Mobile Marketing at Work: Restaurants

Mobile marketing has the power to drastically change the way small businesses engage with their customers. It is much more effective is some industries as opposed to others, based mainly on customer base and existing media platforms.

18_hbcodeplate_250x250One industry that has shown just how effective mobile marketing can be is the restaurant industry. From advertising new specials to interactive promotions with their customers, this is an industry that has given other industries a deep well of ideas to draw from.

Customer Loyalty and Incentives: Many establishments have played with the idea of “check-ins.” If a customer arrives at a location and checks-in through social media or even restaurant-specific apps, the establishment rewards the customer after a certain amount of check-ins. Similarly, some mobile apps allow customers to fill in personal information such as phone numbers and birthdays. The restaurant then sends the customer a text with a special birthday offer.

Coupons: In the last few years, restaurants have reported that digital and mobile coupons are being used much more frequently that traditional print coupons. This not only means that the establishment can save money on printing up traditional coupons, but it also means that they can be much more effective in targeting specific coupons with specific customers. With mobile surveys, you can direct offers for certain dishes that would appeal only to people that enjoy that specific dish.

Provide Convenient Timing: Want to promote Happy Hour specials five minutes before 5:00? This is a great way to swerve people that might be undecided as to where to go for after-work drinks. You can use this same tactic an hour or so before lunch to give people extra incentive to visit your restaurant rather than your competition.

Contacts: You can format your mobile marketing materials so that customers need to respond to them in order to activate them and receive the special deals. This gives you access to the names and contact information of the exact customers that are interested in your company, letting you know where to direct your marketing in the future.

What are some other ways you have seen restaurants using mobile marketing to their advantage? Is there anything other industries can take away from these mobile marketing applications?

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