Best Marketing For Restaurants: 6 Campaign & Channel Types

It’s an exciting time when a first-time guest comes into your restaurant and enjoys a delicious meal. They’re laughing over conversations with friends and building a rapport with their server—only for them to never be seen again. 

Despite how highly praised your food or the experience is, a lack of targeted, strategic marketing may prevent repeat visits. Add in the competitive nature of the restaurant industry, and the need for a strong marketing strategy is more intense than ever. 

The best marketing for restaurants is a blend of tried-and-true campaign and channel types to boost brand visibility and build lasting customer relationships—all tailored to your restaurant’s unique identity and target audience. In this article, we’ll go over the essential restaurant marketing strategies and successful campaign types ideal for restaurants. 

Understanding Your Marketing Needs 

As no two restaurants will be the same, it’s unlikely their marketing strategies will be either. If you’re a Chinese restaurant selling glistening noodle dishes by the pound, for example, your restaurant marketing plan will be vastly different than a high-end French bistro with all the frills. 

Effective restaurant marketing requires you to truly know your restaurant inside and out. What’s its theme? Where is it located? What’s your price range? Do you cater to families or office workers? Do you rely more on delivery orders or foot traffic? All of these key factors will tell you exactly what marketing channels and campaign types work to your advantage. 

Other than getting the word out about your business and establishing a presence, your restaurant marketing efforts need to directly support your business objectives. Let’s say your goal is to launch a new branch. In this case, you’ll want to emphasize local SEO to bring in local traffic. But that’s just one example! 

Top 3 Restaurant Marketing Campaign Types 

Speaking of objectives and goals, marketing campaigns are the means to achieve them. Here are three options: 

1. Digital Advertising Campaigns: Digital advertising involves precise targeting through tactics like ads and retargeting campaigns. When someone searches for keywords or phrases like “best Japanese restaurant near me,” pay-per-click (PPC) or display ads will appear and drive valuable traffic to your website, generating those immediate leads restaurants crave. Retargeting also sits under this category, targeting people who have already interacted with your restaurant business online but haven’t completed an action. 
2. Email Marketing Campaigns: Emails send information to customers immediately. Forbes talks about how as long as a marketing email is data-driven and carefully targeted, it will have a highly effective campaign trail. Restaurants can release regular newsletters featuring valuable updates and engaging content, promotional offers, and personalized reminders to maintain customer engagement. 
3. Social Media Campaigns: All social media platforms come with specific features and benefits restaurants can leverage. Facebook is ideal for direct customer interaction and hypertargeted ads, while Instagram can’t be beat with its visual storytelling tools.  

Regardless of the platforms you choose, consistency is key. You want to appear like you’re always present and keep guests updated about your business. You can also encourage user-generated content, making customers more likely to interact with your brand. 

Leveraging Social Media Platforms 

Social media is important to people. They don’t only use it to interact with friends and family to share what they’re up to anymore. They also use it to discover new products, businesses, and worthwhile events to enrich their lives. Luckily, after decades of learning social media, businesses have figured out winning strategies for attracting new customers and retaining loyal customers. 

The first rule of thumb is to engage regularly and meaningfully. Posting consistently without overwhelming your audience is key. You should also reply to comments and queries in a tone of voice to match your branding, use the person's name or username, or even repost their content. 

Secondly, you’ll want to use all the features at your disposal. Interactive features like Instagram Live, polls, stories, and more will foster engagement and deepen your connection with your audience, leading to long-term loyalty. 

Lastly, keep your branding true and consistent. If your brand colors are serene greens and blues and you frequently use images of landscapes and nature, don’t stray away from that and suddenly use neon colors and cartoons. These visual cues act as signals to customers, allowing them to instantly recognize your brand over time. 

The best restaurant social media examples focus on one factor above all—building a genuine relationship with customers. For example, something Shake Shack does well is make their food the focus of its Instagram while maintaining its green-centered branding.  

They also vary their material by posting promotions, videos, user generated content, and showcasing people of all ages and walks of life eating their burgers. Thanks to this mix, their brand identity is strong, and their audience is well-represented. 

The Role of Content Marketing 

Social media relies on content as a whole, but how can restaurants effectively create it? Any content you post online needs to have a purpose, no matter if it’s a blog post, video, image, or a graphic made from scratch.  

For instance, you might choose to have a weekly blog post up on your website about relevant food trends, cooking tips, or behind-the-scenes stories to establish your restaurant as a thought leader. In front of the right audience, this content could keep them coming back for more. 

Meanwhile, video marketing does wonders for showing off the ambiance of your restaurants, the cleanliness and organization of your kitchen, or how certain menu items are made or sourced. You could upload a set of short clips for Instagram Reels to draw curious foodies in or even create a multi-part series on the history of your restaurant. People eat with their eyes first, making this visual content especially useful. 

The thing is, businesses will always show off the best of the best of their restaurant, but potential customers want to know: Is this depiction accurate? Only 32% of Americans trust the media, which is an all-time low. That’s where user-generated content (UGC) comes in particularly handy. Whether a photo of a meal, a review, or a video of their experience, this content can easily be reshared as social proof that your business is trustworthy and authentic. 

Harnessing the Power of Email Marketing 

While social media is particularly good at targeting relevant parties through algorithms, let’s not forget that email marketing can be good at that too, but it requires a more intentional approach. With the average open rate for dining and food service businesses being around 34.65%, your emails need to grab one’s attention. Two tactics ensure email marketing is a success: segmentation and personalization. 

Rather than sending out a generic email to all of your subscribers or your entire email list, tailor them. Take the time to group your customers based on segmentation methods like visit frequency, past behaviors, and demographics like age and location. This lets you customize each email to each group, so they’ll actually want to open and read it. 

Before hitting send, you also want to personalize aspects like the subject line and use dynamic content blocks that change according to the recipient’s segment. For vegetarian customers, the content block could display vegetarian daily specials rather than meat-based ones. Relevance is the name of the game here. 

Top restaurants frequently grab their customers’ attention at the right time with the right offers. That’s because they approach these emails like touchpoints. On a customer’s birthday, they might send out an email saying, “Happy Birthday, [First Name]! Your dessert’s on us.” Then, it should include an easy way to get to the offer, such as a claim code or a reservation booking link. 

Utilizing Loyalty Programs to Accelerate Customer Retention 

The trusty stamp card has evolved over the years into a comprehensive loyalty programs that come with exclusive offers, rewards, and special systems. While you don’t have to create something elaborate, providing a way for customers to earn points for simply dining with you can encourage them to keep coming back. It’s an essential part of the customer experience that restaurant owners shouldn’t overlook. 

With a simple punch card or points system, you can create a sense of value and encourage loyalty. Each program type has its own benefits. For example, tier-based programs categorize customers into different tiers with progressively lucrative benefits. Tier 3 (the lowest tier) might get a free appetizer after 10 visits, while Tier 1 could receive access to a special menu. 

Points-based programs could let customers rack up points for every dollar spent, allowing them to earn rewards simply by eating at your restaurant. Each system motivates the customer to keep coming back, adding to their progress meter and turning each meal into an opportunity. Add data to the mix, and you’re sure to craft a high-performing program. 

Effective Use of Online Reviews and Feedback 

Around 75.5% of consumers trust online reviews when making a purchase. That’s a lot of potential customers with faith in others’ experiences, and that’s why every restaurant marketing strategy should encourage the acquisition of online reviews. This means encouraging customer feedback, acknowledging it, and responding to them—both positive reviews and negative ones. 

Yet, there’s a fine line between being pushy and providing encouragement. It’s okay to provide an incentive, but it shouldn’t feel like a bribe. The request should be a genuine request to provide feedback rather than pressure to put in a good word to the public. When a negative review comes in, it’s important to stay empathetic and professional. Any concerns should be addressed and rectified if possible, such as through a follow-up, refund, or future incentive to make up for the poor experience. 

Every interaction with a customer makes or breaks your online reputation. Without a solid reputation, customers won’t even get the chance to experience the great food and ambiance you’ve worked so hard to deliver. It’s a task that requires you to be proactive, mindful, consistent, and kind, demonstrating you care about customer satisfaction and that it’s part of the restaurant’s ethos. 

Innovative Local Marketing Techniques 

In contrast to e-commerce businesses that have clientele around the world, brick-and-mortar restaurants rely on their immediate locale. Local SEO is particularly important here, making sure people in your town or city discover your business in the first place.  

Other than using location-specific keywords like “best pizza in New York” (that might be a competitive one) or local content creation, you could also attend community events or partner with local businesses to offer a mutually beneficial collaboration. As an example, your pizzeria could host wine and pizza nights in collaboration with a nearby winery, for instance. 

But at the crux of local marketing is Google My Business (GMB), a free tool that lets you manage your online presence across Google’s ecosystem, such as Maps and Search. You can update your business information, add photos and videos, share updates, and even welcome customer reviews. The more you optimize your Google Business profile, the better. Always keep your listing up to date, use local keywords, answer questions, respond to customer reviews, and show you’re active. 

Measuring Marketing Success 

Once you implement all the strategies you believe are most important, how can you tell your efforts are paying off? Aside from the fact that there are more customers coming through the doors, that is. 

Key performance indicators (KPIs) help you track those essential insights, letting you know what’s working and what’s not. Did your recent post on X encourage customers to use your discount code and place a digital order? A conversion rate percentage metric helps you figure that out.  

How many people opened your email and clicked on a CTA? Email open and click-through rates will tell you how many. How are people feeling about your business overall? Sentiment analysis helps you understand that. 

Many social media platforms will have built-in analytics tools, but there are other programs that give you in-depth insights. These include software solutions like Google Analytics, Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and restaurant-specific software like Paytronix. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Restaurant Marketing Strategies 

Want to learn more? Here are some answers to common questions about restaurant marketing tips. 

What is the best marketing strategy for restaurants? 

The best marketing strategy is a combination of email marketing, social media marketing, and digital advertising. Restaurants should build a strong and cohesive online presence by staying consistent, localizing their efforts, and paying attention to customer feedback. 

How do I attract people to my restaurant? 

Attracting customers and maintaining their loyalty requires a multidimensional approach. You might leverage social media and online interactions, use local SEO efforts to optimize your search presence, engage with the physical community, offer deals and collaborate with other local businesses, and, of course, create a memorable dining experience. 

What are the 7 marketing functions? 

The seven marketing functions include: 

1. Market research 
2. Product and service management 
3. Marketing planning 
4. Promotion 
5. Distribution 
6. Selling 
7. Pricing 

Each function focuses on a specific part of the broader marketing process and contributes to the overall strategy. 

What are the 4 Ps of local restaurant marketing? 

The four Ps of local restaurant marketing are 

1. Product 
2. Price 
3. Place 
4. Promotion  

Your restaurant should offer desirable menu offerings, be priced reasonably and effectively, take advantage of your location, and focus on promotional strategies. 

Taking the Next Step In Marketing Your Restaurant 

Marketing has always been a sound solution to staying ahead. With so much competition in the restaurant industry, refining your strategies and taking stock of new opportunities will help you bring in customers and keep them returning. Regardless of how you tailor your restaurant marketing strategy, a comprehensive approach that targets multiple touchpoints will do the trick. 

Need help refreshing your loyalty program—one of the most important pieces of the puzzle? Check out our guide to Revamping Your Loyalty Program for our expert insights on how to improve guest engagement. 

If you’re looking for a way to improve customer engagement and drive more revenue for your restaurant, contact Paytronix. Our all-in-one platform has everything you need to market more effectively.