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If you’re reading this, you know how much work it is to get your restaurant bustling with new customers. The phrase “If you build it, they will come” is only true in movies. But in reality it takes hustle, networking, a Facebook page, promotions, and more. That’s why you need to be in the know when it comes to the top marketing strategies for restaurants.
The good news is, GrowMail can help you access an additional marketing channel with as little work as possible. This allows you to hit your customers where your competitors aren’t, mailboxes. Here are 7 postcard marketing strategies for restaurants that will have your community savoring your postcard!
Take Photos Your Audience Will Crave
If you don’t already have updated photos ready to go, it’s well worth hiring a professional photographer for current photos of your most popular dishes. Customers like to know what they’re in for, but most importantly, you might hit a sweet spot in a hungry moment that makes them decide to make plans to come see you ASAP.
Professional photography shows professionalism and creates trust. So make sure you look for a photographer with a food styling portfolio.
You can double down on your investment by using those photos on your website and Google Business page. This creates continuity for those folks who see your direct mail postcard and decide to give your spot a search. Emphasizing photos of delicious food is a non-negotiable when it comes to successful marketing strategies for restaurants.
Personalize with Targeted Direct Mail
Personalized direct mail makes your recipient feel like your advertisement was cooked up just for them and grows your revenue faster than non-personalized marketing activities. Personalizing is the process of using data from mailing lists such as first and last name to address your recipient. You can even customize based on age, location, marital status and more.
Examples:
- Target married couples using their family name, include a photo with two plates and an offer for date night.
- Reference the location in the ad copy: “Northglenn’s Newest Restaurant”
- Offer discounts: “Join us for senior night this Thursday”
Celebrate with Your Customers
Make your eatery the go-to spot for special occasions by sending a thoughtful postcard before holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day and New Years Eve. If your restaurant is new, you can offer discounts to make sure you have a full headcount. If you’re already expecting a busy night, you can promote an opportunity for early reservations and drive urgency by letting your customers know that spots are running low.
Most of us get stuck planning special occasions at the last second, so your customers will appreciate the reminder and the easy solution.
Hit Hungry Mailboxes with the Right List
There are a few options for how you choose to deliver your mail and you might want to carefully consider each one based on what you’re trying to accomplish.
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM): The most cost effective method to deliver a piece of mail at every address along a mail carrier’s route. These lists are not targeted and won’t be personalized, but it’s a great way to cast a wide net.
Targeted Direct Mail: Build a customer list with options like location, age, income, marital status, home ownership and more. A smart option if you want to focus on your best potential customers.
New Mover Direct Mail: 43 million people a year move to a new home and begin searching for new businesses and hang outs. Explore this choice if you want to be one of the firsts to greet them to the community.
Automated Direct Mail (API): Integrate your CRM or landing pages to deliver direct mail to your customers. If your business has a system for collecting customer addresses, this is a great way to send Happy Birthdays, Anniversaries and other one-to-one postcards to welcome customers back.
Mailing Lists: Work with a GrowMail consultant to identify your ideal audience, determine the size of your target market and purchase the most effective mailing list for your business.
Craft The Right Messaging
Your photos shouldn’t be the only part of your postcard making your customers hungry. Consider your target audience, your restaurant’s unique selling points, and the desired outcome of your advertisement. This will have them planning their next meal with you in no time!
Know your audience: Understanding your target audience is key to crafting effective messaging. For example, if you’re targeting families, focus on family-friendly items such as kid’s menus or discounts for children.
Highlight your unique selling points: What sets your restaurant apart from the competition? Is it a cozy date spot, exciting happy hour place, or exceptional signature dishes? Highlight these unique selling points in your messaging to entice potential customers to choose your restaurant over others.
Use persuasive language: Choose words that create urgency or excitement, such as “limited time offer,” “exclusive deal,” or “irresistible flavors.” Persuasive language can motivate customers to take action and visit your restaurant.
Include a call to action: A call to action (CTA) is a clear direction for your potential customers to take next steps. For example, “Call now to make a reservation,” “Visit our website for more information,” or “Order online for free delivery.”
Pick The Right Design
The most important part of your postcard is that your fonts, color selection and overall design helps represent your restaurant brand so your reader can get a feel at a glance. We recommend working with a GrowMail Marketing Consultant to help make sure your postcard ad is picture perfect. But here are some design tips so you’re in the know.
Colors:
Red: Encourages hunger and urgency.
Orange: Upbeat and happy.
Yellow: Happy and content.
Green: Relaxing and comfortable.
Blue: May reduce appetites but increase thirst.
Visual Hierarchy:
Scale: Draw attention to the most important items like headlines and call-to-action.
Color: Assign brighter colors to items you want the reader to see first.
Contrast: Shifts in color can help drive urgency and highlight main messages.
Alignment: Readers interpret information and assign importance from left-to-right.
Proximity: Group items together that are associated with each other.
Track Results
There’s a wide variety of different marketing strategies for restaurants. But one thing the successful ones all have in common is that they’re being tracked. Tracking helps you understand how many of your new customers are coming from those efforts.
Having clean data to help you understand the ROI you’re getting from your marketing channels, allowing you to understand what’s working so you know where to invest more time and money. Here’s a few ways you can track your postcard customers:
Landing pages: Include a custom URL for your postcard where they can go online to book a reservation. When they book, that landing page will track in your CRM.
URL Shorteners: Create a short URL that’s easy to access or even personalize a URL that has your recipient’s name so it’s easy for them to remember. For example, Restaurant.com/JohnSmith. You can later review overall URL visits to bookings.
QR Codes: Give them a scannable option with a quick call-to-action. You can offer incentives for scanning or just use it as a way to save them time to get to your site. QR Code providers will track scans so you can get data on conversion rates.
Coupon Codes: If you decide to offer a coupon or special offer for diners, give them a coupon code then can use when they call in or book online. Have your staff track that coupon code so you’ll always be in the know when you have a patron from your mail marketing.
Unique Phone Numbers: Work with a service or toll-free number that reports analytics on callers. You can include a unique phone number on your advertisement.
Start Your Postcard Marketing Campaign With GrowMail Today!
Implementing a postcard marketing strategy is a proven, cost-effective way to hit your target market right in the taste buds. To work with an expert who can help with all of the other components, schedule a free consultation with GrowMail. GrowMail offers everything you need in your next direct mail partner and more. Our marketing consultants have 20 years of experience implementing successful postcard marketing strategies for restaurants with our full suite of marketing solutions. If you’re ready to begin getting results from your marketing efforts, download a free mailing template today.