Restaurant Marketing: Why You Need a Newsletter

Did you know that 68 percent of your guests want to hear from your restaurant via email marketing at least once a month?

Omnichannel marketing is more important than ever before.There’s a wealth of opportunities to deepen connections with current customers and reach new ones with a variety of channels like email marketing. Sending newsletters is one of the most affordable and effective ways to build your customer base and boost restaurant sales.

Benefits of Using Email Newsletters for Restaurant Marketing

Email newsletters are excellent tools to incorporate into your overall marketing campaign. Newsletters help restaurant owners stay engaged with their customers directly in their inboxes, enhance brand recognition, and keep consumers updated on any exciting changes.

High Rates of Return with Little Risk

Developing an engaging newsletter doesn’t have to be time-consuming. With the help of templates and easy-to-use platforms, it can take as little as a few hours to create a unique newsletter that will resonate with your customer base. Plus, software programs can be extremely affordable. 

Taking those elements into consideration, you’re likely to see a high return on investment. Some studies have estimated that restaurants earn $38 for every $1 spent on email marketing campaigns.

Boosts Your Brand Awareness

The beauty of newsletters is that they get to tell your restaurant’s unique story. Utilizing a combination of gorgeous photos, dynamic videos, and brand-specific language showcases who you are as a company and allows you to promote events and specials. 

Email open rates average nearly 21 percent for restaurants, which means your unique brand has the potential to reach a large consumer pool.

Targets Loyal Customers

Establishing a loyal customer base is vital to preserving profits. Studies show that repeat customers may only represent 15 percent of overall guests, but are responsible for nearly one-third of revenue. Upping your loyal customer count could mean boosting sales even further.

What Are Some of the Best Newsletter Platforms for Restaurants?

Restaurant owners have unique needs when it comes to email marketing, so choosing the right platform and budget for your business is critical. 

Here are a few email marketing companies that are especially helpful for the foodservice industry:

1. Benchmark

Benchmark helps create custom emails, optimize target lists, and allows video integration to highlight dishes and show off restaurant space.

2. ConvertKit 

Offers three simple newsletter templates that are not only intuitive to use but designed to enhance location-based conversions, perfect for targeting nearby customers.

3. Constant Contact: 

Designed for small businesses and marketing novices, Constant Contact has over 400 customizable templates for email campaigns. Restaurant owners can use the platform's automatization tools to reach consumers looking for food and events.

4. Mailchimp

Mailchimp provides 15 different automation workflows, drag-and-drop capabilities, and optimized email content for mobile devices. They also offer their “creation wizard,” which allows users to customize emails.

Build Your Brand with Business Resources from US Foods CHEF’STORE

CHEF’STORE provides the culinary community with more than just exceptional products. We also offer our partners a wealth of business tools, from menu and website design to team training. Stop by one of our convenient nearby locations to see what we have in store for you!