Affordable Restaurant Marketing Strategies

Updated September 3rd 2013

Marketing your restaurant can be costly. However there are a number of marketing strategies that are effective and inexpensive. Saving money on marketing does not simply involve cutting back on the budget, it basically involves rethinking your whole marketing strategy.

Restaurant marketing seeks to popularize your restaurant, increase the number of regulars, and improve your profits. However, you don’t have to invest in expensive strategies to achieve your marketing goals. There are a number of cheap restaurant marketing methods that are not only efficient but effective. Here are a number of low-cost marketing strategies that will work wonders and in some instances not cost you a dime.

The easiest and cheapest method of marketing your restaurant is by word-of-Mouth. Basically all your customers who were satisfied with the services and the food you offer will recommend your restaurant to friends and family. All you have to do is be consistent with the good services you offer and your clients will do the marketing for you.

Another cheap, effective but time consuming marketing strategy is Social Media Marketing. Virtually every adult who has access to the internet is registered on a social media site like Facebook or Twitter. This sites have special features that allow you to market your restaurant and attract locals. For instance you can open a Facebook page where you will keep people updated with the events, offers and day to day activities of your restaurant. You can also get feedback from your clients directly to your social media account or conduct surveys that will benefit you in the long run.

Loyalty programs have also proven to be one of the most favourite restaurant marketing strategies. They basically involve rewarding a regular customer after he/she has visited the restaurant a given number of times or after he/she has spent a given amount of money. However, you should adopt more tech savvy programs as opposed to those that inconvenience the customer. Another advantage of this strategy is that you can easily collect information about your clients which will help you determine the best marketing strategy.

You can also use Attention-grabbing signage to market your restaurant. You can place simple signs advertising the day’s special meal, new products on offer, or the cheapest meal available. This is a sure way of attracting new customers. Use today’s online statistic tools like Google Keyword Tool to find out how popular dishes are by discovering how many people are looking for information about it. In the past we produced as fast and as cheap as possible to lower the barrier to sales and offer products and services to a larger target market. But today we can find out what people are interested in without buying expensive market reports and instead understand and learn how to use available and helpful technologies that most of the time are even available at no cost.

Another cost effective marketing method is event marketing. Host events like tastings, business gatherings, all types of parties, music shows, live performances and many other interesting events. These events normally attract different types of customers and the longer the event lasts the more customers are likely to spend. This also gives regular customers a reason to continue being loyal. Always ensure that the event is well advertised on social media and (if considered useful) by posting fliers around the community.

Next we have Marketing through email and text messages. This is another effective method of reaching a wide audience. Collect your customers contact details online, and event offline so you can always send them messages during their birthdays, anniversaries and other special events. Alternatively you can use emails and text messages to inform them of the new products or offers at the restaurant. However, it is important to seek their approval before sending them any emails or text messages and also avoid sending too many messages within a short period of time.

Finally you can also market your restaurant on your website. In this day and age more and more consumers are using the internet to determine the best restaurants in their localities. If you don’t have a website you are losing out on many potential clients. Ensure that the website has all important information and is updated at least twice a week. You can also post a weekly restaurant Newsletter that will update customers on any up-coming events. The website should also allow customers to give feedback.

Make sure you take advantage of all industry related portals, social networks and other pages where people seek information, post reviews or interact with others. Listing yourself on free tools like Google Places or other search related information providers gives you the visibility that in the past you would have only received via billboards, radio or TV commercials.

All said and done, cheap marketing strategies mainly depend on the quality of product or service that is offered. Poor services and low quality food will drive away even your most loyal customers. On the other hand, a restaurant that offers excellent food and services can stop marketing after some time as customers will keep coming back.

Written by Daniel Grossmann