Are you making the most of your marketing strategy? From social media to SMS to email, it might be time to up your marketing game. Studies show that customers prefer to hear from restaurants via email, but are you making the most of this medium to maximize loyalty and increase margins?
The offer
Since email is the preferred guest method of communication, you need a solid strategy to make contact in a way that attracts and engages your clientele. 36 per cent of people subscribe to restaurant emails for access to coupons or discounts, 23 per cent to collect rewards and free items, and five per cent to learn about new menu items and updates. Give the people what they want! These should be the focus of your email correspondence to keep guests engaged and interested in receiving your emails.
The frequency
Among guests who prefer to be contacted via email, the sweet spot is once per month. 45 per cent say that if you reach out too frequently, they will unsubscribe, but 24 per cent think monthly is the perfect amount. If you don’t contact them enough, you won’t keep them engaged and the value of the communication will be lost. Irrelevant offers, repetitive content, and poorly written and designed emails are additional reasons guests unsubscribe. Create interesting, relevant, original content with clear value to keep recipients interested, grow your lists, and keep the lines of communication open.
The approach
Personalization is important to guests, with 29 per cent preferring customized offers. While it can present a challenge for email marketing, there are ways you can adjust your strategy to customize promotions and communication. Get to know your guests through your loyalty programs, data mining, and their in-person visits, to know when to sending thank yous after their visits and congratulations on milestones like birthdays or anniversaries. Using your loyalty program to access insight like the last promotion they participated in allows you to send targeted repeat promotions you already know they like. This gives guests the idea that you are taking the time to study their preferences and personalize your marketing approach.
Email marketing is an effective way to reach your guests, stay top of mind, and keep them engaged with your restaurant. Focus on relevant offers, appropriate frequency, and personalization for a solid email marketing strategy.
