8 Effective Digital Strategies for the Restaurant Sector

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They say that the restaurant business is one of the most difficult sectors to break into, and even more difficult to thrive in. Entrepreneurs who decide to open a restaurant already face an uphill battle, as almost 50 percent of them fail within the first five years of their existence. If this sector already presents difficulties at the beginning, how can you push the odds in your favor? The answer is: thanks to the digital transformation of your business, implementing digital marketing strategies that help you increase your customers and consequently your sales.

The key to any successful business is knowing how to market to your audience. You need to answer important questions like “How will my community know I exist?” and “How can I attract people to my restaurant?”

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While there is some validity to be found in traditional means of advertising, such as leaflet distribution, direct mail services, and radio commercials, the world has largely gone digital. If you don't have an online presence, you're more likely to end up closing your business.

But don’t worry, we’re here to help. Read on to learn our top eight digital marketing strategies for restaurants.

Table of contents
Improve your website
Focus on local SEO
Get followers on your social networks
Turn to influencer marketing
Don't forget about email marketing
Take advantage of online reviews
Prioritize your online engagement
Do you need help with your restaurant's digital strategy?
1. Improve your website
First, even though you own a restaurant that is anything but digital, your restaurant is no longer the face of your business. Remember that nearly 90% of consumers go online to research products or services and judge a business’s credibility based on its website above all else. If your restaurant’s website leaves things to be desired, customers will most likely bounce off your site and leave to find a restaurant they like better.

Your website should be professional, functional, and easy to use. Potential customers need to be able to navigate your site intuitively to find things like menus, hours of operation, and your address. Also, remember that most people use their smartphone to research these types of things, so regardless of whether they're at home, in the car, at work, etc., your website should be optimized for mobile devices.

Finally, invest some time and money in professional photographs of your restaurant space (the premises), the food you offer, and the staff that works there. The food will look more appetizing and your staff will appear more professional. All of this gives potential customers a sense of intimacy with your restaurant, even before they visit.

2. Focus on local SEO
One of the most important steps in restaurant digital marketing is perfecting search engine optimization. SEO is everything in terms of driving organic traffic to your website and ultimately customers to your tables and chairs. When someone types in “Greek restaurants (for example) near me,” your SEO score will determine how quickly they find you.

Whether you are a local or a traveler, you need to make sure your website SEO makes you a local hotspot. You can boost your SEO by doing the following:

Create a blog on your website filled with engaging and relevant content that your customers and potential customers will see as valuable.
Make sure that every page on your website contains local keywords and other forms of SEO coding (metadata embedded in images, videos, titles, etc.)
Use internal links (to other pages on your site) and external links (to affiliate websites, data sources, etc.)
Create a Google My Business account
Make sure your contact information and address appear multiple times and are easy to find.
As you can see, if you are new to SEO , it can be quite a steep learning curve. Our blog has plenty of content so feel free to find out more about SEO or ask us about our professional services.

3. Get followers on your social networks
Having an SEO-oriented website is great (and necessary). However, there are also some more proactive ways to drive traffic to your website. Did you know that 79% of Spanish people between 16 and 64 years old who use the internet have a Facebook account? That means that 79% of your potential customers can be found in one place.

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Applying digital marketing to restaurants without a social media strategy is folly. Not only can you amass followers who are drawn to your restaurant and are likely to be repeat customers, but social media also provides effective networking opportunities. The best part is that you have plenty of options for both free and paid advertising campaigns.

For example, you can market for free on social media by running contests that offer free meals, gift cards, or even cash prizes to the winners. The key is to use competition to expand your reach by encouraging users to like, comment, and share your posts. In turn, your followers will see your activity, be exposed to the competition, and will likely start following your profile to compete for prizes as well.

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Alternatively, you can invest in paid social media advertising that allows you to choose how much you spend per day on your campaign, as well as your target audience (based on age, gender, location, and many more filters). This also comes with the advantage of analytics data that analyzes the success and performance of your ads. You'll be able to see how each ad is performing in terms of engagement (link clicks, likes, follows, shares, comments, etc.) to help you optimize your ads.

4. Go to influencer marketing
If you haven't yet amassed a large following or are looking for a broader target audience, consider influencer marketing. Social media influencers are those who have established credibility within certain industries or demographics, and as a result, often have thousands, if not millions of followers.

If there are food-specific influencers in your location (relatively close), it buy cell phone number list might not be a bad idea to invite them to eat at your restaurant for free. If they like your food, you can create an influencer marketing contract. In exchange for them creating a post about your restaurant, you can pay them a fee or give them a certain number of free meals.

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5. Don't forget about email marketing
Another effective digital marketing strategy for restaurants is email marketing. First, you need to build an email list of recipients who have subscribed to your email. You can gain subscribers by offering users discounts if they subscribe, through social media, your website, affiliate websites, and landing page ads for example.

Once a user subscribes, you should have a series of automated emails that go out once or twice a week. These emails should be friendly and express gratitude to your subscribers while subtly nudging them to come back to your restaurant. However, you should also create valuable content such as discounts, promotions, etc. or people will stop opening them.

Email marketing has proven to be a very effective action because you are marketing to people who have already shown interest in your restaurant or have already eaten there.

6. Take advantage of online reviews
Next, remember that most people need a little peace of mind when it comes to investing in products or services, including dining experiences. When people search for restaurants online, one of the things they look for is what other customers have to say. You should take advantage of online reviews and the level of credibility that consumers give them.

Start by encouraging all of your customers to post a review on Google, your website, or your social media profiles when they make a purchase. Most people need incentive, so offer a respectable discount on their next meal once they've completed the review. While offering the chance to win "x" amounts of euros can be helpful, most people won't take the time to review your restaurant for a mere chance to win something. Don't take a chance, give them something definitive, something they'll actually like.

7. Partner with other local businesses
Another highly effective digital marketing strategy for restaurants is to partner with other small business owners in your area. Start building affiliate relationships with complementary businesses (but not other restaurants). You can work together by guest posting on each other's blogs, recommending each other's services, and more.

For example, contact a local hotel and ask if they would recommend your restaurant to tourists and other guests. They can do this in person at the hotel itself and also through their website. In turn, offer discounts to customers who approach your business through the hotel.

Alternatively, you can partner with other small businesses and offer discounts on business-related meals, such as sales meetings with current or potential clients, team lunches, after-work parties, etc. The key is to offer value to other businesses so that they choose to do business with you. In return, you will gain more customers and greater influence within your community.

8. Prioritize your online engagement
Finally, it’s important to understand that consistency is everything in digital marketing (not just for restaurants). If you want your community to remember your name when it’s time to eat, you need to make an effort to do so. Running an advertising campaign once a year isn’t enough.

However, this doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money to keep customers coming back to your restaurant again and again. It's the little things like updating your website regularly, posting new content several times a week on social media, and announcing new dishes on your menu. But remember, you need to keep the community engaged by promoting new online specials, running contests, and giving back.

Do you need help with your restaurant's digital strategy?
Owning a successful restaurant isn’t what it used to be. At one time, as long as your food and service were good, you could set up shop on the street corner and do business for years. Now, however, it takes a little more intention in how you market and interact with the community.

The learning curve for digital marketing for restaurants is steep, but we can help. If you have any questions or need help with your restaurant's digital strategy, don't hesitate to contact us .