The restaurant industry is one of the largest and fastest-growing in Malaysia. With over 8,000 establishments throughout the country, you can bet that competition is tough and will only get tougher. If you want to stand out from the crowd, it’s imperative to create ways to attract new customers and continue boosting sales. There’s no better way to do this than by increasing your online presence. To help your restaurant or cloud kitchen accomplish this, we at Kitchen Connect bring you this list of the 10 best online marketing tips to help you increase sales for your F&B business.
#1. Inspire Rave Customer Reviews
In Malaysia alone, 83.2% of customers search for information about goods and services online. This means that the kind of reviews clients give your F&B business —and the number of stars your restaurant receives—can make or break your eatery. Encouraging rave reviews is critical and can only be done if you deliver top-quality food, top-notch service, and a stellar customer experience with every order. By doing so, customers will feel compelled to leave a positive online review and recommend your establishment to others.
#2. Foster a Following on Social Media
In today’s mobile-first world, social media is undeniably one of the best marketing gameplans for your restaurant to connect and build a relationship with your customers. If you consistently publish posts on your social media platforms with engaging content—such as restaurant updates, special events, promotions, and behind-the-scenes information—you’ll create a loyal following from customers who feel like they’re in your inner circle. It’s through regular and personalised communication with your customers that you’ll reap the rewards of loyalty and repeat business in the long run.
#3. Promote Promotions
Who doesn’t love a good freebie? The truth is that everyone does, and it’s why promotions are such a tried-and-true marketing strategy. A creative and well-executed promotion that gets buzz online attracts attention and encourages new customers to place food orders. Posting and promoting different types of freebies or specials is a surefire online marketing tip that is almost guaranteed to bring more traffic to your restaurant or cloud kitchen.
#4. Optimise for Online Ordering
In 2020, 6.86 million people in Malaysia used online food delivery services to order takeaway food. That’s a lot of people relying on online options to search and discover eateries with whom to place their food orders. Since figures don’t lie, it is exactly why you must optimise your restaurant or cloud kitchen’s menu for online ordering and make it as easy as possible for your customers to get your delicious food delivered to their doorsteps.
#5. Communicate with Effective Emails
An email is an old-school form of marketing communication that’s still very effective if done right. Sending out newsworthy newsletters or well-written emails is an excellent way to reach out to your restaurant or cloud kitchen’s loyal customer base. Email is a strong communication channel for providing a more in-depth look at the story behind your business, about the reasons behind specials and promotions, and for delivering noteworthy information, like if you contribute proceeds from sales to a special cause or charity.
#6. Offer Rewards
It’s safe to say that everyone loves a good freebie. Offering rewards is an effective online marketing tip to incentivise customers to become loyal diners and advocates—whether that means receiving a coupon or free meal for following your restaurant’s social channels or writing an online review. This marketing strategy not only creates a positive customer perception but also gets your restaurant or cloud kitchen repeat business.
#7. Increase Brand Awareness with Advertising
This marketing tactic requires setting aside an adequate budget, but running paid ads can certainly pay off if done correctly. Running digital ads online and on mobile is an excellent way to get the word out about your eatery or cloud kitchen and boost sales through the acquisition of new customers.
#8. Publish Informative Blogs
Blogs may not be one of the first things that spring to mind when thinking about online marketing tips to increase your restaurant’s sales in an increasingly crowded F&B sector, but publishing SEO-friendly blog posts is a proven way to rank higher in search rankings and attract more online traffic to your business’ website. A well-written and informative blog post is also an effective way to connect with customers and showcase your unique brand voice in a way that makes you more memorable as a place they’ll want to keep ordering from.
#9. Be discoverable on Google
If your restaurant or cloud kitchen doesn’t have a presence on Google, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. In Malaysia, Google claims a massive 98% share of the search engine market. So, making sure that you’re discoverable via Google’s search engine and the Google Maps function is essential. If people can easily find your business when doing a Google search and quickly get information about your menu and how to place an order, you’ll be in a much better position over competitors who are not.
#10. Explore Influencers
Influencers are an increasingly popular way to increase brand awareness and boost business. Aligning your restaurant with Malaysian influencers that have built a solid following in your local area is a great online marketing tip that is sure to help increase your recognition and reputation as a highly-regarded place to get delicious food. Having influencers taste your dishes and give rave reviews on their social media channels can propel your restaurant’s image and sales to unimaginable heights.
Start Marketing Your Restaurant Now
There you have our 10 online marketing tips to help your F&B business thrive in Malaysia. Now it’s time to evaluate each one and start implementing them into your long-term marketing strategy. Upon doing so, you will clearly see how rapidly your restaurant or cloud kitchen starts raking in orders and boosting revenue.
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