Even those who are not in the restaurant industry understand the fierce competition in the business. It’s not enough to make a great meal, have a signature dish, or even know how to create the perfect ambiance so your patrons will enjoy their stay enough to come back again and again and again. No matter how good your are, without careful marketing behind you the chances of your restaurant getting ahead of the pack and staying there can be pretty slim. If your marketing plans have remained relatively stable over the years, you may need to make some adjustments. As they point out at Vision Advertising,

“It is critical that restaurants embrace Internet marketing and cultivate a presence online. … Restaurants don’t use the yellow pages as much as they used to, and for good reason: people have moved to the Internet to find what they’re looking for.”

Marketing is one of those things in business where once you’ve mastered the tricks, it’s time to change and you have to start learning all over again.

Food Porn

It has long been understood by many that people eat first with their eyes. When you present your potential guests with visual food imagery designed to get them to salivate in anticipation of your food nothing will keep them from coming to your door. Whether your photos are for your website or are posted across the social media platforms they should be colorful and enticing. These will definitely draw in those hungry patrons you need to fill your dining room. This feature can be so powerful in attracting new business that it might be worth it to pony up a few extra bucks to hire a professional photographer to capture the right lighting and effect you want to deliver.

Loyalty Programs

Another effective marketing tool is to reward loyal customers for their faithfulness. Some restaurants have found success by having their own restaurant app that helps their customers to stay abreast of new programs, rewards, and freebies. As they point out at the Word Stream Advertising Agency,

“Partnering with online apps encourages visitors to check out your restaurant through gamification and loyalty programs. … You can also kick it old school and hand out punch cards. They aren’t as cool as apps. But they still show that you value customers and appreciate their loyalty.

Whatever loyalty program you choose, make sure that your customers understand that you appreciate their business and want them to come back.

Encourage Online Reviews

Online review sites have gained popularity over the years. Encouraging faithful customers to provide your restaurant with positive feedback on these sites can go a long way towards attracting new business. The bottom line is that people are going to review you even if you don’t have an online presence so you need to be proactive in getting reviews that you want. Some of these review sites allow you to have your own account with them and you can build it up much like you would your own webpage. Fill this space with as much detail as possible and handle any feedback you get quickly and positively; even if the comments are negative the way you respond can determine whether that review will work in your favor or not.

Marketing is one of the most challenging parts of the restaurant business. Most owners would much rather be in the kitchen whipping up a fabulous new signature dishes than out there trying to drum up new business for their establishment. As the Food Service Warehouse tells us,

“Most restaurateurs would prefer to think about food than to think about marketing, but unfortunately this aspect of the business can’t be ignored. Luckily, getting the word out about your restaurant isn’t as daunting a task as it might seem.”’

It can be a difficult world for the independent restaurant. The competition is fierce and is growing by the minute. It can be difficult for a small food establishment to keep up let alone compete. When it comes to food, people tend to stay comfortable with what they know and have had good experiences with. Your marketing strategies will have to be on point to entice them to try something new and unfamiliar to them, however once they’re in the door and they have that pleasant experience your place will be familiar to them and they will come back. But it’s your smart restaurant marketing ideas that will get them in the door to begin with.