12 Quick Marketing Tips for Restaurants during Covid-19
1
Assure customers that you’re taking safety precautions seriously
Show and tell what you’re doing to keep diners safe in your establishment i.e. contactless payment, contactless delivery, safety procedures etc. You put in a lot of work making your restaurant safe for your customers…showcase it!
2
Make it convenient for them to see your current menu
Make sure your website and platforms are showing the most recent version of your menu.
3
Leverage the power of Instagram
There is nothing more compelling than seeing a beautiful image of food to make you hungry. Leveraging the power of good professional-quality images of your dishes is one of the simplest ways to drive up orders. This is another chance to show all the hard work you and your staff are putting in to keep everyone safe.
4
Speaking of photos, ensure you’ve got the best photos appearing on your Yelp and Google My Business profiles.
This is easy to change in the dashboard for both platforms, and can have a big impact on how your restaurant is perceived.
5
Make sure all your information is up to date on Yelp and Google My Business
Important basic information like your location, phone number, hours, and dine-in/delivery/takeout status should be current. Designate someone on the staff to be responsible for updates. If that doesn’t work, consider having a digital marketing manager.
6
Send out a email blast to your list (if you have one)
Reach out to your email list (if you’ve been building one) and let your favorite customers know about specials and new dishes you’re offering. Your customer will likely be asking about updated hours, procedures and delivery options. Keep that in mind with each email.
Now more than ever, effective and clear marketing is a must for restaurant owners. We need to be able to convey how seriously we are taking this pandemic while still being able to deliver the kind of service that our guests have become accustomed to. It’s a delicate balancing act that has become top of mind for us.
—Ed Cabiago, Owner of SOB and Zaka Bowl
7
Consider adding specials or a new dish
Anything that you can promote and give a regular customer a new reason to stop in is great.
8
Share any positive press you’ve received
If your restaurant has been featured in the Memphis Flyer, Daily Memphian, Commercial Appeal or any other publication, why not tweet, post, and ‘gram about it.
9
Repost customer images on Instagram
If your restaurant is tagged on Instagram, repost/share their image. Nothing is better than real life customers enjoying your food and restaurant.
10
While you’re at it, invite your customers to post on social media and tag your restaurant.
11
Highlight the food and the back of house by showing chefs cooking on Instagram and Facebook Live.
12
Use geo-targeted ads to attract new customers.
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