With the current COVID-19 restriction completely changing the ways restaurants and cafes have to operate, for a business to survive, they need to pivot both their businesses and their marketing strategy. Being able to adapt to current consumer needs as well as methods to reach them has moved even further into the digital sphere. With stay at home orders, a restaurant or café has to utilise digital channels and digital marketing such as their website, social media, digital advertising, email direct marketing (EDMs), influencer outreach and digital listing sites to spread the message about offerings and key advantages.
Here are 5 tips on how to pivot and market your restaurant/café during COVID-19.
Ensure your website has the latest information on how your business is operating. From simple things such as having clearly defined operating hours to having your latest menu (which will probably differ dramatically from your standard menu) and new photos for your customers to see what your new food looks like.
If you plan on providing takeaway or delivery at this stage, your online systems need to be properly set up. Whether you setup structures to process takeaway orders, or link clearly to delivery platforms, having this setup so it’s easy for customers to access and use is crucial to obtaining orders.
During this period, the focus for using social media is to engage your audience as much as possible. This means giving them enough information to engage with you. Utilise text over photos to showcase what is happening with your business. Write captions that really highlight the advantage of the offerings and how people can support your business. Link from social media to your website to provide more information if people want it.
While finances are tight at such times, digital advertising can produce returns as you need to alert a wider audience of your modified offerings and how they can access your food. Targeted ads to the right demographics will help drive continued business during this time.
Another under utilised channel to reach your customer base is email direct marketing. By structuring clear EDMs for your database, you can transfer a lot of useful information and how customers can take actions to obtain your offerings.
We have successfully helped different restaurants and cafes pivot during this COVID-19 times and they include Copper Pot, Rumi, Bar Saracen and The Penny Drop. All the above actions and more have been implemented for these businesses to ensure they can continue operating.
If you’d like to discuss how we can help your restaurant or café during this COVID-19 times, please contact us for a free 30 minutes digital marketing strategy session.