Updated 3/15/2022: Menufy has migrated from digital marketing management to HungerRush 360 Marketing.

Updated 11/24/2021 to reflect Google My Business changing to Google Business Profile.

Attracting new patrons to your business can feel like an uphill battle. Some restaurateurs have given up promoting their business due to financial constraints or burnout. 

Whether your restaurant is new on the scene and looking to draw attention or you want to grow your existing business, there are many low-cost ways to attract more customers to your restaurant.

Menufy’s team of digital marketers recommends implementing cost-effective strategies to promote your business and increase sales.

1. EMAIL MARKETING

Email is one of the most effective marketing channels that businesses can utilize to attract customers. Regular communication with customers can attract repeat diners and increase online orders.

Sending your patrons emails, especially ones that contain incentives, is an enticing way to welcome back customers who may not have ordered from your restaurant in a while. 

Third-party email marketing services can be costly for restaurants that are already operating on small profit margins. For this reason, Menufy created a free email marketing tool to empower restaurants without adding to their financial burden.

Menufy restaurants can use their Manager account to quickly design and schedule up to two email blasts a month at no additional cost! Restaurateurs have access to an email list generated by online ordering customers who have opted in to receive emails.

Menufy’s Client Services team can also upload your own email list on your behalf, which can further your restaurant’s reach.

2. ENGAGING SOCIAL POSTS

Some restaurant operators are intimidated by having to figure out when and where to post online. But maintaining engaging social media profiles is essential when promoting your business.

When customers are curious about visiting a business, they turn to social media to research important information. Restaurant customers use social platforms to view menus, hours of operation, and current specials. 

“Show authenticity, show your real product. The doctored photos of yesterday’s marketing no longer fly with today’s customer,” explained Andy Lowder, Menufy’s business development director.

Posting quality content on social media on a regular basis is a free way to market your restaurant. 

Check out our guide on helping restaurant owners develop engaging social media content.

3. SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE ADS

“Paid ads can help reach customers that would’ve never thought to order from your restaurant,” suggested Mack Healey, a Menufy client success team member. “Think about the businesses you frequent. Sometimes you need a reminder that other options are out there. That is exactly what paid ads will do for you.”

Facebook Ads are a great way to reach both old customers and potential new ones on Facebook platforms, including Instagram. Your restaurant’s campaign can help you acquire new customers in your area and boost your brand awareness.

Google Ads is another online advertising tool that helps businesses connect with their customers. Google will show the advertisement to potential customers in your area on the search engine they trust.

“Ads allow restaurants to target specific geographies and demographics. That way, you can put your brand in front of people in your area when they search online or scroll through social media,” suggested Lowder.

“Every restaurant should use their $100 promotional credit from Google Business Profile,” advised Rylee Goodson, a Menufy client success specialist.

If your restaurant is still curious about paid ads, our seasoned marketing specialists can manage campaigns for you.

4. OFFER ONLINE ORDERING

Customers appreciate the convenience of ordering their food online. Studies have shown that people prefer to order their food online rather than call or order in person.

Furthermore, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, online meal ordering has increased by 93%, according to Forter. 

“Online ordering is one of the best tools to capture customer data. Building promotions around online ordering allows restaurants to discover who their best customers are and how best to serve them. The data and insights gained from online ordering allow you to easily track average spend, top items, and much more tied to user interaction,” explained Lowder.

Restaurants can capitalize on this growing trend by allowing diners to order meals through their website using Menufy’s integrated services. 

Some online ordering services charge restaurants upwards of 30% per order in commission fees. Menufy’s flat pricing model is an alternative to percentage-based commissions. Menufy lowers your online ordering costs, builds a custom website, and provides a better experience for your customers. 

5. GOOGLE

Google Business Profile

“It all starts on Google. That is the most important tool for customers looking for a restaurant,” explained Healy. Google Business Profile (formally known as Google My Business) is a free online tool that gives businesses the opportunity to establish and maintain their online presence across Google search and Google Maps. If you want your restaurant to succeed, you need it to show up in those searches. 

“Make sure your Google business listing is optimized so customers can find it easier,” insisted Goodson. Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile account is the single most crucial step you can take to promote your restaurant and increase online orders. 

Restaurants that claim their Google listing can adjust the business' public information, such as hours and contact numbers. Restaurateurs can also post pictures of their location and food, enticing any customers who are exploring their restaurant on Google. 

Claiming a Google Business Profile listing is part of Menufy’s free services, alongside online ordering. If your restaurant needs help managing your listing, schedule a free consultation with a Menufy marketing specialist, or contact us at performance@menufy.com.

Order with Google

With 60% of U.S. consumers ordering delivery or takeout once a week, online ordering is booming. Due to this increase in popularity, Google launched a restaurant-focused feature called Order with Google (formerly Google Food Ordering). 

Customers searching Google for a restaurant by name, type of food, or keywords like “best crab in Kansas City” can now purchase takeout or delivery directly through Order with Google. After claiming a Google business listing, restaurant operators can enable this new feature, allowing diners to discover their restaurant and place an order in just a few clicks.

6. LOYALTY PROGRAMS & PROMOTIONS

These marketing strategies are effective methods of promoting your restaurant. In fact, 8 out of 10 diners are more likely to try a new restaurant if it is offering a deal.

Menufy restaurant partners can build coupon codes for custom promotions, with the ability to designate a specific day or time range when the codes are valid. In addition to setting time-of-day requirements, managers can filter which categories and menu items the offer applies to.

Coupons or discounts motivate people to try your food, while a loyalty program rewards customers for visiting your restaurant again and again. Reach your most valuable customers with special offers, deals, or other promotional materials. 

Loyalty programs often require an email to sign up, providing a direct route for you to communicate with your customers. With Menufy, restaurant operators have free access to their list of opted-in customer contacts, which they can use to directly market promotions through Menufy’s free email marketing tool.

Menufy marketing experts suggest utilizing our free marketing tools—Coupons, Quick Deals, and the Tasty Rewards program—to increase order totals and volume.

7. CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Having reviews on a variety of platforms creates customer confidence in your restaurant and motivates new people to try your food. According to research, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020. 

One important thing restaurants can do to promote themselves is to “respond to customer reviews,” insisted Goodson. A restaurant’s collection of online reviews can have a significant impact on its bottom line, considering that only 48% of consumers polled would think about using a business with fewer than 4 stars.

Restaurateurs should make the effort to respond to all reviews, not just the negative ones. This shows patrons that you value the opinions of your customers, which will encourage others to leave their reviews as well.

If your restaurant has been on the receiving end of unsavory reviews, consider encouraging happy customers to leave reviews to balance out the bad. 

Read the Menufy blog for more ideas on how to increase online reviews.

8. WEBSITE QUALITY

As a manager or restaurant owner, you are constantly busy hiring new employees, running food, and keeping customers happy. This doesn’t leave much time for creating or maintaining your company’s website. 

However, having a quality website will help you stand out from the competition and will allow customers to find you in local searches and easily place orders online.

Restaurants with strong branding, including their website, often have strong customer loyalty. Customers who feel connected to a business are more likely to come back. Your website is the perfect platform to share your story, which will help diners relate to your restaurant.

A quality website is a key component of attracting customers, considering that over 60% of consumers prefer ordering food directly from a restaurant’s website.

When you become a Menufy restaurant partner, you immediately benefit from a custom-built free online ordering website that matches your company’s unique brand. 

FINAL COURSE

“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to promoting your brand online. It’s imperative that you set goals and build your strategy in a way that allows you to learn from each promotion so you can continue to push your restaurant’s brand forward,” assured Lowder.

But by making your restaurant more visible online, you will have the best chance of being discovered by new diners. This can be done by creating a quality website, regularly posting on social media, claiming your Google listing, and responding to customer reviews.

Email marketing can be used to drive additional revenue by promoting discounts, loyalty programs, and online ordering.

Restaurant owners should also consider reaching an even larger audience with Google and Facebook Ads.

If you are interested in additional marketing, Menufy offers HungerRush 360 Marketing, a premium marketing service. A certified in-house digital marketing coach will create text and email campaigns that provide incentives that your customers can’t resist.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Dimmitt, Marketing Communications Coordinator

Melissa began her digital marketing career nearly a decade ago at a restaurant group. She worked with restaurant managers and executive chefs while coordinating seasonal menu releases, executing photoshoots, and creating fresh digital content.