7 Budget-Friendly Restaurant Marketing Ideas to Boost Sales

The restaurant industry is sizzling hot! According to the National Restaurant Association, online food ordering grew by a staggering 17% in 2023 alone. 

But with competition fiercer than ever, simply having delicious food isn’t enough. To truly thrive, you need a strategic restaurant marketing plan. 

This blog is your one-stop shop for spicing up your restaurant’s marketing strategy, from social media mastery to local SEO domination. Get ready to turn up the heat and watch your customer base sizzle!

What is restaurant marketing?

Restaurant marketing is all about getting the word out about your restaurant and making sure people come through your doors.

It’s like telling everyone how delicious your food is, what a great atmosphere you have, and why they should choose you over other restaurants.

Is marketing for restaurants necessary?

Absolutely! Not only big restaurants but small and medium-sized restaurants (with low budgets) need marketing.
Imagine your restaurant serves mouthwatering food, but nobody knows it exists. Marketing is like putting a bright sign out front, so hungry people can easily find you and increase your sales.

Here’s how marketing helps you stand out and boost sales:

1. Bring in new customers:  Marketing lets people know you exist, especially those who might not stumble upon you by chance.  It’s like inviting everyone in town to try your delicious food!
2. Compete with bigger restaurants: Even big chains with fancy ads can’t compete with a personal touch. You can use marketing to showcase your unique atmosphere, friendly service, or maybe your signature dish – things big chains can’t replicate.
3. Turn first-timers into regulars: Marketing isn’t just about getting people through the door once. With things like loyalty programs or special offers, you can convince people to keep coming back for more.
4. Boost your online presence: In today’s world, people often search online for restaurants. Marketing helps you get listed on delivery apps and review sites, so your restaurant pops up when people search for food!

How much does restaurant marketing cost?

Well, how much you spend on your marketing depends on your restaurant size, location, and marketing channels. 

There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer. You better spend 3% to 6% of your total sales on marketing.

Bonus tips: 

• Beforehand, set clear goals and allocate a realistic budget. A clear goal helps you target the right marketing channels. 
• If you’re tight on budget, prioritize free and low-cost options that I’ll go through later. 

Restaurant marketing channels

Whether you’re running a cozy little restaurant or a bustling restaurant chain, you can explore different strategies that fall into two main categories.

Offline Marketing

• Public Relations
• Print Ads
• SMS marketing
• Local sponsorships
• TV & Radio Ads

Online Marketing

• Email marketing 
• Social media marketing 
• Search engine marketing
• Paid Google Ads
• Social media ads

How to market a restaurant?

As of 2023, there are 749,404 restaurants in the United States and 9 out of 10 restaurants are small businesses with less than 50 staff. 

But marketing a small restaurant doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. There are effective and low-budget tips.

Suggested post: Social media marketing for small business

Budget-friendly restaurant marketing strategies 

#1. Master your Google My Business listing

Google My Business is a Free online business card for your restaurant that shows up on Google Search and Google Maps whenever someone searches for restaurants in your area.

This listing provides key information about your restaurant readily available to potential customers. So, set up your Google Business Profile. Consider these points:

• Fill out all sections completely, including high-quality photos, accurate address, description, and opening hours.
• Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. Respond to all reviews, thanking positive ones and addressing concerns raised in negative reviews politely.

Bonus tips:

• Make sure to put high-quality pictures of your restaurant’s best features like mouthwatering dishes or a cozy environment.
• Keep your listing fresh by regularly updating your profile with new menu items or seasonal specials.

#2. Become a social media powerhouse

Social media is a powerful tool for small restaurants as:

• It’s free to create social media profiles,
• Social media platforms allow you to target your ideal customer base with laser focus,
• You can answer questions, address concerns, and build relationships in real-time.
  

The best practices for social media marketing for restaurants:

1. You don’t have to be everywhere! Just focus on 1-2 platforms where your target audience spends time (Facebook & Instagram are strong choices).
   
2. Post high-quality mouthwatering photos and engaging content like “behind the scenes” stories or chef tips (use your smartphone camera!).
   
3. Develop a content calendar to plan your posts in advance. Aim for a consistent posting schedule (ideally, a few times a week) to stay fresh in your audience’s mind.
4. Be engaging! Respond to comments and messages promptly, run contests or giveaways to generate excitement, and use humor and storytelling to connect with your audience on a personal level.
   
5. Utilize hashtag marketing. A mix of relevant hashtags including location-specific ones is perfect. But don’t overuse them (maybe 10-15 ones per post).

Pro tip:

If using Instagram marketing for your restaurant, rely on a professional Instagram growth service like AiGrow.

It can help overcome the challenges of creating consistent, high-quality content,  implement winning strategies like hashtag research and influencer marketing, and manage follower engagement to build a thriving online community.

With AiGrow’s expertise, you can focus on running your restaurant while they help you turn social media into a powerful marketing tool.

#3. Embrace email marketing

Email marketing is a fantastic, cost-effective way for small restaurants to connect directly with their customers and drive sales.

You can collect email addresses from customers during transactions or through a signup form on your website and send them short and sweet emails with clear calls to action. 

Here are some cool email marketing ideas for your restaurant:

1. When someone signs up for your email list, send a warm welcome email with a special offer (e.g., a discount on their first order).
2. Offer birthday subscribers a free dessert or appetizer on their special day. They’ll remember you and likely dine in for their birthday treat!
3. Feature a different dish or special menu item every Friday with a tempting photo and description, enticing subscribers to visit over the weekend.
4. Showcase your chef’s creativity by highlighting a unique dish or seasonal creation each week, along with the story behind it.
5. Do you have creative ways to utilize leftover ingredients? Feature these “chef’s specials” in an email to reduce food waste and attract budget-conscious customers.
6. Reward loyal subscribers with early access to reservations for special events, new menu launches, or limited-time promotions.

Remember;

• Keep the emails short,
• Use subscribers’ names and personalize content based on past orders or interests, 
• And ensure your emails display well on smartphones, where most people check their email.

#4. Partner with local businesses

Want to expand your reach? Partnering with relevant local businesses is a great idea. 

Brilliant ideas for restaurant partnerships

Identify complementary businesses: Identify businesses that naturally complement your restaurant:

• Coffee shops: Offer a breakfast sandwich and coffee combo. They could promote your lunch menu to their customers.
• Breweries: Feature their craft beers alongside your menu, and they could recommend your restaurant to their patrons.
• Bakeries: Partner for a dessert promotion or offer their baked goods for sale at your restaurant.
• Local farms: Highlight locally-sourced ingredients from their farm on your menu, and they could advertise your restaurant at their farmers market stall.

Co-host events: 

• Organize a “Sip & Savor” event with a local winery or brewery, featuring food pairings and tastings.
• Partner with a local artist for a “Paint & Dine” night, offering a fun and interactive experience for customers.
• Host a live music event with a local band to draw in a crowd and showcase your restaurant’s atmosphere.

#5. Leverage the Power of Word-of-mouth Marketing

Word-of-mouth marketing, aka WOMM, is the positive buzz generated by satisfied customers who recommend your restaurant to their friends, family, and online networks.

It’s essentially free advertising based on genuine experiences and trust. It’s an effective method for your small restaurant, because:

• People trust recommendations from friends and family more than traditional advertising. 
• Satisfied customers become brand ambassadors, spreading positive word-of-mouth organically through conversations and online reviews. 
• It doesn’t require a large budget. It thrives on providing excellent customer service and experiences.

Word-of-mouth marketing ideas for restaurants

These ideas might seem basic, but they’re super important for laying a strong foundation:

• Prioritize Customer Service: Train your staff to be friendly, and attentive, and go the extra mile to ensure a memorable dining experience.
• Focus on Quality and Value: Offer delicious and well-prepared food at a fair price. This keeps customers happy and coming back for more.
  
• Host Engaging Events: Organize themed nights, trivia nights, or live music to create a fun and shareable experience for customers.
  
• Respond to Reviews (Positive & Negative): Thank customers for positive reviews and address negative ones promptly and professionally. Showing you care fosters trust and encourages positive word-of-mouth.
  
• Surprise & Delight: Occasionally offer a complimentary appetizer or dessert to a customer to show appreciation. These unexpected gestures create a lasting positive impression.

#6. Optimize Your Website for Local Search

Did you know that 72% of restaurants have a website of their own? And 77% of customers visit a restaurant’s website before ordering online.

Local SEO focuses on improving your website’s ranking in search results for local searches.

When someone in your area searches for “restaurants near me” or “best Italian food,” for example, your restaurant’s website appears prominently.

Hopefully, you can create your website with low effort and budget. Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or Weebly offer user-friendly templates and tools to build a basic website

Plus, many web hosting providers offer free website templates that you can customize with your restaurant’s information and branding.

SEO marketing for restaurants: Bonus tips

1. Ensure your website displays well and is easy to navigate on smartphones. Most local searches happen on mobile devices.
   

2. Include relevant keywords in your website content that describe your restaurant, cuisine, and location.

• Research keywords people in your area might use to find restaurants (e.g., “best pizza [city name]”).
• Hey, Don’t overuse keywords! focus on providing informative and valuable content.
  

3. Make sure your restaurant’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online directories (e.g., Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific directories). Inconsistencies can hurt your local SEO ranking.

4. Craft clear and concise page titles and meta descriptions that include your target keywords. These appear in search results and entice people to click on your website.

#7. Utilize online ordering power

People are busy and love the ease of ordering food online.

Online ordering allows customers to browse your menu, customize their meals, and pay for their food electronically from the comfort of their couch. 

Delivery services like Grubhub or DoorDash then pick up the food from your restaurant and deliver it straight to the customer’s doorstep.

Best practices:

• Optimize your online menu with professional-looking pictures, concise and descriptive text for each menu item, and exclusive deals or discounts for those who order online to incentivize online purchases.

• Reward customers who order online with points or discounts specifically for online purchases.

FAQs on How to market your restaurant

Here are a few questions people usually ask about restaurant marketing:

What is the best marketing strategy for restaurants?

There’s no single “best” strategy, but a combination of strong online presence (website, social media) and offline efforts (local partnerships, word-of-mouth marketing) that prioritizes exceptional customer experience is a winning formula for most restaurants.

How can I get more people to leave reviews for my restaurant?

Simply ask! Politely request reviews from satisfied customers after their meal. Offer a small incentive (loyalty point) if your platform allows.

My restaurant is in a busy location, but not many people seem to notice it. How can I attract them?

Utilize eye-catching sidewalk signage with daily specials or enticing photos. Partner with delivery services to expand your reach. Host events with outdoor seating or music to draw attention.