Say that you own a restaurant that is about to launch a new item on its menu. And now you want to promote that item. How would you do so?
The conventional ways of restaurant marketing would suggest posting ads online and on paper. However, marketing campaigns these days require a good mix of modern and traditional approaches. Whether you are running a large company or a small coffee shop. Some of these approaches will be similar across all fields. For now, let us look into a few ways you can promote new items on your restaurant menu.
#1 Social Media Promotions
Social media marketing is undoubtedly the most effective way to promote new products. Whether you are selling a new drink or an entire restaurant, there is no better way to advertise it than through various social media platforms.
While promoting the new product, you have to maintain a few standards.
Firstly, the visuals need to be of top quality. Since it is a food item, the visuals need to be colorful and give off a cheerful vibe.
Secondly, the text or caption accompanying the visuals should contain all the details customers will want to know about the product. That may include its release date, price, how it is made, what it contains, and so on.
Finally, the ads should be released at a proper time. Do not run the promotions months before the release of your product. Do so a week or two before its release. That creates hype and makes sure that hype is there till the release of your product.
Facebook and Instagram are the most common platforms for running your promotions. However, you might want to consider TikTok as well, especially if you are willing to utilize influencer marketing.
#2 Influencer Marketing
Different brands and businesses globally are already making effective use of social media platforms for promoting their products and services. Everyone tries to outdo their competition in one way or another, especially through their marketing campaigns. More recently, all these brands and businesses are catching up with the trend of influencer marketing. And that is one marketing idea that you too should think about.
Through influencers, you can target a specific niche or type of audience. That allows you to yield better results. For a restaurant item, your best option is to use food bloggers to promote the item. You can invite them over to your restaurant or deliver the product to their place. They can then try it out and talk about it on their Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok profiles.
These bloggers and influencers usually have a loyal following. So if they promote something and talk good about it, chances are high that their followers will give that product a try.
#3 Physical Signs Around the Restaurant
Online restaurant marketing campaigns are very effective. However, you also need similar promotion tactics inside the restaurant. After all, not everyone visiting the place will have heard of the new item. Perhaps many of them are not even on social media, but they would still fancy the new item.
That is why you need physical signs around the restaurant. They will talk about and provide information about the new item on the menu. You can put up a sign on each table, or a plaque outside the store. You could even use banners for such promotions. Prestige Signs has a wide range of options when it comes to outdoor signs, plaques, and banners. You will find lots of variations in terms of design as well as size. Get creative and try to make them as attractive as you can.
#4 Ask the Staff to Recommend the Item
One of the many ways to spread the word about your new item is through direct interactions with your customer. This method is much more direct compared to the rest. It also allows you to communicate the item’s details with your customer base more effectively. And do you know how you can utilize this channel of marketing? Through your restaurant staff of course.
Customers will have to interact with the staff – mostly waiters, cashiers, or baristas – at least once during their visit. And that one chance is all your staff needs to communicate the message.
The staff should throw in the recommendation in one of two instances. The first is when they are confused regarding what to order. And the second is when they are ordering a similar product. On both occasions, the customer will have the opportunity to think about the product and the chances of them liking it. They might even place an order for it without giving it a second thought if your staff does a good job convincing them.
That is all there is to know about promoting new items in your restaurant. So go out there and put this knowledge into action. All these methods have proven to be useful for a lot of restaurants. There is no reason why they will not work for yours too.
