When times get tough, don't even think about cutting marketing.
July 7, 2009
One of the most commonly overlooked basics of successful marketing is consistently maintaining your marketing. Businesses often cut marketing when income is dwindling. Why would you do that unless your marketing is not working? Marketing is your lifeline.
Restaurantmarketinggroup.org offers these ideas to get the biggest bang for your marketing bucks:
Build a solid mailing list. Your list should be complete, fresh and accurate.
Know your market and target your market area. The one-mile radius around your restaurant should get 50 percent of your resources; up to three miles should get 30 percent, and 5 miles 16-18 percent, with the outer limits a maximum of 2-4 percent-unless you're a destination business.
Be creative. Offer deals or combination plans to increase interest, then promote them in your marketing.
Resolve to add "Did you know?" to your vocabulary. You know the strengths of your company but does anyone else? Get a fresh perspective on what you're doing right-then sell it! Make a list of what you do well, the awards your restaurant has won, the number of years you've been in operation, innovations you've implemented, etc.
Use the media. Anything the local newspaper or radio/TV station will broadcast about your restaurant is free advertising. Sponsor contests. When you have a winner, call in the details to the local media. Let the media know when you have a new chef, or a special anniversary. If a noteworthy person visits your restaurant, take his or her photo and ask if you can forward it to your local newspaper.
Remember: To be in the public eye, you need to be visible and doing exciting things!
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