Introduction for Digital Marketing Strategy for Restaurants & F&B Establishments

Having a strong digital marketing strategy is a necessity in today’s highly-competitive restaurant industry. In this article, we’ll explain how to best utilise social media and related channels to attract a growing base of digital-savvy consumers.

Why is a Digital Marketing Strategy Important?

Some people may well ask what value a digital marketing strategy holds for restaurants. Among other things, it can boost your brand recognition and help increase interest in your services. 

Improve brand awareness

The rapid onset of digitalisation, exacerbated by the global pandemic and changing mindsets, means consumers are more likely to adopt hybrid working arrangements in today’s world. Most of their interactions with restaurants therefore happen online.

As such, digital marketing for restaurants has become a need rather than a luxury. One of the many benefits of marketing on online channels is the lack of geographical and physical boundaries. You’ll be able to reach your customers, wherever they are on the island, and even outside of traditional working hours, as your online ads and social media posts are ‘always on’. Furthermore, online ads on social media sites like Meta (Facebook & Instagram) can be run continuously, driving awareness and interest. 

This gives you the potential of a much wider reach, allowing you to interact with more customers than ever before.

An Essential Checklist for Your Digital Marketing Strategy

1. Social media marketing

Social media spaces are some of the best venues for restaurant marketing. Think of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and so on.

Most restaurants use social media for customer engagement. They invite customers to interact with them and react to their post to increase the number of impressions.

Video marketing is especially good for restaurants, as it offers opportunities for showing off the visual appeal of dishes.

2. Creating a ‘Google My Business’ listing

Listing your restaurant on Google My Business (GMB) is an absolute must for restaurants. As the largest search engine in the world, Google is one of the best ways to guarantee visibility when someone looks for restaurants in their area. A GMB listing ensures your restaurant appears in local search results and on Google Maps, making it easy for potential customers to find you.

Additionally, a GMB listing allows you to collect Google Reviews from your customers. Positive reviews play a critical role in influencing potential diners' decisions, as they provide social proof of your restaurant's quality. Encouraging customers to leave reviews is a cost-effective way to build credibility and drive visits to your establishment.

With Oddle's direct integration with Google, you can take your GMB listing to the next level. Our integration enables the addition of ‘Reserve’ and ‘Order Now’ buttons directly on your listing, making it even easier for customers to take action. Diners searching for your restaurant can instantly make a reservation or place an order without leaving the Google platform, streamlining the booking and ordering process and increasing conversions. This feature helps you capture the attention of ready-to-act customers and turn online visibility into actual visits or orders.

3. Email marketing

Email marketing is a powerful digital marketing strategy for restaurants. Commonly known as Electronic Direct Mail (EDM), these emails are sent to customers who have signed up to your digital mailing list. They allow you to:

• Share the latest news about your restaurant.

• Generate interest in new or seasonal dishes.

• Drive sales through promotions and exclusive deals.

Regularly sending EDMs helps keep your brand top-of-mind, ensuring customers think of you when deciding where to dine. It's also an effective way to re-engage lapsed customers, offering tailored discounts or promotions to bring them back.

With Oddle’s Marketing Engine, email marketing becomes even more seamless and targeted. Our platform allows you to:

• Unify customer data across channels like online ordering, reservations, and loyalty programs, enabling you to send cohesive and relevant messages.

• Segment and target customers based on behaviour, preferences, and past interactions, ensuring the right message reaches the right audience.

• Automate campaigns such as welcome emails, re-engagement offers, or birthday promotions, saving you time while maximising engagement.

For example, you could target frequent diners with a promotion for a new seasonal menu or encourage first-time customers to return with a personalised discount. By leveraging Oddle’s Marketing Engine, you’ll not only streamline your email campaigns but also achieve better results with data-driven personalisation.

4. Creating a business website

Having an online presence in the form of a website is one of the first and most important steps in digital marketing for restaurants. Your website serves as the core of your search engine marketing (SEM) strategy. When potential diners search for your restaurant on Google, your website is often their first interaction with your brand. A well-designed website allows you to:

• Provide key information about your restaurant, such as operating hours, location, and menu.

• Encourage bookings and reservations.

• Showcase your dishes and special offers, engaging potential customers.

With Oddle’s Online Ordering Website, you can take your online presence to the next level. Our platform offers:

• Customisability to Your Brand: Unlike generic templates, Oddle allows you to create a highly customised website that reflects your restaurant’s unique identity, ensuring a consistent brand experience.

• SEO-Friendly Features: Oddle websites are built with SEO best practices to help your restaurant rank higher on search engines. This means more visibility for your business when customers search for terms like “best restaurants near me” or “Best Chinese food delivery.”

• Integrated Online Ordering: Drive direct sales by seamlessly integrating an online ordering system into your website. Customers can place orders with ease, boosting your revenue and reducing reliance on third-party platforms.

By combining brand customisability, SEO optimisation, and direct sales functionality, Oddle’s Online Ordering Website ensures your restaurant has a professional and effective online presence that drives traffic, reservations, and orders.

5. Driving Visibility with SEO

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an essential part of any restaurant’s digital marketing strategy, as it ensures your business gets discovered by potential customers searching online. While creating a strong website (as covered in Section 4) is the foundation, SEO takes your online visibility to the next level by making your restaurant's digital presence more prominent on search engines like Google.

Here’s how SEO enhances your restaurant's reach:

• Increases Search Rankings: By optimizing your website, social media accounts, and eShop, your restaurant is more likely to appear on the first page of Google for key searches like “best pizza near me” or “affordable cafes in Tanjong Pagar.”

• Reaches Relevant Customers: SEO targets customers actively searching for terms related to your restaurant, ensuring higher-quality traffic to your digital channels.

How to Optimise for SEO:

• Mobile-Friendly Websites: Ensure your website loads quickly and displays perfectly on smartphones, as most searches are done on mobile devices.

• Content Creation: Publish high-quality, relevant content such as blog posts about seasonal dishes, recipes, behind-the-scenes stories, or dining tips to engage both customers and search engines.

• Use Strategic Keywords: Integrate search terms like “Chinese food delivery in Singapore” naturally into your website and content to match what customers are searching for.

6. Managing Your Online Reputation

In today’s digital age, your restaurant’s online reputation can make or break its success. Online reviews on platforms like Google, TripAdvisor, and Facebook heavily influence potential diners’ decisions. Customers often rely on the star rating and number of reviews as key factors when choosing where to dine. A higher rating and more positive reviews can drive foot traffic and online orders, while negative reviews can deter potential customers.

Why Online Reputation Matters

• First Impressions Count: Your star rating and number of reviews are often the first things customers notice about your restaurant in search results.

• Trust and Credibility: A strong reputation fosters trust, encouraging more diners to visit.

• Search Rankings: Reviews and ratings also play a role in SEO, helping your restaurant rank higher on platforms like Google.

How Oddle Helps Manage Your Online Reputation

Oddle’s Survey Product takes the guesswork out of reputation management by helping restaurants:

• Collect Feedback Automatically: After every order, reservation, or loyalty program visit, Oddle can automatically send a feedback email to your guests, ensuring you capture valuable insights into their dining experience.

• Turn Fans into Advocates: Oddle helps direct your happiest customers to leave glowing Google Reviews, boosting your online presence and visibility.

• Prevent Negative Reviews: Guests who report poor experiences can be redirected to private feedback channels, giving you the opportunity to address their concerns in real time and avoid negative public reviews.

• Monitor and Respond: Oddle’s system allows you to track and respond to feedback promptly, helping you build stronger relationships with customers and address issues effectively.

Learn from Real Examples

Case studies like our review of Xiang Xiang Hunan Cuisine show how restaurants can use review strategies and digital tools to build a stellar online presence. By incentivizing Google reviews and improving customer experiences, they achieved significant visibility and growth. While not an Oddle merchant, Xiang Xiang’s journey highlights the importance of managing your online reputation effectively. For a deeper dive, check out our analysis here.

Building and maintaining a strong online reputation is essential in the competitive F&B industry. With Oddle’s tools, restaurants can take control of their reviews, enhance customer relationships, and attract new diners with ease.