Finding innovative ways to attract new customers and to keep old ones doesn’t need to be expensive! The simple ideas are often the most effective. The main thing you need to invest in of course is time. Here are some quick and simple ideas you can start implementing immediately to drive footfall and repeat custom at your venue.
- Send out a member of staff to offer free samples to passers-by. It may entice people to pop in or could be a great way to gather feedback for new menu items
2. Keep an eye on the local competition – sign-up to receive their email newsletters, visit them, call them and see how your enquiry is dealt with. Check out their website for menu and pricing updates, all of which is valuable information and will ensure you remain both competitive, but also ahead of the game!
3. Look at ways in which you can offer promotions with other local businesses which have the same target customers as you
4. Create customer groups on social media – invite people to join and give them an incentive to invite their friends to join too. Let them be the first to know about exciting news such as new menus or up-coming events
5. Use videos on social media as they are a great way to give your brand a personality and introduce your team
6. Nominate your business (or get yourself nominated by someone else!) for an industry award. There is no better way to give your business some powerful PR and credibility
7. Pay attention to forgotten areas – the “shop front”, the car park, the toilets, the garden – are they all in immaculate condition? Does anything need fixing? Does your outdoor furniture need a refresh? Do they make a good impression?
8. Come up with an interesting story about your business for your local newspaper or magazine to print. Ensure you have an attention-grabbing headline!
9. Ensure your website is kept up to date – remove old news, old menus and keep it fresh and exciting
10. Ensure you are listed on all free printed and online local business directories
11. Encourage customers to leave reviews by inviting them to do so via feedback cards, email newsletters or on social media
12. Always ensure you thank customers for good feedback and address any negative feedback on public sites such as Google or Trip Advisor
13. Take every opportunity to capture customer details, particularly email addresses – so that you are able to contact them in the future. Collect via feedback cards handed out with receipts, via social media or at any events you may run
14. Keep staff happy and motivate by coming up with incentives for them for any up-selling they do
15. Staff training should always be top of the priority list-ensure they know about every dish on the menu and every promotion running. Impress your customers with only the best in customer service levels
Do you have any quick top tips for reaching out to new and current customers? If so we would love to hear all about them! Feel free to share!