Paid Advertising for Restaurants

Updated September 13th 2013

Paid Advertising can be beneficial to your restaurant especially if you intend to attract new business. There are numerous means of paid advertising available in the market but you have to find the most appropriate for your business.

Before investing in paid advertisement, you need to assess the requirement and expected outcome of such a venture. Remember, you cannot manage what you cannot measure! In some cases advertising may be costly and less beneficial compared to other marketing strategies. Paid advertising is suitable for large establishments rather than smaller ones considering the budget. Even though this method is very efficient in attracting new business and creating awareness, it doesn’t necessarily result in repeat business. You will have to employ other strategies like loyalty programs to encourage the customers to come back again. The quality of your services and products also play a big part in encouraging customer loyalty.

Paid advertising is important regardless of the number of years you have been operating your establishment. New restaurants need it to get their first customers while old establishments need it to attract new business. Advertising creates brand awareness in the local community and is important in attracting tourists visiting your locality.

One of the most effective paid Advertising media is the internet. The internet gives one access to customers to all over the world. There are various online tools and media that you can effectively use to advertise your restaurant.

1. Online Newspapers- the online editions of newspapers reach a wider audience compared to print papers. They are normally displayed on the newspapers website and you can always pay them to advertise your restaurant on this page.
2. Restaurant Directories- Local and national directories normally provide a list of all the restaurants in the country and their locality. However you will have to pay them if you want them to include your menu or provide a link to your restaurants website.
3. Pay per click sites- this is where you place your restaurants ads on the sponsored links section of search engines like Google and Bing. The ad provides a link to your restaurants details or website. Whenever a customer clicks on your link you are charged a certain amount by the search engine. This method is effective but very expensive in the long run.

 

Radio and Television are also very effective media of paid advertising. This method just like the internet is able to reach many people at the same time. Small establishments should contract local broadcasters rather than national broadcasters as it would be cheaper and easily reach the intended target market. Your advertisement should be placed strategically for it to have the desired impact. The best times to advertise is when most people are not busy. This can be during the lunch hour or when people are going home in the evening.

Newspapers and Magazines have also proven to be an effective media of paid advertisement especially if you are targeting tourists and older customers. Newspapers reach a national audience and as such can be used with restaurants that have more than one location. You can also choose to have repeat advertisements that focus on your locality rather than the whole country. Magazines are more effective as people tend to keep them longer than newspapers. Make sure that your ad is placed in the most popular newspapers and magazines if they are to have an impact. The only limitation of this mode of advertising is that it is costly, especially repeated ads.

Larger establishments with more than one location can also use billboards to advertise their restaurants. Such advertisements are more effective compared to those placed on newspapers as they stand out. They are clearly visible and are sure to attract tourists and any other individual travelling by car. It also places a lasting impression and influence on locals who get to see it daily. However this method is also costly and smaller establishments should not use it.

You should always invest in paid advertisements at the right season or period if you intend to benefit fully from their impact. The best times to place advertisements is during the tourist season or before special holidays and big events. If your restaurant is located in an area that is frequented by tourists during the summer season then that would be the right time to create awareness about your establishment. You can also advertise your restaurants services during the Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving holidays by offering discounts and promotions. If your town hosts a special annual festival that is sure to attract many visitors then advertise a few weeks in advance on any of the media above.

The overall budget of advertising depends on your potential customers. You should not spend a large amount of your marketing budget on paid advertising as there are other more effective marketing strategies that cost less. However, new restaurants and those that depend mainly on tourists should try to allocate over half of their budget on continuous paid advertising. Avoid spending a lot on advertising media that have less impact and are costly.

Advertising is very effective if the marketing activities are applied in the right way. However, it is always important to carry out a marketing assessment after advertising to determine how beneficial the strategy was. This will help you rectify any mistakes and also focus on the more effective modes of marketing.

Written by Daniel Grossmann