Practical Promotions for Your Restaurant

Promoting your restaurant is necessary. Even if you have good food, great service and all those good things, if people don't know you even exist, your efforts will be futile.

Some restaurant owners are afraid of promoting their restaurants thinking it will take a lot of money to do that. There are indeed very sophisticated means to get the word out about your place, but luckily there are also ways that will not rip you off a substantial amount of money. That you will get it for free would be a great thing. It is possible though.

Before dishing out any tips on practical marketing there are two things you have to think about: Your target market and your budget.

If you don't know exactly who you want to cater to, your restaurant just might be in shambles right now. Identifying who you want to eat in the restaurant is one of the questions you have to answer even before you buy a single fork or test a single recipe. If you serve fine dining and promote your products in low-class radio stations, you are just wasting money.

Your budget because promotions don't come for free. I have encountered owners who don't care about the amount for as long as it's not horrendously expensive. Honestly, I have learned how to put that in figures. But in reality, it has to be composed of digits.

The reason I asked about your target market is to match your avenues of promotions to where they will most likely be encountered or seen by your potential customers. Example, if you have family dining restaurant for middle class and up, it would be best to make promotions in upscale subdivisions, spas, private schools, jazz or easy listening stations, boutiques you can partner with, high-end malls. Where your clients might usually be.

Now for the tips:

• Exchange deals

Strike a deal with an establishment who has the same target market as yours. Agree to display each other's promotional materials for free. Make sure both your materials are in good locations. Now you say but this is free, isn't it? No, it's not because you still have to be spending for those flyers and banners. An agreement will be best just so you know the duration of the promotion and other details.

• Free tasting

Just a standee in a popular location or a great food tasting event can really, really put the spotlight on your restaurant. Specially if you are the only one in town doing it. Invite potential clients, media and local personalities. One thing though, make it more like a cocktail party so guests get the idea that it's a tasting event and not an eat-all-you-can.

• Press release

Make a good article on your place, what's to look forward to, your location and specialties. Send this to your preferred newspaper in the format they need it, whether by email or mail.This should come free but of course, pray hard the editor chooses it. Therefore, it will be great if your article becomes newsworthy or print-worthy.

• Network! Socialize!
  

I strongly suggest being a member of organizations that will be beneficial to you. Sponsor events for organizations that your target market is most likely to be a member of.

Other things you can do, once you have convinced the people to come try your restaurant, are in-store promotions. More of that in the next article!