Do you have a restaurant marketing plan? Or are you just posting on social media and buying newspaper ads at random? Without a structured plan, making marketing work is going to be challenging.
A restaurant marketing plan doesn’t have to be tedious, dull, or time-consuming. However, it does need to be set in stone; otherwise, it won’t be executed effectively.
With a solid marketing plan, you can chart a course for taking your restaurant from where it is now to where you want it to be. Best of all, you’ll have a set of actionable steps to follow through on.
We know most restaurateurs don’t have time to research, draw up, and follow a marketing plan on their own. That’s why we’ve created this six-week schedule aimed at helping you cover your bases before taking your restaurant to new heights. For the purposes of this post, we’re assuming the business is starting from scratch in terms of marketing and that the owner only has a limited amount of time each week. While you could theoretically complete this plan in two weeks, it’s more realistic to spread it over six weeks for most owners.
WEEK #1: Planning and Goal Setting
The first week is going to be the hardest. It requires a lot of thinking, planning, and goal setting. While it might not be pleasant to scrutinize the state of your business or outline aims for the future, you’ll be glad you did.
Set Out Your Goals
First, evaluate the current state of your restaurant and set realistic goals for the future. Avoid abstract goals like “get more customers.” Think deeply about what you really want. Do you want to be successful enough to close for half the week? Do you want to ultimately sell the business? Once you decide where you want to go, you can work out how to get there.
Assign a Budget
Next, take a hard look at your finances and determine how much money you can allocate to this marketing plan. Your budget will depend on your goals, so it’s hard to provide an accurate general estimate. Typically, you should expect to dedicate at least $500 per month to executing your marketing plan. The loftier your goals, the more you’ll need to invest.
WEEK #2: Digital Presence Setup
Having established goals and set a budget in week one, we start taking action in week two by focusing on your digital presence.
Create a Google Profile
Sign up for Google Analytics to track website traffic and Google My Business to claim your business listing and improve local SEO. Follow our dedicated blog post for detailed steps to ensure you’re up to date with everything Google-related.
Create Social Media Profiles
Social media allows restaurants to promote themselves for free or at a low cost. Create branded accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. There are plenty of online guides, including our own guide on getting started with Facebook.
Claim Your Listings on Review Sites
Claim your listings on major review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor. This allows you to flesh out your profile with essential information and engage with reviewers. Respond to both positive and negative reviews to show that you value customer feedback.
WEEK #3: Social Media Scheduling
Week two involved a lot of administrative tasks. In week three, we’ll focus on creating a schedule to leverage the profiles you set up.
Creating a Social Schedule
Being active on social media is crucial for ongoing success. This week, dedicate time to creating a social calendar for the month ahead. Aim to post on Instagram every two days, daily on Twitter, and every three days on Facebook. Set aside an hour each week to respond to online reviews. Block this time in your diary to ensure it gets done.
WEEK #4: Email Marketing
By now, you should have a list of customer email addresses from online orders and bookings. This week, put them to use.
Take a Look at Email
Compile all customer emails into a spreadsheet. Sign up for an email marketing service like MailChimp. Create an email schedule and implement a system for collecting emails from new customers, such as feedback forms with incentives.
WEEK #5: Paid Social Advertising
With two weeks of social media content under your belt, it’s time to double down on social media.
Paying for Social Advertising
Social media ads are a cost-effective way to reach local customers. Start with Facebook and Instagram ads. You’ll need decent marketing skills or help from a marketing company to create effective ads. Begin with a modest budget, such as $20 per day, and adjust based on performance.
WEEK #6: Future Planning
In the final week, focus on maintaining your schedules and planning for the future.
Sticking to Your Schedules
Consistently follow the social and email schedules you’ve established. Regular activity is key to improving your restaurant’s profile and marketing for free.
Consider Advanced Marketing Strategies
Once you have the basics covered, look into advanced strategies like SEO and PPC marketing. These can further increase your restaurant’s reach and exposure.
Look to the Future
Creating a restaurant marketing plan doesn’t stop here. Continuously explore new marketing ideas and one-off promotions to bring more exposure and customers to your restaurant.
Let’s Build Your Restaurant Marketing Plan Together
At The Digital Restaurant, we specialize in creating in-depth, effective, and actionable restaurant marketing plans. We take the time to understand your restaurant and your current situation, working with you to develop and implement a marketing plan that helps you win and retain new customers. Together, we’ll make your restaurant a success. Get in touch today to book your free consultation.
Do you have a restaurant marketing plan? Or are you just adding social media posts and buying newspaper ads at random? If you don’t have a plan in place that you follow religiously, you’re going to have a hard time making marketing work.
A restaurant marketing plan doesn’t have to be tedious, dull or even time-consuming. But it does need to be set in stone otherwise it won’t be actioned.
With a restaurant marketing plan in place, you can map out how you will take your restaurant from where it is now to where you want it to be. Best of all, you’ll have a set of steps drawn up already to make it easy to follow through with.
We know most restaurateurs don’t have time to research, draw up and follow a marketing plan on their own. That’s why we’ve created this six-week schedule aimed at helping you cover your bases before taking your restaurant to new heights. For the purposes of this post, we’re going to assume that the business is pretty much starting from scratch when it comes to marketing and that the owner only has a set amount of time per week. In truth, you could complete this marketing plan in two weeks but that’s just not realistic for most owners.
Next Steps:
- Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our marketing experts to develop a customized marketing strategy for your restaurant.
Don’t let your competitors claim a bigger slice of the market. Take action today and watch your restaurant’s success soar!
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