Digital Transformation and Online Marketing Strategies for Restaurants

Customers have been increasingly searching for restaurants and ordering food online in recent years. It’s easy to see why – after all, what could be better than having a wonderful meal delivered to your home at the touch of a button?

Digital marketing has never been more crucial for restaurants in this setting, especially at the time of a pandemic. Customers will not only find your business online in order to come in and dine with you, but they may also find you online and place an order with you. Effective digital marketing has enormous potential for obtaining new orders and strengthening relationships with existing customers.

UTILIZING SOCIAL MEDIA

While using social media platforms and posting material to your business’s feed or page is free, many restaurateurs are now opting to pay for social media advertising. 

Due to its ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and ability to be done from a smartphone, social media advertising remains the most popular method of advertising for restaurants — 67 percent of restaurants polled do pay for advertising on social media. You can also reach out to a big number of people through social media. There are already 92.05 million social media users in the Philippines.

Customer feedback

Giving your customers an internet platform (Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, etc) to share their opinions allows you to better understand them and provide satisfactory services. By default, a satisfied customer will become a campaigner for your company.

Respond to feedback

Many companies benefit from this since reviewers are typically charmed by the thoughtfulness exhibited and are more liberal in their criticism knowing that the restaurant owner values their opinion and is trying hard to improve. Respond to positive feedback to demonstrate that you value your customers’ opinions and to encourage them to leave more. Respond to unfavorable reviews quickly, openly, respectfully, and professionally, then offer to resolve the issue privately.

Social media content

If you’ve ever visited Instagram, you’ll know that food pornography is still alive and well.

High-quality, drool-inducing photographs are arguably the finest way to market your restaurant online. Visual material is in high demand these days on the internet, and having delicious-looking photographs on your website and across multiple social media outlets is vital for attracting hungry eyes.

Branding

Show off your storefront, get up close and personal with your best meals, and use the major stage of social media to experiment with your brand identity. For example, an all-natural health food store might take photos of individuals kayaking, cooking, farming, or participating in other activities that your target audience might appreciate.

Contests

The key to a successful Facebook or Instagram giveaway is to offer a tempting reward. Instead of a generic gift card, offer something unique, such as free sides, an additional pizza, supper for two, swag, or a month of free delivery. and a lot more People can enter by posting about your business, tagging it, and/or using your hashtag on Instagram. This is a fantastic approach to growing your following and reaching out to your local audience.

Influencer Marketing

Consider influencer marketing if you don’t yet have a significant following or want to reach a wider audience. Influencers on social media are those who have built credibility in specific businesses or demographics and, as a result, have thousands, if not millions, of followers.

If there are any food-related influencers in your area, reaching out to them and inviting them to dine at your restaurant for free is a good idea. If they appreciate your meal, you might be able to work out an influencer marketing deal. You can pay them a price or give them a set number of free meals in exchange for their creating a post promoting your business.

Google My Business listing

Create a Google My Business listing for your restaurant when planning your digital marketing campaign. On mobile devices, Google offers a specific listing for eateries called ‘Local 3 Pack.’ It has numerous advantages:

Customers can reach your Restaurant directly if you give a phone number in your GMB listing.

If customers want to come to your restaurant, they can quickly find it and get driving directions.

It shows before the search results with a map, giving your establishment extra exposure.

Restaurants with a GMB listing can quickly upload their menu, which will appear In the listings.

TARGETED ADS AND CAMPAIGNS

Because restaurants are location-based businesses, it’s critical that your digital marketing strategies target not just the internet but also local markets. Locally tailored web advertising is an excellent strategy to increase your consumer base and revenues. 

You can use social media to do this: you can run advertisements on Facebook or Instagram that target users in a specified geographic area, as well as other demographics that match your consumer base. You may even schedule your adverts to display at times when your clients are planning meals, such as right before lunch or supper.

TAKE-AWAYS

It’s not as easy as it used to be to run a profitable restaurant. Once upon a time, you could set up shop on a street corner and do business for years if your food and service were good. However, the manner you market and engage with the community now requires a bit more thought. 

In a highly competitive industry like the restaurant business, digital marketing is essential to be able to build a successful business. Doing the things written in this article, and doing them well, will allow you to stand out from the crowd and help your company succeed in the long run. ROC.PH offers a variety of services in website, marketing, graphic design, and virtual assistant services that can help you with your restaurant business. Book a consultation with us. We will be more than happy to assist you here as well.