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Restaurant Website Checklist:

The Ultimate Guide to Converting Website Visitors Into Long-Term Customers.

 

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Marketing Ideas Calendar

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

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?

email signup form

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

sites to review restaurantssites to review restaurants

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!”

sites to review restaurants

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.

email signup form

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 for Small Businesses-Restaurants

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 DayMarketing Ideas for Small Businesses-Restaurants

Facebook marketing ideas

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. 

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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.

The One Good Idea Newsletter

Marketing ideas calendar-August 2018

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

The One Good Idea Newsletter

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

The One Good Idea Newsletter

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

The One Good Idea Newsletter