Old School Versus New School: Do You Struggle With Traditional Restaurant Advertising Methods?
It’s fair to say that advertising can make or break a restaurant business. The purpose of restaurant advertising is to inform, but it goes both ways – the restaurant owner should also be well informed about the advertising options available to him or her.
Let’s look at the different advertising mediums and compare their pros and cons.
Traditional Methods
Free brochures – You know what it is. Free brochures with your restaurant’s name and address and contact number are distributed in high-traffic areas, stuck in windshields and inserted in mailboxes in residential neighborhoods.
But the problem with this method is that most of the time people treat these brochures are junk. They get thrown away and your effort goes down the drain. Tell me – when was the last time you read one of these flyers?
Magazines and newspapers – Advertising via print media is effective, I’ll give it that. And, unlike free brochures, people actually read magazines and newspapers.
But the problem here, unlike free brochures, lies in the fact that print advertising isn’t free. It costs hundreds of dollars for your restaurant’s name to appear on a black and white page in the back of the morning paper. Small restaurant owners generally can’t afford this much advertising fees.
Word-of-mouth – The best form of advertisement in the business. Do it right, and you’re all set for the next cover of TIME magazine.
The problem is that it is by no means to get right the first time—or the second time, or even the third time. Bruce Springsteen said, “You can’t start a fire without a spark.” Only a select few restaurants in the world have that spark to start a unique flame that would spread quickly and generate good publicity for the restaurant.
Modern Method
The Internet – Believe me, the only thing you need to do to top all three media I mentioned earlier is to invest in online restaurant marketing.
Internet restaurant advertising is a lot cheaper than traditional marketing strategies, making it a great point-of-entry for small business owners. It’s more effective than print media and word-of-mouth combined, since you can reach out to thousands of people at all times through your restaurant website. Testimonials and review sites are also effective ways to generate positive buzz for your restaurant.
Traditional advertising methods are still worth a look at. But these days, these tough times, it doesn’t hurt to think outside the box once in a while. Ask a consultant about your potential marketing options, and weigh theirs pros and cons. Aside from a delicious menu, this one of the most significant investments you’ll be making for your restaurant business.
So make it a good one. Your success rides on how well your marketing goes.