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12 tips to create successful promotions in your restaurant

12 tips to create successful promotions in your restaurant

Promotions in a restaurant, bar or cafeteria are a customer magnet when used properly, at Soft Restaurant® we want to emphasize the 12 key points that you must analyze to be sure if your promotions are profitable.

1. It is not about inventing the black thread.

The first thing is to consult all the information that your work team has collected from direct contact with customers and compare that information with the reports provided by your point of sale system, with the information in your hands, you are ready to start an analysis at awareness of promotions in your restaurant.

2. The ideal dish to promote.

Now that you have a reference point, you have to evaluate the dishes to be promoted, we do not look for the best-selling dish, nor the one with the lowest output, the ideal dish for promotion is the one that has a higher profit margin and a time of minor processing, this will allow you to bear costs without directly affecting your profits.

3. Analyze what is working and work to improve it.

With your point of sale system it is easy to know which promotion is paying off and focus your efforts to make it more attractive, if it is a dish with a good profit margin, great taste and with an adequate production time, you can think about extending the promotion on different days or times, this does not mean leaving aside other promotions, on the contrary, it is about promoting or complementing the others,

4. Think about the goal of the promotion.

Every promotion must have a strategic plan, a goal or objective, get new diners, grow in social networks, build customer loyalty, publicize a new product or service, with this in mind you can design a promotion that aligns with your objectives and that allows you to fulfill them in less time, for example: if you want to retain customers, a discount card is the best option, offering rewards for their visits and achieving frequent consumption.

5. Innovation in service.

Work hand in hand with your staff to enrich the service they offer, whether by creating an active community on social networks, improving phone service or having an entertainment proposal in your restaurant, set goals with incentives that reward quality, speed in the service or by sale of a higher average ticket, you can check the performance of each collaborator in the reports offered by Soft Restaurant®.

6. This is teamwork.

After finding the right events and promotions for your restaurant, you need to clearly communicate the information with your team. The way in which you communicate to customers and request their point of view to contribute new ideas that can improve communication, you can hold meetings at the beginning of work is of great help to share strategies and report the progress made to meet your goals. 

7. Be generous on birthdays.

A very important date that you must take into account are birthdays, offer an attractive promotion, it is a strong incentive to publicize your restaurant to diners from the circle of friends of the celebrant, leave a good impression and make your restaurant the favorite for celebrate with friends and family.

8. Social responsibility is vital.

Many restaurants have had great acceptance among their diners for integrating products that allocate a percentage of the profits to a charity action, others allow paying for certain foods that are later offered to people who need them and of course, there are restaurants that assign a table where the consumption is intended for some social action, analyze if these actions go with the philosophy of your restaurant and connect with your customers with this strategy.

9. Digitally communicate your offer.

Today there are countless means to reach new customers, from social networks to specialized directories in the restaurant sector, take advantage of these means that are mostly free and share your schedules, type of food, prices, atmosphere and promotions, some have greater weight than others like google maps, facebook and your own website, but try new alternatives like opentable, tripadvisor, instagram, etc.

10. Ask for feedback.

A fundamental part of any strategy is to measure success, this can be verified through the sales of the promotional product, but it will still be reflected in the comments of your customers, take some time to review and answer the recommendations, doubts and complaints that They can share on your social networks, as well as on google maps, since many clients take these experiences as references to decide to visit your restaurant.

11. Encourage interaction on social networks

Currently sharing photographs on social networks, check in, write a review or post about the experience that the diner is living in your restaurant, is the best publicity, motivates this behavior among your customers with promotions that involve a social experience, for Example: tag your friend and enjoy our 2x1 crispy burgers.

12. Be yourself

In conclusion, the best promotion is the one that will talk about your restaurant among your customers and will continue to give reasons to come back again and again, do not demand too much, create promotions that go with the personality of your restaurant to click with your guests.

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