Trying to grow your clientele for your restaurant, deli, or wholefood store? You’ve probably noticed that it’s a pretty competitive business. Everyone wants to eat and, today, we have more options than ever.
The good news is that if you already have delicious food, then half of the battle is already won. The next struggle is to tantalize the tastebuds of as many potential customers as possible.
Social media is your best friend
Social media should be a prominent part of your digital marketing strategy. Why? Because people love sharing their food on Instagram, Facebook, or even Snapchat. If you use social media with any regularity, you’ve probably teased your friends with delicious food as well.
Let’s not forget that food is a very visceral thing. Few people can resist being tantalized if they are shown a juicy burger, cheesy pizza, or impressive haute cuisine.
Links to your website from social media also count as backlinks. With the snowball effect of something going viral on social media, your chances of it becoming picked up by other publications also skyrocket.
There’s also a strong tie between social media and local SEO as many people use this medium to find businesses near them.
So, make sure you have an active social media presence on the most important platforms and encourage users to share their experiences.
Reach out to other locals
Social media is already one great way to spread the word locally about your restaurant or business. However, there are many other things you can do to be one of the first places people find from a local search.
The most important one is to make sure you have a Google listing and then make sure your directions, phone number, business hours, etc. are all kept up to date. Also, add some photos to show of your food, produce, or location.
Another thing you can do is reach out to local influencers. People still trust word-of-mouth more than any other type of advertising, making this a great source of high-quality leads. Make sure that you also feature on any local review sites or directories related to food. Yelp, TripAdvisor, or Zomato are just some examples.
Finally, try to form partnerships with local newspapers, businesses, charities, etc.
Manage your own blog
At first, it might not seem like there is any clear benefit of running a blog for a restaurant or business. However, research has shown that a blog is a must-have for any online business today:
- 70% of customers prefer to learn about a business through an article rather than an ad.
- A business with a blog receives on average 55% more website visitors and 97% more backlinks.
It’s also no secret that two of the most important search engine ranking factors are content and links. If you want some of that prime real estate on the first SERP of Google, blogging is the way to go.
If you’re wondering what to write about, do some research. Find out what you bring to the table that’s different than your competitors and focus on that. For example, if you locally source goods, you’re the first of your kind in your area, or you offer some other kind of experience. Once you start digging, and establish your place in the market, a wealth of topics will open up to you.
A blog will also be your anchor from which to launch all other types of campaigns. For example, guest posts can link to more information on specific topics on your site. The same goes for social media. It’s also a great way for other businesses or customers to find out more about you.
Start guest posting
Guest blogging has gained somewhat of a bad rap over the last couple of years. However, when done right, it’s still one of the most effective link building strategies around. One thing to keep in mind is that Google is all about great content. If you write just to score a backlink, it won’t be much use and may even get you penalized. However, if you write to provide value and it just so happens to provide a backlink, then you’re going to score.
The best thing about guest posting is that it provides many other benefits aside from building links:
- Write for and reach new audiences
- Reuse or repurpose your existing content
- Build connections and create a network
- Establish yourself as an industry authority
However, to land guest posting opportunities and get the most out of them, you should make sure that you write for relevant and high-authority publications. You also have to make sure to cater to their niche and audience. This guide by the guest posting agency Luckyposting shows how to land these types of opportunities. If it sounds like something you want to do, I recommend engaging with a guest posting service.
Fill your tables with link building
By using this relatively simple recipe for link building, you can cook up an impressive marketing strategy. Reaching out to local and online partners will also help build your brand and give it more reach.