Yesterday I met a friend who owns a small restaurant. We started talking about his business and family and end up talking about restaurant marketing.
"Guess what?" He said: "These days, many for marketers trying to get their money …" He paused and took a sip of Guinness and proceeded.
"They want to do coupons, they want to invest in my website, they want to advertise in the Yellow Pages, in magazines … I am not rich, I can not afford all this! "
I looked at my friend, and I understood what he meant. Marketing professionals pitching-of course – your product as the how best to promote the business of restaurant owners are bombarded daily.
They all look good on paper, but what is right for you? How whether a marketing initiative will bring to our customers so desperately crave?
The answer is no, unless you have a marketing strategy in place.
You see, some of these initiatives could be beneficial for your business – and most will be a waste of money – but you do not know what will work unless you know what to look for.
Before you start spending money on marketing, you need a strategy, a vision in place. It is necessary to discuss your needs.
Ask yourself:
– Does your company struggle all week and seeks to attract more customers?
– Or maybe you have days Slower week you would like to fill with customers?
– Is just opened his restaurant and wants to increase awareness of its excellent food and service so that people know about your place?
– You want to market to their best customers to encourage them to become repeat customers? (This, incidentally, is the best marketing strategy that can be applied.)
– Want to promote an event? (Such as a wine dinner, menu change, charity event, etc.)
– Want targeted at certain specific customer profiles (such as families or professionals or the elderly, etc.)
Do you see where I?
Each of these examples will require a different marketing approach.
If you are aiming to capture older, retired people, can not win much for having a large presence on the Web, since most are not very skilled on the Internet.
Similarly, if you have a family friendly restaurant, a notice published in a weekly entertainment magazine dedicated to young people ongoing concert will not work because your target audience will not see your ad.
On the other side, magazines, newspapers and radio ads are great for promoting a newly opened restaurant or a special event of promotion. They reach an audience wide and can spread the word about your site. However, marketing techniques are ineffective if you just want to fill your place, are expensive and difficult to quantify their results.
Coupons, however, are interesting.
They can be very effective because they allow them to measure their impact (which can count the number of they are redeemed in place) and may be subject to fill the empty tables on specific days (valid only on Mondays, etc.).
However, it is important consider how to distribute and, if they go on discount packages, which other restaurants are advertising in them (not to be the only upscale restaurant packed with restaurants fast food and pizza delivery services).
So you see: Before spending money on marketing, sit and stare at their needs. Strategic Thinking and make a master plan.
These are some questions you'll have to ask yourself:
1. What type of clients you want? (Unless that his restaurant is well oriented to a specific audience, such as families – with a decor and food for children, etc. In this case, you already have the answer.)
2. When do you need to fill posts?
3. What is your profit margin on each plate? (Just so you know exactly how much can you afford to give away in coupons, etc.)
4. What can you do to attract repeat customers?
5. Do you have a reference system formalized in their place? If not, you should! This is not only the most profitable and revenue generating system, but you can easily apply the same without spending extra money!
6. Is it necessary to promote a special event?
7. Etc.
If all these considerations overwhelm you, maybe you should call an expert consultant.
Having a consultant who meets you for a couple of hours or days and help you design your own master of Strategic Marketing Plan could save thousands of dollars a year in money spent and time.
Just make sure that this expert does not waste your time going over the details of its operation. You want someone who can help you define your strategy!
You need to ensure that marketing dollars spent wisely and can only achieve this only with strategic thinking and planning.
Otherwise, it's like starting a road trip into unknown territory without a clear destination, or a map showing the road. You may end up somewhere interesting, but most times he wandered lost in small roads that lead nowhere.
You can not afford to run their business this way.
To conclude: Sit down and create a marketing strategy for your restaurant. This strategy will drive your marketing plan and expenses, and help you decide what works for you.
Happy Sailing, Jose L Riesco
About the Author:
Jose Riesco has worked in the IT industry for 18 years and owned a restaurant before becoming a consultant and an expert in Restaurant Marketing.
The only way for restaurateurs to increase their business and fill in their restaurants with happy loyal clients is by having a vision and a clear and strategic plan for implementation.
You can find more about his Restaurant Marketing Strategies in his Web site: http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Restaurant Marketing Hesitation
Noda Restaurant add in free magazine
|
|
Art Poster, Puck Magazine: A Steady Summer Job for the Unemployed Thespians - 27.5 x 18.75
$19.95 FREE SHIPPING on this item when you purchase 2 or more Art Posters from ClassicPix.com. This high quality, durable Art Poster measures 18.75" x 27.50" and arrives ready to frame. Posters are printed on heavy-stock, semi-matte paper producing the best possible combination of color vibrancy and durability. All posters from ClassicPix.com are made on demand one-at-a-time, just for you -- not mass-pro... |
|
|
Black Framed/Matted Print 17x23, Puck Magazine: A Steady Summer Job for the Unemployed Thespians
$69.95 FREE SHIPPING on this item when you purchase 2 or more Framed Art Posters from ClassicPix.com. This high quality art poster is matted and framed by our professional framers, and arrives fully assembled and ready to hang. The durable black wood frame measures 17" x 23" - poster size is 12" x 18". A clear plexiglass facing protects your poster and adds a lusterous shine. Posters are printed on heavy... |
|
|
Canvas Print, Puck Magazine: A Steady Summer Job for the Unemployed Thespians - 18 x 12
$39.95 FREE SHIPPING on this item when you purchase 2 or more Canvas Prints from ClassicPix.com, any size -- mix or match. This high quality, durable Canvas Print measures 12" x 18" and arrives ready to hang with all necessary hardware already fastened. The Canvas Print is stretched over a sturdy wood frame for maximum stability and tautness, creating a striking three-dimensional piece of artwork. All pr... |
|
|
Gentleman's Agreement
$2.49 A JOURNALIST PRETENDS TO BE JEWISH TO WRITE A MAGAZINE EXPOSE OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN AMERICA.... |
|
|
Charlie Rose with Ehud Barak; Ruth Reichl; Eric Benhamou (May 21, 1999)
$24.95 Excerpts of past interviews with newly-elected Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, covering topics ranging from his relationship with the late Yitzhak Rabin to his strategies for security and Israeli-Palestinian relations. Then, a conversation with Gourmet Magazine editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl about her decision to step down as restaurant critic for The New York Times, and her thoughts about the evo... |
|
|
The Diabetic Gourmet Cookbook: More Than 200 Healthy Recipes from Homestyle Favorites to Restaurant Classics
$9.42 Scrumptious, healthy, crowd-pleasing recipes for people with diabetes and their loved ones The editors of Diabetic Gourmet Magazine understand that although people with diabetes must carefully monitor their eating habits, they still crave their favorite sweets and savory dishes. Now, with this all-new collection of healthy recipes that are perfect for everyday meals as well as for entertaining, ... |
|
|
Restaurant Favorites at Home: A Best Recipe Classic (The Best Recipe)
$13.70 Would you like to cook restaurant recipes at home? Have you ever been tempted to make a restaurant recipe only to be disappointed by the results? The editors of Cook's Illustrated set out to find out how to make restaurant cooking at home a reality. After collecting together hundreds of recipes they selected 150 recipes that excited them most and spent thousands of hours in their test kitchen maki... |
|
|
The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston
$17.95 You may have heard the statistic: According to the Zagat Survey, Houstonians eat out more often than do residents of any other major American city. And it's true! Houston is a city that loves its restaurants. Now, with the August 2008 publication of The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to Houston, brought to you by the editors and writers of My Table magazine, dining around Houston is about to become a... |
