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Let customers know your restaurant is open!

As the world adjusts to a new way of living, local businesses in the Washington, DC area, and across the globe, are suffering from the economic fallout of the social restrictions put in place to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

Local restaurants in DC that were able to transition to a delivery or pickup service model face a new battle of letting people know they are open and what options are available.

At the same time, they still must persuade people in their neighborhood that their restaurant is the best option when they want to order food.

The competition in DC was fierce before. Now, Washington, DC restaurants must focus marketing efforts on getting their name in front of the people looking to order right now.

To get that done, DC restaurants affected by COVID-19 can rely on a hyperlocal marketing strategy that increases exposure and entices people to not just order today, but also as restrictions change, and the restaurant industry transitions back to its new “normal”.

Is Marketing a Catch-22 for DC Restaurants Right Now?

When sales are down, it’s tempting to cut back on marketing by spending less time and money promoting your business. But stopping or doing less marketing isn’t a solution to money problems.

If you’re considering lowering or cutting your marketing budget, know this: It’s near impossible to “save” your way to profitability. When cash flow is poor, fixed costs are high, and labor makes up a large portion of your expenses, the only way to be profitable is to increase sales.

And how do you increase sales?

That’s right… with smart marketing that targets the local Washington, DC market ready to buy. If you are open and providing a service people desperately want right now, then marketing could be the one thing you can’t afford to stop investing in. When normalcy does return, you don’t want to be left behind competitors in a race to regain any potential lost revenue.

Despite recent hardships, restaurants need to keep pushing forward and realize they need to be positioned for a strong fiscal second half of 2020. That’s why we created this guide filled with hyperlocal marketing strategies, best practices, and tips that increase exposure and local awareness for Washington, DC restaurants.

UPSELLS, CROSS-SELLS, AND PROMOTIONS

If there was ever a time to focus on low-cost, high return on investment ways to boost sales, this is it. Interest in food delivery has steadily increased over the last five years with a rapid hike in the months of March and April of 2020.

Almost overnight, delivery and curbside pickup in Washington, DC went from a segment of restaurant revenue to all of a restaurant’s revenue. It stands to reason that investing in promotions around these services is going to yield a hefty return.

Curbside pickup and delivery are great opportunities to sell more to the customers already placing an order in the DC area.

TIP: Develop promotions that use upsells and cross-sells to present customers with attractive offers that increase profits on each sale.

• Would you like to upsize with this to-go order?
• Would you like to add the purchase of a $25 gift card you instantly get $5 off this entire order?
• Would you like to add a family-size dessert to your order?

Promotion Ideas

Consider offering some deals and special promotions to boost sales in the coming weeks.

Many people are at home right now, browsing for ways to feed their families without spending a lot of money or increasing their exposure to the virus.

Washington, DC restaurants have the opportunity to show support for the local community by offering support and deals that will keep money coming in.

Promotion Examples

• Daily specials or discount days (15% off Mondays, 10% off Takeout Tuesday)
• Discount days for groups (20% discount for healthcare workers, first responders, veterans, seniors, teachers)
• Meal Kits (family or single portion ingredients to make your own meals at home like pre-cut stir fry, tacos, pizza dough + toppings)
• Family-style meals with larger quantities than usual
• Free or discounted dessert with any meal purchase
• Kids eat free with any 2 entrees
• Discounted gift certificates ($50 gift card for $40)
• Free delivery or low minimums
• Buy a meal/Donate a meal
• Donations and crowd-fund drives for healthcare personnel
• Buy one, get one free offers

TIP: Promote your specials aggressively on social media and consider using Pay-Per-Click advertising to increase local awareness.

GOOGLE MY BUSINESS

The Washington, DC economy isn’t stopping. People still need goods and services, and money is still being spent. That means consumers are still relying on Google to find open businesses to buy from.

As a local DC restaurant, you need a fast, cheap, and effective way to keep your customers informed of your operations during the coronavirus crisis.

Google has stepped up to help businesses like yours by providing special Google My Business COVID-19 Updates that are prominently displayed on your GMB account when your business shows up on Google Search and Maps.

Use your GMB account to provide COVID-19 updates to your customers:

1. Add a COVID-19 update post to your profile: In your GMB menu, click on “Post” and choose the “COVID-19 update” tab and enter the information customers need to know during the crisis. Preview your post and hit “Publish.”
2. Mark the change to delivery/takeout only: Add or edit the “Dine-in,” “Takeout,” “Delivery,” and “Curbside pickup” attributes in the “Info” section of your GMB account. Find “Attributes” and click “Edit,” then scroll through and select the attributes you want to display on your business profile for searchers. Make sure you click “Apply.”
3. Update your menu: In the “Info” section of your GMB account, click on “Menu” to add or edit your menu items and then click “Apply.” If you link to an URL of your menu, select “Menu URL” to update that information instead.
4. Give customers another way to connect with you: First, you will need to download the Google My Business app and turn on messaging. Once you turn on messaging, customers will find a “Message” button on your Google My Business listing where they can message you at any time.
5. Consistently keep your hours of operation up to date: In your GMB menu, choose “Info” and click on “Special hours.” Next, click on “Add new date” and enter the opening and closing times for that day. When your done entering all your special hours, make sure you click “Apply.”

TIP: Type your restaurant’s name into Google or try searching “restaurants in Washington, DC” to see if you’re at the top of the pack. If you’re not, search engine optimization (SEO) can help you rank higher in search results where you’ll be seen by more customers looking to buy now.

SEO and WEBSITES

Your customers have reduced their travel and are staying close to home. More content is being consumed online than ever before, so this is not the time to be hidden online. Make sure your restaurant is leveraging local SEO tactics to optimize your website and online presence for “near me” and location-based searches.

TIP: Your website is working for you 24/7 to promote your restaurant. Invest in a mobile-ready, locally optimized website that is loved by both customers and Google to rank higher and increase your online visibility.

At a time when we’re all looking for familiar comforts, this gives your business a chance to provide assistance during a critical time. But as the coronavirus outbreak fades and the economy recovers, customer spending habits will stabilize.

It’s essential to do whatever is possible to keep your website updated and optimized to stay ahead of or jump in front of the competition.

SEO is a long-term strategy, so what you do today will affect your search engine rankings two or three months from now. Not doing or pausing SEO now could have a detrimental impact on your revenue when customers get back out in Washington, DC to spend money.

It’s likely other restaurants in Washington, DC have pulled back on their SEO, which makes this a perfect time to push even harder to rank higher in local search results.

DELIVERY LISTINGS and DIRECTORIES

Customers are using the internet, social media, and apps to find restaurants in Washington, DC that are open. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and think about how they would find a place to eat when so many restaurants are closed.

• Are they doing “near me” searches on Google for Thai food?
• Are they using the “recommendation” feature on Facebook?
• Are they looking for websites that list which restaurants are open in Washington, DC?
• Are they using Top Ten lists on Yelp and then visiting websites?
• Are they relying on apps like GrubHub and DoorDash for food delivery options?

Wherever your customers are looking online is where your DC restaurant needs to be listed as open and providing delivery and takeout. BONUS… links back to your website will help your SEO.

BEST PRACTICES FOR USING LISTINGS AND DIRECTORIES

• Make sure your restaurant can be found on mobile phone apps dedicated to searching for Washington, DC restaurant delivery.
• Search “Washington, DC food delivery” to find online directories and community websites where you can list your restaurant.
• Search “Washington, DC restaurants open during coronavirus” to find dedicated local listings you can request to be added to.
• Check if Washington, DC has a Facebook group for restaurants that are still open and request to add your menu and promos.

EMAIL MARKETING

Your customers count on you even more than usual during a crisis, and email is an extremely accessible vehicle to proactively communicate your messages. Announce changes in how and when you do business. Give it to them straight, so customers don’t have to hunt for the information they need.

91% of shoppers want to hear from companies they do business with via email. – (Sleeknote, 2019)

Expect that your customers and email subscribers want to know:

• Are you open?
• Have your hours, menu, or prices changed?
• How are you protecting customers and employees?
• How can they get your food in their homes?

Email marketing gives you a way to answer these questions and increase your chances of retaining customers, attracting new customers, and improving the positive image of your business.

BEST PRACTICES FOR EMAIL MARKETING:

• Give readers a name and face to put to your emails, so they think of your restaurant as a collection of humans who want the best for their customers.
• Mirror your email’s tone and messaging on all your business social media accounts.

If you’ve never had an email marketing campaign, this is the perfect opportunity to start.

PAY-PER-CLICK (PPC) ADVERTISING

With more people at home in front of their screens, it’s a great opportunity for Washington, DC restaurants to use pay-per-click marketing such as Google Ads to connect with their customers and gain a competitive advantage.

As other Washington, DC restaurants close temporarily or go offline, you have a chance to save some money within your digital marketing budget. With “stay home” restrictions in place, more people are online for longer which means ad inventory is up and cost-per-click is down. Translation: you pay less for every ad click.

If you don’t know PPC, this isn’t the time to dabble. It’s surprisingly inexpensive to find a professional to set up and manage PPC for your business. Their experience allows them to analyze the performance of your campaigns and make adjustments that ensure you get the most significant return on your investment.

Plus, you can scoop up some of the lost market share from Washington, DC restaurants that have stopped or paused their PPC campaigns.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Use social media to let customers know you are open and keep them up to date on your hours and delivery options. Social media is also an active channel for promoting your revised menu, deals, specials while engaging with customers who want to connect.

Even if you have never done the social media thing before, consider working on building a presence on Facebook. We can’t legally say that 100% of your customers are on Facebook, but the number is pretty close. And your Washington, DC restaurant needs to be seen over and over again where your customers hang out.

TIP: Double down on Facebook. A Facebook business page is easy to set up, free to maintain, gives you several free ways to market to your audience, and will help consumers find you via Google searches.

Restaurants can’t sell directly on social media, but the added exposure still helps your business get more visibility and increased awareness of your brand.

BEST PRACTICES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

1. Highlight that you are open in your social media account bios.
2. Include geotags and location hashtags in your social media posts.
3. Ask for and posts pictures of deliveries and people eating your takeout at home.
4. Reach out to local food bloggers in Washington, DC (offer a free meal for posts on their networks)
5. Host a contest or giveaway for people who share your posts or posts their own photos with the hashtags you provide
6. Create “events” on your social media accounts to promote specials
7. If open for takeout, re-post your menu once a week.
8. Make a list of 8–10 messages to post over the next few weeks. This will keep your newsfeed fresh and give customers a good reason to hear from you.

DIRECT MAIL & ON-SITE MARKETING

Direct mail is an incredibly effective way to get your restaurant in front of the Washington, DC customer base¬ and keep your delivery options top of mind.

Considering that a very large percentage of people are at home for the foreseeable future, direct mail, more than ever, should be considered as a viable marketing channel.

In the Washington, DC area and most major cities in the US, it costs about a few thousand dollars to reach tens of thousands of homes with direct mail. Considering getting space on direct mailers already going out to your local DC  neighborhood to significantly reduce how much you spend on direct mail.

Sharing the cost of printing and sending mailers increases your exposure to the same amount of homes for just a few hundred dollars.

ON-SITE MARKETING

Even when your parking lot isn’t packed with cars and the dining room isn’t full of customers, that building, that real estate is costing money. Don’t let that empty parking lot and bare windows go to waste.

Repurpose this prime real estate to let drive-by traffic know that your restaurant is open for delivery, takeout, and curbside pickup.

Make the most of it so that it speaks to every car, bus and van passing by. Post bold “open,” “delivering,” and “pickup” signs at your location. Use banners, flags, and window paint in your window or parking lot to let drive-by traffic see that you’re open for takeout.

Restaurant Marketing in Washington, DC During COVID-19 – Increasing Exposure and Local Awareness

As a Washington, DC small business, it’s time to do what you’ve always done best – adapt. Just because customers aren’t walking inside, there are still opportunities to drive traffic and boost sales.

Focus on ways to step outside the box with your marketing and compassionately offer something unique to customers as they navigate these challenging times.

Since people are encouraged to stay home at the moment, there will be more eyes online, and people will be consuming more digital marketing and watching how businesses react to the current environment.

Competitors may be stopping or pulling back on their marketing, but this is probably the most critical time to be visible, both online and offline. We have our clients’ best interests in mind and work to provide solutions to increase exposure and local awareness in the Washington, DC area while prioritizing budget spend during these uncertain times.

Contact us today to learn more about how to effectively market your restaurant and start getting more customers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]