With an increasingly high number of Australian households spending big on dine-outs and takeaway meals, the restaurant industry is experiencing unprecedented profits.
As the number of restaurant-goers continues to rise, the competition has also intensified.
With customer expectations soaring high, the need for restauranteurs to apply innovative marketing tools to attract, engage and retain diners has become more crucial than ever. It is here that SMS marketing can get you started!
SMS Marketing and How to Leverage it for your Restaurant Business!
With higher open rates, SMS marketing is considered as one of the most powerful and proactive marketing tools. It allows restaurants, coffee shops, or bars to bring in new customers and make them keep coming back. SMS marketing offers a smooth communication channel and a wide array of options to send the right message to the right people in a relaxed and non-intrusive manner.
Here are a few things you can do to leverage the power of SMS and increase your profits:
1. SMS Alerts
An SMS alert or notification keeps your customers informed and updated about things like the ETA of food delivery, table reservations and restaurant specials. Besides, you can keep your customers posted about table openings or availability, and send a message to notify them when their table is ready!
2. Quick Reservation Reminders
A Streamlined and simplified reservation process can help you retain more diners and turn your business into a profit making machine! You can use SMS to send quick reminders to effectively reduce the no-shows. Furthermore, your diners can get an opportunity to cancel or postpone their reservations, allowing you to free up a table for another guest and avoid losing business.
3. Promotions and Offers
Since SMS enjoys a better open rate, it is one of the best tools to send out last-minute promotions and offers. Through bulk SMS campaigns, you can effectively promote special offers like Valentine’s Day dinner or Mother’s Day lunch to increase the number of orders and table bookings. Additionally, you can send an SMS with a mobile coupon to invite new customers.
Pro Tip: Use an auto-responder to send out coupons, so that your customers can get back to you!
4. SMS Loyalty Programs
While reaching out to new customers is vital, retaining loyal diners and keeping them happy has been proven to be more cost-effective. An SMS loyalty program is an excellent way to do so – You can reward your loyal customers with exclusive offers, discounts and rewards by sending them scannable barcodes to unlock the benefits of loyalty programs via SMS.
Do you have any queries about how to leverage SMS to increase your restaurant business? Feel Free to Contact SMS Solutions. We have one of the easiest to use and innovative SMS software that enables you to carry out SMS marketing. Call for no obligation quote!
