Want to introduce your restaurant to new customers and drive paying patrons to your door? Postcard marketing is a low-cost way to promote your restaurant. The following lists ten ways to put your restaurant on the map with affordable postcard marketing.
1. Send EDDM postcards to targeted neighborhoods
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) postcards offer cheap postage and neighborhood level targeting that makes it easy to advertise your restaurant to likely customers. With EDDM marketing, postcards are delivered to every household in the zip codes you select. Use EDDM to promote your restaurant to:
- Residential customers in your zip code and neighboring zip codes
- Residential and business customers in your area
- Targeted neighborhoods whose residents match your best customer demographics
EDDM postcard postage rates are the most affordable you can get, so take advantage of Every Door Direct Mail to put your restaurant in every home and business in your area.
2. Entice people to try your restaurant with a special discount
Use postcards to deliver special offers that encourage people to give your restaurant a try. Ideas include:
- A percent off coupon
- A buy one, get one free entrée
- A free dessert or drink with the order of an entrée
- A no strings attached freebie for visiting your restaurant
Your postcard should feature a coupon or coupon code that makes it easy to measure response. That way, you’ll know which offers work and you can duplicate your efforts for long-term postcard marketing success.
3. Advertise special events
Send postcards that advertise your restaurant’s special events, including:
- Live music and DJs
- Seasonal parties
- Nonprofit fundraisers
- Ladies’ night out
- Dog-friendly night
Consider adding incentives such as VIP seating and drink discounts when patrons present their postcards so you can track response.
4. Mail your menu
Show off your menu on your restaurant postcards so people know you have delicious dishes they’ll love. This is a great idea for:
- Carry outs
- Pizzerias
- Restaurants that deliver
- Restaurants that offer online ordering
If you offer online ordering, add a coupon code to encourage people to give it a try. It’s a great way to not only earn new sales, but also collect email addresses for ongoing affordable marketing.
5. Showcase favorable reviews
Has your restaurant earned positive reviews? Let others know with postcard marketing. You can highlight reviews by:
- Local restaurant critics
- Local newspapers and radio stations
- Online review sites such as Yelp
- Social media reviews such as Facebook
- Email testimonials
Social proof is a powerful marketing tool. When local influencers and customers give your restaurant great ratings, others will trust their recommendations and visit your restaurant in droves.
6. Promote group services
Postcards can be a great way to advertise group services such as:
- Catering
- Group reservations
- Party rentals
- Corporate holiday party rentals
- Business luncheon services
Send postcards to targeted audiences to get the word out about your additional services. For example, if you offer corporate catering, holiday party rentals or business luncheon services, you can send postcards to local businesses.
7. Piggyback on community lifestyle and events
Find ways to make your restaurant a natural destination for your audience by piggybacking on community lifestyle and events. For example:
- Remind people you’re open after Friday night football games
- Showcase seasonal treats such as Thanksgiving dishes and holiday pies
- Tell busy parents how you can make dinner easy (and to go)
- Promote your holiday, wedding and corporate catering services to targeted audiences
Identify problems, then show customers how you can solve them: They’re hungry after the big game and you can feed them, they need to bring a dessert to Thanksgiving dinner and you have pies, they don’t have time to prepare a meal and you can do it for them, they need a place to host and cater their holiday party — you have the perfect spot!
8. Encourage email subscribers and social follows
Send postcards that motivate recipients to subscribe to your email lists and follow you on social media by:
- Offering instant discounts or freebies when they join or follow
- Promising ongoing specials exclusive to your subscribers and fans
- Providing interesting and helpful content they can use in their daily lives
Give them an instant incentive to subscribe and follow, and you can continually market to them via affordable online channels.
9. Advertise loyalty rewards cards
If you offer a loyalty rewards card, postcard marketing is a fantastic way to encourage people to join your program. Ideas include:
- An instant incentive for signing up
- Ongoing special deals exclusive to members
- Rewards based on use, such as a freebie every tenth visit
Loyalty rewards cards foster repeat business and also enable permission-based email marketing when you collect addresses.
10. Follow up
It’s no secret that repetition sells, so be sure to follow up with additional postcard marketing. Maximize your ROI with these tips:
- Schedule postcards a few weeks apart
- Try different offers and measure response
- Duplicate the most successful postcards and send them to new neighborhoods (or use them again next month or next year)
Postcard marketing is an affordable way to put your restaurant on the map, drive new customers to your door and increase sales. Get started today with discount postcard printing!
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