Restaurants of all types and sizes can use email marketing to reach out to their clientele on a regular basis. Not only is email marketing cost effective, but it is also flexible to schedule, has the ability to be personalized, and provides restaurants with results they can see and measure. Here are some tactics restaurants can follow to optimize their email marketing strategies in an effort to increase restaurant sales.

Lasting Impact
When a restaurant sends an email, it should not just be words on the screen; it needs to be visually stimulating and exciting to create a lasting impact. Restaurants want individuals to remember their email. The headline has to be attention-getting. If the email is about a new offer, write it in the headline, “Get 40 percent off your next meal!” If someone reads that, they are going to want to know how to get it. Keep the copy short and to the point – use bullet points if need be.

Relevant
It is extremely important to keep the information relevant. Fact – people don’t have long attention spans and they don’t have time to read over things that are of no importance to them. For example, if your restaurant is having new summer specials, send out information about it in May, not in July when summer is almost halfway over. To keep items relevant, ask for some information from the customer, like their birthday and their location. If you own a chain restaurant and the one in San Antonio, Texas is having a special deal for Alamo Day, don’t send that email to other customers around the US as it is not relevant to them.

Provide Value
The recipient of your email is looking for value. They do not want to simply read a general update of your restaurant – they want to know about events, discounts, and great promotions. In one email, a restaurant could provide discounts for a meal and tell recipients to stay tuned for new dishes and promotions. It is not so much to let people know about the new promotions or deals but let them know how it can benefit them. Maybe the new food options being introduced are healthier meals – let them know what the healthier options are and why they should come try them.

Beware of Email Frequency
No one likes to be inundated with daily emails from a restaurant. They are very likely to label those emails as “spam” and not check them anymore. At the same time, however, they do not want to wait months before finding out the next promotion. Email frequency needs to be gauged to ensure just the right impact. The best rule of thumb is to send customers emails at a regular interval but not so much that they will seek to take their name off the email list – for restaurants this seems to be 1-2/month or even weekly for certain concepts.

Include Social Media
Do not forget to mention in all emails that recipients can check out the restaurant on different social networking websites, including Facebook and Twitter. By becoming a Facebook friend of Twitter follower, individuals are provided with additional information about the restaurant and it will further deepen the relationship. As well, it is another great way to promote!

Be Smart Phone / Mobile Friendly
As more individuals are on the go, they check their emails on their mobile smart phone devices, including iPhone, Blackberry, and Android. Restaurants must ensure their emails are mobile friendly. Many traditional email formats do not translate well to the small screens of mobile devices. While the email must always maintain a sense of appeal, it must also be legible so it can be properly displayed on all screens. Furthermore, if the restaurant places any links into the email, these links must also be mobile friendly. The worst thing to happen is to send links that cannot be opened on mobile devices.

Include the Opt-in Link in Every Email
Most people think why should they put the opt-in link for those who have already subscribed to the restaurant’s emails. It might seem silly but there is some common sense behind this tactic. Customers will forward restaurant emails to their friends who they think would be interested in the news you are sending, whether it is about new items on the menu or a new promotional deal. These people may not be subscribed to your email. After they read the content and see the offer, they may want to subscribe to the email as well. A great place to include the opt-in link would be a “P.S” at the bottom.

Email marketing has great potential to provide restaurants with fast response. It is an opportunistic medium that allows restaurants to directly engage their customers. When executed correctly, email marketing can net restaurants increased profits and a solid return on investment.
(Source: Jaime Oikle is the Owner of RestaurantWebGuy.com and RunningRestaurants.com, a comprehensive web site for restaurant owners & managers filled with marketing, operations & service tips to help restaurants profit and succeed.)

1)  Keep it Relevant
Above all, your newsletter should be relevant to your customers. It should include information they want to know, for example, if you are changing your hours or days of operation, if you have a new executive chef or wine director, or if you are supporting a major charity to fight hunger or obesity.

2)  Communicate Regularly
Determine the frequency of your newsletter. If your restaurant regularly offers special dinners, events or fundraisers, then a monthly newsletter may be appropriate. If your menu changes every season, consider a quarterly e-newsletter. If your menu is fairly fixed, then a spring/summer and winter/fall newsletter may be most appropriate. Don’t go overboard and send out a newsletter every week. Your customers will get bored and tune out quickly. What’s more, their Internet service providers may think that you are sending spam to their email accounts.

3)  Keep it Scannable
People don’t read email carefully; they scan quickly to get the gist of your messages, then they move on. If you write a long essay, your newsletter will get ignored or deleted. Use short sentences. Like this. It works. You’re still reading.

4)  Break it Up
Keep your messages clean and readers will respond. Avoid heavy designs or long blocks of text. Headlines, color blocks, and images help draw the eye through the message. Use dividers to separate sections. Include white space between stories. In addition, try to avoid large image files that clog people’s mailboxes and prevent them from receiving your message.

5)  Light Up the Links
Label all links with underlines or use buttons. Add action verbs near each link, like “learn more” or “visit our site”. Don’t assume that people will know that images are links — put buttons and text on top of photos.

6)  How Do I Get On the List?
It’s amazing how many emails don’t include instructions on how to subscribe to the list. This is a fundamental mistake. Your emails are your #1 viral promoter. Don’t expect anyone to go to your site looking for the sign-up page. Every email, every time, should have clear and simple instructions on how to subscribe. Readers instinctively look at the footer for subscribe instructions. You lose them if it’s missing.

7)  Who Are You?
Regardless of what’s in the main body of your e-newsletter, you should use the footer to tell your background story. Every message should include an “About Our Restaurant” section, along with “About this Newsletter” and links to the main sections of your website. It won’t get read every time, but the message will sink in.

8)  Offer an Offline Incentive
Tired of getting false data in response to forms? Too many 123 Main Streets in your database? Try offering an incentive that has to be sent in the postal mail, such as a coupon offer for a free dessert or glass of wine. People will cough up the most protected private data for the simplest reason. And it’ll be accurate if they want to receive the coupon in the mail.

9)  Tell Them To
If you want people to forward your email — just ask. Add text and buttons that say “forward to a friend” in multiple places. Readers respond to these reminders. A little encouragement goes a long way.

10)  Make It Easy
Your tell-a-friend form should be as painless as possible. Every step you remove increases the chances that forwards will happen. Fill in the forwarder’s email address automatically. Provide suggested text that the forwarder can edit. Use separate boxes for 5-10 friends’ names (a single big box gets fewer forwards). And be absolutely sure to include a big mention of your privacy policy.

1. Create community. Remember patrons’ names, highlight your part of town, create events, set up a bulletin board where people can put personal photographs.

2. Offer free wi-fi. It encourages people to stay longer and make your eatery their “third-place”, and also shows reciprocity, as you are giving them something without expecting anything in return.

3. Be purveyors of “fresh” and “quality.” Emphasize aromas and the visual process of preparing food. It can be as simple as displaying a colorful basket of produce.

4. Establish strategic partnerships with key artisans on a regional basis. Look for products or brands that reflect your target customer’s idea of small purveyors.

5. Work diligently to ensure a consistent yet local and unique experience. Repeat efforts at least once a quarter, as the customer has a three-month memory.

6. Nurture brand evangelists by caring for them and fostering expertise. Invite local opinion leaders to a party or
event at your restaurant.

7. Give back. Support a local philanthropy or deserving individual, and don’t be afraid to toot your own horn.

(Source: kyra.com)