How to Advertise for Restaurants

By Lorri Mealey, About.com Guide

See More About:

• restaurant advertising
• restaurant marketing
• opening a new restaurant
• restaurant promotions

Fill empty seats with a good restaurant advertising campaign.

Clara Natoli

Whether you are opening your first restaurant or your going into your 10th year at your existing restaurant, you still need advertising. Few restaurants have a strong enough customer following or stellar enough location, to survive without advertising. Although advertising can be expensive, there are some inexpensive (even free) ways to get the word out about your restaurant.

Advertising for a New Restaurant

New restaurants need advertising to get customers in the door. Before you begin placing newspaper ads and building a fan page on Facebook, decide who your target audience is. Are you hoping to lure in families, business people, the after hours crowd? Once you've decided who you want to attract, decide how much money you have to spend on your initial advertising campaign. Advertising for a new restaurant is not the place to be tripping over pennies. It is essential, so don't skimp on it. Don't worry though, some of the best advertising ideas are free (read below).

Advertising on a Budget

Traditional methods of advertising, such as TV, radio commercials and newspaper ads can be very expensive and may not reach your target audience. No matter if you are getting ready to open a new restaurant or if you are looking for a way to promote your existing restaurant, there are several ways to advertise on a budget, including taking advantage of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Advertising all Year Long

Your restaurant advertising and marketing tactics should change with the seasons. Here is a complete guide to restaurant advertising all year long, from the busy holidays like Valentines and Mother's Day to the slow seasons in between. Find plenty of ideas to keep business coming in all year round, including wine tastings, drink specials, and catering. You will also find advice for keeping to go menus updated and when to begin advertising for different seasons.

Restaurant Promotions Restaurant promotions are great because they can run daily or weekly, all year long. They offer the perfect opportunity to show customer appreciation and bring in some extra business at the same time. Restaurant promotions can range for a nightly happy hour to an annual customer appreciation day, with drink and dinner specials. Promotions can be traditional, such as two-for-one dinner specials or out of the ordinary, such as a name-the-microbrew beer contest. Use social networking, such as Facebook and Twitter as a free way to tell customers about your restaurant promotions.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-26