- Restaurants can and should be using a variety of online restaurant tools for online marketing.
- Some of the top online marketing tools for restaurants are Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Yelp.
- The digital age has brought us more digital marketing options than ever before.
There are more resources than ever before for marketing your restaurant online. Here's a list of the top 11 sources of online restaurant marketing available right now, including popular social media and review platforms.
1. Facebook
Facebook is the most popular social media platform. Most of your customers and plenty of potential customers are already using this site. To use Facebook to market your restaurant, create a business page with your restaurant's address, menu and a link to its website. You can even connect your Facebook page to services like OpenTable, which lets customers make restaurant reservations through Facebook.
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2. Twitter
Using this platform is a great way to spread the news about deals and upcoming events. Since you are limited to 140 characters, it is a good idea to include images and shortened links to your website or menu. Make sure to use appropriate hashtags with your tweets and to time your tweets well. For example, around 10:30 a.m. is the perfect time to send a tweet about a lunch special to your followers.
3. Yelp
Yelp is a popular third-party review platform. Users on the site can post independent reviews about restaurants they have visited. Yelp reviews can have a huge impact on who visits your establishment. When you claim or create your Yelp page, make sure to add your company's vital information such as your hours of operation, contact information and an updated picture of your menu.
Make sure to monitor customers' reviews of your restaurant. Thank users who post positive reviews and address the concerns of users who post negative reviews.
4. Instagram
Hashtags and crystal-clear pictures are what is going to get your business noticed on Instagram. When you create your posts on Instagram, make sure that your photo is intriguing and relevant; a picture of your daily special is a good place to start. Other areas of interest to include are your employees and your location.
Once you have the perfect picture, you need to select the correct hashtags. Use a mix of trending hashtags (which will change on a daily basis) and niche hashtags, like #foodlovers, that are constantly in use on the social media platform.
5. Groupon
This platform's broad reach helps new customers find your restaurant and purchase coupons. There are pros and cons to using this platform. One pro is that it brings in new customers to your restaurant. A con, however, is that you will be lucky to break even on their first visit. Since Groupon is known for offering discounts of 50% or higher, it might actually cost your business money to promote on the platform, but if you can convert new customers to returning customers, it is well worth the investment.
6. Personal website and blog
The most important part of your online marketing strategy is your restaurant’s website and blog. Frequently update your blog to generate SEO and traffic. When you design your website, make sure that it is easy to navigate.
Visitors to your website should be able to find your restaurant’s information and even be able to create a reservation directly from your website. Make sure to link your website to your other online marketing channels so customers can visit and like your pages.
7. Google AdWords
According to Thanx, Google Ads is an invaluable resource for those who are looking for online tools for restaurant marketing. Providing pay-per-click advertisements, Google Ads is a great tool for restaurants because it allows restaurants to bid on certain keywords that are relevant to your restaurant and the type of food you sell/the crowd you wish to attract. By using these keywords, restaurants can create content that drives traffic and new customers.
8. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is also a great marketing tool for restaurants. This is because Google Analytics gives companies a full picture of how users are interacting with their brand. These insights and metrics allow brands to make more informed decisions to better cater to their demographics moving forward.
9. Sumo
Another option for online marketing tools for restaurants is Sumo. Sumo is a great marketing tool for restaurants because it provides restaurants with a suite of tools that make it possible for them to upgrade their websites in an array of ways. Some of the benefits of these upgrades are more website traffic and higher email signups.
10. Mailchimp
If you are interested in email marketing, Mailchimp is an excellent option. In fact, restaurants should be strongly considering using Mailchimp regularly as email marketing offers an impressive ROI of $38 for every $1. Either way, Mailchimp is the world’s largest email marketing automation platform. It is highly revered because it integrates high-performing customer engagement platforms as a means of boosting engagement with their customers.
11. Tint
Tint is a unique and great option for digital marketing because it uses consumer-generated content to allow restaurants to use content that has been created and posted by their consumers. Therefore, restaurants are able to repost heartfelt and sincere content that was created by those who frequent the restaurant.