- You are here:
- Home »
- Restaurant marketing ideas
Tag Archives for " Restaurant marketing ideas "
Restaurant Website Checklist:
The Ultimate Guide to Converting Website Visitors Into Long-Term Customers.
Marketing Ideas Calendar for April, 2019
April 2019 Holidays
Use your imagination to put together fun and interesting marketing messages for your Social Media Posts, Emails, and In-Store Promotions
To receive an email every month with a Marketing Ideas Calendar like this one, SUBSCRIBE.
Monthly Holidays
English Language Month
National Month of Hope
National Canine Fitness Month
National Internship Awareness Month
Distracted Driving Awareness Month
National Child Abuse Awareness Month
National Donate Life Awareness Month
National Cannabis Awareness Month
Month of the Military Child
International Guitar Month
Keep America Beautiful Month
Lawn and Garden Month
National Autism Awareness Month
National Couple Appreciation Month
National Decorating Month
National Fresh Celery Month
National Garden Month
National Humor Month
National Jazz Appreciation Month
National Soft Pretzel Month
National Soy Foods Month
National Straw Hat Month
National Parkinson’s Awareness Month
National Poetry Month
National Pecan Month
National Volunteer Month
National Welding Month
Occupational Therapy Month
Records and Information Management Month
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Stress Awareness Month
National Safe Digging Month
To receive an email every month with a Marketing Ideas Calendar like this one, SUBSCRIBE.
Who’s Birthday is in April
4/3 Cat Cora, Iron Chef
4/19 Bryan Voltaggio, Chef and Competitor on Top Chef
4/28 Bobby Deen, Chef
Weekly Holidays
April 1 -7
National Window Safety Week
Paws International Pooper Scooper Week
April 7-13
National Library Week
National Student Employment Week
National Volunteers Week
April 14 – 20
Boys and Girls Club Week
Coin Week
April 21 – 28
Administrative Professionals Week
National Princess Week
Every Kid Healthy Week
To receive an email every month with a Marketing Ideas Calendar like this one, SUBSCRIBE.
April Daily Holidays
4/1/2019 National One Cent Day / April Fools Day
4/2/2019 National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
4/3/2019 National Chocolate Mousse Day / National Walking Day
4/4/2019 National School Librarian Day / National Burrito Day
4/5/2019 National Deep Dish Pizza / National Caramel Day
4/6/2019 National Caramel Popcorn Day
4/7/2019 National Beer Day / National Coffee Cake Day
4/8/2019 National Empanada Day / National Zoo Lovers Day
4/9/2019 National Name Yourself Day
4/10/2019 National Siblings Day / National Cinnamon Crescent Day
4/11/2019 National Cheese Fondue Day
4/12/2019 National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day / National Day of Silence
4/13/2019 National Make Lunch Count Day / National Scrabble Day
4/14/2019 National Pecan Day / National Dolphin Day
4/15/2019 National Tax Day
4/16/2019 National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day / National Eggs Benedict Day
4/17/2019 National Ellis Island Family History Day
4/18/2019 National Animal Crackers Day / Get to Know Your Customers Day
4/19/2019 National Hanging Out Day / Good Friday
4/20/2019 National Cheddar Fries Day
4/21/2019 National Kindergarten Day / Easter
4/22/2019 National Earth Day / National Jelly Bean Day
4/23/2019 National Picnic Day
4/24/2019 National Administrative Professionals Day / National Pigs in a Blanket Day
4/25/2019 National Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day
4/26/2019 National Pretzel Day
4/27/2019 National Devil Dog Day
4/28/2019 National Superhero Day / National Blueberry Pie Day
4/29/2019 National Shrimp Scampi Day
4/30/2019 National Military Brats Day / National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day / National Oatmeal Cookie Day
———–
Marketing Ideas For Restaurants!
Do you own a restaurant? We send have a Restaurant-Specific Newsletter we send every month. To subscribe email me at Andrew@smallbusinessu.org. Leave your name, restaurant name, and mailing address.
4/2/2019 National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
Create a special dessert that resembles a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
4/4/2019 National School Librarian Day / National Burrito Day
Create a special “burrito”. It does not have to be Mexican, add your own flavor profile.
4/7/2019 National Beer Day
If you have a bar, have a special price on beer. Make an event of the day, by having Beer Tastings.
4/12/2019 National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day / National Day of Silence
Add a new item to the menu. Make the grilled cheese special by adding meat or veggies.
4/15/2019 National Tax Day
Give a “tax break”!
4/24/2019 National Administrative Professionals Day
Give a discount for office party trays.
4/25/2019 National Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day
Bring your son or daughter to lunch and get a free kids meal.
4/26/2019 National Pretzel Day
Use pretzels to create a new item – Fried Chicken with Pretzel Breading
4/28/2019 National Superhero Day
Dress as your favorite superhero, get a free Dessert or App
How to Get More 5-Star Reviews
In this post, I’m going to show you a smart way to get more 5-Star Reviews. Getting more positive reviews is a critical marketing component your independently-owned restaurant (or whatever business you’re in). Want to make ALL your advertising and marketing work better and pay a bigger return on investment? Read this post. (Video Posted Below)
More Positive Reviews Helps Your Ads Draw More Customers
More positive reviews will make your ads pull in more customers. Do you advertise?
Every time you spend money on advertising, many of the people who see your ad will check out your reputation. They’ll go to sites like Yelp, Google, Trip Advisor, and Facebook to find out what people are saying about you.
The technique recommended in this article will help you get more positive reviews while also helping you build customer loyalty.
Who Are The Best Customers to Ask for a Review?
The best customers to ask for a review are the ones who join your “Specials & Coupons” email newsletter. How do you get people to sign up for your “Specials and Coupons” newsletter?
Make sure every adult patron of your restaurant receives the opportunity to fill out a form like this one. You can leave a small stack of them in a tray or a business card holder in the table, or you can have your server set some on the table with a pen toward the end of the meal. You may want to have the cashier bring up the subject if your customers pay at the cash register. Th point is:
If they fill out the card, it’s because they’ve had a satisfactory experience. If this is the case, then they’re a good candidate to leave a positive review.
You’ll need to get an assistant (you can get someone for minimum wage or less) to send out an email the same day (or the next day-sooner is better) and send something like this in an email:
Dear Mr. Smith, thank you for signing up for our “Specials & Coupons” Newsletter. There’s a coupon waiting for you at the bottom of this message! We’re looking forward to serving you again soon. Mr. Smith, as a family-owned restaurant, it’s especially important to have a good reputation on the internet.
Every 5-Star review we get on Google, Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Facebook can meaningfully help potential customers find out about our restaurant. If you would spare 5 minutes to leave us a positive review on any of these websites, it would be a huge favor to us. We’ve made it very easy.
Just click on any (or all) of the links below to leave a review. If there’s any reason you think we don’t deserve a positive review, please reply to this email and let us know so we can address the situation. -Respectfully, Joe & Josephine Owner
Get the link to your profile on each one of these popular “review” sites and link directly to them right from your email. (I also advise you to create a Review Us page on your website.)
How to Eliminate Negative Reviews
Eliminating negative reviews from the sites listed here ranges from difficult to impossible. The best remedy for bad reviews is 10 times more great reviews. More great reviews will raise your average review rating. They will also bury negative reviews.
Equally important is, lots of great reviews will generally push you up in the search results so people will find your restaurant online even if they don’t already know you exist.
Benefits of Building a List of Customers
While you’re in the process of improving and building an incredible online reputation, you’re also building a permission-based contact list. You have fans, and you have friends. These folks have freely given you their contact information in return for a promise. The promise that you will keep in touch to let them know about your specials and coupons! Imagine…a giant list of people who have raised their hand and said, “Yes. Send me your advertising!”
Email Automation for Predictable Cash Flow and Asset Creation
Keeping in touch with your customers is good business. This is especially true when they have requested it. This article will explain why building a customer contact list and keeping in touch is so important and so valuable to your business now, and in the future.
Build Your Business with Permission-Based Marketing
Permission-based marketing is when people have given you permission to send them your offers. If people have had a good experience in your restaurant, they’ll often give you permission to keep in touch, especially if you have a special offer for them. Keeping in touch is easy and cheap with email marketing automation. It’s also really valuable.
Keeping in Touch With Customers-Why it’s So Important
It’s not your customer’s job to remember you, it’s YOUR job to remind them you exist. When people give you their email contact information, they’re ASKING you to REMIND them. This is a gift.
You want to be remembered when the question arises: “Where do you want to go out to eat (or order take-out)?” Among ALL the choices there are (and new ones popping up constantly), it’s a lot easier to be remembered when YOUR restaurant shows up in their email inbox once a week.
Even when the customers on your list don’t open your email, they will usually SEE your name and subject line which reminds them of you.
Why do customer stop coming to a place? It’s SO important to keep in touch!
According to Dan Kennedy’s research (a well known marketing guru), we lose customers for the following reasons:
- 1% die
- 3% move
- 14% are influenced by a friend’s or relative’s advice and switch to their brand
- 9%leave because of a better price or product
- 14% switch due to product or service dissatisfaction
- 68% leave because they felt the sales person and company were indifferent to their needs. They feel taken for granted.
Of course, there’s nothing you can do about those who die or about those who move out of the area. But if you have permission to keep in touch with people, you can continue to keep in touch with a friendly message and an offer. Done with class, this will help you retain more customers, even win some back.
Email Marketing Automation
When someone fills out a signup form like the one pictured above, the information will need to be manually entered into an email database. This is about the only part that’s not automatic, but it’s not difficult.
A page on your website should be setup with a similar form or coupons. These can be setup to capture your customers’ contact information and automatically add them to your email database.
Then what?
Email marketing technology allows us to setup emails in advance. Your email messages can be planned ahead to be sent on a schedule of your choosing-once per week, every other week, or once each month.
“But I don’t want to burden customers with emails.”
NONSENSE! Remember, this is a permission-based list. They have given you permission-they have asked you to send them your stuff. You’re practically under obligation! Besides, everyone on your list can opt-out which automatically removes them from the list.
When someone fills out a sign-up form Like the one above) after they’ve eaten your food, they’re telling you, “Yes. I’m satisfied with your food and my experience. I’ll be back, especially if you keep in touch with your specials, coupons, and news.”
Think about the possible lifetime value of this customer. Do the math: if you can get just 50 customers (with a party of 4) to come back in just 3 more times per year by keeping in touch, how much more revenue will you generate?
Advertise to Build Your List
When you advertise with Groupon or in print (coupon mailers or local magazines), people will visit your website to take a closer look. If you have a page on your website called Specials and Coupons, people will opt-in to your contact list. Now, every time you advertise, you’ll not only get a bump in sales, you’ll also be building your list.
Building an Asset Which Makes Your Business More Valuable
When you send out emails, you’ll see a bump in revenue. You’ll be on a mission to grow your list bigger and faster. Not only will you generate more revenue, you’ll also be creating a new asset: YOUR LIST. Your huge list of customers (fans), is property-property which makes your business more valuable to you NOW and makes your business more valuable and attractive to a potential buyer.
ADVERTISING GETS PEOPLE TO MY WEBSITE > PEOPLE ON MY WEBSITE GETS PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL > PEOPLE IN MY RESTAURANT GETS PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL > SENDING EMAIL KEEPS PEOPLE COMING BACK MORE OFTEN > PEOPLE COMING BACK MORE OFTEN GENERATES MORE REVENUE AND HIGHER LIFETIME CUSTOMER VALUE > A BIG CUSTOMER CONTACT LIST INCREASES THE VALUE OF MY BUSINESS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.
Marketing Ideas Calendar for November, 2018
Keep your marketing fresh and interesting. Find topics here to perk up your website, your next outbound email or social media post.
November 2018 Marketing Ideas Calendar
Monthly Holidays
Adopt a Senior Pet Month
Aviation History Month
Banana Pudding Lovers Month
Diabetic Eye Disease Month
Epilepsy Awareness Month
Family Stories Month
Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month
Historic Bridge Awareness Month
International Drum (Percussion) Month
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Movember
Military Family Appreciation Month
National Adoption Month
National Alzheimer’s Disease Month
National COPD Month
National Diabetes Month
National Family Caregivers Month
National Fun with Fondue Month
National Georgia Pecan Month
National Gratitude Month
National Home Care and Hospice Month
National Inspirational Role Models Month
National Long-term Care Awareness Month
National Family Literacy Month
National Novel Writing Month
National Peanut Butter Lovers Month
National Pepper Month
National Pomegranate Month
National Raisin Bread Month
National Roasting Month
National Scholarship Month
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
Prematurity Awareness Month
PTA Healthy Lifestyles Month
Spinach and Squash Month
Sweet Potato Awareness Month
NoSHAVEmber (U.S. – Beard Month or Movember; Australia – Moustache Month)
Vegan Month
Worldwide Bereaved Siblings Month
Birthdays
11/6 Sally Field
11/7 Marie Curie
11/14 Prince Charles
11/20 Joe Biden
11/20 Robert F. Kennedy
11/22 Billie Jean King
11/30 Winston Churchill
11/30 Mark Twain
Weekly Holidays
Nov 4 – 10
National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week
Nov 12 – 19
World Kindness Week
Dear Santa Letter Week
International Fraud Awareness Week
National Nurse Practitioner Week
National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week
American Education Week
Nov 17-23
National Farm-City Week
Nov 20-24
Better Conversation Week
National Game and Puzzle Week
Nov 21 – 25
National Deal Week
Daily Holidays
11/1/2018 World Vegan Day / National Men Make Dinner Day (No BBQ Allowed)
11/2/2018 National Deviled Egg Day
11/3/2018 National Housewife’s Day
11/4/2018 Daylight Saving Time Ends – First Sunday in November
11/5/2018 National Love Your Red Hair Day
11/6/2018 National Nachos Day / Saxophone Day / Election Day
11/7/2018 National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
11/8/2018 National STEM/STEAM Day
11/9/2018 National Scrapple Day
11/10/2018 Marine Corps Birthday
11/11/2018 Veterans Day
11/12/2018 National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day
11/13/2018 World Kindness Day
11/14/2018 National Pickle Day / National Educational Support Professionals Day
11/15/2018 Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day / America Recycles Day / Great American Smokeout
11/16/2018 National Fast Food Day
11/17/2018 National Take a Hike Day / National Adoption Day
11/18/2018 Mickey Mouse Birthday
11/19/2018 National Play Monopoly Day
11/20/2018 Universal Children’s Day
11/21/2018 World Hello Day / National Stuffing Day / Tie One On Day
11/22/2018 Thanksgiving
11/23/2018 National Day of Listening / Black Friday / Buy Nothing Day
11/24/2018 Small Business Saturday
11/25/2018 Shopping Reminder Day
11/26/2018 Cyber Monday
11/27/2018 National Day of Giving
11/28/2018 National French Toast Day
11/29/2018 Electronic Greetings Day
11/30/2018 Stay Home Because You’re Well Day
3 Easy and Free Facebook Marketing Ideas
Having trouble making sense of Facebook to market your small business these days? Here are a few good ideas to get your business noticed on a small or $0 budget.
Facebook Marketing Strategy #1: Other People’s Audience
You’ve heard about using OPM (Other People’s Money). With Facebook, you can use OPA: Other People’s Audience. I’m specifically talking about the Facebook friends of your customers and employees.
Consider enticing your customers to do a check-in when they come to your business. With an average of over 338 Facebook friends (some have way, way more), a check-in could reach dozens of a customer’s Facebook friends. They see your customer’s name, the name of your business, and even a map showing your location.
A check-in gives your business credibility, similar to an online review. Your business is “worthy” of a check in…like a seal of approval. This kind of advertising is very valuable. It’s also free. But I strongly recommend an ethical bribe, like a discount on a product, or something free. Pile on the check-ins every day!
Bonus Tip: Make it a Selfie! Encourage your customer/guest to post a photo of him or herself included with the check-in. This gives the post more visibility.
Get notified about more Small Business Marketing Ideas. Subscribe! CLICK HERE.
Facebook Marketing Strategy #2: Demonstrate Your Stuff
Scrolling through the Facebook feed, you’ll notice almost every post you see either has an image (photo) or a video. Facebook knows people pay more attention to posts with this type of content. I recommend posting photos and videos of your product, your services, or your food. Explain the photo or video in words in the post. These posts will usually get pretty strong visibility, PLUS, the words you use in your post becomes searchable content. Yes, Facebook is a search engine in its own right. Facebook users search for content in the search bar at the top of the Facebook page.
Bonus Tip: Get your customers to be a part of the demonstration. Tag them in the post and/or encourage them to use the photo with their own check-in.
Facebook Marketing Strategy #3: Drive Them Back to Your Website
Most, if not ALL your Facebook posts should have readable content and a link back to your main website. The link should carry the Facebook user to a page specifically congruent with the message on the post, and an offer to select a coupon and leave their email address…and perhaps an offer to buy something right then and there.
These aren’t the only good ideas, of course. Have any good ideas of your own to share? If you do, just leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
August 2018 Marketing Idea Calendar
Ideas for August 2018 promotions, emails, and social media posts
Subscribe to get this valuable marketing resource in your email every month! CLICK HERE.
Monthly Holidays
National Crayon Collection Month
Family Fun Month
National Catfish Month
National Eye Exam Month
National Golf Month
National Peach Month
National Water Quality Month
Romance Awareness Month
National Goat Cheese Month
Happiness Happens Month
National Sandwich Month
National Panini Month
National Brownies at Brunch Month
Get ready for Kindergarten Month
Black Business Month
National Immunization Awareness Month
Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
International Peace Month
MedicAlert Awareness Month
Motorsports Awareness Month
Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
National Back to School Month
Birthdays
8/3 Martha Stewart
8/4 Barack Obama
8/13 Sarah Huckabee Sanders
8/17 Robert DeNiro
8/19 Bill Clinton
8/23 Kobe Bryant
8/26 Mother Theresa
8/29 John McCain
Weekly Holidays
August 1 -7
International Clown Week
National Cleanse Your Skin Week
Simplify Your Life Week
August 6-12
National Bargain Hunting Week
International Assistance Dog Week
Exercise with Your Child Week
August 7-13
National Fraud Awareness Week
National Farmers Market Week
National Stop on Red Week
National Hobo Week
August 13-19
National Health Center Week
Elvis Week
National Aviation Week
National Resurrect Romance Week
August 25-31
Be Kind to Humankind Week
Daily Holidays
8/1/2018 Respect for Parents Day / National Raspberry Cream Pie Day
8/2/2018 National Coloring Book Day
8/3/2018 National Watermelon Day / National IPA Day
8/4/2018 National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day
8/5/2018 National Friendship Day / National Sisters Day
8/6/2018 National Root Beer Float Day
8/7/2018 Purple Heart Day / National Night Out Day
8/8/2018 National Dollar Day
8/9/2018 National Book Lovers Day
8/10/2018 National Lazy Day / National S’mores Day
8/11/2018 National Son’s and Daughter’s Day / National Garage Sale Day / National Presidential Jokes Day
8/12/2018 National Vinyl Record Day
8/13/2018 Left Handers Day
8/14/2018 National Creamsicle Day
8/15/2018 National Relaxation Day
8/16/2018 National Tell a Joke Day / National Roller Coaster Day
8/17/2018 National Thrift Shop Day
8/18/2018 World Honeybee Day
8/19/2018 National Soft Ice Cream Day
8/20/2018 National Radio Day
8/21/2018 National Senior Citizen Day
8/22/2018 National Tooth Fairy Day
8/23/2018 National Sponge Cake Day
8/24/2018 National Peach Pie Day
8/25/2018 National Park Service Founders Day
8/26/2018 National Women’s Equality Day / National Dog Day
8/27/2018 National Just Because Day
8/28/2018 National Bow Tie Day
8/29/2018 National Chop Suey Day
8/30/2018 National Grief Awareness Day / National Toasted Marshmallow Day
8/31/2018 National Matchmaker Day / National Trail Mix Day