At a time when restaurants and bars are restricted from having customers in their dining rooms, many are turning to take-out and delivery as a means for maintaining some sort of revenue stream. Trying to get the word out about your updated offerings, while juggling a new business model may seem like a daunting task. However, there are some simple (and free!) things you can and should do to make it easier for customers to know you are still open for business!
Don’t Forget the Obvious:
While social media has become a go-to resource for finding information, websites and phone numbers are still king. If your hours and/or menu have changed, be sure this is updated on your website. You can even add a pop-up or banner to your home page so that visitors quickly know you’re open. If you have a recording for your phone system, be sure the after hours greeting also conveys the new operating procedures and hours.
Social Media Basics:
If you don’t have the time or the social media prowess to post regularly, at a bare minimum, do the following:
- Update your hours on Facebook in the “About” section. Also, create a post announcing your take-out/delivery options and pin this to the top of your page.
- On Facebook and Twitter, update your profile description so that guests know you’re still open for business. Much like Facebook, create a post with your latest offerings so at the very least your most recent post is current.
Yelp (for better or worse):
While most restaurants and bar owners have a love-hate relationship with Yelp, there’s no denying that many people turn to this platform to make their dining choices. Yelp has some existing resources, such as profile information, operating hours, and featured photos. They’ve also graciously added more free resources to effectively market your business during this time, such as Call to Action, Business Highlights, and Yelp Connect.
Google Places:
If you’ve claimed your business on Google, then you have access to updating the profile information that is seen in Google searches. As with the other platforms, be sure your new hours are updated on Google. Additionally, you can manage your dining options through the attributes section of your business profile. Here you can note whether you are offering take-out, delivery and/or curbside options. Google also has a news feed section where you can create posts announcing your updated hours, deals, and specials.
Let’s Connect!
Hopefully these quick resources gave you some tools to more effectively market your business during these challenging times. However, if you’d rather hand off these tasks to someone else, I can help! I have a VERY affordable restaurant marketing package right now for making sure your Google business page, Open Table Account, Yelp profile and social media profiles are where they need to be to communicate properly during COVID-19.
Don’t hesitate to reach out through the contact page or call or text me, Holly at 480-510-5307. Looking forward to chatting!