Fun interactive ways to boost your brand's recognition and create some movement in your community! This post will be highlighting the resources we all have available to us. Whether you're an owner, manager or employee, these tips can be implemented. So sit back relax and take notes!
Social Media
Photo Contest:
Getting great photos can be expensive if you don't know how to take them yourself.
I didn't have the budget from clients to get one either, I had a venue, food, and lots of time. So what better way to get great photos then by holding a Photo Contest! Offer your local diners a prize to win some more of your amazing food by entering an awesome photo contest held by your venue and feature some contestants on all your socials! It sounds so simple and it actually is!
Media Parties:
Great for gaining exposure, It can be set up during normal business hours as a private event or held after hours for a more exclusive experience.
Do your research on influencers in your area and in your market. Having a huge following is great but making sure they are getting views, comments, and interacting with their audience is much more important. Your restaurant would benefit the most from bloggers who an actual influence in your target markets. This can be done with hashtag searches, for example, if you're a Sushi shop from San Diego, look in hashtag SanDiegoFoodies; hashtag SushiInSanDiego; hashtag SanDiegoRamen
Now that last one isn't about sushi but if there's a hashtag with more posts in a genre that is similar to yours, I would target those markets and influencers also.
Food Challenge:
Taco, Tuesdays are amazing alone but a Taco Tuesday, Taco contest for a chance to come back in for more tacos? Now, that's what I call marketing! National donut day? Hold a donut counting contest, How many donut holes are in a jar? Who knows but I bet someone will give you their email in exchange for a chance to guess and win some delicious donuts.
Find a day, create a contest and choose a prize. Create a Facebook event page with lots of great info. Don't forget to post about it on Eventbrite! Let people post their guesses online or come in and take a shot at it. Either way, have incentives set up to help you capture a few photos for your business pages!
Location
Research Community:
It takes a little bit of time but it is something that can be done during your lunch break, at home in front of your computer or in the morning during your coffee break. Learn about who and what is around you, meet them as a customer, not a boss. If they recognize you, even better! Ask them about how their turn out is and what promotions they are currently running. Don't be afraid to walk into other restaurants, everyone is different! There are so many benefits from partnering with similar businesses!
Google Search:
Google maps is a great way to get to know businesses around you or your target markets. Google a keyphrase and see which businesses are in an area you would like to be in. Do a little research, go to their website, look at their mission statement, check out their social media and see what they've already done in the community. Gather any information you can so you and your team can decide if that is a business you can benefit from partnering with!
Discounts:
A great way to partner with local businesses is to offer a "neighborhood" discount. give both businesses a discount code that can be applied to each purchase made by their guests. Have guests bring in the other receipt or other proof of purchase.
* Pro Tip - Get your customers to sign up for your email list and attach a virtual coupon to the neighboring business and your restaurant to the email. This captures the lead for future promotions and gives the customer more time to utilize their discount rather than keeping receipts or flyers.
Cross Promotion
Groupon:
Groupon is a great way to see what other businesses are already advertising on their current products, You can help them save some money by offering the same discount without a fee. Offering a package deal. For example, If you have a restaurant that's by the water and you see that there's a kayaking deal, call the kayaking company and promote both businesses together. Offer a weekend package with dinner and kayaking. Make sure that whichever company you decided to reach out to makes sense for you and your business, as well as theirs.
Airbnb:
This is great for a more targeted experience through the Airbnb platform, You can now book what are called experiences. Offer tourists an experience they wouldn't normally be able to get if they were to just come in on their own. Cooking classes, Tastings, or anything else your restaurant might be able to put together to give tourists a hands-on event. You will have to submit your experience to Airbnb for review.
Sampling Events:
There are so many great ways to incorporate other brands into your sampling event. If you have a brewery in your area consider asking them to host a trivia night in your venue and host the bar. a beer company or liquor company to sponsor your drinks. Other restaurants can come into your venue and host a cook-off. Get creative with ways to incorporate the community.
Open Up Your Venue.
Don't forget you still have a space to utilize. Pick a date or time that is typically slow. Take that time to bring in anyone that is willing to use your space and create events. You can rent out your venue for free on slow nights or at a cost per hour on busier days. Make sure you don't push potential partners away by wanting to charge for every collaboration done in your venue.
Local Artists:
There are plenty of artists in any area that are constantly looking for a place to perform or showcase their own art. Hosting an open mic night or small concert for local artists can really help you stand out as a community leader especially if you designate a specific day of the week to have performers.
Pop up art galleries and consignment agreements with painters, graphic artists are another great way to give back without giving out. Rotate artwork in your venue for artists and offer them a place to share and sell their art. They will refer their audience to you and you'll get unique, one of a kind art on your walls every other week!
Online Shops:
Another way to get creative is by hosting bazaars. Spend some time online and you'll find a ton of local shops that are willing to set up a pop-up booth inside of your venue. Host one or more vendors depending on your capacity. Jewelry makers, clothing brands, and papercrafts are always looking for a lovely venue to redirect their shoppers too!
Food trucks:
This is definitely my favorite form of marketing because who doesn't love food? Breweries use this technique all the time because they don't always have a designated kitchen to offer their guests food so a food truck or pop up kitchen help with marketing through cross-promoting, offering two services at once. Every city has a food truck/ pop up kitchen community. Start by looking into your local farmer's markets for food vendors that compliment what you are already doing. Creating a bigger bazaar with food and retail pop up vendors are another great idea and can bring in profit per vendor space utilized.
With everything else you are doing make sure to utilize both business networks by promoting events on all social media platforms, email blasts and inside each business location. After reaching out to other business owners in your area remember to offer a place to hang their flyers and ask to do the same in return maximizing event exposure in your area. Setting a specific day of the week for these events is most beneficial because it grows the audience over time, and gives people a place to go on any given night. You don't have to be CEO to implement these tips, make sure you go out and make yourself known, be excited about your restaurant and make others around you excited to work with you!
If you want more marketing tips for your business or if you want a FREE Marketing Review fill out our Contact form and let us know how we can help!
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