Start thinking like a consumer and succeed like a pro! Picture a room full of people all taking a test that nobody studied for. Everyone is copying off of each other's paper so we end up with a bunch of different versions of the wrong answer. Everyone assumes their neighbor knows more than they do but it turns out everyone is shockingly uneducated.
This is the reality of today's "Restaurant Marketing Expert."
In today's visual online world, presentation and aesthetics are more important than ever. If your business's online presence was a Tinder profile, would you score a date? Or would you continue to live through endless uneventful weekends?
Google, Yelp and Tripadvisor are often the consumer's first impression of your brand, especially in a tourist economy. Is your business dominating your competition or have you not addressed your search engine ranking because you "show up" if you Google your own business? Good enough right? Not even close.
What works for your competitor's brand could be worthless for yours. Stop the copy/ paste madness and create your own plan on your own terms!
If you still think "Restaurant Marketing" is synonymous with "Social Media" you're missing the boat! Social media can be an effective tool to market a restaurant but when used incorrectly, it can cost you thousands of dollars per month. Ask yourself a few common sense questions - do YOU click on social media posts from restaurants and then stop on to spend your money? Do YOU click on "Sponsored Ads"? What's your go-to tool when on vacation to find a great place to eat or drink? I'm guessing Facebook and Instagram don't top this list. Why? You can't follow a restaurant you've never heard of!
Restaurant Marketing has evolved quicker than ever yet most people who claim to be Restaurant Marketing Experts fail to realize this and still promote the same ol' tired methods that may have worked 20 years ago but are all but worthless in today's lightning quick online world. We often forget that as consumers, while searching for "Restaurants near me" we use Google and Yelp almost exclusively. This is common sense yet so few restaurants include SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in their Restaurant Marketing Strategy.
Why Ranking high up in the Google results isn't visual. It isn't fun. It isn't what your average college intern even knows how to do. There aren't pictures and videos of cute kittens and playful puppies. You can't share fun photos and clever quotes with your friends. What it DOES do however, is bring traffic into your restaurant or bar. It increases business. It puts your restaurant or bar in front of your competition. It shows your brand to a whole new audience.
This audience is looking for your restaurant, not the other way around. This audience is looking to make a "right here, right now" purchase. This audience most likely doesn't know you exist until they see you on Google. This audience isn't looking for a discount or any type of incentive to make a visit and spend money. This audience is made up of all demographics and backgrounds, from all countries and cities across the globe.
In this book you'll learn how to showcase your restaurant to this audience in the best possible light. You'll learn how to be first in line when the hungry consumer types in that magical phrase "Restaurants near me". Stop listening to the social media zombies and start implementing a Restaurant Marketing Approach that actually drives business. After all, isn't that what marketing is for Stop thinking in terms of "impressions and likes" and start thinking of restaurant and bar success in terms of sales. Remember, you can't deposit likes!
