3 Ways To Drive Word-of-Mouth Marketing

By far, the most effective form of marketing is word-of-mouth marketing.  I trust my friend over a random advertisement I see on a TV spot or on a billboard at a mall.  If my friend recommends that I eat at Jamba Juice, then I’m very likely to go to Jamba Juice the next time I crave a smoothie.

The hard part is getting customers to tell their friends, family, and co-workers about your location.  Even harder is tracking referrals so that you effectively reward only successful referrals.

This post highlights two easy methods that increase the possibility of referrals, and one proven, advanced method that has shown to not only incentivize referrals, but also provide you with the ability to track and reward successful referrals (this method utilizes the RewardMe product).
Continue reading 3 Ways To Drive Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Top 3 Social Media Tools to Market Your Restaurant (Part 2/2)

Welcome back! In the first part of this series we looked at how Facebook was used to market a restaurant, int this article we’ll look at how Twitter and Mobile Marketing can be used to promote your restaurant to customers so that they always think about you.

Social Media Tool Number 2: Twitter

I’m going to say it again. It’s all about the two way interaction.
Twitter was designed so that people could interact with others but they had to do it under 140 characters. The first pitfall is that most restaurants don’t have a Twitter ID. Please go to Twitter and get one. By not having one, you’re missing out on some free promotions. I’ve been on Twitter where people asked around “Does anyone know if (name of a restaurant) has a Twitter handle?”

The second pitfall that many restaurants have is that they just send out a bunch of tweets of what’s happening in their restaurant, or what kind of deals they have, or “please retweet this message to get a discount. ” This doesn’t leave a lot of room for interaction. Customers want to feel valued, not ignored.

When you have a Twitter account, follow local people and start tweeting with them. Interact with them and respond to their comments. When someone tweets you back, start to have an online conversation with them. Retweet messages of others that may be relevant to your local community. Trust me, those that love you will tweet about you often. Check out @sweetmandarin to see how they’ve successfully interacted with customers. Continue reading Top 3 Social Media Tools to Market Your Restaurant (Part 2/2)

The Best Way to Attract New Customers

One of the biggest issues for restaurants is getting new customers to come a restaurant.  While most restaurants will have a loyal following of customers, many of these customers will only be around for so long. Some will move to a different part of the city, others may not be able to eat out as much due to the recession, while others will go to the newest and hottest restaurants in the city.As the former manager of a cafe myself, I believe the best way to get new customers in the door is through referrals. No coupon, website, or paper advertisement can be as powerful in getting a person to try a restaurant as a close friend recommending a restaurant.

Why referrals are so valuable

Here’s the trouble with referrals: they tend to come sparingly. They either come when someone has just finished eating at a restaurant a day or two later at most or they only recommend when someone asks for a great restaurant for a special occasion. If you’re lucky, a customer that likes your restaurant will recommend it 3 or 4 times a year. Continue reading The Best Way to Attract New Customers