Skip to content
0 Items in your cart View Cart
0 Cart Join Login Contact Us
Georgia Restaurant Association Logo
  • About
    • Mission + History
    • Board of Directors
    • GRA Team
    • Community Partners
    • Contact Us
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy
    • Legislative Accomplishments
      • Brunch Bill
    • GRA PAC
    • Position Statements
    • Find Your State Legislators
  • Membership
    • Member Benefits
    • Join the GRA
    • Partner Programs
    • Member Compass (Login)
  • COVID-19
    • Restaurant Reopening Toolkit
    • Industry News
    • Government Asks
    • Owners + Operators
      • Tax Credits
      • EIDL
      • PPP
      • RRF
      • Minority | Disadvantaged
      • GA Dept. of Labor
      • U.S. Dept. of Labor
    • Restaurant Workers
  • Resources
    • ADA Compliance
    • Food Safety & Public Health
    • Food Recalls
    • Hurricane Preparedness
    • Legal Center
    • Local Links Map
    • Mental Health
    • Posters
    • Small Business Development Center
    • Workforce Development
  • News
    • Join Our Mailing List
    • News + Blog
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Signature Events
      • GRA Golf Tournament
      • GRACE Awards
      • Taste of Georgia
      • Wind Down by the River
      • Foundation Golf Tournament
    • Photos
    • Webinars On-Demand
  • ServSafe®
    • FAQ
    • GRA Preferred Instructors
    • Products
    • Upcoming Classes

  • Join
  • Login
  • Contact Us

Digital Marketing Trends in the Restaurant Industry

November 12, 2020
in COVID-19 , Restaurant Industry News , Technology & Innovation ,

Source: QSR Magazine

Still reeling from the fallout of COVID-19, restaurants need to rely heavily on serving customers through delivery, carry-out, and/or curbside pickup.

Digital Trends in the Restaurant Industry

Despite the immeasurable challenges posed by COVID-19, restaurants around the world have been stepping up their digital game.

While digital marketing has been used in the restaurant industry for decades, it has now become an indispensable part of their business strategy. The coronavirus pandemic, among other factors, is forcing many food establishments to rethink their marketing tactics and find new ways to connect to their customers. If you want your restaurant to thrive in today’s business climate, going digital needs to be on the top of your priority list.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the top restaurant digital marketing trends that are taking off in 2020:

Email Marketing Automation

It’s no secret that email marketing is the holy grail of digital marketing communication. Not only is it a cost-effective way to streamline your restaurant’s marketing efforts, but it has an average ROI of 4,400 percent, which translates to $44 for every $1 spent. 

Plus, you have plenty of creative freedom to build email campaigns that will resonate with your potential customers, including:

  • Welcome emails: These emails represent the most-opened and most-read marketing emails in the world.
  • Personalized discount emails: More than 70 percent of email recipients will open emails that contain discounts or special offers.
  • Online order follow-up emails: Following up is crucial as nearly one in every four Gen X diners order online more than three times per week.

Branded Videos

If you really want to take your restaurant marketing to the next level, then you need to get visual.

Using video content is a powerful way to help get your business recognized online. Recent studies show that a whopping 76 percent of adults make a purchase after viewing a marketing video.

With branded videos, you have the chance to really showcase your delicious menu items, share the ins and outs of your restaurant operations, and feature happy customers to drive more foot traffic into your eatery.

The best part is that your video can be shared easily across social media, email, your website, and other platforms, giving it ample opportunity to be seen and shared by your audience.

Text-Based Notifications

Sometimes, long lines at restaurants can obstruct waiting areas and ward off potential patrons. To combat this, many eateries have implemented text-based notifications, which send a text alert to customers when their table is ready.

The good news is that restaurants can also leverage text messaging for marketing purposes. Whether you’re a fine dining establishment or serving fast food, there are several marketing campaigns that can help promote your business.

Here are a few examples of ways restaurateurs can serve their customers via SMS:

  • Offer specials, coupons, and other time-sensitive offers.
  • Deliver booking, order, and payment confirmations.
  • Send happy hour alerts.
  • Run trivia contests and promotions.

Free WiFi for Customers

Digital marketing is influencing almost every aspect of the dining experience.

With data plans becoming ever more expensive, there’s no faster way to turn one-time customers into repeat diners than with free WiFi.

Connectivity reigns supreme, especially as more than half of guests factor in free WiFi when determining where they want to eat.

Aside from meeting customer expectations, here are a few of the added benefits of offering free internet access:

  • Increased foot traffic: Complimentary WiFi attracts everyone from the 9-5 professional to the casual weekend warrior.
  • More time and money spent: More than 50 percent of businesses claim that providing free WiFi has resulted in higher sales.
  • Free brand awareness: For patrons who are taking pictures of your food, providing courtesy WiFi will make them more inclined to tag your restaurant on their social media posts, thereby giving you more exposure.

Food Delivery Services

Still reeling from the fallout of COVID-19, restaurants need to rely heavily on serving customers through delivery, carry-out, and/or curbside pickup. So it’s no wonder why online food ordering software has been increasingly popular over the last few months.

In addition to making the food ordering experience quick and easy, food delivery partners remain a popular choice for restaurants as it allows them to serve a wider array of customers. To ensure you make the most of your online food ordering software, be sure to upgrade your POS system, assess your kitchen line, and train your staff on new protocols.

Make Your Restaurant Stand Out with Digital Marketing

Now that you have a solid grasp of the top digital marketing trends in the restaurant industry, it's your turn. Put your restaurant on the map by finding the right tools and strategies to boost your marketing reach. With a combination of patience, innovation, and the right approach, you’ll start growing your profit margins in no time.

Read the article at QSR Magazine here.

Casual dining sales down 60% compared to 80% loss in March, study showsNovember 12, 2020 Paris Bans Delivery And Takeaway Food And Alcohol At NightNovember 10, 2020
Categories
American Rescue Plan RRF CARES Act ERTC PPP COVID-19 Grants + Support Programs Restaurant Recovery Finance Financial Forecasting Tax + Accounting GRA Members Only News GRA News Human Resources Healthcare + Wellness Workforce Development Legal + Regulatory ADA Alcohol Immigration Wage & Hour Legislation Federal Legislation State + Local Legislation Public Health Food Safety Restaurant Industry News Athens Atlanta Metro Area Augusta Columbus Macon NRA Savannah Restaurant Operations Closing a Restaurant Delivery Equipment Marketing + PR Menu Point of Sale Real Estate Sustainability Technology & Innovation Risk Management Cybersecurity Insurance Safety & Security
Most Recent Posts
Tips for Hiring Seasonal Employees June 5, 2022 Al Fresco Dining Simplified: What You Need to Know About StreetDeck Parklets May 13, 2022 by Janice Dobson Improving Employee Retention Rate March 8, 2022 New: a free calculator to see your restaurant's potential profit margin February 28, 2022 GRA Names Stephanie Fischer as 2022 Board Chair February 28, 2022 by Sarah Thorson

Contact

260 Peachtree Street Northwest Suite 1901
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
United States

(404) 467-9000

Resources

National Restaurant Association
National Restaurant Association Educational 
ServSafe

Stay Connected. Stay Informed.

Join our mailing list to stay informed with the latest GRA & restaurant industry news. Sign up.

  
Novi AMS
Association Management Software

Copyright © 2022 - Georgia Restaurant Association. Legal

×

Membership & Account Access

Is Your Restaurant/Company a Member?

If you are an employee of a GRA member restaurant or company, we invite you to set up an online account to:

  • Register for Events
  • Receive our Newsletter, GRA Weekly
  • View & Pay Invoices (for admin users)
Create an Account
Applying for Membership?

Current members of the GRA invite and encourage you to join the Association! By working together, we can achieve our mission to make Georgia better for restaurants and restaurants better for Georgia.

View Membership Information