Marketing is one of the most crucial tools for any business out there. If you run a restaurant and want to create a favorable brand image for your customers, you need to put in the effort to market yourself in the right way. The process of marketing is what helps in building a stable relationship with your target audience. It encourages customers to come back to your café or restaurant, time and again.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, millennials have been the prime focus in restaurant marketing. This demographic is the most sought after by many industries out there.
Who are Millennials?
To begin, who exactly are the millennials? In general, we refer to people who were born sometime between 1985 and 2000 as millennials. Their age ranges approximately from 18 to 35 years old. They were preceded by Gen X. This generation has grown up under the influence of endless advancements in the field of technology. Compared to the preceding generations (Gen X and baby boomers) millennials have entirely different habits when it comes to spending their money. So it comes of no surprise that as a restaurant, it should be your main concern to market to millennials effectively. After all, it is this group that contributes the most to profits! Read about the best ways for restaurant marketing
Most millennials are extremely comfortable with technology. Using smartphones comes naturally to them and they have an app for most activities- from basic things like hiring a cab, recording expenses to other aspects of daily life, such as exercise.
Millennials also have a much higher level of disposable income, which explains why they are willing to spend more money than their parents or grandparents would! They are active on most social media platforms too. They are expressive about their likes and dislikes. If a millennial approves of your service or food, it is quite likely that they’ll put in the effort to leave a positive review on a website such as Zomato. Of course, this goes the other way round too- give them poor service and you’ll have to deal with a bad review online.
So, if you’re wondering how you can go about with marketing specifically to these individuals, we have some tips for you:
Partner with Influencers
Instagram is one application almost every millennial has on his or her phone. Everyone spends a good chunk of their day scrolling on this app and consuming content constantly. This is where influencers come into play. These people have a huge following. Every picture they post online, as well as every video they put on their story, garners views in millions every day. So, partnering with influencers could bring you a lot of business. If you’re opening up a new outlet in town, expanding the business to another city, running a giveaway contest or simply looking to grow your business, get in touch with an influencer whose work you like. Their posts could help you market to millennials effectively.
User- Friendly Service
Millennials are always looking for a quick and simple way to carry out things. If they want to order a meal, they expect the process to be easy and rapid. If you have a website that is constantly lagging and requires a customer to fill out a million details before they can pick a dish and order it, it is likely they won’t come back to the website again. Make sure that your website and application run smoothly and require only a few clicks, instead of an elaborate food ordering process.
Experiment More
Millennials are always looking for something new and out of the blue. If you have a new dish in mind that consists of an unusual concoction, don’t be afraid to list it on the menu! This group of individuals loves giving new things a shot. The more creative and one of a kind your menu is, the better its impact will be. So, for instance, if you want to offer a drink made of lassi and strawberry, go for it! This generation loves to experiment.
Use Slang in Advertising
This group of individuals has brought about quite a few changes to the English language. We’ve all heard terms such as “TGIF”, “throwback Thursday”,” YOLO” …the list grows every single day. If you want to truly connect with your audience, it is a good idea to use their lingo. Most renowned brands make it a point to use millennial language to tailor their advertising for this demographic. It has a positive lasting impact. You can use this lingo in social media posts, offline ads on Billboards or even through SMS and weekly newsletters. Making references to pop cultures and movies that are doing the rounds is always a good idea too.
Technology Matters
Millennials are by far the most tech-savvy generation out there. As we said before, they expect a quick and easy service everywhere they go. To cater to this expectation, your restaurant needs to be equipped with the right kind of technology. For food delivery, make sure you offer real-time tracking. For an easy dining appearance, consider kiosks where customers can order on their own. Make sure you offer all modes of online payment. Your website needs to be 100% mobile-friendly too. In these ways, customers will have a more comfortable experience in your restaurant. Make sure you have an account on every social media platform- Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and so on.
Social Responsibility is Vital
Millennials have been hearing woes related to the environment since they were born. This generation has grown up learning about environmental issues like climate change, global warming, effects of plastic…you name it. So, this generation is much more socially aware. If you run a restaurant and handle your business with an ethical and sustainable approach, you need to highlight this aspect to draw more attention. Try switching to metal and bamboo straws, using eco-friendly packaging and opting only for ingredients sourced from local farmers. These are some examples to create a positive brand image in the eyes of a customer.
Create Loyalty Programmes
How do you ensure that a customer keeps coming back to your restaurant from time to time? You reward their loyalty! A loyalty program that rewards customers with points every time they visit as well as offers discounts to them is a great way to encourage customers to visit again. It makes them feel more connected with your business and ultimately leads to more profits for you.
Online Listings
The chances of a millennial visiting a café or a restaurant without doing a quick search on Google in advance is almost zero. So, you need to make sure that your restaurant is listed on all the popular websites of food aggregators out there. Websites such as Yelp and Zomato have millions of visitors every day. Having a listing for your restaurant on these platforms could help you grow your business quite a bit. Moreover, customer reviews play an important role in encouraging people to visit your restaurant for the first time. Make sure you have positive reviews on these websites.
Create a Blog for your Restaurant
Millennials tend to trust a brand that has a story to tell. They like businesses that showcase their human side. Create a blog for your restaurant where you talk about the founders and how they opened up the restaurant. If it’s a family business, talk about the growth you have experienced. If you’re introducing a new menu item, make sure you discuss the inspiration behind it. Post videos and pictures of dishes being made, events taking place and so on. Creating this kind of content helps in bringing about more trust from your customers. It also creates a more genuine and friendly image for your brand.
All in all, millennials are an extremely important demographic group when it comes to restaurant marketing. To truly catch their attention, you have to go out of your way! Do some research on millennials in your country. Figure out their likes and dislikes and modify your marketing techniques accordingly.
Good luck!