The enjoyment of food is a universal language spoken by people across the world.
Whether you're a foodie or you just love a good meal, everyone can agree that great food brings people together.
As a result, you would think that restaurants and food makers would have an easy time marketing to consumers, but it turns out some are stumbling in the marketing department.
The problem isn't so much traditional marketing, but instead, it's digital marketing, and mobile marketing in particular.
Benefits of Mobile Marketing
With so many people using their smartphones to make dining decisions these days, it's incredibly important to have a strong mobile marketing strategy.
Think about it: potential customers are out there right now, hungry, and trying to decide where to eat. They go to their smartphones to see what options are available in the area.
Are they going to open your restaurant's app? Are they going to see a text alert about a new dish you've created? Are they going to see that they're friends are at your restaurant right now through social media?
All of the above are examples of mobile marketing, and they can be the difference between new business and losing business.
First Step
In the article, "Another Reason to Love Kansas City," the author points out that the city is known for its BBQ restaurants.
Perhaps your own restaurant is well known for a specific type of cuisine and business is good; but how do you keep your restaurant on customers' minds? Get them to sign up for alerts.
These alerts may be text messages, social media updates, or emails, but you can also create your own app.
A personalized app for your restaurant could contain location information, menu items, hours of operation, and more.
In order to drive signups and downloads, offer an incentive, such as a free appetizer or a discount on meals when ordering through the app.
Mobile is Only One Part of the Strategy
Keep in mind that you need to tie your mobile strategy in with your other marketing strategies in order to be effective.
Make sure you advertise your app on your website and social media properties, encourage sharing, and also encourage visitors to sign up for mobile alerts. On your app, provide links for users to access your social media properties and website.
In the end, you want to be able to be in front of the customer whether they are at home or on the go.