Are you open? Enhance your restaurant's digital presence

March 20, 2020 Brian Brown- Four Forty Four Group

The coronavirus has ushered in a new normal, social distancing. This has caused many restaurants across the globe to shut their doors. Here in Atlanta, we are still fortunate because restaurants are able to sell their food via curbside service.

Restaurant owners now have to change the way they do business. They have to realize that long gone are the days of depending on drive by and walk through traffic sales. We are now in a new digital revolution.

Here are a few ways restaurants can compete in this new digital age.

Google AdWords

Right now hundreds of millions are searching for which restaurants are offering takeout service and they are searching for this information on Google. Being the largest search engine in the world, Google handles a whopping 228 million searches per hour.

Restaurant owners can capitalize on search by utilizing an aggressive Google AdWords campaign. How to make this campaign successful is to localize your campaign. Most digital campaigns fail because business owners feel like everyone is their customer and that is simply not true. Most people go to restaurants that are nearby within a 10 mile radius. Using a more localized strategy will help you leverage your budget to focus on your true customers.

Email

Yes, you read that right. If you haven’t it’s time to dust off that email list. Email is a great way for you to notify and engage people that like your restaurant so much they have given you their most prized possession...their email address. Most people like to have a fancy newsletter with pictures and color. Try using a toned down meaningful approach. A plain text email from the business owner or executive chef will make more people open the email and as a plus, your email won’t end up in the dreaded junk or spam tab.

If they also liked you enough to give their phone number, a good text campaign with a friendly offer will sure get people on your curb for takeout.

Paid social media content

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Yelp are all places people go for information and to connect. Some probably have already gone to your IG page to see if your restaurant is still open for business.

Take advantage of this social scrolling with a little food porn. Using a picture of your most delicious and decadent offerings with a simple caption to let people know you’re open and a nice call to action will get not only likes but clicks to your website where you can close the deal.

Build community

This is a good time to engage your community and also to build a community. If you are participating in local causes let your community know. Most people are more compelled to support businesses that are giving back to the community. Many restaurants are giving discounts to nurses, first responders and even giving food to the homeless.

Conclusion

Coronavirus May have changed the way you traditionally do business but you can still be successful. The Internet is a useful tool that business owners prior to you didn’t have and how well you use this tool will determine your success and future of your business moving forward.

brian@fourfortyfourgroup.com