Restaurant promotion has evolved as consumer behavior and technology has changed the way restaurant owners reach their audience.  Word of mouth advertising is still one of the best ways to draw in customers, but the way that word is spread has changed dramatically.  Consumers research and communicate with businesses through digital means.  This makes your online presence integral to the health and growth of your business.

Social Media

“Social media offers restaurants a way to build strong online presence, which in turn establishes brand loyalty with existing customers and attracts potential customers. Social media marketing campaigns offer restaurants great opportunities to sell products and services beyond the typical sit-down experience (think catering, merchandise, and gift certificates).” – The Balance Small Business

Posting images and videos of your food, events, specials and staff will help to make your social media pages more visible.  Social media can be used to promote your restaurant through organic means or paid advertising.  Encourage your current customers and any new visitors to like and share your page by offering a discounted or free menu item.

Company Blog

“Similar to social media, maintaining a restaurant blog is a low-cost way to entice diners with useful and entertaining content. Consistently publishing short-form posts that showcase specific employees and menu items, or offer behind-the-scenes peeks at your restaurant’s culture, can go a long way to developing diner relationships.” – Grubhub

Writing blog articles and creating videos for your company blog improves your SEO and fuels your social media accounts.  Each new blog creates another indexed page for your website that search engines can recognize.  Craft your content around key topics in the restaurant industry, making sure they are both informative and entertaining.

Online Listings

“When it comes to bringing real customers into your restaurant, increasingly the best way to reach them is online. Our recent research shows that 78% of people looking for a restaurant include the type of cuisine in their online search. One way to connect with people looking for a local restaurant or pub is to list your business on places like Yelp, Google, Facebook and other popular directories and social platforms.” – Deluxe

When looking for a restaurant the first thing most consumers do is perform an online search.  Being listed in local and niche directories can help your restaurant get found even if you’re on a tight budget.  You’ll also want to frequent review sites such as Yelp to claim your company profile and be able to respond to reviews.

Food Bloggers

“Getting press and positive reviews on your restaurant can be an extremely daunting task, especially when you are just starting out. One of the best ways to get press is to reach out to local food bloggers and invite them to your restaurant. Offer them a free appetizer or drinks in order to get them to your restaurant. The more you offer, the better chance they would be willing to come out.” – Restaurant Den

Food and drink represents some of the most popular online topics.  With Americans becoming more health conscious, the food industry is ripe with content.  Food bloggers can have a very large following, so a mention, article or review written or endorsed by them can have a significant impact on your business.

Local Events

“Have a promotion around a nearby bigger event like a local sporting event, concert, or festival. This helps drive business and generates awareness of your restaurant to a much larger audience who attends this larger event. Essentially, you’re riding off the coattails of that event’s marketing as well. Examples of this include offering 5% off to people who have a ticket to a local hockey game, or $5 off any purchase before a concert that is down the street.” – Toast

Community involvement is a great way to build awareness around your restaurant and improve your reputation.  It can also be a great way to advertise your business.  Leveraging local events to promote your restaurant will help put you in front of a highly targeted audience.  Piggybacking on larger sporting or holiday events can also add energy to your marketing campaigns.

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