Does a functional restaurant mean a successful restaurant? Do you want to know the recipe for success? Read on to understand what digital marketing means for your restaurant business!
A running restaurant with sound staff and great authentic food can still be sitting not as crowded as it should be. Even if you do everything right and manage to stick to the basics, that is, offer great, delicious food and service at a reasonable price, you still cannot simply rely on word of mouth nowadays to keep the place busy. Competition has become extremely cut-throat, and you need to opt for the right kind of marketing techniques for your restaurant, be it online marketing or offline marketing. Offline marketing techniques include newspaper ads, radio mentions, hosting events, etc. Online marketing for restaurants is also knowingly called digital marketing for restaurants that includes creating a brand image first. Then, gradually build on the brand presence of the restaurant through various digital channels like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, website, and more.
In this post, let\’s discuss why digital marketing for restaurants is so crucial for YOU.
Why is digital marketing so important?
The presence of the web has changed the way the world communicates now with businesses. Almost everyone by now is either already in the online marketing wagon or getting all geared up to jump on it. If you are a decent restaurant owner and you serve mouth-watering food and do not have an online presence, do not ignore the power of the web and keep sticking to your old ways.
Without a strong web hold, you are definitely missing out on many opportunities to connect with your potential and existing customers.
Here are THREE reasons why you need to ramp up or start your online marketing journey, NOW!
1. It is INEXPENSIVE!
The traditional type of marketing is quite expensive, and just an advertisement in the newspaper can end up costing you a few thousand rupees. In contrast, digital marketing could cost you much lesser per lead than any other method, even if you opt for channels like PPC or Pay Per Click kind of advertising.
2. Customers Have Gone ONLINE!
The internet is being used by more than 3 billion people all around the world, and that alone accounts for 42 percent of the world\’s population. In 2014, netizens were making 5 billion searches a day for services and products, including restaurants.
So, if your marketing strategies do not include the internet, then you are missing out on the possibility of meeting with your thousands of customers and earning new revenue. What is worse? Well, you are also missing out on being able to build on a reputation because you cannot \”own\” the content on someone else\’s website the way you can on your own site.
2. Get ENGAGED!
The biggest difference between conventional and digital marketing is the opportunity to have conversations. The traditional route is simply one-sided, with your restaurant is sending a clear message that may never even get a response or start a conversation.
With digital marketing, customers can begin a conversation anytime, anywhere because everyone is online now. The potential, as well as the existing customers, can be talking to you or about you on social media, and it may create a buzz and make you more popular than you are.
The feedback need not always be positive, but it is always worth listening to, particularly when you want to make your business grow.
Now that you have understood why digital marketing is so important, what can you do to market your business online? Come back for more to know what you can do to give a good dose of a boost to your marketing plan here.