Marketing Restaurant Online

What is a Mobile Marketing ?

Mobile Marketing is a process of marketing your restaurant or any business using mobile phones by which they can send messages in the text  format for coupons, offers, event notification or any information that is usefull to the customers.

Why it is more important for the restaurants today than ever before?

Today almost everybody has a cell phone or some kind of mobile device on their hand whether it is a simple mobile phone, or more sophisticated i-Phone or g-Phone with web access. It is one of the most valuable  device that people will carry with them all the time. Therefore it makes more sense for the restaurant to use the mobile phone  as a means of communication  channel to reach their potential new customers or existing loyal customers who are the hard core fans. It is more important than ever before to connect with your potential and existing on the go customers directly to provide the right product with right offer at a right time especially when there is less time and more things to be done.

One of the problem with the paper based coupon is that it is labor intensive for the customers on the go. People have to  cut it, and clip it. Most of the times it get lost before it even reaches the restaurant for redemption. That is the reason that their redemption rate is as low as one percent. Where as the redemption rate of the mobile coupons could be as high as six percent or more. The reason is, that they are digital and sent to them as a coupon as per their request readily available on their cell phone in the form of text message. Now all the office workers, university students or those American Idol crage teenagers who are always on the go don’t have to clip those coupons instead can come to the restaurant and redeem the coupon by showing the text messages on their mobile phone. The another factor that plays vital role in more redemption is that there is a tight deadline say like 24 to 48 hours before the coupon expires. It compels them to use it or else they will lose it.

Imagine a guy working at the office is on the way driving back to his home. It is almost 6 pm in the evening and will take about 45 minutes to reach his house. At 6:15 pm a restaurant nearby his restaurant sends a text coupon on his mobile phone, for buy one and get the other for half price. He remembers there is no food at the house for him and his girlfriend. Instantly he places his order on the phone. When he arrives at the restaurant the food is ready. He picks it up with out any wait. He is at home with hot food to enjoy with his girlfriend.

What it means to your customer. It means not only good food, but speedy service and convenience to them and may be little extra time to cuddle with his girlfriend. Today if a restaurant is there just trying to sell the food, then it is about time to think not only what he is selling but how he should be selling his food. In a fast paced today’s busy life, you should be  selling the food along with speed and convenience.

How can your restaurant use twitter to distribute mobile coupons?

One of the simplest thing you can do is to create a twitter account at www.twitter.com and link it to your website or blog. Twitter is another social media micro blogging tool where one can write  limited number of characters no more than 140 and send any sort of messages to your customers that is useful or valuable. That means your communication must be short and not lengthy. That is where mobile coupon comes into play. Your mobile coupon has to be short and precise, so that your customers can receive them easily and act on them fast. You can create any kind of coupons and relay them through your twitter account. First of all you will have to create twitter account for your restaurant. Once you get your account you can micro blog to send your coupons or any offers to all your loyal customers at a push of a button or click of a mouse. You could do it when it is rainy day and your restaurant traffic is low and you would like to change the traffic flow with more customers. You can micro blog with a coupon like 20% off your lunch or free soup with the purchase of combo meal and the idea is limitless. Those people who had decided to order pizza might be compelled to use their umbrella to take your great offer. By the way don’t be surprised to see more customers at your restaurant than your competitors. I am sure now you see the power of mobile marketing and more importantly the influential power over your customers to chose your restaurant and not your competitors.