Mobile marketing is a powerful promotional tool in any industry. In the restaurant business, the potential rewards from a fully implemented mobile marketing strategy are particularly alluring.
About 95% of smartphone users search for restaurants on their mobile devices. A staggering 90% of those users become same-day conversions. In fact, 64% of them make a purchase at the restaurant within an hour of their mobile search (according to Mobile Mixed). The challenge that many restaurant owners face today is finding mobile marketing ideas that will allow them to reach this target audience and get an edge over their competition.
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In this guide, we'll share some invaluable tips that you can use to create a mobile marketing campaign for your restaurant business. Best of all, these ideas are all ideally suited for businesses who want to attract on-the-go customers, and build loyalty with their current customer base, without spending a small fortune in the process.
If you're looking for cost-efficient, highly effective tips and techniques for your restaurant’s mobile marketing campaign, you've come to the right place.
Strategy #1: Email Marketing
While emails aren't often associated with mobile marketing, roughly 65% of emails are now received on a mobile device first, rather than on a home computer. Given that a vast majority of customers now rely upon phones and tablets to check their inboxes, sending out promotional emails, coupons, and special event notifications is an ideal way to reach mobile customers. You can create website opt-ins and in-store email signups to build your database, possibly offering the customer an incentive for adding their address to your marketing list.
Strategy #2: Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs have the power to turn casual customers into repeat business. In essence, your customers get rewarded for making purchases at your restaurant, or even for referring their friends and family to your establishment. In turn, your business sees an increase in revenue, thanks to the fact that customers are more likely to keep coming back and keep spending more. Loyalty program give customers the opportunity to quickly and conveniently view the rewards or incentives they've earned via their mobile devices (which ups the motivation factor).
Strategy #3: Mobile Friendly Websites
It's important to have a mobile friendly website that customers can view on their mobile devices. Otherwise, you are missing out on a significant amount of site traffic. Click to call, where customers can simply push a button or tap their screen to call your restaurant is a feature you'll definitely want to consider when creating your mobile site. You can even give your customers the opportunity to order, make reservations, view the menu, and get directions directly through your mobile site.
Strategy #4: Mobile Facebook and Google Places
Mobile Facebook and Google Places make it simple and straightforward for customers to share your restaurant with people in their network. They can leave reviews, find out more about your menu offerings, and view special deals that you're running at the any given time. By utilizing Facebook and Places, you have the ability to reach a wide network of potential customers, thanks to virtual word-of-mouth.
Strategy #5: Mobile Apps
Creating a mobile app that is fun and engaging is a sure way to promote your brand. Something to keep in mind, however, is that the majority of people engage with a handful of apps on a regular basis. With the millions of apps out there it is becoming very difficult to compete for users' attention.
If you have an idea for a really awesome engaging app that brings value to users - by any means go for it. However, keep it in mind that anything less than that may not be effective and won't get the usage you are hoping for.
Strategy #6: Mobile PPC
Mobile PPC ads are ideal for restaurant businesses because they target customers who are already looking for your product. For example, if they are searching for “Italian Food New York” (and you have a properly optimized campaign), your restaurant’s ad will be prominently displayed. These PPC campaigns also allow you to customize your ad display parameters, such as the target audience and keywords, so that you get the most out of your marketing dollars.
Strategy #7: SMS Marketing
SMS messages can be sent directly to your customers (assuming they've opted in), which include links that give them access to special deals, rewards, and other incentives. Due to the fact that people are using their mobile devices more than any other tech gadget, SMS lets you stay in touch with loyal customers and reach new customers through targeted ads and notifications.
Something to consider though is that a good number of folks consider SMS a notification channel (for news we absolutely must know about) rather than a channel for marketing messages. SMS may be perceived as too "noisy" by a good portion of your customers, so make sure you have the alternative ways (like the good ol' email) to market to them.
Strategy #8: Mobile Retargeting Ads
Mobile retargeting ads enable you to reach customers who have visited your site on their desktops by retargeting them while they're on their mobile devices, or even mobile visitors who may have clicked over to another site altogether. If customers are reminded of your brand on a consistent basis, they are more likely to choose your restaurant over the competition, thanks to your carefully placed ads.
These mobile marketing strategies can help you to boost your customer base and increase profits by targeting customers who are always on-the-go and looking for a great place to eat.