allows you to change your call-to-action button on your page. All you need is redirect the traffic to an opt-in landing page.
Another thing you can do is train your staff to ask customers for their email. This is best done at the end of the meal when guests are filled and happy. You can even offer a discount on their next visit for signing up for your newsletter.
Regardless of the tactic, it is imperative to ask your customers for their permission if they would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Segment Your List
You may have seen this advice somewhere, but there is a good reason why you should segment your list. That's because people have different reasons for subscribing to your email list.
For instance, a customer decided to subscribe to your newsletter after ordering online. There are also people who opted for your email list after signing up for a loyalty program.
This means that people who subscribed through ordering online would expect a different email than your exclusive members. But what those emails are will depend on your overall marketing campaign.
Send the Right Email
Here's the thing: There is no one-size-fits-all kind of email. It would be best to personalize your email, depending on the type of subscribers you have.
For instance, sending out promos and deals are ideal for your existing customers. That's because such emails are meant to encourage people to dine in with you again.
On the other hand, an email that encourages people to avail of your special discount card is ideal for new customers.
In relation to this, here are some examples of email marketing campaigns that you can use:
1. Birthday Emails
Birthday emails are ideal if your restaurant has exclusive membership or accept orders online. Moreover, it makes your subscribers feel special.
To make this campaign work, consider providing a discount code when a customer decided to dine in during his birthday month.
To encourage a customer to spend more, you can offer a discount when a celebrant brings someone. It is like buying two items for the price of one or offering a discount for paired food items.
Better yet, give a discount if a celebrant decided to organize a birthday party in your restaurant.
2. Appreciation Email
Aside from feeling special, customers would like it if they feel appreciated.
One of the simplest to show your appreciation is to thank a new customer. Another is thanking old and new customers who participated in your fundraising or charity event.
The latter, though, is a campaign of its own and may require knowledge in handling a database. Nonetheless, it makes them feel appreciated and also allows you to give back to the community.
3. Promotional Email
Sending a promotional email is a common way restaurants can leverage email marketing.
If you are running an anniversary promo, for example, you can let your customers know about it through email.
Just make sure that you are sending it to the right email list. This can be your existing customers and VIP members. Otherwise, your campaign might fall on deaf ears.
Moreover, ensure that you are crafting an engaging email marketing copy. That way, you can entice your recipients to dine in and take advantage of the promo.
4. Menu Highlight Email
Aside from robust marketing strategies, what makes a restaurant successful is its menu. Consider yourself lucky if you happen to work with an innovative chef.
Meanwhile, you can hype up a menu item's popularity through email marketing.
For one, you can send email invites to food bloggers and influencers to sample your kitchen’s new item. This tactic is ideal if it coincides with your other campaigns.
Another is to send a promotional email. Send a discount code to your existing customers so that they can give your new menu item a try.
5. Newsletter Email
Another common use of email marketing is to send newsletters. It’s an ideal tactic if you want your guests and subscribers to learn more about your restaurant.
What can you include in your newsletter? Here are some examples:
Upcoming events that you are hosting
Promoting your new menu item
Other media coverage about your restaurant
Recipe secrets and cooking tips you are willing to share
Conclusion
As a restaurant owner, your goal is to make your business stand out from the rest of the competition. Fortunately, you do not have to spend too much on promoting your restaurant. And one of the most cost-effective tactics you can use is email marketing.
All you need to do is:
Build your list
Segment your list
Send the right email
That way, you can ensure the success of your email marketing campaign.
About the Author:
Kevin Urrutia is the founder of Voy Media Advertising Agency NYC. He helps businesses maximize the benefits of Facebook Advertising, leading to a dramatic improvement in sales while pushing down costs. Voy Media thoroughly studies each client and comes up with tailor-fit solutions to bring about the best results.
