It’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention – and the last few weeks of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic have undoubtedly proven that. Many savvy restaurant owners are already adapting to the behavioral changes exhibited by patrons. They are doing so in a way that will allow them to weather the COVID-19 storm via techniques that we can all learn a lot from moving forward.
Navigating the Impact of COVID-19: What Restaurant Business Owners Need to Know
Just because people can no longer dine in at their favorite restaurant doesn’t mean they’re not enthusiastic about the food. The fact that savvy industry professionals can adapt to this is something that has already been on display in places like Nashville, where restaurants have shifted quickly towards takeout menus and to-go orders placed conveniently online. Many Charlotte restaurants also quickly pivoted to online ordering and are enjoying great success because of it.
Many people have already exhausted their choices in terms of existing delivery restaurants during Coronavirus lockdowns, so any new restaurants entering the scene will have more chance of attracting orders than they likely would under normal circumstances.
It is very important for restaurant owners to make sure people know what services they’re offering. This is especially true for local customers who are most likely to order food online. Business owners can make use of techniques like geo-fencing to reach, engage, and convert their local audience to become their customers. Geofencing allows restaurants to target specific neighborhoods and areas in the vicinity of their location. And on top of that, using an additional layer of targeting from 3rd party data, it can look for audience profiles that are most likely to make an order from them, and allows you to reach them with a personalized message.
Restaurants can use social media advertising creatively to reach their audience via Instagram ads. These ads not only act as a way to raise awareness, but that also allow your customers to order from your establishment in a matter of minutes. Specifically, Instagram is partnering with restaurant ordering platforms like DoorDash/Caviar, Grubhub/Seamless, Uber Eats, Postmates, ChowNow, delivery.com to make both pictures and stories from local restaurants “shoppable.” You can post a picture of your latest incredible dish and users can select the “Order Food” button to instantly place an order with your establishment.
Looking Forward: The End of COVID-19 and Beyond
All of these efforts accomplish two important goals at the same time. First, they give restaurant customers easier access to a wider array of choices during the COVID-19 pandemic. This allows restaurant business owners to capitalize on a powerful new opportunity along the way.
Second, restaurant business owners are also creating an engaging new experience with their target audience – and it’s one that they can continue to embrace long after COVID-19 has ended.
As an organization, we have worked very hard to offer a cutting edge full suite of digital marketing solutions. Over the last few years, we’ve been helping restaurant business owners reach their local customers in a more effective way than ever – and we’re prepared to do the same for you, too.
So if you’re looking for an opportunity to improve sales and stay above water both during and after the Coronavirus pandemic, or if you have any additional questions you’d like to discuss with someone in a bit more detail, please don’t delay – contact Demand Local today.
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