One thing is certain: the F&B industry is one of the most lucrative and competitive sectors worldwide, and Australia is no exception. In 2020, Australia claimed an impressive 44,600 restaurants and cafes, proving how stiff competition is in the Aussie market. So it’s no wonder that eateries are constantly searching for effective ways to stand out from the crowd and drum up business, and increasing efforts to boost online presence is high on the list. To help your restaurant or CloudKitchens® delivery kitchen do the same, we at Chef Collective have put together this list of 10 best restaurant marketing tips to help send your profits soaring.
- Encourage Rave Reviews
- Create a Social Following
- Embrace Promotions
- Streamline Online Ordering
- Send Out Worthwhile Emails
- Offer Rewards
- Run Ads to Increase Awareness
- Publish Informative Blogs
- Be on Google
- Pair up With Influencers
#1. Encourage Rave Reviews
Before choosing a business or buying a product, 93% of customers read online reviews. The number of stars your restaurant receives from customers can either make or break your business. That’s why it’s imperative to deliver top-quality food and service with every single order so that happy customers are encouraged to leave positive reviews of their experience. This is the most tried-and-tested F&B marketing strategy that boosts sales in the best way possible.
#2. Create a Social Following
There’s no question that social media is one of the top ways to connect and build trust with customers. Foster a strong social following with your most loyal customers by being active on all of your social media platforms with regular posts that inform followers of any updates, activities, and promotions happening at your restaurant or CloudKitchens® delivery kitchen. Having regular communication with your customers in a personalised, engaging way is an excellent marketing move that will pay off for your restaurant in the long run.
#3. Embrace Promotions
The reason that promotions have been part of every restaurant’s online marketing strategy for so long is that they work. Especially when wanting to attract new customers, a well-executed promotion gets attention and encourages more people to give your food a try. The trick is to be creative in the types of promotions your offer and how you present them to the customers, as reposting the same promotions every time gets boring and won’t attract the buzz you need to enhance sales.
#4. Streamline Online Ordering
In 2020, over 5.5 million Australians used meal delivery services, up from 3.9 million in 2019. It’s expected that online food orders will only grow from here. If optimising your online menu for easy discovery and promoting your delicious dishes isn’t part of your online marketing activity, this is a tip that’s worth taking on board. There’s no time to waste in doing so!
#5. Send Out Worthwhile Emails
If your restaurant has an established customer base of loyal diners, sending out a notable newsletter to your email list is a smart tip to keep customers engaged and acts as another online marketing channel to increase sales. Along with delving deeper into your unique positioning and specials, communicating insider news—like if you contribute to a charity or cause with proceeds from your overall sales—will help you stand out from your competition.
#6. Offer Rewards
Everyone loves getting rewarded with freebies. Another good restaurant marketing tip would be to incentivise customers to follow your restaurant’s social channels or to write an online review is to offering them a free meal or digital coupon in exchange for their efforts. You’ll not only make your customers happy and increase your following, but you’ll get them back into your eatery to cash in on their reward. It’s a win-win!
#7. Run Ads to Increase Awareness
Running paid digital ads is another one of the established restaurant marketing tips that help boost your restaurant’s brand awareness and sales. By running eye-catching ads that let people know about your restaurant’s unique value proposition, you’re in a stronger position to attract a wave of new diners that want to taste your food business’ delicious offerings.
#8. Publish Informative Blogs
Blogs aren’t always the first marketing gameplan to come to mind when promoting an F&B business, but the reality is that publishing engaging blogs that are SEO optimised is an excellent way to attract online search traffic to your business’ website. Well-written blog posts let you connect with customers with a unique brand voice and create more overall traffic which translates into more customers and, therefore, more sales.
#9. Be on Google
Google is one of the most powerful marketing tools worldwide for virtually every industry and is especially true for restaurants that want to boost their online discoverability, via Google’s search engine and Maps function. If people can easily find your business and get essential information about your eatery, your menu, and what you offer, they’ll be much more likely to place an order.
#10. Pair up With Influencers
It’s no question that the rise of influencers has surged over the past few years. Aligning your F&B business with influencers, especially local Australian micro-influencers that have built a solid following in your area—whether that’s Sydney, Melbourne, or Perth—will greatly benefit your eatery and your bottom line. Getting such influencers to taste your food and post about it on their social media channels is not only an online marketing tip worth considering, but it will also catapult your restaurant’s image and popularity to new heights. Still not sure where to start? Check out the Top 10 Australian Food Bloggers & Influencers here!
Market Your Restaurant the Right Way
Now that you have your 10 online restaurant marketing tips to help your F&B business shine, it’s time to put them in place. Start putting in the work to make your online presence felt today and watch your restaurant or CloudKitchens® Delivery Kitchen reap the rewards.
Should you be interested in launching a CloudKitchens® delivery kitchen in Australia, please fill out the form below to get in contact with us!