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A guest has come in the last four weeks in a row; you start finding out more about them, you use this knowledge to reference the next time they come in; the guest is blown away that you remember. You offer them suggestions based on the things they like, they feel a connection. You have built a relationship with the guest.
Why not do the same with your digital media. Learn about your guest, ask them questions, then send them follow-up messages and offer them suggestions based on what you know about them.
Build a relationship!
So the rule is to sit the window seats firsts. You are creating an atmosphere. You want everyone walking by to see that you have guests in the restaurant enjoying themselves.
People attract people.
So please help us understand.
Why do restaurants mostly post pictures of their food and once in a while their staff?
We hardly ever see posts of a guest having a good time.
After scrolling through hundreds of pictures on our Instagram feed, I finally came across this post from PB Shore Club @pbshoreclub. After checking out their profile, they have a great mix of products, staff, and GUESTS on their page. Plus, they have over 17K followers.
People attract people.
Are you selling a plate of food, or are you providing an experience?
Every Monday is like a reset. Our intention to get things done for the week is strong, the to-do list is long, and the motivation to tackle the world is high.
Then the phone rings. The fires start. Before you know it, it's Sunday, and all of your to-dos got pushed to the side. You are at the same starting point again.
This happens so often with your marketing. Because it's not 911, it's not something that creates immediate impact. But it is the most important thing for you to start and be consistent with it. The attention to your marketing will make a significant impact on your restaurant's longevity!
They are introducing themselves.
The are saying hi my name is _______ and my email is ________.
Now, if this was an introduction in person wouldn't, you say hi back?
If you were introduced to someone and they didn't say anything, would you be put off?
Don't take the risk; when someone signs up to your email list, send a welcome email. It's the first step in building your digital relationship.
Just because someone comes in once a week doesn't mean they are loyal to your brand; in fact, they probably go out multiple times in the week to different places and are always on the lookout for the next best thing.
So what about the people that dine with you only a few times a year?
This may be their only time they go out, and they always pick you. They are committed and loyal, and whenever anyone talks about where to go out for dinner, they speak about your restaurant like they have a vested interest.
So how do you reward these people with their loyalty? How do you know who they are? By building a list of your guests, engaging with them, and tracking their interactions. Soon you will find out who is a superfan by the links they click, the emails they forward, and the guests they refer.
We tend to do a lot of talking. Reflecting on this must-read book by Danny Meyer, a guru in the hospitality game, is we need to build relationships with our guests, and the best way to do that is by listening. Whether it's during service or through digital communication.
"There is no stronger way to build relationships than taking a genuine interest in other human beings and allowing them to share their stories." Danny Meyer
When was the last time you just sent out a message to your guest saying - "Hi, just checking in and was wondering how you are doing?"
Try it; the results will surprise you!
But don't take our word for it; read the book.
SETTING THE TABLE BY DANNY MEYER
Develop your email strategy to provide useful, engaging information by personalizing your emails, and these contacts will become guests, and guests will become superfans.
Building a network of superfans will consistently increase your revenue.
Got 60 seconds? Check out the video
Creating advertising that only results in a guest visit is a linear approach to marketing your restaurant.
Spend a $1 get a $1 way of thinking.
Somewhere with the digital age introduction, restaurants lost focus on the best form of marketing that has always worked in the past.
Word of mouth, one friend tells one friend, then those two people tell two people, and then those four people tell four people, then those eight people tell eight.........and it keeps doubling.
So how do you utilize digital to help nurture the word of mouth process?
By building a list of actual guests that have dined at your restaurant, you nurture them into a network of superfans. Then by personal engagement and rewarding them for introducing new guests, you will be giving them the opportunity and tools to spread the word.
As you grow your network of superfans, you will consistently increase your revenue.
You ask for a name when someone signs up to your email list, but you never send an email that is addressed personally?
It's super easy to just add "Hi {first.name}" to the top of your email to make your contact feel that the email is for them, not just generic.
Yes most people understand the idea of mail merge and know you didn't personally write and send the email, but not making this basic effort makes you look like you don't care.
It's like you introduce yourself to someone new and don't take the time to remember your name. Every time they communicate with you, they say hey you or don't even acknowledge you; they just start talking.
Treat your email communication like a conversation; if you have someone's name in your list, use it.
Does the guest win when they interact with your restaurant?
Every guest interaction is a transaction that the guest needs to win. Whether it is the purchase of goods or the time spent looking at your marketing, the guest needs to feel they got more out of the relationship than they gave.
When you send an email to your list, you need to match the value of the time you are asking the guest to take with the benefit they are receiving.
Is your email taking longer than 30 seconds to read without giving any value to the guest?
You may have an excellent open rate, but if your emails are too long, most guests won't even give it a chance; they won't see the value in giving you that much of their time.
It would be great if everyone who visited your website were there to make a reservation or get directions for a visit.
But that's not the reality.
Most people are on your website because they are checking you out.
They are deciding if they should come to your restaurant.
They are deciding if you are worthy of their business.
And even if they decide yes, they may not be ready to commit to making a reservation.
So how do you capture the attention of those people?
Push them to follow you on social media so they can be part of a crowd? Or do you exchange an incentive for an email address and a name so now you can have a personal connection?
Email stands for electronic mail. Not newsletters, not junk or spam but mail.
If you treat your contact list the same as you would your personal contacts by creating conversations, people will get excited to open a message from you.
Make your emails personalized, engaging, and short. If you have lots to say, link to a landing page with more information and let the customer decide if they want to learn more.
This is the best part of an email marketing strategy.
Doing email right can create a spider web of connections.
Creating a layout of emails that go out automatically can give you a step ahead in building a relationship.
Unlike your social media accounts, where you must create and post content all the time, you can build sequences of emails that go out based on contact interactions with your email strategy.
As things change in your business, you can update the individual emails' content without recreating a new structure.
When you have a new email contact sign up, you can send them an instant welcome message series to inform what makes your company unique.
No one owns their social media accounts, social media not only controls who sees our posts and when they see them, they also have a right to inactivate or delete your account at any time for any reason.
Email, by contrast, is an asset you own. Although it is hugely frowned upon selling or renting your list, it still adds significant value to your business. You can take your list with you and use it on your choice of platforms to send out messages. Would you rather have a business with 10K social media followers or 10K engaged email contacts?
