How to Build a Brand for Your Restaurant
As you’re starting your new restaurant, creating a strong brand matters. When customers hear your name, what do you want to come to mind? What kinds of smells, sounds and emotions? Here are three ways to make sure the right people are hearing about your restaurant, and to make sure they have positive connotations with the brand.
1. Getting Your Name Out to the Right People
First and foremost, establish whom to attract. You can’t encourage everyone to try your restaurant, so narrow down those most likely to visit your business. Learn about your competitors by researching what they have to offer. What common themes link them, and make them hits within the local community?
Then you’ll start to learn more about what your core audience wants out of their restaurant experience. As you get more frequent visitors, track their customer data to see what they tend to order and how often. Smart Point of Sale systems will run automatic sales reports that tell you, in detail, what’s selling best. That way you can run promotions and tailor your menu to suit more of their preferences.
It’s not just about making sure you fit in with the community, though. You need to go where your customers go online too. Get on the social media they frequent to reach out more directly. The better you get to know your customers, the better your brand association will be in their minds.
2. How to Expose the Brand on Social Media
Since your audience already spends time on social media, connect with them there to build personal relationships. Get followers to engage with your brand by posting regularly and at optimal post times. Vary your content to keep them from getting bored; you can include videos, behind-the-scenes photos, stories of your customers enjoying their meals, and more. Also use hashtags appropriately to connect with other members of the food service industry. As you entrench yourself in the community, you’ll stay in touch with industry trends and news. That will help you establish a competitive edge.
Talk to your customers and learn what they like. Often, they’re eager to tell you directly. Utilize quizzes, polls and contests to give them a say in what you have to offer. Engaging with them shows that you appreciate their continued support. It’s also a good idea to answer DMs within a day to foster customer relationships, too.
3. Smart Marketing Techniques
Once you establish your audience and online presence, it’s time to start outwardly marketing to new customers. Email newsletters are a popular choice since they go straight to your customers’ inboxes, and many check that every day.
Find a voice so your brand shines through on every post, newsletter and message. Your marketing reflects the restaurant. It’s why you should also create a color scheme, slogan and logo that reflect your brand so they can always know it’s your verified account. You never know when a potential customer is viewing your ads for the first time, so you need to make a strong first impression every time.
