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.

I’m finding that the biggest obstacle to getting restaurants to market their business is that, basically, they don’t have anything to say.

How many restaurant Facebook pages and Twitter feeds have been abandoned by their owners after just a couple of posts? Or go 6 months between offers?

If the menu hasn’t changed much, and you aren’t running a special, and you don’t do much in the way of community events…either you or your customers is bored of your message. Probably both of you are.

The most obvious solution to this is the proliferation of “holiday” coupons. Holiday is in quotes because a) they’re of the Hallmark variety or b) they have next to no correlation to your business, it just happens to be celebrated in the current month.

(Did you take advantage of that “Buy two dinners, get a free drink” coupon by taking your fiance to Golden Corral in February? Did you sleep on the couch because the Mother’s Day gift you got your wife was dinner at Piccadilly?)

The next most obvious solution is some mediocre discount that neither alters customer behavior (try a new item on the menu) nor provides much of an incentive (10% off? really?).

If you’re gonna go the holiday route, get creative. Make it buzz worthy. Nobody forwards 4th of July specials because, well, no one goes out to eat on the 4th of July.

Check back later in the week for some suggestions in building a conversation.

Creative community building from a Kansas City, Mo pizzeria. It’s good, smart restaurant marketing with no printing costs.

And notice how they extended the offer to people already in line. THIS is the type of loyalty program you need.

One last point. This type of marketing can be done, via your social channels, anytime you foresee a dip in sales. If you know that your sales always go flat when it rains, and rain is forecast for the next 3 days, send an offer that is valid only if it’s raining. Or only when the temperature is below 32 degrees. Or when the HS football team has an away game.

“New marketing is about the relationships, not the medium.” – Ben Grossman

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.

Thursday is Get to Know Your Customers Day, which got us to thinking: Why one day a year? If the theory holds that customers like to know the owners/operators, like to feel as though they’re part of the family, shouldn’t this be a year-round occurrence? Wouldn’t it help to increase frequency of visit?

“But I have tons of regulars and we talk all the time. I’m on a first name basis with a lot of them.”

Before you make the above statement, stop and think about how many you actually know. You have somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 unique customers. How many are you friendly with? What percentage of your customers do you really know? Be honest now: you only really know the outgoing customers, don’t you?

Here are some tips to getting to know your customers better:

• Walk the tables and talk to them. “How was everything?” doesn’t count as a conversation. It’s a start, but only a start. Where were they before they came in (awards banquet, soccer practice, dentist, park, work – where do they work)? Time of day will tell you a lot, but start the conversation.
• Note: the first bullet will give you ideas as to where you should be doing your local store marketing. Get more customers who are just like your existing customers.
• Use social media (Facebook, Twitter) to give behind-the-scenes updates on the store and your staff (“new ice machine” or “Manager Bill is going to be a daddy!”).
• Ever have someone ask you to purchase an ad in a program for a school event? Ever buy tickets to that event and attend, or give them to employees for a job well done? You’d be surprised at how appreciative all of those influencers are of your support.
• Surprise guests with a little lagniappe (a “little something extra”). A koozie, coupon, or dessert at the table gets them thinking about their next visit before their current one is even finished. That’s where word of mouth comes from.
• Think of the amazing experiences (not just mediocre, or adequate) you’ve had at other restaurants, hotels, dry cleaners, or other retail places. What made it amazing? How can you replicate that feeling?

Marketing-wise, these tactics will build frequency, and create word of mouth which will bring in new customers. They’ll also open doors for catering, marketing events, and other influencers. Plus, it makes your job more fun. Beats cleaning toilets, eh?