The National Retail Federation estimates that 41 per cent of consumers will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special dinner or celebration at home. Valentine’s Day is typically a busy time for restaurants, but many are now facing various challenges amid the pandemic, such as not eating indoors or limited capacity, as well as more customers choosing to take out. Whether your restaurant is welcoming guests for a romantic evening of indoor dining or creating a special takeout menu for diners to enjoy at home, have a strong digital marketing strategy that communicates all aspects of your Valentine’s Day specials help ensure that your customers stay on top of your offers and can ultimately help drive sales of Valentine’s Day dinners.
This article includes some simple digital marketing strategies that restaurants can quickly implement before the Valentine’s Day holiday.
Make your menu the main dish
Whether you’re offering a special Valentine’s prix fixe menu for two or romantic takeout options, your offerings should be easily accessible to customers looking for local dining options. With the marketing rule of 7, it takes an average of seven interactions with a brand before a purchase is made. By sharing your menu on all digital platforms, including your website, review pages and social channels, customers have ample opportunities to view it and therefore decide to make a purchase decision, whether it is by making a reservation for dining in person or ordering food at home. By creating unique and timely menus that are clearly displayed, customers searching for restaurants on Google are more likely to see your pop-up restaurant, as the website is being populated as an active one.
Give your website all the love
Restaurant websites should have a clean, tidy feel and customers should be able to easily navigate between pages. As more customers search and consult restaurant websites on their phones, the page needs to be optimized and compatible with mobile devices. This means fast and easy-to-navigate on a phone.
Especially amid the pandemic where restaurant closings, protocols and precautions are constantly changing, it is imperative to ensure that your restaurant’s COVID-19 security measures are clearly displayed. This can include mask-wearing protocols, occupancy rules, socially distancing dinners, reservation instructions for Valentine’s Day, and more. Also, customers should be able to make a reservation without problems on the website, as most restaurants require one for dine-in.
By maintaining a website that is constantly updated, Google can recognize the restaurant as a credible reference when people search online and drive more website traffic and new customers.
Take advantage of CRM tools that will make your customers swoon
A customer relationship management (CRM) system is key to helping restaurants stay connected with their customers and generate more profit for the restaurant. As a tool that collects a customer’s demographic data, email address, contact information, social media details, and more, CRM enables restaurant owners to use that data to request reviews, communicate regularly, and run promotions. via email and text messages. CRM enables restaurateurs to ensure that their business is kept in the minds of existing customers and should be an area of focus in any digital marketing plan. With popular food festivals like Valentine’s Day, CRM is the perfect way to reach repeat customers with specials, deals, and more. Sending emails or text messages directly to customers makes your restaurant a priority for customers.
Ask for customer opinions: they are like love notes for your restaurant
Customer feedback may seem like a small aspect of running a restaurant, but it can say a lot about how well a restaurant is performing in all respects. Analyzing the reviews your customers are submitting can provide a snapshot of overall customer satisfaction and the customer service your restaurant provides, especially on busy holidays like Valentine’s Day. The reviews allow other customers to get an idea of the past experiences they use to decide if they would like to try that restaurant for themselves. Restaurants that solicit and receive reviews, whether positive or negative, allow customers to feel they have a loyalty to that restaurant and a voice, which keeps them coming back.
Positive reviews also act as a mini marketing campaign for your restaurant – they do the work for you to ensure that positive experiences are shared online and with other customers. Having a visible online review welcomes other customers to leave their own reviews and comments, thus creating a cycle that continues to publicize your restaurant for free.
To win back customers and attract new customers to dine or carry out activities in the environment of the pandemic, restaurants must adopt digital marketing strategies that allow them to interact and connect with consumers. Having a strong digital marketing strategy communicating Valentine’s Day specials ensures that customers are informed about the deals, and can ultimately help drive Valentine’s Day sales, strengthen brand and reputation. of the restaurant and generate income for a much-needed boost this year.
