Running a restaurant is tough enough as it is without worrying about getting butts in chairs, so why do most places fail to embrace all the basically free marketing opportunities that are available?
Fear.
Fear of what people will say, and how they will talk about them. In todays market place reviews are the easiest thing to leverage if done properly. The only real way to do it totally wrong is ignore people’s feedback (which they are providing are numerous platforms whether you like it or not!).
Here are three easy things to do that will help you increase your database and online visibility in no time.
- Claim and utilize all functions of the most prominent online platforms: urbanspoon, yelp, tripadvisor, opentable, foursquare, and facebook. You do not need to be active on all of these on a regular basis, but you need to be aware of them and pay attention to your audience.
- Incentivize checking in and sharing. Randomly give away a meal to a patron, take a picture, and make a big deal about it on your most active platform.
- Get the participation of your staff! Every time I have utilized a foursquare deal who ever was waiting on me they look at it like it was some foreign coupon. If McDonalds can train 16 year olds to ask “Do you want fries with that,” you staff is more than capable of mentioning the opportunities you offer online.
You may say if everyone takes advantage of deals all the time I am going to loose money. Wrong!
You are turning your HAPPY customers into your marketing team. People are over 70% more likely to be to influenced by a friends recommendation than they are to be influenced after seeing the by the worthless billboard you spent thousands of dollars on.
The more you focus on providing easy ways for your happy customers to talk about you online the faster you will see an easy, low cost marketing avenue.