Digital Marketing for Restaurants is more important now that it was before. We have been doing a lot of research into the best types of Digital Marketing opportunities for restaurants during the COVID19 crisis. We all know that restaurants have been one of the industries that have been worst hit with the lockdown with many of them not being able to open their doors.
As we have a few restaurant digital marketing clients, we thought we would share the best ways to get your restaurant noticed by customers and stay top of mind through your digital marketing.
Keep it real.
The worst thing you can do right now as a restaurant on social media is not sharing the trials and tribulations that you are going through with the COVID19 crisis. This needs to be added to your digital marketing content strategy.
People want to see real stories that they can relate to. The whole world is going through a huge new shift with how we do things. Keeping it real and sharing things you are battling with makes you relatable to not only your customers but potential customers too. Lexi’s Healthy Eatery is a Johannesburg restaurant that has taken us on a journey with them through their struggle with the COVID19 lockdown.
https://www.facebook.com/lexiseatery/photos/a.838936486292317/1369545569898070/?type=3&theater
Showcase your staff.
These are the people that keep the business going, they keep customers smiling, and are the face of your business. So often restaurants only showcase the food they are making and the cocktails they serve and not the servers. Creating genuine connections with customers through the familiar faces they see instore and remember is especially important during the lockdown, when we are all missing human interaction and familiar faces. Plaka Greek restaurants do this often and give a little bit of information that customers by not know about their favorite waiters.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Tsq4xJt4h/
Sell gift cards or vouchers
Selling vouchers and gift cards need to form the majority of your digital marketing priorities during the lockdown. These can be redeemed down the line and not only help increase capital (which all restaurants need at the moment) but it will also keep you top of mind with customers when they can frequent your establishment once again.
A great place to integrate gift cards or vouchers is DinePlan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_5EieQAWrx/
Switch up your content
People have loved coming to your restaurant because they love your food but also your service and staff. People come for the food, yes, but they come back because of how your restaurant made them feel. Use this to your advantage with your digital marketing.
Now is the time to try new things with your digital marketing and content strategy, such as:
- Go into the history of how the restaurant started.
- What inspired your menu
- Who your suppliers are and how they are coping during the COVID19 crisis (this could be a cool opportunity for a Facebook live with one of them)
Start planning your comeback
Everyone is rooting for you to reopen, we only want to see companies succeed, especially those that have been badly hit by the COVID19 crisis. Use this time to plan your reopening. Will you throw a launch event? How can you maximise sales and differentiate yourself from competitors through your digital marketing?
If you have any more awesome digital marketing ideas to help restaurants during this time, pop me a mail so I can add to this list (will credit you of course), and let’s help them get back on their feet.
