If there’s one thing that people will give up last, it’s food. Even in times of poor health or financial troubles, there’s no better pick-me-up than a steaming bowl of your favorite dish. Or maybe you’re looking to celebrate a win, and again, it’s the coming together of friends and family over a meal that’s going to seal the deal.
And while it’s safe to say that food is never going out of business, there is increasing competition in the industry day by day. It’s no longer enough to have the best dishes or hire the best chefs – to really succeed and make it to the top, you’re going to have to deep-dive into marketing.
And for a restaurant, the best way to go about marketing is through menu promotion!
- Embrace the Digital with Digital Signage
A mix of Covid and rapidly developing technology has all but made the traditional hand-held paper menu redundant. From issues such as outdated menu items and prices to the overall uncleanliness associated with a menu that goes through hundreds of hands, the new trend in menus is to go digital – and to go all in!
Not only will a digital menu allow for quick and easy updates, but it’s also a great idea if you’re looking to reduce waiter burden – customers can simply browse the menu and then place an order themselves. And if you’re looking for that extra special touch, then digital menus are a sucker for videos, and we all know how hard a decadent food video sells!
Once your brand new menu is all ready, then the next course of action is to utilize it in your restaurant through digital signage displays. Not only will this help draw in customers as they can see what your restaurant has to offer, but it will also increase efficiency as customers can decide on their order until they wait for service. And if you’re worried about execution, then PosterMyWall has got you covered with its variety of digital signage content, perfect for restaurant menu design!
Once you’ve got your hands on PosterMyWall’s digital signage integration, you can easily create new signage content with its easy-to-use interface and display your menu in-store. Oh, and it’s all for free, too!
Have a QR Code!
Speaking of digital menus, a great way to increase their appeal and feasibility is by linking them with a QR code! Not only will this make your restaurant menu accessible to anyone who has the code no matter where they are, but it also serves as a great marketing tactic.
Display your QR code in-store on your tabletops, wall posters, standees, and on small cardboard placers that can be arranged on the table. And as for the outside world, your QR code can go practically anywhere – on billboards, in magazines, flyers, or other print media, on the back of delivery boxes, and on your packaging. Remember, the wider your QR code’s spread, the greater your reached target market will become, helping you increase sales and profit!
From school to the office, slideshows are great fun – and since they’re that great, why not introduce them in your restaurant? Not only can you display your delicious menu items, but you can also feature customer testimonials, get-to-know-the-staff sessions, and behind-the-scenes kitchen action – anything and everything to keep your customers entertained and intrigued.
By using the PosterMyWall custom slideshow maker you can easily create dynamic menu content – and more – without the need to hire a videographer! Since the PosterMyWall UI is incredibly easy-to-use and intuitive, you’ll be creating spectacular slideshow content all on your own in no time – giving you a double financial win!
Start an Email Campaign
There’s little else that can rival an email in the marketing world. With its massive reach, impressive ability to reel customers in, and depth of analytics, the right email campaign can take your restaurant miles ahead – which is why it’s the perfect choice on how to promote your new restaurant menu.
Choose a subject line that sticks – since that’s the first thing your recipients will see – keep the body of the email short and to the point all while being captivating – you can even choose to ditch the traditional email copy and go with a visual – and make sure to be consistent. If you’re new to the email marketing world, then using a tool will be of great help as you’ll be able to determine which content works best and create customer segments for specified email targetting.
Invite Influencers for a Tasting!
If having people copy you was a competition, then influencers would come out as the all-time champions. The residents of social media – particularly Instagram and TikTok – influencers have cultivated massive followings in today’s digital world, and inviting them to your restaurant for a menu tasting is a great idea for promotional purposes.
Do your research and select influencers that are local to your restaurant’s area so the chances of their followers converting is higher – no one’s going to drive two states over for a bowl of pasta, no matter how delicious. Once your influencers have been shortlisted, approach them with a mutually beneficial proposition – you can offer them a meal on the house in exchange for story and feed posts, a discount code for their followers, or even a permanent discount at the restaurant for the influencers themselves.
Of course, for bigger names you might have to deal with monetary compensation, but just make sure that the return is worth the investment!
So, if you’re looking to promote your new restaurant menu then these digital tips and tricks are the way to go! Just be sure to bring your own creativity and push through your restaurant’s branding and imagery in the different promotional mediums that you apply. Happy marketing!
