Running a Restaurant Business? The pandemic has forced a lot of businesses to close down either or adapt to the new normal. Restaurants have been struggling after months of closure, additional measures to keep up with the new normal, and restaurant management’s unique dynamics.
Restaurant owners have to make a lot of adjustments to continue being agile in these turbulent times.
Now that restrictions are slowly easing up. Restaurants are starting to reopen their doors. Some opened their dining areas and patios while the other preferred takeout and delivery. Whatever their approach, another challenging thing restaurant owners need to conquer is marketing amid this pandemic.
Running a Restaurant Business? Here are Strategies During Covid
If you are a restaurant owner, here are some restaurant marketing ideas that can help you get through this pandemic:
Migrate Online
With everyone asked to stay at home, their time online has likely increased. They spend more time using their phone and browsing their social media. It would be best to revisit your marketing plan and try to re-channel to online platforms because that is where you can reach your target market.
Focusing your marketing on social media can help you reach more audiences, especially since most orders are done online. To get your audience’s attention, you need to create compelling content. Now, what content can boost your restaurant’s marketing? Here are some suggestions:
a) Behind the Scenes
In the past, you and your diners might have been both busy with a fast-paced life. Way back, customers might love your food, but do they know your story? Now is a time to tell them some stories behind their most loved restaurant.
You can tell them a story about how and why you started your restaurant, your inspiration in starting it, and why you decided to become a restaurant owner. This will help you to continue to connect with your clients.
b) Share How You’re Coping
Your clients can relate to the struggles that you experience, and sharing to them how you are coping can help them empathize with your effort. Showing them how you are trying to deal with the times is a real and very human story; this is like sharing your heart with them.
c) Share recipes, tutorials, and live cooking shows.
Keep your audience engaged by sharing to them how you do things. You can share a simple recipe with them and teach them how to do it through a tutorial video or live cooking shows. This will help them remember how good your food is and make them want to experience the full restaurant experience once they are comfortable to do it already.
Sell Meal and Cocktail Kits
If this applies to your restaurant, you can begin to sell meal and cocktail kits and let your customers craft their restaurant-quality meals or cocktails in the comforts of their home. This way, they will enjoy the feeling of making it by themselves.
Add Donated Meals to Your Menu
Turn this challenge into an opportunity. We know that our medical and other front lines have been struggling to battle against this virus. So why not make your restaurant an instrument for people to buy them a good meal? Let this be your way to give back to the people who have been working in hazardous environments and risking their lives every day to save others.
Partner with Influencers
Influencers can help you a lot in marketing your product. One post from them can help you bring in some sales from their followers. Try to reach out to influencers on your area and strike partnerships with them. You can ask them how you can help each other during these trying times. Just be mindful because some influencers have an expensive attached to them.
Market Your Reopening
It might not be now, but it can be soon. Try to prepare for your restaurant reopening by thinking of some ideas that you can do when it already happens. It’s good to make ahead, so there will be higher chances of success when the time finally comes.
For more information, check-out this guide on NYC Restaurant Re-openings.
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