11 Updated Restaurant Marketing Tools to Invest In

Wonder why some of your traditional marketing strategies aren’t as effective as they used to be?

It’s because the market and industry itself are constantly changing, and some of the old strategies and tools might not work anymore. So, you need to invest in modern restaurant marketing tools to keep you from being outdated.

The internet is basically a hotbed for effective modern marketing approaches and tools.

From social media management to a QR code menu ordering management system, choosing the right tools can significantly enhance your brand's visibility, engagement, and revenue. 

In this article, we’ll be exploring these for you to decide which ones you should use in upscaling your restaurant.

Why are restaurant marketing tools essential? 

Using the best marketing tools for restaurants is vital for a number of reasons. 

It may boil down to effectively connecting and interacting with the target audience but to delve more into its importance, here’s why: 

• These help restaurants reach and engage with their target audience effectively, whether through social media, email marketing, or online advertising.

• These tools enable restaurants to showcase their offerings, promote special events or promotions, and build a strong reputation around their restaurant names in a competitive market.

• Marketing tools provide valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences, allowing businesses to tailor their marketing strategies better to meet the needs and preferences of their customers.

• Streamlining marketing workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and optimizing marketing campaigns, are ultimately achievable with these marketing tools.

• It saves time and resources while maximizing the impact of your marketing efforts. 

Overall, these play a part in making a business growth plan successful. 

List of up-to-date tools to improve your restaurant marketing strategies

Social media management platforms 

Establishing social media for restaurants is a fool-proof method to boost sales, traffic, and customer loyalty. 

However, failing to post content and engage with subscribers and followers consistently is also proven to impact businesses negatively.

This is where social media management platforms come into view.

Having management tools like Hootsuite and Buffer, you’ll be able to schedule posts in advance instead of manually publishing these in real-time. 

You can plan your content calendar weeks or months in advance. This feature is particularly useful for promoting special occasions, seasonal menus, or limited-time offers, allowing your business to maintain a consistent presence on social media without the need for constant oversight. 

Online reputation management tools 

Online review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor are indispensable for your business to maintain a positive online presence and effectively manage customer feedback.  

These give you a data-centric approach when it comes to your target audience’s preferences. 

As a matter of fact, Yelp has a total of 60 million monthly mobile web visitors and over 36 million monthly desktop visitors in 2023.  

This becomes the trusted site for gathering credible local business information, photos, and review content. 

With this given information, leveraging this tool for your restaurant is an efficient way to build your presence online at the same time, foster connection with your potential customers. 

Email marketing software

Marketing through email remains one of the most effective ways to reach and engage with customers. 

Investing in email marketing platforms or software such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or SendinBlue allows you to create targeted email campaigns, automated follow-ups, and track performance metrics.

It becomes your strategic tool for creating compelling email campaigns that drive results, such as enhancing customer engagement and revenue that will foster long-term success. 

Customer relationship management (CRM) systems

A customer relationship management (CRM) system like HubSpot is designed to streamline and automate various aspects of customer engagement, including sales, marketing, and customer service. 

For example, CRM systems are efficient and using them is one of the best tips to recession-proof your restaurant and equip it from other industry setbacks.

tools for restaurants to centralize and manage customer data, including contact information, purchase history, preferences, and feedback. 

This comprehensive view of customer information enables you to understand your customers better and tailor your marketing and service accordingly. 

Digital loyalty rewards program 

You probably know that loyalty and rewards programs are excellent tools for incentivizing repeat business and fostering customer loyalty. 

But offering these digitally rather than your usual stamp cards makes it easier for customers to access and use them.

You can offer these through mobile apps where customers can download and register for the program. As they make transactions, the points they earn will reflect and can be awarded based on the total amount spent or specific items purchased. 

Another option is to use your QR code menu, which you can display on marketing materials for better accessibility.

All they need to do is scan the code using their smartphones to direct them to your menu, and it automatically displays the deals you’re offering for your valued customers. 

You can also track your patrons’ ordering history, making it easier for you to determine how much points are redeemable into a discount or cover a whole meal. 

Online ordering restaurant marketing tools

With the growing popularity of online ordering, investing in a user-friendly platform is essential for catering to modern consumer preferences.

Food menu QR code systems provide seamless online ordering solutions that can be integrated with your restaurant POS system, streamlining the ordering process for customers and staff. 

They’ll just have to navigate how to scan QR code for menu access. Once scanned, the code will link them to the digital menu page where your customers can place and pay their orders seamlessly. 

Mobile marketing apps 

Mobile marketing applications offer a suite of features tailored to restaurant owners, including location-based advertising, mobile coupons, and promotions. 

These serve as powerful tools for restaurants to engage with customers on their smartphones and can potentially drive foot traffic to their establishments. 

By leveraging these restaurant technology and tools, you can target nearby customers with personalized offers and incentives, ultimately increasing conversions and driving more customers through your doors. 

Restaurant marketing reservations 

Managing reservations efficiently is critical for maximizing seating capacity and optimizing restaurant operations. 

Reservation systems allow customers to book a table online while also providing restaurants with tools for managing waitlists, tracking covers, and optimizing seating arrangements. 

You can also use reservation data and analytics to make informed decisions to optimize staffing levels, allocate resources efficiently, and maximize revenue potential. 

Analytics and reporting restaurant marketing tools 

Data-driven insights are essential for making informed marketing decisions and measuring the success of your campaigns. 

These offer features for tracking website traffic, monitoring campaign performance, and generating custom reports tailored to specific business objectives. 

With tools like Google Analytics, you can delve deep into key metrics such as web page visits, reviews, bounce, and conversion rates to gain valuable insights into customer behavior and engagement patterns.

Influencer marketing platforms

Influencer marketing can really help amplify your restaurant’s reach and credibility by tapping social media personalities. 

Leveraging influencer platforms serve as intermediaries, connecting your business with influencers who align with their target audience and brand values. 

These platforms offer a database of personalities across various niches and demographics, allowing your restaurant to find the perfect one for your marketing goals. 

Whether through sponsored posts, reviews, or curated experiences, these people can showcase your offerings in an authentic and engaging manner that drives awareness and, ultimately, foot traffic. 

Local SEO tools

Search engine optimization (SEO) is necessary for ensuring that your restaurant appears prominently in local search results. 

Tools like BrightLocal or Moz Local can help you optimize your business’s online presence by streamlining various aspects of SEO management. 

These platforms offer features such as managing business listings across multiple online directories and platforms, ensuring the consistency and accuracy of the data. 

Additionally, they provide other features for monitoring and responding to customer reviews on all review sites, helping your business to maintain a positive online reputation. 

Using these tools effectively, you can increase your visibility in the local market, attract more customers to your establishment, and ensure business growth. 

Adding a QR code menu tool to your list to improve your marketing approaches

Some of your customers might say, “I hate QR code menus” when they encounter this high-tech ordering and payment tool. 

Though their perception of it is valid, it cannot be denied how this tiny black-and-white square can make a difference in the restaurant industry.  

Here’s why:

Enhance convenience with a digital menu QR code 

Using a digital menu QR code provides customers with an easy and contactless way to access your menu directly from their smartphones. 

This eliminates the need for physical menus, reducing paper waste and streamlining the ordering process for both customers and staff. 

Increased engagement

The best QR code for restaurant menu creation lets you link your exclusive offers and promotions in the QR code that are not available through other channels. 

By scanning it, customers can unlock special discounts, freebies, or seasonal offerings that incentivize them to visit your restaurant and make a purchase. 

Also, you can integrate your loyalty programs. You can track their points or rewards, and redeem them for special deals, thereby encouraging repeat business and building customer loyalty.

Simplified data collection and insights

QR code menus enable you to gather valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences.

By tracking QR code scans, you can gather information such as popular menu items, peak dining hours, and customer demographics, where you can curate your marketing campaigns targeting these factors. 

Provided contactless dining solutions

In light of health and safety concerns, this advanced tool provides a contactless dining solution that minimizes physical contact and reduces the risk of spreading germs. 

This demonstrates your commitment to customers' safety and enhances your business reputation for cleanliness. 

Displayed versatility and flexibility 

Food menu QR code systems are versatile and flexible depending on how these can be used for marketing purposes. 

In addition to accessing menus, QR codes can be used to promote special offers, events, and social media channels, expanding your marketing reach and driving customer engagement. 

MENU TIGER: Your All-in-one QR code menu management and marketing software provider

Integrating QR codes is one of the best marketing tools for restaurants. But looking for a provider can be quite challenging, particularly if it’s your first time using these. 

You would want to have something that is easy to use and offers multiple uses in order to maximize the tool you decide to explore. 

This is what MENU TIGER software is all about. 

It guarantees efficient and simplified overall operations to a business with straightforward navigation, making sure that first-time users can use the features to their fullest. 

Here are some of those: 

Personalized website

Create a web design for restaurants with the goal of raising its profile. 

You can incorporate your social media platforms, promotional materials, and information about your dishes.

To attract more visitors, you can improve the usability of the order processing on your website through a QR code. 

Interactive digital menu 

You can create, edit, and refine your menu at any moment with our feature-rich and user-friendly online menu builder. 

It is easy to use and navigate for any type of restaurant. 

Efficient order-taking process 

Guests can order, pay, and scan menu QR codes without having to wait in line at your counter. 

You can manage orders and link the program to your POS system from your admin panel. 

Run promotions to boost sales 

By putting up promotions and discounts, you may give your guests individualized offerings that will grow your customer base and boost orders. 

You can change and update these whenever you’d like. 

Other software integrations 

Zapier is an online operating solution that connects your services and apps. 

This Zapier integration for restaurants offers workflow automation that streamlines administrative duties.

Given that it automates your other integrations, this will provide your staff with more time and flexibility to focus on other parts of the business. 

Canva, another software integration, is a free online design tool that allows you to create, edit, and produce visual content. 

You can easily include pictures of your food and QR codes in your templates. 

Equip your business with these restaurant marketing tools and MENU TIGER

Investing in the right restaurant marketing tools not only helps you save money but ensures growth and success in this industry. 

You have to be knowledgeable enough to determine if you’ll get not the same but beyond what you’ve put in. 

Whether it is improving your social media presence, managing customer relationships more effectively, or driving more traffic, It should help you achieve your goals and stay ahead of the competition. 

That’s why MENU TIGER—a QR code menu software—is here for you. It is designed to give you necessary features that respond to the essential issues in your management and operations, all in just one tool. 

Visit the website, sign up, and go for indisputable marketing prowess. 

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