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While word of mouth is a viable and well-proven method of generating intrigue for a restaurant, but to make a buzz that is heard across you need to do more. You may have a unique selling point, a fantastic menu with delicious food, and a well-trained staff, but to attract customers you need to create hype!
To put it in marketing terms, buzz is synonymous to brand awareness, and that's what we've covered in this blog post. We've covered 6 ideas and examples of brands that have executed well, for you to get inspired by and implement today:
When given two options, customers will choose a restaurant that has a day, meal or hour specific offering. Organize Karaoke Sundays, or Thirsty Thursdays, or Women Wednesdays, the options are endless! Apart from attracting new customers, such ideas will also generate regulars!
One such example of a brand that did it well is The Bombay Canteen, capitalizing on the Sunday Drunch and adding their own twist to it. Now who wouldn't want to go for a No Rules Brunch!?
So put your thinking cap on, get creative and come up with ideas that suit your restaurant and start talking about it on your social, print and every other possible channels. Trust us, when customers see their friends' stories at your restaurant's special, they'll want to visit you right that moment. The FOMO is real!
Do you know of a celebrity that frequents or orders from your restaurant? Or even an extremely social customer who makes it a point to suggest your restaurant to their friends and family? Go the extra mile, identify moments such as their birthdays or celebrations and surprise them on a personal level with food from your restaurant!
We guarantee they'll talk about your gesture on their social media, or within their chat group circles. Also, this tells your other customers that you value each loyal patron! Pro tip; along with your food add a handwritten note, a bouquet or a small gift to add to their celebration.
Long story short, influence the influencers and when they talk about you, it amounts to free marketing!
A good deed never goes unnoticed. Pick a cause you are close to and pledge genuine support to it. Honour an individual, a group or a purpose. Extend a helping hand in their efforts or recognize them publicly. Invite your customers to join you in the efforts and propagate the message.
Apart from the good karma and the joy making a positive difference, you'll also be blessed with goodwill and strong credibility.
Check out how The Bombay Sweet Shop launched the Box of Hope to help the Covid Warriors who worked day in and day out to treat those affected by the pandemic.
You heard us right, let us explain. Invite an artist or a decor designer to showcase their work at your restaurant space. Let your guests experience their art and decor while they sip on their beverages and eat their meals. Inform your guests that the artwork, the decor, or even the cutlery they're using is for sale and available for them to purchase and take home! Apart from the artists and designers talking about your restaurant by virtue of their work being on display at your space, guests will walk in more frequently to check out what's new as well.
Also, besides the buzz you can also work our a commission deal with the artist or designer on the sales that are enabled at your restaurant!
Cinema with the best cocktails and delicious chef-cooked food? Sign us up! These will be the thoughts of your customer when they hear of a movie night event at your restaurant. And, this is just the tip of the iceberg! You can organize events of all kinds.
For example, wrap up the singletons of the town and invite them for a speed dating event or a simple mixer at your restaurant.
Want to keep it basic? Organize a children's day event where you offer day care and activities for the little ones while the elders can enjoy their mimosas.
Even better, invoke the artist in your customers and invite them to join you for a wine and art event at your restaurant.
The sky is the limit. Think of something today!
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Well, we've discussed quite a few ideas today, but as seen above they've been segmented into 5 broad ones. There are literally endless things you can do on these line with the ideas above to ensure your restaurant is the talk of the town.
Got ideas that you want to run by us? Write to marketing@hashtagloyalty.com, and we'll reply with our opinions!