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Restaurant Marketing: 29 Awesome Ideas & Strategies to Dominate in 2024 [+Examples]

By Adrienne Bosch Last updated: 21 minute read Marketing Guides

Food is one of the most significant parts of any culture, so it’s no wonder there are so many restaurants all across the world. In fact, the first restaurant is believed to have been opened almost three hundred years ago in France.

But we’ve come a long way since 1765, with more than fifteen million restaurants open today. However, with this increase in demand comes over-saturation, and as a result, restaurant marketing has never been more important.

So, what exactly is restaurant marketing? Why is it essential to running a profitable business? And most importantly, how do you market a restaurant successfully?

Have no fear, this article will answer all your questions, and what’s more, we’ve provided you with a list of modern restaurant marketing tactics and strategies to guide you on your way to success.

So, you’re ready to use marketing to help you dominate the restaurant industry in 2024?

Well, then, let’s get straight into it!

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    Restaurant Marketing: A Brief Overview

    In simple terms, restaurant marketing is essential for success in a highly competitive, growing, market. Restaurant marketing strategies are designed to combat the unique challenges faced by restaurants, and drive awareness, sales, customer satisfaction and retention.

    Everywhere you look, there’s yet another restaurant popping up, and they’ve become countless, and even more worrying, they’ve become identical.  And it’s only getting more competitive, with the restaurant industry estimated to continue growing at a rate of 4% each year.

    As it stands, the average Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) of all the restaurants in the USA alone was 101.6 (where a score above 100 is considered a period of growth for restaurants). This means that when comparing the wildly successful restaurants with those barely breaking even, we see a concerning picture.

    The American National Restaurant Association estimates a 30% restaurant closure rate for any start-up restaurant. However, this 30% isn’t precisely accurate regarding how many restaurants permanently close their doors, as this only considers new restaurants’ closure rates, not that of already established eateries.

    Restaurant Industry Stats Infographic
    Source: Finances Online

    But where one restaurant closes, another two will pop up.

    And with more than 1 million restaurants in the US alone, customers are flooded with too many choices and not enough distinctiveness.

    Enter restaurant marketing campaigns!

    These strategies are used to increase awareness of a restaurant’s presence and personality, pull in new customers, boost sales, and retain the existing customer base.

    Summary: Restaurant Marketing Brief Overview

    The best restaurant marketing campaigns are used to raise awareness of a restaurant’s presence and personality, attract new customers, increase sales, and retain existing customers.

    29 Awesome Ideas, Tips and Strategies to Make Your Restaurant The Place to Be

    1. Establish a Strong Brand Identity

    Before you can expect any of your marketing efforts to succeed, you’ll need to decide what exactly it is you’re selling.

    To decide your brand identity, you can ask yourself some of the following questions to help you get a clearer idea:

    • What makes your restaurant different?
    • What sets it apart?
    • What are the types of people you’re hoping to attract?
    • What’s the tone of your brand (friendly, elegant, sassy, etc.)?
    • What’s the feeling you want people to walk away with once they’ve been to your restaurant?
    • What’s the competition like in your area?

    Once you’ve answered these questions, you can start creating a unique brand identity that is memorable and stands out.

    Just take Cheesecake Factory, for example; their branding is clearly tapping into indulgence and extravagance, attracting people who want to treat themselves to something delicious.

    The Cheesecake Factory Branding
    Source: The Cheesecake Factory

    2. Maintain Consistency Across All Platforms

    Your brand identity won’t mean anything if it’s not consistent across all your platforms, whether that be social media, print advertisements, or TV and radio commercials.

    Now, this doesn’t mean that your tone always needs to remain the same. Depending on the situation, you’ll adapt and change the style. For example, announcing good news versus bad news will set your brand’s tone.

    However, your voice needs to remain the same wherever your brand is active. That way, people can still recognize your brand, even if the tone changes.

    Take Wendy’s, one of the world’s most distinctive fast food brands, for example. They have a unique comedic “Roasting” style of marketing across all of their social media accounts, with a focus on their Twitter presence. However, if they did not maintain the same type of interaction across their platforms, they would never have gained the notoriety they have.

    Wendy Tweet
    Source: Wendy’s (Twitter)

    3. Ask for Customer Reviews

    The influence that reviews have on consumers has gradually been increasing, and most businesses haven’t noticed the power they can wield with such a simple tool.

    As it stands, 93% of people allow online reviews to shape and form their decision on a product or service. This means that reviews alone can often sink you or help you grow tremendously. But people don’t regularly go out of their way to leave reviews, so it’s up to you to ask for them.

    Good Online Reviews Influence Purchases Infographic
    Source: LocaliQ

    There are several different ways you can ask for reviews, like:

    • On your website
    • On online menus
    • On social media posts
    • In person

    However, when asking for reviews, you need to make sure you do it at the right time and in the right way.

    For example, never ask a customer for a review while they are in the middle of their meal or when they’ve just placed an order online. Rather, ask for a review once they have finished their meal, or send a follow-up email a day or two later. You don’t want to make them feel uncomfortable, or like you are disturbing them.

    Moreover, you should have your branded hashtags readily available and easy to find, that way there are even more ways in which people can leave feedback and reviews.

    For example, GoodBullBBQ occasionally includes a prompt to leave a review on their social media posts. This helps people find places where they can leave reviews with the least amount of hassle possible (since nobody wants to feel inconvenienced).

    4. Respond to All Customer Reviews

    Monitoring websites like Yelp and Trip Advisor is critical, as that’s often where people will choose to both leave and read reviews.

    Once people have left you reviews, be they good or bad, you should respond to them as often as possible. This has two major benefits:

    Humanization: When your brand shows that you not only care enough to ask for reviews but also enough to respond to those reviews, you start to influence how people think of your brand. In specific, you help humanize your brand and allow people to feel more connected to you.

    Boosted engagement: When responding to a review, you’re boosting your interaction with customers and increasing the chances that more people will respond to your response or leave a review of their own.

    5. Social Proof: Share Your Customer Reviews

    The number of reviews you have and the overall quality of those reviews can influence not only how high you appear in search results but also whether or not buyers click on your result. This is known as social proof.

    What’s more, the content of those reviews also makes for excellent marketing material. You can sync them so that they appear on your website, share them on social media, and even incorporate customer feedback on individual meals into your menu.

    Furthermore, when displaying reviews, you should do so on more than just your home page. And what’s more, those social hashtags we talked about are a great place to gather user-generated content that you can reshare.

    Therefore, on each of your pages, you should display either reviews or user-generated content; that way, people will see it even if they don’t access your website’s home page. Likewise, sharing those same reviews and content on your social media pages is equally important, as it reinforces the social proof that you are a good restaurant.

    6. Create a Website that is Optimized for Mobile

    In this digitally focused world, a website that is easily accessible from a mobile device is a “must-have”; that’s not negotiable!

    A website will help you rank in search results on search engines and do a lot of your promotion for you. And it’s a place you can direct people when channeling them from other platforms like social media.

    A few things to note is that your website needs to:

    • Look good and be easy to read
    • Load quickly
    • Be intuitive to navigate
    • Run smoothly in each browser
    • Be optimized for mobile
    • Contain all relevant information about your restaurant and services

    A great example of what your restaurant’s website should look like is McDonald’s.

    McDonalds Homepage
    Source: McDonald’s

    Of course, the style your website will follow depends on your brand identity, target customers, and what type of restaurant you’re running. Nevertheless, McDonald’s website is a perfect reference point for what you should do when designing a website.

    7. Ensure You Have a Sleek Online Menu

    Your restaurant’s digital menu goes hand-in-hand with your website. In fact, it should probably be listed there.

    And just like your website needed to be intuitive to navigate, so too does your menu. Customers need to be able to see your dishes and their ingredients with the least amount of effort possible. Otherwise, they’ll move on and head to another restaurant’s website that is easier to use.

    8. Make Social Media Your Best Friend

    Social media is the place where most of the world’s population spends at least some of their time each day. And why should your restaurant’s brand be any different?

    Whether it’s responding to questions on Reddit about your brand or creating a Discord server for your most die-hard fans, you’ll be boosting brand awareness and increasing customer engagement, and that’s never a bad thing.

    The top social media platforms you need to be on include Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Discord and Reddit.

    For example. there is an official Burger King Discord server that customers can join.

    To learn more about how to market your restaurant on social media, check out this video by Wilson K Lee:

    9. Make Sure That Your Restaurant Is Listed on Relevant Apps

    Post COVID-19, we have seen a drastic boost in the number of people opting to use food delivery apps rather than going out. And if you want your restaurant marketing campaign to be successful, you’ll need to keep up with the times.

    That means getting your restaurant listed on the most commonly used food delivery apps, even if you’re not a fast food company.

    The apps you should aim for are as follows:

    • Grubhub
    • DoorDash
    • Seamless
    • Uber Eats
    • Instacart
    • Caviar
    • Postmates
    • Other apps used near you

    10. Create a Community-Focused Vision Statement for Your Restaurant

    You know what you’re there to do in your community or area; that’s why you started your restaurant. But now it’s time to let your customers in on it. And the best way you can do that is by creating a vision or mission statement.

    Your vision statement should explain why you’re there, what you hope to do, who you want to serve or impact, and how you’ll do it all.

    Take the vision statement for SweetGreen, for example, “Building healthier communities by connecting people to real food”. This is a perfect example of the type of vision statement that will help to draw people into your business.

    11. Get Your Restaurant a Google Business Profile

    Creating a Google Business Profile for your restaurant may be more important than creating a Yelp account for it. When using this listing feature, you will be able to appear in Google Maps, local search results, and the Knowledge Panel that appears on the right-hand side of traditional search results.

    For example, this is the Google Business listing for The Beet Box Café.

    Restaurant Marketing Google Business Profile Example
    Source: The Beet Box Café

    12. Have a Weekly or Monthly Newsletter

    A newsletter is an excellent way to keep your customers informed about your activities. As a result, the email newsletter sends out by your restaurant can include new menu items, upcoming events, coupons, client testimonials, and other information.

    Furthermore, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t have to be sent out on a weekly basis. So, users will probably appreciate emptier inboxes, so you should consider only sending them a newsletter once a month or so.

    13. Set Up Loyalty Programs

    We all love free stuff, and what’s more, we all love to feel noticed, even if it’s in small ways. And customer loyalty programs can hit both of these at the same time for your customers, incentivizing them to keep coming back.

    There are two primary ways you can set up a loyalty program, and they are:

    • Online loyalty programs: These programs will usually be hosted by apps like Belly, LevelUp, or Perka and often work just like a punch card, but online!
    • Physical loyalty programs: These programs are more of what people will traditionally think of when discussing a loyalty program, for example, punch cards.

    14. Create a Facebook Community for Your Restaurant

    The most successful businesses have a strong social media presence, and in the competitive food market, ignoring social media spells disaster.

    However, using Facebook is critical, and you must understand how to promote your restaurant using your company’s Facebook page if you want to draw more people in.

    • Treat your Facebook page like it’s a listing or a company directory. Fill out every field, solicit feedback, and keep it up to date.
    • Regularly post updates on your hours, special discounts, client photos, upcoming events, and so on.
    • Interact with your followers by starting conversations and responding to comments.
    • Change your cover photos on a seasonal basis.

    Tacobell’s Facebook page is a great example of what you should do when creating your own.

    TacoBell Facebook Page Example
    Source: TacoBell (Facebook)

    15. Invest in Paid Search and Social Ads

    Ads, be they print or digital, are one of the oldest ways of getting the word out there about a product or service. And that’s for good reason, as it’s a very effective marketing avenue.

    Of course, as we move further into the future, how those ads are implemented and where people see them changes, but the core idea is still the same.

    As a result, placing sponsored ads on websites such as Google and Facebook will expose your restaurant to a large number of targeted customers.

    16. Focus On Local SEO

    While Google can determine a searcher’s location based on their IP address and your restaurant’s location based on your online information, this does not guarantee that you will appear in local results for all relevant searches. Meaning you’ll need to work on your local SEO.

    You can do this by:

    • Participating in the best local listing websites.
    • Including a Google Map with your location on your Contact Us page.
    • Posting regionally relevant content on a regular basis.
    • Gathering online reviews, as they are the most critical ranking factor for local SEO.
    • Ensuring that your information is as consistent as possible across all of your online resources because Google detests inconsistencies.

    17. Content Marketing: Start a Blog for Your Restaurant

    Creating your own blog is a great method to connect with your target audience and build a following because blogs are a great place to try out different voices and styles for your restaurant. Share your triumphs and tribulations with your clientele and any amusing anecdotes, delicious recipes, and other interesting tidbits you think of.

    Keep in mind that your blog can be as straightforward or complex as you wish, and you can choose how often you’d like to post.

    But even if you don’t plan to post often, it’s a good idea to have your restaurant blog set up for when you want to inform the public of news or announcements.

    For example, Babylonstoren has a blog for everything from news of their restaurant, to lifestyle content and gardening:

    Restaurant Marketing - Babylonstoren Blog
    Image: Babylonstories

    18. Foodie Photo Promotion

    In our opinion, one of the best way to advertise your restaurant online is with drool-worthy images of your food. Visual and digital content is in high demand these days, so it’s critical to attract hungry eyes to your website and other social media platforms by posting mouthwatering images.

    However, this can be challenging to do, especially if you’re new to photography. So, getting a professional photographer or restaurant marketing agency to help you out might be the best idea.

    For example, Tavernetta’s food looks amazing in all their photos.

    Foodie Photos Example Tavernetta
    Source: Tavernetta

    19. Use Instagram to Show Off Your Best Side

    Show off your storefront, get up close with your top dishes, and use this social media main stage as a place to play around with your brand identity.

    For example, Primal Steakhouse shows images of its atmosphere, food and drinks to draw in customers looking for an experience like theirs.

    Restaurant Instagram Profile Example
    Source: Primal Steakhouse (Instagram)

    20. Let Your Employees Shine

    In a time when automated customer service agents and self-driving cars are becoming more common, the human factor is becoming more and more important.

    So, you can show off the best of your five-star employees online to stand out and draw people in. Moreover, customers like to interact with happy people, so seeing happy, smiling employees can do a lot to improve your brand reputation.

    21. Positive Press Can Do Wonders For You.

    Another important piece of restaurant marketing advice: if your company is featured in a newspaper or magazine, make sure to promote it on your website and social media. When newcomers see reputable sources praising your restaurant, they will be motivated to visit, and fans will help spread the word.

    22. Don’t Forget About Offline Marketing

    We’ve talked a lot about online and digital marketing, and of course, they are great avenues to draw in more customers and build your brand identity. However, you shouldn’t neglect offline marketing, as it still definitely has its place.

    Offline marketing is primarily focused on local areas and can include things like:

    • Pamphlets
    • Menus
    • Coupons
    • Flyers
    • Care packages
    • Local TV and radio ads

    Just take a look at this pamphlet by Atelier Crenn as an example of what you should do when creating a pamphlet for your restaurant.

    Offline Marketing Example Atelier Crenn
    Source: Atelier Crenn

    23. Offer Coupons & Discounts

    Giving out coupons and discounts is a surefire way to get more people to come to your restaurant.

    For example, you could give away a free dish to new email newsletter subscribers or hand out coupons to your regular customers. Whatever you decide, make sure people feel appreciated and that you care about them.

    24. Food Blogger Outreach

    As a new restaurant, it can be difficult to generate buzz and reviews for your establishment. But one way to get great reviews and online exposure is to invite food bloggers to try out your restaurant.

    To entice these bloggers, offer a complimentary dinner or appetizer first. Then, politely ask if they would be willing to provide an online review and testimonial for your restaurant.

    Getting the attention of well-known food bloggers can help your restaurant significantly. Even a single article or remark from a well-known foodie can greatly benefit restaurant promotion efforts.

    For example, Taufulou, a well-known food blogger, reviewed 1405 Art Cafe, promoting it to his thousands of readers.

    Food Blogger Review Example Taufulou
    Source: Taufulou

    25. Food Influencer Outreach

    Much like food blogger outreach, getting foodie influencers to come to your restaurant can be a great way to entice more people to get a bite at your establishment.

    Moreover, these food influencers are usually well-trusted within their niche, and a positive review from them can go a long way.

    Just be sure not to directly ask for a great review, as they won’t take well to something like that. Rather, let your food and service do the talking for you.

    26. Run Social Media Contests

    Running a contest or giveaway on your social media accounts is an excellent way to boost customer engagement and get people hyped about your restaurant.

    Furthermore, when running these contests, be sure not to give away boring rewards like gift cards. Rather, give away something specific, like a free pizza, bonus fries, etc.

    Dominos is great at using this strategy; just check out the example below.

    Giveaway Example dominos
    Source: Dominos

    27. Run Trivia or Game Nights

    Trivia nights are a fun event that restaurants can host on a weekly or monthly basis.

    If you do choose to start hosting these fun evenings, you should provide amazing prizes to the winners, play great, mood-setting music in the background, and advertise the event on social media and in your emails to spread the word.

    28. Get Creative With Holiday Dishes and National Days

    People love their holidays, and why should your restaurant be any different?

    You can bring the festive seasons into your décor and dishes to attract customers looking to have a fun, holiday-themed time.

    Moreover, there are so many national days you can incorporate into your dishes and atmosphere it’s crazy.

    And you don’t have to only celebrate the well-known days; there are many obscure days that you can bring awareness to, like Kaspa’s Bridgend did on National Chocolate Milkshake Day, which is enjoyed each year on September 12.

    National Chocolate Milkshake Day Promotion Example
    Source: Kaspa’s Bridgend (Facebook)

    29. Promote User-Generated Content

    User-generated content, or UGC, is an excellent way to develop a close relationship with users.

    For example, you could hold a photo competition by asking customers to contribute their favorite dish from your restaurant. The photos can then be posted to a particular content page or distributed across your various social media accounts. Furthermore, you could also consider giving some lucky contestants a free appetizer or another prize!

    Summary: 29 Awesome Ideas, Tips and Strategies to Make Your Restaurant the Place to Be

    1. Establish a Brand Identity
    2. Maintain Consistency Across Platforms
    3. Ask for Reviews
    4. Respond to Those Reviews
    5. Share Your Reviews
    6. Create a Website
    7. Ensure You Have a Sleek Online Menu
    8. Make Social Media Your Best Friend
    9. Make Sure That Your Restaurant Is Listed on Relevant Apps
    10. Create a Vision Statement for Your Company
    11. Get Your Restaurant a Google Business Profile
    12. Have a Weekly or Monthly Newsletter
    13. Set Up Loyalty Programs
    14. Create a Facebook Community for Your Restaurant
    15. Invest in Ads
    16. Focus On Local SEO
    17. Start a Blog
    18. Foodie Photo Promotion
    19. Use Instagram to Show Off Your Best Side
    20. Let Your Employees Shine
    21. Positive Press Can Do Wonders For You
    22. Don’t Forget About Offline Marketing
    23. Offer Coupons & Discounts
    24. Food Blogger Outreach
    25. Food Influencer Outreach
    26. Run Social Media Contests
    27. Run Trivia or Game Nights
    28. Get Creative with Holiday Dishes
    29. Promote User-Generated Content

    Wrapping UP

    That was a lot to take in; we know. But covering all those restaurant marketing ideas and trends was necessary in order to give you a complete idea of what your restaurant marketing campaigns should look like.

    And the great news is that now you know how to turn your restaurant marketing efforts into your best tool and increase the number of happy customers you’ll be able to serve.

    What are you waiting for?

    Go and dominate the restaurant industry!

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is a restaurant marketing campaign?

    A restaurant marketing campaign is customized marketing campaign that is tailored to promote a restaurant, taking into account the unique challenges and opportunities found in restaurant marketing. The best restaurant marketing campaigns are used to raise awareness of a restaurant’s presence and personality, attract new customers, increase sales, and retain existing customers. Read the full guide to learn more about successful restaurant marketing campaigns.

    What is restaurant marketing?

    Restaurant marketing's goal is to increase foot traffic to your establishment. Further, restaurant marketing builds loyalty, provides data for analytics and research, and assists restaurants in better understanding the characteristics of their ideal clientele. Read the full guide to learn more about restaurant marketing and see examples and ideas to promote your restaurant.

    How do restaurants bring customers back?

    Customers will be most impressed by the quality of your meal and the quality of the experience they had while eating at your restaurant. Providing high-quality meals, excellent service, and creating a great atmosphere is essential. Customer loyalty programs will also help you retain customers for repeat business. Read the full guide to learn more about restaurant marketing and how to foster customer loyalty.

    References

    TheWebMiner Blog: How many restaurants are in the world?

    SantoriniChicagoWhy Restaurants Are So Popular

    JobsInMarketing: 31 Powerful Restaurant Industry Statistics

    LocaliQ: 90 Online Review Statistics That Will Blow Your Mind in 2024

    AppsThatDeliver: Restaurant Industry Statistics

    ToastTab: What is the Average Restaurant Failure Rate?