Why You Should Insist on Email Marketing for Your Restaurants

If a restaurant you own, operate, or own-in-part isn’t using email marketing, then you’re missing out on a lot of money. A lot of easy money.  Let me tell you why – and show you how you can correct this.

 

Why Email Marketing is Efficient

 

A 2009 study by the Direct Marketing Association showed that, on average, email marketing returned $43.62 in profit for every dollar spent! We’d challenge you to find a better ROI with any other medium. In fact, according to the DMA, no other medium outclassed email at all – including catalogs and postcards.

 

One big reason for the high return on investment is that email marketing is quite simply dirt-cheap. Using services like Constant Contact or AWeber, you can manage your prospect list and market to them as often as you want, all for a fraction of the cost of even the cheapest bulk mail.

 

How to Get Your Guests to Want Your Email

 

If you’ve spent much time marketing your business at all, you may’ve already guess everyone’s favorite way to get customers on their email list: offer periodic discounts in their inbox, so that they’ll actually want to open every email you send.

 

For most restaurants, it’s not a good idea to send email with a new special every day. But a printable “e-coupon” sent out once a month or even every week can bring in business that you otherwise wouldn’t have had.

 

Don’t Forget Your Patrons’ Birthdays

 

A simple card with every meal that invites your patrons to leave their birthday and email address is often all it takes to get them on your mailing list. Most restaurants offer free birthday dessert on the guest’s birthday, but we recommend a free meal.  Why is that?

 

That free meal will pay for itself 99% of the time. This is due to the simple fact that hardly anyone eats their birthday dinner alone!

 

Your birthday boy or girl will be bringing in at least a couple of other patrons; often, they will bring in several. This is a good chance for drink sales, if your establishment offers alcohol. And given the choice between a free dinner at a restaurant you own, versus only a free dessert somewhere else, which do you think your patron will choose?

 

If you’re a single operator, you can easily implement email marketing strategies for your restaurant. If you’re a stakeholder or board member, you can increase earnings on your investment by urging your establishment to adopt these email marketing procedures.

Tags: email marketing, email marketing for restaurants, free birthday dinner, restaurant marketing, restaurant promotion