Using email marketing to promote your restaurant can seem daunting at first, but once you know what you’re doing, it’s actually quite easy. This guide gives you all the information you need to start sending out emails to your customers and prospects today, including how to find good email marketing software, how often you should be emailing and what should be in each of your emails, and other tips to help you get the most out of your email marketing efforts.

Benefits of email marketing

Email marketing can be a restaurant’s most effective way to stay in touch with customers. The benefits of email marketing are enormous and include, but are not limited to: improved sales, generating more online reservations, increased customer loyalty and brand awareness.Email Marketing is also part of Restaurant Guerilla Marketing.

Here are five ways that restaurants benefit from email marketing today: 

1. Keep branding consistent

Restaurant marketers are always looking for new and creative ways to get their name out there, but sometimes we forget that our branding materials need to be cohesive. Make sure your print materials and your website share a similar look, or you’ll turn customers off with a disjointed message. There’s no harm in collaborating with another restaurant owner on an ad campaign (it could even benefit both of you), but be careful not to make it look too much like your competitor's. In some instances you might have to go as far as changing up fonts or logo colors so they don’t overlap—especially if you’re both targeting a similar demographic!

2. Segment and personalize

The beauty of email marketing is that you can leverage it to send specific messages to different segments of your customer base. For example, if you have a new special offer or promotion, why not let your most loyal customers be among the first to know? Or if there's a problem with a product or service, reach out privately through email rather than having to deal with negative comments on review sites. It all comes down to knowing who your customers are and what they're likely interested in—and using segmentation and personalization tools can help you tailor emails accordingly.

3. Offer coupons and incentives

Although free coupons or discounts are a great way to get customers in your door, they’re also a fantastic tool to use when existing customers visit. That’s because it helps build relationships, encourage loyalty and establish you as a leader in your industry. It also shows current patrons that you value their patronage enough to offer them exclusive offers. All of these benefits help increase both new and repeat business over time.

4. Integrate with social media

Email marketing is important to restaurants because it integrates so well with social media. Tweeting about a new restaurant menu item or special deal? Encourage people to sign up for your email list and you can update them later on what's happening at your restaurant. Don’t forget that they can also use email newsletters to encourage their customers to become fans of their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter and subscribe to their Youtube channel. It's an easy way to get more exposure without having to spend extra money (or time) on advertising.

5. Pay attention to frequency

Frequency is important, especially when trying to build a long-term relationship with customers. If you’re emailing too much or not enough, people will either get tired of your messages or forget they received them in first place. Consider sending out a few emails weekly or monthly—I recommend AWeber, which sends scheduled emails automatically on a schedule of your choosing (but you can do it yourself, if you want). Be sure to read each email carefully and write unique content that’s relevant to your readers. It’s also helpful to keep track of how many recipients are opening your emails so you know what content resonates with them most.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Restaurant Email Marketing Strategy

It may seem old-fashioned, but email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to reach and engage customers. By sharing time-sensitive information, exclusive promotions and restaurant news in your email signature, you’ll be able to connect with guests on a personal level. The key to successful email marketing is planning—planning out how you’ll stay relevant, how often you’ll send emails, who should get them and what they will say. If done right, your emails can increase customer loyalty while helping drive more sales. Here are five tips every restaurant should keep in mind when creating an email marketing strategy

Email Marketing Tools for Restaurants

Personalization is key to a successful email marketing campaign, but it's often easier said than done. Most restaurant owners and managers are not web designers, and technology can be daunting for beginners. Luckily, there are tools available that can help you personalize each email without breaking a sweat—or spending an arm and a leg. Here are Four of them

1: MailChimp
2: Constant Contact
3: Emma

Conclusion

The marketing possibilities are endless, and you can keep emailing your customers forever. But in order to create a successful long-term strategy, it’s important to focus on building your list. If you do that right, and if you stick with it (it might take a while), then you’ll be able to attract new customers at almost no cost. As we’ve said before, one of the best ways to convert leads into customers is by combining social media with email marketing . They both complement each other perfectly, allowing businesses to build relationships and grow their customer base.