Marketing tips for small business owners

Overview

• Increasing Business• Meeting• Capture• Communicate• Encourage

Increasing Business

• Don’t let your restaurant be haunted by empty tables on slow nights.

• Learn how to engage your customers where they are with offers that pique their interests.

Engaging

• Engaging with your customer base is as easy as:• Meeting them where they are• Offering them something of interest/use• Capturing their information• Communicating with them• Encouraging them to share

Meeting Them

• To capture the attention of your customer base, you need to be where they are active.

• The majority of people find restaurants on the Internet, on their phones, and from their friends.

Meeting Them

• In order for your business to be seen, it must have a presence on the Internet.

• This means more than a website that has been optimized for the search engines. You need to include:• Directories • Social Media

Directories

• Online Directories work just like the Yellow Pages, only they are online, free, and easier to use.

• Some of the best places for your restaurant to be seen online are:• Yelp• Urbanspoon• Google Places• Foursquare (mobile only)

Social

• Directories are also often connected to Google and Facebook.

• When a user reviews your restaurant, the review may be posted onto their Facebook wall so that their friends may see it as well.

Reviews

• Optimizing your directories will help your customer understand what your restaurant can do for them, this will also help you stand out from the crowd. Use appropriate keywords.

• User reviews will tell them if you live up to your claims and are worth their time.

Offers

• Another Key point to directories is that you can set up an offer for your customers.

• Give them an incentive to visit your restaurant by using a coupon, discount or other offer such as free delivery.

Foursquare

• Using Foursquare, users can “check-in” to your business on their phone and it will tell their friends that they are visiting you.

• Foursquare is particularly beneficial because it is so powerful when it comes to offers.

• Foursquare also takes care of all of the tracking for you.

Foursquare

• With Foursquare you can set up specials for: • Someone’s first time checking in• Bringing a friend• Having X number of people check in at one time• Becoming the “Mayor” (has the most check-ins)• Checking in on a certain day, etc.

Social Media

• You can also meet your customer base on the Social Media front.

• A great way to get your customers talking about you is to talk to them first.

Facebook

• Facebook also offers a Check In Option and is a great way to set up offers and incentives for people to “like” Your page.

• You Can also set up a Lead Capture form on your Facebook page so that you can add visitors to your text/email lists.

Capture

• Now that you have their attention, capture their info so that you can communicate.

• This can be done through:• Lead Capture Forms• Having Them Scan QR Codes• Asking them to text their information to you

• Don’t forget to give them an incentive! – this is critical, you must give to get.

Communicate

• Now it’s time to communicate with your customer base so that you can ensure repeat business and referrals.

• Mailing out coupons is not your only option.• Texting• Social Media

Mobile Marketing

• 152 billion mobile text messages are sent each month.

• Text messaging is one of the most effective ways to get your business in front of your client.

Texting

• Texts are a great way to communicate with your customer base and remind them of who you are and what you have to offer them. You can have scheduled messages and broadcast messages whenever you like.

For Example

• On a slow night, you can send out a text message with an offer or special which would act as an incentive for customers to come to your restaurant and fill your tables.

• Or perhaps you are more of a daytime establishment. Try sending out a text for a lunch special at 11:15 am.

Benefits

• Sending special offers through texts is a way for your restaurant to “Go Green”. Plus messages are opened up much faster than email marketing.

• Not having to print a coupon saves your customer time and money and you don’t risk losing their business if they left the coupon at home and decide to go somewhere else.

Mobile Vs. Daily Deal

• Many restaurant Owners are using Daily Deals to try and drum up new and repeat business.

• Mobile marketing can bring the same, if not much more business and has way fewer shortcomings than a Daily Deal.

• You control the discount, the time period, no-profit sharing and you build a list of customers to market to again.

Mobile Vs. Daily Deal

• Capture their info once and market to them over and over again without expensive fees.

• Create different lists based on interest. If you have a lounge and a restaurant or lunch and dinner, let your customers sign up for whichever messages they choose.

Social Media

• After getting their attention, make sure to continue engaging your customer base via Social Media.

• Make sure that you aren’t just constantly trying to sell them something, or they will get weary of your pitch.

Social Media

• Great ways to engage via social media are:• Holding Contests• Asking for pictures of them at your place• Hosting Polls• Asking Questions• Sharing fun and useful information

Sharing

• Social Networking is a great way for happy customers to share your business with others.

• They can like your page, share it with others, post a review, etc.

Reviews

• Encourage your customer base to post reviews about your business on important directory sites so that your business is more visible.

• If you see a restaurant with 10 great reviews and another with none – which are you more likely to go to?

Encourage

• Give your customers an incentive to share your business with others and then make sure that your business is worth talking about.

• If you do see a negative review, respond to that immediately.

Recap

• Increasing Business• Meeting• Capture• Communicate• Encourage

Thank You

• For more information on a mobile marketing campaign for your business, contact us:

• Email: Commoncentsconsultingllc@gmail.com• Phone: (219)228-1372