From Fumbling to Flourishing: Fixing Common Restaurant Marketing Errors

For restaurant operators striving to cut through the noise and connect with today's diners, understanding the nuances of modern marketing and PR is crucial. It's essential for survival and growth.

Are you confident your current strategies are hitting the mark? Jessica Huang, CEO & Founder of Restaurant Marketing, understands what many restaurants are doing wrong in their efforts  and how they're missing opportunities to attract and retain customers. From underutilizing digital tools to misreading current guest preferences, she offers actionable insights on how to course-correct and achieve real results.

What are common mistakes you see restaurant operators making in their marketing efforts and how can they rebound?

Many restaurant operators tend to focus too much on the day-to-day details and on cutting costs when it comes to marketing. While it's understandable to have a budget, it's important to remember that you get what you pay for. Investing in the best possible marketing resources within your budget can lead to greater returns.

Sometimes, operators can unintentionally hinder their own growth by getting too involved in the process. While it's crucial to stay informed, stepping back and allowing experts to take charge can be key to overcoming these challenges.

To rebound, I recommend hiring a trusted marketing professional or team that understands your vision and can execute strategies that help your restaurant thrive. This will also allow the operator to concentrate on the operational and menu aspects, ensuring that both customer service and menu innovation remain exceptional and continuously evolving.

In what ways should restaurants be tapping into AI for marketing?

Restaurants should tap into AI for marketing in a few key ways. First, AI can help personalize the customer experience by analyzing data to send tailored marketing messages, recommend menu items, and create dynamic loyalty programs that keep customers coming back. It can also optimize operations by forecasting busy times, adjusting staffing levels, and managing inventory, making everything run more smoothly and cutting down on waste.

Lastly, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can handle customer service tasks like answering questions, taking reservations, and processing orders, ensuring faster and more efficient support. By focusing on these areas, restaurants can enhance their marketing efforts, improve customer satisfaction, and streamline their operations. 

What marketing messages are resonating with guests/potential guests now?

Right now, marketing messages that really resonate with restaurant guests focus on a few key themes. People are looking for authenticity and transparency, so highlighting where your ingredients come from or how food is made can go a long way. Health-conscious messages are also big—things like offering plant-based meals, gluten-free options, or low-calorie dishes are appealing to guests who want healthier choices. Convenience is huge too, especially with the continued demand for delivery and takeout, so promoting easy online ordering or contactless service hits the mark.

Guests also want an experience, not just a meal, so messages that promote unique dining events, themed nights, or a fun atmosphere can create excitement. Social responsibility is becoming more important as well, so sharing your restaurant’s sustainability efforts or community involvement can attract customers who value ethical practices. Limited-time offers and exclusive deals are effective for creating urgency and drawing people in, while loyalty programs that reward repeat customers help build long-term relationships.

By tapping into these messages, restaurants can connect with customers and stay in tune with what they really want.

What kind of marketing gets the best guest response and offers restaurant operators the most bang for their buck?

The kind of marketing that gets the best guest response really depends on the type of restaurant you're running. For single-unit or independent restaurants, word-of-mouth and local community engagement often offer the best return on investment. A focus on social media marketing, building relationships with loyal customers, and running local promotions can go a long way. Personalized experiences and responding to reviews or comments can also make a big impact on maintaining a strong, loyal customer base.

For chains or larger restaurant groups, digital marketing through email campaigns, targeted ads, and loyalty programs can help scale the reach. Offering promotions that appeal to a broad audience, like discounts or bundled deals, works well for these types of operations, especially when you have the ability to leverage data to tailor messaging. Consistency across locations and a strong brand presence across multiple platforms also play a big role in attracting and retaining guests.

The most effective marketing leverages the unique strengths of your restaurant, whether that’s a personal touch at a single location, a broad reach for a chain, or an emphasis on luxury and exclusivity for high-end dining.

Upscale dining or Michelin-star restaurants typically cater to a different kind of clientele, so marketing here should emphasize exclusivity, quality, and experience. High-end restaurants can benefit from storytelling, showcasing the craftsmanship behind the food, the expertise of the chefs, or the uniqueness of the ingredients. Social media, particularly visually-driven platforms like Instagram, works well to show off the experience and ambiance, while partnerships with influencers or food critics can add a layer of prestige. These restaurants can also focus on creating a sense of scarcity or urgency with limited reservations or special tasting events. 

In all cases, the key is aligning your marketing strategy with the type of customer you're targeting. The most effective marketing leverages the unique strengths of your restaurant, whether that’s a personal touch at a single location, a broad reach for a chain, or an emphasis on luxury and exclusivity for high-end dining. Ultimately, it's about finding the right balance between engaging with your target audience and offering value that resonates with them.

What are untapped channels for effective restaurant marketing campaigns?

There are several untapped channels for restaurant marketing that could help operators stand out and reach new audiences. One that’s still underused is TikTok. While some restaurants are starting to explore it, many haven’t fully embraced its potential. Short, creative videos showing off food, behind-the-scenes moments, or fun events can go viral and draw attention. Text message marketing is another great, yet often overlooked, tool. SMS messages have incredibly high open rates, so sending personalized offers, reminders, or promotions via text is an effective way to keep customers engaged. Micro-influencer marketing can also be a goldmine. Podcasts are another space that’s gaining traction, and sponsoring or appearing as a guest on a local or industry-specific podcast can help you reach an engaged audience. Virtual cooking classes or tasting events can engage people from home, showcasing your restaurant’s food and building excitement.

Additionally, collaborating with other local businesses for cross-promotions, like partnering with nearby coffee shops or gyms, can help broaden your reach in the community. User-generated content is another powerful tool that many restaurants don’t fully leverage, encouraging customers to share photos or videos of their experience in exchange for discounts or incentives can really help spread the word. Geofencing is an innovative way to send promotions or discounts to people when they’re nearby, driving foot traffic to your location. Email marketing can also be taken to the next level with AI personalization, sending targeted offers or event invites based on customer behavior.

Finally, getting involved in online communities or forums like Reddit or local Facebook groups allows you to engage with potential customers in a more organic way. By tapping into these channels, restaurants can attract new customers, engage with their audience in fresh ways, and build a stronger brand presence. 

While guests are responding to increased personalization, is there a danger in using data insights that might turn guests off?

Yes, there is definitely a potential downside to using data insights for personalization that can turn guests off. While personalization can make customers feel valued and understood, it’s important to strike the right balance. If the use of data feels too invasive or overly tailored, it can create a sense of discomfort or make customers feel like their privacy is being violated. For example, if you send overly specific promotions based on customer behavior that seems too "on-the-nose" like a discount for a specific dish they've ordered repeatedly, t might feel like the restaurant knows too much about them. Similarly, if you’re using data to track their movements, preferences, or habits without clear permission, it could lead to a sense of being "watched," which may drive them away.

Transparency is key in using data effectively. Letting customers know how their data is being used and offering clear opt-ins and opt-outs can help build trust. Additionally, it’s important to keep personalization subtle and relevanttoo,  many targeted messages or overly frequent communications can be off-putting. The goal is to enhance the guest experience, not overwhelm or make them feel uncomfortable.