Digital marketing for restaurants is one of the techniques in the world of marketing focused on promoting products or services related to the world of marketing.

Its main objectives can be classified as follows:

1. Increase the online visibility of the business.
2. Attract new customers who want to live the experience.
3. Loyalty to current customers.
4. Improve the digital presence of the brand.
5. Create a link with the user.
6. Awaken all the senses.

6 strategies to develop a Digital Marketing Plan for Restaurants

How to do marketing for a restaurant without having knowledge about the sector?

The starting point is clear, having the goals to be achieved well classified and having the brand image that is to be conveyed perfectly defined.

In the event that you want to carry out a rebranding, you will work from a series of novel concepts.

Once we have these two key points, we must begin to develop the strategy and action plan, so it is recommended to go to a digital marketing consultant who can guide you and guide you in the following steps.

But, while you are thinking about all these previous steps, we bring you the six best strategies so that you can start working on your digital marketing plan for restaurants and boost visits to your premises.

1. Design an engaging website.

If you go to a restaurant, the first thing that enters your eyes is the dishes, the aromas, or the decoration of the place.

When you enter the site of the same place, it has to cause the same sensations as if you were there in situ (except for the aromas… because we already know that ” Olorvisión” has not reached the Internet yet).

Within the digital marketing strategies for restaurants, the design of the different web pages is ESSENTIAL.

What does it have to have visually?

• All the information that will facilitate access to the place for the client: location, hours, accessibility, telephone, direct reservation system, order for takeway/delivery, social networks…
• Transmission of your values: R&R, chill, closeness, tradition, nature, hooliganism, madness…
• Let them know who is behind the project and the stoves.
• Newsletter subscription form + CTA with a promotional hook.
• Digital chart, allergen chart.
• Images of the products.
• Reviews.

And on a technical level?

• Very well-treated high-resolution images or videos.
• Less is more; there is no reason to overload the design.
• Adaptability for devices (responsive).
• Selection of several languages.
• Work on SEO positioning (which we will talk about later).
• Optimized loading speed.
• Copywriting for all content.
• Work the newsletter with remarketing strategies or loyalty programs.

And, above all, do not reply to the competition; each restaurant has its own nuances and personality.

If you don’t stop thinking about it, and you want to change your website because you think it doesn’t convey your business philosophy at all and new clients are not coming to you, consult our web design service, and we’ll get down to the stove!

2. Position yourself locally (local SEO)

Imagine that you arrive in a new city and want to go out for dinner, but you don’t have any reference to restaurants in the area.

What is the first thing you do?

Enter Google and search for “best restaurants in Jaén” or “Mexican restaurants in Gandía”.

And by magic, SEO does its job and shows you the best positioned places for the required areas.

Now all that remains is to see the different options that they show us, whether they are restaurants positioned by geolocation, web articles, directories with listings, etc.

What would you like your business to appear on the first page of Google?

Well, for this, in addition to SEO On the page, you have to work on local positioning.

We leave you with a series of tips that should not be missing in your digital marketing strategy for restaurants:

But, before moving on to the next point, I did not want to leave without leaving you some more information about Google My Business , the free tool that you cannot miss:

• Location by Google Maps.
• Opening and closing hours.
• Website, contact and RRSS.
• Direct private messages.
• User reviews and photos.
• Reservation system.
• Product catalog.
• Outstanding news.
• Insights to outstanding customers.
• Type of services or products.

3. Use a reservation and order management system

The era of paper and pen to write down reservations is over!

The more digitized the entire business system is, the fewer errors will be made during the process, a better quality of service will be offered to the customer and both time and money will be saved.

4. Work on your QR menus and digital letter

What do you need to create designs that match your brand?

Here you will find two options and you will have to select which one you prefer:

Having a Branding agency that designs from the beginning following your brand image line, ensuring that when the customer opens the menu, they are not anywhere, but in YOUR restaurant.

In addition, you link the QR code of the letter to your website, which will result in more traffic to the site indirectly and to the client.

Do it on your own with free applications. The negative point of this option is that most are not as customizable, so you will surely see your menu replicated in hundreds of stores. And there, the magic is lost.

And, unlike the previous option, it will not direct you to your website, but only to the letter, so the client will not be able to snoop around and learn more about your business.

 5. Get Influencers onboard

It is about using the image of content creators , who have worked for a while to get a loyal audience, to convey the message of the business .

Although it is true that with the passage of time, the public has lost the ” wow ” effect that these campaigns caused at the beginning of their appearance .

The final objective is to find a hook with which to capture the user in a second that encourages the public to visit the premises.

Therefore, if you want to work with influencers who move in the world of gastronomic digital marketing, you have to take several starting points as a reference :

1. The more budget that is available, the higher the economic amount, the greater the accessibility to accounts with a number of followers and a higher reach. Here it is important to emphasize that it is not necessary to collaborate with influencers of more than 500K, since it has been shown that they also work very well with micro-influencers with a very well-worked network.
2. The type of influencer and the target to which they usually go, that is relevant to the community, a reference to follow in their recommendations.
3. That the content generated is original and aligned with our company philosophy.
4. Select the platform where your user navigates, although this aspect varies over time. Of course, it is the example of TikTok, a social network used in its beginnings by a younger profile but which has currently increased its age range.
5. The objective that you have as a business. Since it is not the same, as getting to improve the brand image of a health company, then getting leads for an industrial services business, and than increasing the customer base for a trendy cocktail bar.
6. Detail the strategy to follow.

Some of the most common actions are:

• Upload x stories showing the dishes they are going to taste.
• Show the table service, the location, and the decoration of the premises.
• Post your experience at the restaurant with a specific hashtag.
• Share a specific giveaway.
• Design custom products for them.

And once the campaign is over, it is vital to measure the Return on Investment (ROI) .

Through metrics and ratios, it will be possible to analyze whether or not the campaign has worked correctly with that person in the future.

6.Create a community on Social Networks.

We have already talked about the importance of influencer marketing, but let’s not neglect our direct audience and where it is located.

And, yes, that’s on social media.

WHAT OBJECTIVES SHOULD WE HAVE WITH OUR FOLLOWERS?

• Visit us and leave your reviews.
• They feel like they are part of a community. The feeling of belonging is fundamental.
• Get them to share our content or our products and services in order to create a free dissemination network.

And with this, they will help, without realizing it, to enhance the visibility and reach of the brand, and basic objectives of digital marketing for restaurants, without having to carry out massive recruitment campaigns that would be impossible to manage economically for all companies.

WHAT CONTENT CAN WE PUBLISH ON SOCIAL NETWORKS?

• Schedule updates, closures…
• Fast and effective reservation system.
• Interactive menu and menu: show what they are going to try before going to incite the senses beforehand.
• Images and videos of the dishes and diners enjoying the experience.
• “Behind the scenes”: yes, people want to see what is behind a plate. How it is cooked, the raw materials, the kitchens, the chefs.
• Images and videos of the dishes and diners enjoying the experience.
• Customer testimonials and reviews: provide trust and credibility.
• Sweepstakes, promotions or contests: reward loyalty with a hook, helping to spread the brand indirectly.
• Tips on cooking or quick video recipes.
• Interviews with chefs or staff in a creative way.
• Influencer Marketing: Reaching a Larger Audience.
• Events that are carried out with live publications.