How Bars And Breweries Should Use Email Marketing

Posted by Michael Herman

How Bars And Breweries Should Use Email Marketing

Anyone who runs a brewery or a bar knows that keeping customers is becoming increasingly difficult. The era of the ‘regular’ in bars is coming to an end as customers seek the newest and most chic places to socialize. From the point of view of the brewer, it can seem like an impossible task to take on rivals who have larger distribution channels and a greater marketing budget. However, email marketing is the great equalizer. Once you know how to use email efficiently, you will be able to take customers from breweries and bars many times larger than yours.

Email Advantages

The main advantage of email marketing is of course the fact that it is extremely inexpensive. However, its main weapon is its ability to speak to a specific audience, something that more traditional forms of marketing can’t do. It enables brewers and bars to speak to a local audience as well as delivering the highest return on investment of any form of online marketing. The data generated by email marketing also allows you to make important changes to cater to your target audience.

Getting Email Addresses

The first step is to get customer details. This is surprisingly easy. A great idea is to set up a business card collection box in a visible area (the counter for example). Use an incentive such as a discount or prize to get people to fill in the cards you supply. On your website, you should also have a competition or a poll which will help you gather yet more email addresses. This is a simple way to build up a formidable subscriber list.

Now that consumers have willingly given you their email addresses, you can start that email marketing campaign. There are a huge number of services which can help you email thousands of customers for just a few dollars a month. The best services also have analytic(s) which provide you with statistics relating to the response rate of the email recipients. This data is analyzed and you alter the campaign’s emails if necessary.

Make It Count

The first rule of email marketing is to always show the recipient that there is value in opening the emails. Most people receive hundreds of emails a week so yours needs to stand out in order to be taken seriously. Whenever possible, mention special offers, discounts and other promotions to keep them interested. However, you should also make an effort to send emails that just contain items that you know will be shared such as a link to funny photos or hilarious alcohol-related stories. Always make sure these photos are tagged with your company’s name.

Once you have a customer’s email, it’s your duty to treat them properly. Don’t test their patience by sending emails every day. Only email them when you have something interesting to say. Show respect for their time and they may reward you with future business.

What Should Be Included In A Restaurant’s Email Marketing Campaign

Posted by Michael Herman

What Should Be Included In A Restaurant’s Email Marketing Campaign

Presumably you have subscriber’s lists set up and are informing them about changes to the menu, coupons and special events. Your email marketing campaign appears to be working as customers are responding and there are new subscribers each week. Is it time to rest on your laurels? Only if you want your upturn in fortunes to dissipate. No email marketing campaign is perfect so you need to continue taking a closer look and adding things that may be missing.

Add Menus

One of the biggest mistakes made by restaurants is not having their menus listed online. If someone hasn’t been to your establishment before, you need to add a menu filled with descriptions of your food that will send their taste buds tingling. You may even persuade regular customers to try something new. If you have been too busy or can’t seem to be able to track down your “web-guy” and need to get your menu online in the meantime, you can place your menu on sites like www.thegrubclub.com for free. It’s also a great idea to include professional pictures of your food in emails just to tempt the reader further.

Why Should I Visit?

You need to provide incentives to customers and give them a reason to continue subscribing. The most obvious way of doing this is by offering discounts exclusively to your subscribers. It doesn’t have to be a substantial amount but it does need to be large enough to force customers to take you up on the offer. Perhaps you could offer $10 off purchases over $40 or a free bottle of wine with a main course. Also, if you sell gift cards, be sure to mention this to your subscribers. Gift cards make excellent quick gifts but most people forget to ask for them when they’re out because the (hopefully) amazing dining experience distracts them.

It’s also extremely important that you mention your opening hours on the emails. This is especially relevant for restaurants that lack a website. A startling number of restaurants fail to add this little bit of information and as a result, lose customers who turn up on a Monday only to find the place closed. And while you’re in the business of providing information, ensure that clear directions are available for customers. Why would they bother visiting your business if they have to look long and hard for it?

There is a lot more to email marketing for your restaurant than telling everyone how great your food is. You need to show that your business is superior to all others. Make things as easy as possible for customers and they will show up in their droves, provided your food and service is up to standard of course!