5 Ways Restaurants can use SMS Marketing for a Festive Full House
With little over five weeks left until Christmas, the festive party season is about to begin. As soon as December is upon us, restaurants all over the UK will be opening their doors for what they hope will be their busiest period of the year. Although venues that cater for Christmas parties are likely to have been booked long in advance, there is still a profit to be made on selling regular tables throughout the period. Whether your customers are looking to advance book for a family meal, meet up with friends or simply eat out for a refreshing change, SMS Marketing is without a doubt a powerful tool to make sure that your business can celebrate a full house this festive season.
1. The Christmas menu
Although some customers will look no further than the Great British institution that is the Christmas Roast, others will no doubt want to choose from a wider offering that includes a range of meats and choice of dishes There will also be those who are vegetarian, vegan or have other preferences, as well as customers with specific dietary requirements. SMS Marketing is a great way to let customers have quick access to your full menu in the convenience of their palm.
Using a link shortener such as Bitly allows you to send a link to your online menu within a text message such as the following:
“We’d love you to join us at Harry’s Bistro this festive season.To see our full, mouthwatering menu visit yourlink.ly now.”
2. New for 2017
Many diners will choose to visit the same, familiar restaurant year after year. Although they may choose to always order the same dish, don’t be afraid to use SMS Marketing to let your regulars know in advance what new dishes, desserts and beverages they can find on the menu for 2017.
By letting them know before they book, you are doing them a service – and if they were looking for something different, you’ll have a chance to reach them before they start looking at your competitor’s menus.
3. A Christmas gift from us
Everybody likes to receive an unexpected gift – so why not use SMS Marketing to send a special treat to your loyal, regular customers and make sure they come back again this year. It doesn’t have to be a costly gift – the following is a simple example:
“A Christmas gift from Harry’s Bistro – free spiced coffee for two with every meal when you book a table this December”
4. Thanks for booking
When it comes to restaurants, booking by telephone is still the preferred method for many customers. However, with the cacophony of carols and crowds at one end of the line and the clattering of the kitchen at the other, it can be hard for customers to be sure that the correct date and time has been reserved.
SMS Marketing is a great solution to this perennial problem. A simple text message confirming the day and time and thanking the customer for their booking will allow them to relax, knowing that they’ve got the table when they wanted it.
Although it may be a seemingly routine and insignificant gesture for you, putting your customer’s minds at ease during this stressful time of year is a sure-fire way to earn bonus points for going above and beyond for your customers.
5. We hope you enjoyed your meal
In a world that is addicted to social media, opinions can spread like wildfire. As a result, it has never been more important to engage with your customers and ensure that they were totally satisfied with their festive meal. Take the lead and invite them to give their feedback at the earliest opportunity, and be sure to prove that they are talking to a human, not a robot by responding appropriately where relevant – and of course thank them for taking the time to participate.
Even if for some unlikely reason a customer wasn’t happy about something, addressing this proactively can help to transform it into a positive experience, helping to ensure that you maintain the reputation you have worked so hard to build.
There are many ways that restaurants can use SMS Marketing, not just for Christmas but all year round. The examples presented above are just a few ideas that you might like to try this festive season.
If you are interested in using SMS Marketing for your restaurant this festive season but are not sure where to start, our experts will be happy to help. Call us on 0800 954 5305 to get started now.
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