When it comes to marketing a local restaurant, it can be difficult to know where to start. Digital marketing is a great way to get the word out about your restaurant and attract new customers, but it has many pitfalls.
With so many different digital marketing tactics available, it can be hard to decide which ones to use. Here are some best practices for digital marketing of a local restaurant that will help you get the most out of your digital marketing efforts.
Local SEO for Local Restaurants
1. Optimize for Local SEO – Local SEO is a great way to make sure your restaurant is visible to potential customers searching online for restaurants in your area. Make sure to optimize your website and online presence for local searches by including local keywords, links to local directories, and reviews from local customers.
Engage Your Community: Local Social Media
2. Take Advantage of Social Media – Social media is a great way to reach potential customers and create a community around your restaurant. Utilize social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to post updates about your restaurant, share pictures, and engage with customers. Joyous takes the pain out of Social Media posting by automating this essential function.
Paid Ads for Local Restaurants
3. Use Paid Ads – Paid advertising on platforms such as Google Adwords and Facebook Ads can be an effective way to reach potential customers, but this is also a very tricky area and can cost you a lot of money. Make sure to create targeted campaigns that focus on local keywords and phrases to ensure your ads are seen by the right people. Make sure you’re using your spend wisely and that your ads are targeted to the right people in a small radius of your restaurant.
Email is Still Essential
4. Create an Email list – An email list is a great way to stay connected with current customers and reach new ones. Send out emails with updates about new menu items, special offers, and events to keep customers engaged and coming back. A routine cadence of sending is imperative: once a week is best, but once a month will work, too. Joyous engages with our customer base every week through this essential tool, promoting our platform restaurants and engaging our customers with weekly giveaways and discounts.
Google My Business: Key for Local Restaurant Marketing Success
5. Optimize your Google My Business page – Make sure to fill everything out and make sure that everything is correct. Google My Business is an essential tool for every local restaurant. Joyous optimizes the Google My Business page of every restaurant we manage to ensure it’s the perfect landing spot.
Reviews Are Imperative for Local Restaurants
6. Get Reviews – Unlike the big chains, where customers pretty much know what to expect, local restaurants live or die with the verified reviews they receive. The more reviews you have the more trust you’ll inspire from potential customers who search for you. It’s important to manage your reviews on EVERY platform: Google, Facebook, Yelp, TripAdvisor. The best way to do this is to ASK EVERY DINER for a review. Joyous also automates the process of getting reviews from your verified happy customers.
SEO Optimize Your Website
7. SEO Optimize Your Website – Having a pretty website is great, but not if nobody sees it. In order to master your digital marketing you must perform the correct technical SEO and on-page SEO for your restaurant’s website. Are you sure people living near you will find your restaurant when they search for “cuisine near me”? You’d better be, because this essential web tool will be useless otherwise. Joyous provides a SEO-optimized website to all its platform restaurants, sure to rank high for searches of your restaurant, yes, but also for “near me” searches on Google and Bing.
By following these best practices for digital marketing of a local restaurant, you can reach new customers and increase your revenue. With the right strategy, digital marketing can be a great way to get the word out about your restaurant and attract more customers.
For some other important tips about marketing your local restaurant, try these posts from us!