INTRODUCTION
According to Monetate, more than 1 billion restaurant visits by consumers are influenced by online marketing. While many busy restaurateurs find it difficult to set aside time for marketing, today’s marketing automation tools make it much easier.
Considering more than 90 percent of U.S. adults use email and close to 80 percent have at least one social media account, it makes sense to focus on these avenues first.
Following are some tips on how restaurants can get started with automated email and social media marketing.
EMBRACE AUTOMATED EMAIL MARKETING
Restaurants should use email marketing as a customer retention tool. Software platforms like MailChimp, Fishbowl and ActiveCampaign allow you to create targeted emails that automatically send when triggered by a specific date, event or contact’s activity.
For instance, you could use automated emails to send customers a coupon valid for a complimentary dessert or beverage every year on their birthday. Similarly, you could establish a loyalty deal that is triggered by the customer’s opt-in anniversary.
You also can create a series of automated emails designed to reach customers over a period of time. For example, the chain could start with a welcome email triggered by a sign-up. If they continue to opt in, a “did you know” or “about us” message could follow a week later, followed by a coupon or special deal and then information about your customer loyalty program, etc.
You should set up different lists and email chains for different objectives. Automated emails sent to someone who signs up (like the example above) will require a different messaging strategy than someone who simply visited your website.
If your restaurant sells gift cards or merchandise online, you could use tailored transactional messages to help drive conversions. For example, MailChimp and ActiveCampaign can send an abandoned cart email automation or a series of automated email alerts until they either opt-out or purchase the item. You will need to connect your online store to the platform to use this feature.
USE SOCIAL MEDIA AUTOMATION TOOLS
Facebook allows you to schedule posts up to 6 months advance. The platform also allows you to create automated messages for Messenger so you don’t have to worry about responding right away–like in the middle of your dinner rush.
Tweetdeck for Twitter is another tool that can make your life easier. Here, you can schedule Tweets ahead of time and easily monitor mentions of your restaurant, notifications and trending hashtags. Simply log in with your restaurant’s Twitter account to get started.
Unfortunately, Instagram does not offer an autopublish feature at this time. You can create drafts ahead of time, but it is up to you to remember to publish them. As an alternative, you could link your restaurant’s Instagram account to a platform like Later, which does allow you to schedule posts and stories.