In the previous post, I mentioned that restaurant owners give up on marketing, or maybe aren’t effective at it, because they give up on their messages. They run out of things to say, and all they can think of is a discount (which they don’t want to do, and doesn’t usually produce the desired results).

So how can you keep your message fresh without flooding the market with coupons? Consider the marketing mix, then consider your editorial calendar. Then combine the two.

• Facebook and Twitter reach a particular audience and have their uses.
• FourSquare offers a way to reach new audiences.
• Coupons and flyers to targeted audiences (complementary audiences) tailor your message.
• Standing ad buys in local magazines or (very) local newspapers can be altered.
• Facebook, online ads, and search engine marketing can be altered regularly.
• Email is not dead and is still a good delivery channel (btw, can your customers read your message or is all your copy hidden in pretty pictures?).

Whatever your mix, make sure you get enough frequency of message to be effective (more money is wasted by underspending on advertising than on overspending).

Next, consider your editorial calendar. It’s easier to come up with messages in advance, but sometimes they’ll just happen.

• Do Texas Hold ‘Em Night if you must, it’s better than doing nothing, but consider widening your options.
• Host a Toys for Tots drop off during the holidays (this is PR worthy also).
• Choose off-beat ‘holidays’ (think National Bald Day – emails, tweets, FB posts will get forwarded and re-posted).
• Limited Time Offers can be a pain in the butt. But if you have seasonal menus they’re a great kick-off to each season. If you source locally, you can usually get deals on different items each week. They’re well worth it if you condition customers to expect new items.
• LTO’s don’t have to be limited to items that aren’t typically on your menu. Highlight an old favorite, especially if its an app and serves as a loss-leader.
• Plan a community event calendar of your own. The work has already been done for you, just choose the ones that your customers are most interested in and plan in advance. If you promote their event to your customers, they’ll likely reciprocate.
• If you have nothing else to say, give a shout out to some of your customers. “Bill M. bowled a 300 last Tuesday; Sherry S. walked 60 miles for breast cancer; Local firefighter, Tom W., was recognized by the Mayor.” If you don’t know this stuff, why not? Chat your customers up, create a dialog via Facebook.

Then you simply take this month’s message and plug it into each of your monthly channels. Incorporate an offer (one that modifies behavior) for your local flyers and all of a sudden you have a 12 month marketing plan. And you’ll always be sure you have something to say.

Supporting non-profits can be a great way to build your business. Your support brings about community goodwill and shows that you care about your area and customers. And your support will draw more traffic into your store. There are also personal benefits – giving will make you and your staff feel good.

On the Restaurant Business magazine’s blog there’s a quote from Alyssa Prince, community relations director for the National Restaurant Association:

“Restaurants need to think of charitable involvement as a partnership rather than a sponsorship,” says Prince. “Hardly anyone just writes checks anymore. Successful partnerships can benefit both the charity and the restaurant.”

This quote comes from a thoughtful article that gives more ideas and ways to get started partnering with a charity.

We talked about how important it to restaurant marketing to keep your employees engaged. Here are 8 ways to keep staff (and customers) around.

• Charity/volunteering – Volunteering makes everyone feel good. Adopt a local charity and offer employees comp time or other benefits for helping out. (From the field: one day per month the employees choose a cause and donate the entire day’s tips to that cause. A sign by the tip jar says something like: “Our staff will donate all of today’s tips to the Reynolds Library renovation.” They’ve also helped local fire fighters injured in the line of duty, high school kids with sickness, and charities that mean something to an individual employee.)
• Rewards, public recognition – Besides the basic benefits of the job, what else can you offer your star employees? Gift cards are a good choice. Try to recognize at least one person either weekly or monthly. Let customers know your employee is a superstar.
• Family atmosphere – Keep your environment light and friendly. Yes, you’re here to do a job, but you should have fun while doing it. The best teams are close-knit and help each other.
• Get outside the restaurant – If possible, take your employees off company property to get to know each other better. This might be going to the park for a game of soccer or basketball, or grabbing a few drinks at the neighborhood pub after work.
• Give opportunities to learn other tasks – Show your employees that you want them to succeed. Train them on different stations in your restaurant. Reward them every time they complete a session. Make sure they receive the right and right amount of training, even from the very beginning.
• Promote from within – Show your staff that there are opportunities for advancement by recruiting them for new positions. They’ll see that they could have an opportunity like that and will want to stick around.
• Respect & fairness – This should be a no-brainer, but treat your employees fairly. There should be no “manager’s pet.” Even if your employees are young, treat them like adults and they will act as such.
• Spend time to hire the right employees – This includes managers. We’re all had bad managers before and conflict with management is one of the top reasons for employee turnover. One idea is to require applicant testing for customer service and teamwork.

Each of these points come down to one thing: show your staff that you genuinely care about them and they will stay engaged. Good employees can be your greatest asset. For more tips, check out this article from the National Restaurant Association.

How can you make your store a destination? Get a little creative. You can often get free radio time or local news ink, depending on your hook. But partnering with an organization will also get you frequent messages in their newsletters.

Feel free to comment with other ideas:
- Toys for Tots
- Coats for Kids
- Pictures with Santa
- Related to Santa: get a mailbox and promise to “deliver” straight to the North Pole. Hand out coloring sheets/Dear Santa templates to local schools and pre-schools.
- Car washes in your parking lot (best for free-standing buildings)
- Touch-A-Truck events
- Bicycle safety rallies (partner with the fire or police dept.)
- Host open enrollment for local sports leagues
- Meet the Mayor (councilperson, state rep, whatever)

Two old sayings come to mind this time of year, in this type of economy:

1. Volume solves everything.
2. You can’t take percentages to the bank.

My next few posts will give a nod to one or both of those statements. I’d rather have a ton of customers with a low ticket average than the reverse – more mouths to spread the word, more chances to gain wallet share. And if someone comes in twice in a single week, regardless of the reason, I’m happy. Stupid couponing is, well, stupid. Modifying behavior, trading value for value, will win you long term customers.

I’ve mentioned loss leaders, today I list some promotional ideas that both drive traffic and show commitment your community.

Black Friday: 10% of sales, all day, to toward [insert local cause here]. Some finer points here:
- the higher the percentage, the more PR you’ll generate (start now)
- use the distribution list of the cause, get their current supporter to spread the word on your behalf
- make it a news story
- put a banner up out front

December and Beyond:
- drop off place for coats for kids, or toys for tots
- bonus points if you’re part of a franchise / co-op and use your radio ads to promote
- distribute coloring sheets that have a space for a “Santa List” (bonus points if it can be folded in such a way that Santa’s address is already on the sheet)
- place a North Pole Postal Service mailbox in your lobby
- get in the spirit: make sure you and your staff are having some fun; give away candy canes, wear Santa hats, be jolly (dammit!)

Next up: some food promotions that will help to increase frequency and ticket average.