Benefits of Email Marketing for Your Restaurant

Email Marketing for Your Restaurant

When it comes to promoting your restaurant, email marketing delivers the best bang for your buck. In fact, studies show that for every $1 spent on email marketing, you’ll generate $38 in ROI. If your digital marketing strategy doesn’t include email marketing, it might be time for a makeover.

Why Email Marketing?

Who is using email? In short, everyone. Just in the United States, 85% of adults report to send or read email every day, while 78% of teenagers use it. That’s likely a good share of your customer base, which is why sending emails to promote your establishment should be a regular action. Email is a great way for small businesses to compete with the industry’s bigger fish, too. You have just as much a shot of getting into your customer’s inboxes as the other guys, provided your strategy is right. Personalized promotions, online-ordering follow-ups, and loyalty programs all work to drive increased engagement, and likely result in repeat business. And if you think Social Media is the key to your customer’s hearts, think again: According to statistics gathered by OptinMonster, “email marketing is more effective than social media across the board.”

There are tons of great content ideas when it comes to email marketing for your restaurant. Think about what your customers wanted when they signed up for your email list, and why they do business with you in the first place. Do they appreciate discounts? New menu items? Special events? Recipes? Emailing your customers with info on what’s hot at your restaurant right now lets them know they’re top-of-mind and valued.

Choosing an ESP

How, then, can you get started with email marketing? Choosing an email service provider (ESP) is the first step, and there are plenty of them out there designed specifically for small businesses. Good email marketing services let you create effective, engaging emails using easy-to-manage templates, group segmentation, and performance tracking. Many of these ESPs also integrate with your current website platform for even more convenience, and they also offer live customer support for those who aren’t as comfortable with the digital space.

Building Your List

The most difficult aspect of email marketing might be list building. It’s often a struggle to get people to give up their email addresses, but there are simple (and effective) methods to entice patrons to do just that. Put a pop-up on your website asking customers to sign up for your newsletter, or offer a discount on a meal for registering with their email address. You can also encourage sign-ups by mentioning your website on receipts for takeout orders, or even do a weekly prize drawing in which you request patrons leave their business cards and opt-in to your marketing emails (learn more about email opt-ins here).

What to Send

Once you have your ESP and list of subscribers, start building your customer relationships by sending out a welcome series. These types of campaigns are great for providing information about your business and delivering a special one-time-use coupon, if that’s something you promised when requesting sign-ups. Other fun email-content ideas include national “food holiday” promotions, recipe tips, staff interviews, or blog articles. For more fun email campaigns, check out these examples cooked up by Delivra!

We Can Help

There’s really no shortage of creative elements you can send your customers in order to keep them engaged with your restaurant—the key is having the right set of tools and the cash to make it happen. Talk to the experts at ARF Financial for restaurant marketing tips, and learn how our restaurant loan options can help you put your marketing strategy on the map. ARF offers flexible loan terms up to 36 months, affordable rates, and absolutely no need for collateral. APPLY NOW to find out how much you qualify for!