The restaurant business is one of the fastest-growing segments globally. However, the other side of the coin is the high failure rate. To be a part of the successful statistic, the right branding and marketing strategies are also necessary.

Let’s go ahead and talk about the top 9 strategies that you can adopt for that.

Mobile-loyalty programs for your customers

Loyalty programs have been an integral part of all successful eateries. Mobile apps are now the future of loyalty programs. Make use of already successful platforms such as Belly and LevelUp to start a loyalty program. They will help grow the footfall and help your loyal customer increase their savings when they dine with you.

Social Media Marketing is essential

The most important part of F&B branding today is social media. Yelp is one of the largest and most popular internet reviewing sites.

Your restaurant may already have a review there even if you did not visit the website even once. Listen in, participate in the conversation and make an impressive profile.

Every F&B marketing plan must put in a lot of effort on Yelp and keep it updated. Your restaurant’s Yelp profile must have its correct location details, opening hours, any specials/offers that you are running and the latest menu.

Interact with both positive and negative reviews

Your social media must have a post about every press-hit that you get. If there is a physical copy, frame it at your outlet. Interact and show your gratitude to everyone who gives you a positive review.

On the other hand, when you get a negative review, ensure that you address it timely with a polite and public reply. Ensure that you thank your reviewers and make an effort to win them back such as through a meal or a gift card.

Have an updated menu available online

Menus play a key role in helping people pick a place to dine. The restaurant menu design goes a long way in helping people make this decision.

Even if you cannot find an affordable graphic designer to help you with that, try to look at free food menu design ideas online and figure out what goes best with your brand’s identity. Your latest menu must always be available online, including on your social media, sites like Yelp and your website.

Recommended post: 7 Restaurant Menu Design Secrets That Boost Sales

Picture-perfect food

One of the most important places to spend your marketing budget on is professional mouth-watering photography of your food. Share these online across all platforms.

With every picture that you post, you must try your best to make them so good that the viewer can almost taste it. Food blogging has become all the rage these days, and you could use that niche to your restaurant’s advantage for gaining more publicity.

Recommended post: 12 Tips for food photography for F&B businesses in 2020

Highlight user-generated content

To make your diners feel special, share and highlight the pictures that they take on your social media accounts. This shows how much you appreciate them. It also helps to add a personal perspective to the brand. When you share their content on your social media, do give them the credit as well.

Your restaurant’s brand identity

The key to any successful marketing strategy is knowing the target audience. Once you know your brand identity and its ideal audience, ensure that you have a strategy to reach out and interact with them. Every post must engage the people who love to eat at your place and the families that come there every weekend.

Have a partnership with delivery services

For any successful restaurant, having a delivery service is non-negotiable. You do not require a dedicated team to help you with deliveries- there are a lot of popular delivery services to help you with just that. Some of these include Eat24, Uber Eats, Delivery.com and GrubHub among others. The exact options for you may differ in the area, but you will easily find a couple of those no matter where you are.

Your staff is a part of your brand

And therefore you must not keep them limited to the kitchen or behind the bar. Make sure your employees are featured on your social media posts.

Give your customers a chance to meet the chef. These things can do wonders for your brand identity and help to create a more friendly experience.

The restaurant industry is becoming increasingly competitive and carving a niche for yourself is important to survive in it. As you work to create an unforgettable dining experience for your guests, use these 9 simple tips to define your brand and distinguish it from the best. It may be all you need to attract a larger crowd and create the buzz you want around your restaurant.