There is a severe competition in the food business, with more efficient ways for customers to order food and a wide variety of choices. Thus, restaurants should optimize on the latest technology to stand out in the market. Restaurants of all sizes are investing in their communication strategies and this the best time to get ahead.
 

The utility of SMS marketing is paramount in the restaurant business. In this post, we’ll cover 8 ideas for your restaurant SMS marketing campaigns. But first, let us understand the best practices of SMS marketing.
 

Best Practices – SMS Marketing
 

• Ensure that your SMS content is relevant to your target audience
• Maintain a 160-character text limit
•  Best results come from a personalized messaging strategy
• Consider time zone, demographics and user behaviour at all times
• Enable easy access for your customers to your restaurant support desk
• Use short-code like “FOOD” to generate more responses from your target customers.
   

Now that you have a basic idea of what you should include in your SMS, let’s dive into a few effective ideas for SMS marketing. It is important to realize that SMS marketing services offer automation, personalization, centralized access to data and bulk SMS features to reach more people and manage responses effectively. As a restaurant, you can make the most of these features by getting in touch with your SMS marketing service provider.
 

8 smart ideas for restaurant SMS marketing
 

1. Build your customer database
   SMS marketing offers the ability to collect vast sums of customer data. This data can be used for marketing and sales purposes in the future. However, when you are building your customer database, ensure that you generate leads through opt-in SMS’s which gather the consent of users to receive communications from your restaurant. Additionally, this practice also boosts your credibility among customers.
    

2. Generate leads to your social media
   You can use SMS texts to link back to your social media channels in exchange for goodies or discounts from your restaurant. That way, you get a chance to build a relationship with your customers by delivering high-quality content that would otherwise be impossible.
    

3. Print SMS short codes on your bills
   Another effective way to get people to contact your restaurant is to use your SMS short codes printed on the bills. That way, when customers see the short code, they are prompted to make calls and try your food for the second time. That’s because your SMS would offer them a lot of exciting offers and tasty options on the menu.
    

4. Open invitation to join lunch/dinner
   One of the smartest ways to use SMS marketing service is to extend open invitations on your restaurant opening day, or during special occasions, asking customers to drop by for a special lunch/dinner. This practice creates a buzz around your restaurant, and promotes your unique menu to a wider audience in town.
    

5. Special menu promotion
   Days that you have a special delicacy on the menu, is the best time to promote your restaurant. A great idea is to send some delightful news to customers using an SMS. When your food is the catch, customers will flock in, or call up for orders.
    

6. Nurturing existing customers
   While you have a lot of valuable customer data from SMS marketing, you must employ it wisely. Send personalized messages with discounts, offers and coupons to existing customers can help your branding strategy. More people will be interested in your restaurant when you show them that they are special.
    

7. Continuously update your customer database
   SMS marketing is also about compliance and as part of your commitment to customers, you have to filter between opt-ins and opt-outs. Constantly study the opt-in rate and opt-out rate of customers to tweak your marketing efforts accordingly. By maintaining an updated customer database, your restaurant will have an effective way to communicate with loyal customers.
    

8. Maintain a consistent approach & reasonable SMS frequency
    

   Ensure that your SMS marketing does not disturb customers all-throughout the day. Your restaurant may be looking for business, but you cannot afford to irritate customers with messages. Keep it to 2-3 SMS per week and be sure to add a clear call-to-action with a coupon or special offer for them to bite into.
    

If you liked these ideas, stay tuned for more about cloud technologies and SMS marketing. And if you’re looking to market your business with a dedicated SMS gateway, iKontel can help you reach your goals. Enquire about our expert SMS marketing services today.