Email marketing has become a major part of the marketing strategies of many businesses across all industries, and it’s not hard to see why. Email marketing can be used in many different ways to target customers, both new and old, and help to encourage them to come back time and time again to your restaurant and leave happy reviews online. In this article, we’ll take a look at how you can use email marketing for restaurants, what you should include, and what kind of results you can expect from this form of marketing.
How To Approach Marketing Through Email
Email marketing is an excellent way to engage with customers who have opted-in to receive your updates. Follow these tips to make the most of this valuable marketing channel.
Know Your Consumer – Before you start creating content, spend some time understanding:
- Who are your consumers?
- How old are they?
- What do they want?
- What do they eat the most?
- What’s their favorite dish on the menu?
- What interests them in food or restaurants?
Only compose Emails When You Have Something To Say – Spamming your subscribers won’t do any good. They will unsubscribe from future emails and it can affect your reputation. Don’t create emails when you don’t have anything meaningful to say!
Pay Attention To Landing Pages – Be sure that when someone opts in, there’s a landing page available that addresses their needs and interests.
Rules for Writing Restaurant Emails
- If you’re emailing a customer to promote your restaurant’s specials, limit the number of times you contact them.
- Promoting social media engagement is great, but also make sure that your emails include more meat than just links to your restaurant’s Facebook page. Include an appetizing description of dishes, anything from food features to the flavor profile or chef’s story. It’ll help customers better visualize what they might order if they come in later.
- Be personable! Share stories about your staff members and the restaurant as a whole to create a personal connection with customers who may not have yet made it out to visit in person.
- Be concise! Every word has a value, so carefully choose which ones to include in your emails. It may sound obvious, but a “less is more” approach can be extremely beneficial. The more you say, the longer it takes to read, and sometimes that can deter customers from finishing what you’ve started.
The Importance of an Autoresponder
If you’re a restaurant owner, you should be using an autoresponder. I have done multiple searches on google to try to find out if this is a necessary marketing technique, but all of the information found states that it’s imperative. For example, one site states A wise restaurateur will always establish an autoresponder. One of the most important features of an autoresponder is being able to automatically send personalized messages.
In addition to sending messages at a scheduled time, you can also set your autoresponder up to send out emails based on certain events. For example, it can be programmed to email customers who have visited your site recently, as well as customers that left without placing an order. You could even get it to email people who haven’t ordered from you in a while. This is called marketing automation and it’s how most modern marketers are using email nowadays.
How To Create an Autoresponder Sequence
An autoresponder sequence is a series of pre-written emails which are automatically sent out to your contacts when they subscribe to your list. While some business owners believe this takes away from the personal touch, it can help you create rapport with your customers and keep them updated on any new promotions or events. Autoresponders will also allow you to segment your mailing lists by different interests.
For example, if you have a restaurant that caters to both vegetarians and meat eaters, one list could be solely vegetarian while another would be entirely meat-based. You could also use an autoresponder sequence as an easy way to follow up with past clients who haven’t been in contact recently so that they don’t forget about your restaurant!
To start, I recommend writing out three emails you want to send. The first email should contain information about a promotion that’s happening soon. The second email should include a recipe for one of your signature dishes and instructions on how to make it at home. The third email should provide more general updates about what’s going on at your restaurant – upcoming specials, recent celebrity visits, etc. Remember to stay consistent with your tone and voice throughout each message.
The Importance of Growing Your Email List
Email marketing is vital to the success of any small business. One way that restaurants can use email marketing to increase traffic is by giving away an incentive when you sign up for their list, like a coupon code or a free appetizer. Giving incentives helps customers feel welcomed into your restaurant’s community, which will hopefully lead them back in the future.
Another important thing that restaurants should be doing with email marketing is having an easy unsubscribe button. It may seem obvious, but there are so many businesses out there that make it hard to unsubscribe from their emails. And no one wants that! If a customer has had enough of receiving emails from your restaurant, they want to know how they can quickly stop getting emails from you. They shouldn’t have to go through hoops just to get off your mailing list!
Send Responsive Emails
Responsive email templates are critical for any business. If you have a mobile-friendly website, then you should be using responsive design to optimize your messaging. Instead of having different versions of your newsletter or promotions look similar, it’s much easier to manage one template across all email platforms.
The goal is to make it as easy as possible for customers to open the messages on their smartphones – something they’re doing more often than ever before. With that in mind, here are some tips for creating engaging emails that will help build your customer base and increase sales.
- Keep paragraphs short and concise so that reading them isn’t too tedious.
- Include images throughout the email so readers can see what you offer in detail.
- Add links to helpful content like blog posts, photos, social media accounts, etc., which will keep readers engaged with your brand while they browse through your marketing messages.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to start email marketing for restaurants, there are three things that you need to remember. First, be clear about the goals of your campaign. Second, design a great subject line that resonates with your customers. Third, provide relevant content that they will want to read every time.
A few tools you can use include AWeber, Constant Contact, MailChimp, Campaign Monitor, and SparkPost. By following these tips and tricks to create an effective email marketing campaign for your restaurant business, you’ll see more ROI from your marketing efforts than ever before!
