If you’re a restaurant owner, we’ve got a way for you to keep your tables full, your customers happy, and your revenue growing. So what’s on the menu today? Email marketing.
75% of consumers want to hear from their favorite restaurants and 25% will dine within a week of receiving a marketing message, according to a survey by HungerRush. Those are impressive numbers, and we’re going to teach you how to reach ‘em.
Here’s a five-step guide to getting started with email marketing, from building your list to creating email campaigns that keep your customers wanting another course.
The first step to starting email marketing is having a list of subscribers—but there are four things you need before you can build your list (don’t worry—they’re easy!):
Offer: Encourage your customers to subscribe to emails by offering an incentive for signing up, like a coupon for 10% off their next meal or a free dessert with the purchase of an entree.
Signup page: Create an online page with a simple form that asks for each customer’s name, email, and birthday (more on this later).
Welcome email: Create a welcome email that’s automatically sent to each new subscriber. The email should thank them for joining the list, promise plenty of valuable updates in the future, and include the coupon or discount code they’ll need to redeem the offer.
QR code: Use an online QR code generator to create a QR code that links to your signup page. (Pro tip: Many QR codes will expire unless you pay to keep them live, so look for a generator like Canva’s, which creates QR codes that never expire.)
When the offer, signup page, welcome email, and QR code are ready, it’s time to start building a list of hungry subscribers.
Here are a few easy ways to capture customer emails:
Place small signs featuring the QR code at dining tables or the host/hostess station so diners can subscribe to emails before or after they enjoy their meal.
Add the QR code to the bottom of receipts so diners can take the code with them and easily sign up later.
Include small printed cards inside to-go orders so takeout or delivery customers can join the list even if they don’t visit your restaurant.
Share a link to the signup page on your social media accounts so your followers can join the list. (Pro tip: sharing QR codes on social media doesn’t work since users must use their device cameras to scan QR codes.)
Encourage your staff to remind customers that signing up for emails gives them access to the offer, future promotions, or event information.
Since you’ve set up an automated welcome email, you’ll see an email going out to each customer who signs up for the list. Keep collecting emails though—the more signups you get, the more potential diners you have.
You don’t want customers to forget about you after that welcome email, so you’ve got to stay in touch regularly. Be sure to email your list at least a few times a month to stay top of mind, and aim to increase email sends to once or twice a week for optimum results.
Here are some ideas for emails you can send:
Events or classes: If you’ve got space to accommodate small groups, consider hosting some cooking classes and encouraging your email list to attend. This can be an excellent way to increase revenue during the slow season or bring in more foot traffic at a new location.
Menu spotlights: Keep customers interested by sharing new menu items or popular dishes. If you update your menu seasonally, customers will start looking forward to trying the latest dish or drink.
Promotions: A discount can prompt the occasional customer to visit more regularly. Offer holiday promotions or send out special deals for diners who visit during slower business hours.
Birthday messages: The birthday coupon is a classic marketing tactic. Share a discount code or offer to include a special dessert for diners who celebrate at your restaurant. This can be a powerful way to endear your restaurant in the minds of your customers and ensure they keep coming back—we often feel fond of places that have been part of our happiest memories.
Courtesy reminders: If you change your hours or stop serving early due to a private event, be sure to let your customers know. There’s nothing worse than anticipating a meal at your favorite restaurant only to discover it’s closed.
Feedback or review requests: Send out surveys and encourage customers to share their thoughts about the menu, service, ambiance, and more. You can then use this feedback to adjust your menu, improve the dining experience, or pinpoint training opportunities for your staff. On the same note, encourage customers to leave a review online—a glowing review on Yelp or Google can attract more business and help new customers discover your restaurant.
Newsletters: If you’re prepared to go above and beyond, start a regular newsletter. You could share the stories behind your recipes, tips for recreating popular dishes and drinks at home, or sneak peeks of what goes on behind the scenes to keep a busy restaurant running smoothly.
Email marketing works best when each email brings value and sparks action. Inboxes are full of other businesses and offers competing for your customers’ attention so you’ve got to find a way to stand out.
The first step in standing out is a killer email subject line. Avoid generic subject lines and opt for language that evokes emotion and prompts engagement. For example, replace the subject line “New Menu Items” with “Four Decadent Entrees to Keep You Warm This Winter” or “Our Sold-Out Cooking Class is Back by Popular Demand.”
Next, craft email content that caters to what your customers want to know. Discounts are always attractive but there’s plenty more you can do to draw in diners. Do your customers ask how to recreate a special sauce at home? Share a simpler version of your hit recipe. Are there unique ingredients your customers often ask about? List some tips for incorporating that ingredient into their home cooking. And so on…
And don’t overlook the power of great photography. The dining experience is all about the senses—smell, texture, flavor, and presentation. Unfortunately, we don’t yet have the technology to make emails scratch and sniff but you can still appeal to the most dominant sense: vision. Include plenty of food and drink photos that show your menu in its best light, literally.
Finally, don’t hesitate to have fun with your emails, like Olive Garden does here. A little humor or whimsy can help you increase brand affinity and get customers looking forward to your emails.
How will you know if email marketing is working? Check your metrics.
Your email marketing tool will let you view deliverability, open, clickthrough, and unsubscribe rates, but to get a complete picture of how email marketing is impacting your success, you’ll want to review these other key metrics:
Is there an increase in foot traffic or online orders after an email send?
How often are email discount codes used with orders?
Are you receiving more online reviews after asking for them?
Are more customers signing up for classes or other events?
This last step is the one that will help you keep growing your email marketing program so you can grow your restaurant right along with it. An email marketing tool is a must-have resource because it will do most of the legwork for you.
A tool like SendGrid can help you create signup pages and forms, set up email marketing lists, design professional-looking emails, and automate key parts of the program so you can focus on the many other moving parts of your restaurant business.
