|
Top Tips to Promote Your Restaurant
By Scott Lorenz
President
Westwind Communications
Would you like more customers in your restaurant? Do some marketing
that’ll catch their attention and let WOM (word of mouth), the best form of marketing,
do the rest. Here are top tips for generating new business.
| |
Use Facebook to Target Your Demographic
Did you know that you can place ads on Facebook to reach people who work
at specific companies or students at the local university. You can even
target only those who are 21 years old and up. Yes it’s true and it’s VERY
effective. Imagine being able to direct ad to EXACT target market you want.
It does not get any better than this. Check it out at:
http://www.facebook.com/
Do a Sales Blitz!
What’s a sales blitz? It’s a one or two day ‘blitz’ of your immediate market
area where your staff goes out to local businesses and hands out a flyer,
business card, Free Appetizer card or whatever to secretaries, clerks or
anyone else they can talk to. Pick a slow day, like Monday or Tuesday, pay
your staff to come in, have them wear uniforms, pair up in teams and tell
them to go out into the community. Pay your staff a decent wage, buy them
lunch, give them money for mileage, ask them to make note about their best
sales calls and offer prizes for the ‘best lead’ of the day, ‘best potential
future booking’ for a party etc. You’ll be amazed at the success of this
and the new business it will generate.
Mobilize Street Teams
Recruit customers for a “Street Team.” This is a great low cost way to promote
your restaurant. Customers can be recruited to blog, write reviews, sidewalk
chalk the local college campus etc. and can be used effectively to get the
word out on the street. Thank them with free stuff, drinks, appetizers etc.
Make Some NEWS!
Make News! Then send out a creative press release talking about it. A release
can accomplish a lot of things. It can be used to announce information to
the public, your investors, the media, your customers and even your competitors
about you and your activities. Send a release to: 1) Announce a new service.
2) Announce a new product. 3) Tie in with a national holiday, a birthday
or anniversary. 4) Celebrity sighting at your place. 5) Charitable donation
by your establishment. I once got NBC and ABC TV affiliates to cover a story
where we introduced a new type of beer! Want more reasons to send out a
release? Here’s 55 Reasons.
Email customers a birthday card!
Remember your customer’s birthdays and send them a “free appetizer” or other
freebie to get them into your business. Birthdays are the top reason customers
to go out for the night. Plus, birthdays usually mean several people are
celebrating the event. Don’t have their email addresses? Then use old school
snail mail postcards or mailers. The bottom line: Start collecting information
about your customers today, especially their email address and begin that
online relationship.
|
These are just a few ideas to generate new business. There are hundreds
of market segments you can attack to promote your restaurant and bar. The most important
thing to do is to start NOW.
About Scott Lorenz
Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a
public relations and marketing firm that
has a special knack for working with doctors, lawyers, inventors and authors. His
clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC Nightly
News, The New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, USA
Today, Washington Post, Family Circle, Woman's World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
To discuss how Westwind Communications helps its clients get all the publicity they
deserve and more, call 734-667-2090 or email:
scottlorenz@westwindcos.com . Visit:
http://www.westwindcos.com
|
