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Everything you need to know about restaurant marketing automation
How do you make sure your customers receive your marketing communications at exactly the right time? Consumers increasingly expect a more personalised experience from the businesses they interact with, so getting the right message out at the right time for your customers has never been more important.
Marketing automation is the key to knowing your customers’ every need and sending marketing communications when they are most likely to engage your customer and generate a visit or booking.
Here at Access Hospitality, we help thousands of businesses like yours choose a system which targets marketing to their customers’ needs, developing great relationships and building brand loyalty.
10 mins
Written by Jo Fontaine
Explore the concepts that underpin restaurant marketing automation
- What is restaurant marketing automation?
- How does restaurant marketing automation work?
- Why should you use marketing automation for your restaurant?
- Are there any disadvantages of restaurant marketing automation?
- How to use marketing automation in your restaurant
- What are the best solutions for restaurant marketing automation?
What is restaurant marketing automation?
Restaurant marketing automation refers to a set of professional tools which allows you to connect with your customers and encourage repeat business. Data collection and marketing activities are automated to ease the burden of carrying out these tasks manually and can play an important role in helping drive customer engagement.
Collecting data is the key to understanding the kind of service your customer expects, enticing them through the door and converting first-time visitors into repeat customers. Tools such as email marketing, SMS, social media, EPoS and an adept CRM for hospitality can all link together synergistically to power up your marketing operation.
There are several providers of tools specially designed for the hospitality industry, such as EatApp, SevenRooms and Access Acteol. Another option is adapting tools which have not been specifically designed for the industry, such as MailChimp.
How does restaurant marketing automation work?
Restaurant marketing automation works by gathering data from many sources – such as the restaurants EPoS, wi-fi, social media interaction and delivery system. This data then flows into the CRM where it can be segmented and used to inform marketing campaign activity.
The great thing about automated marketing campaigns are that you can create them, set them up and then…leave them to do their thing!
Some commonly used automated email campaigns include:
- We miss you – lapsed customer emails (customer hasn’t visited for 6+ months)
- Cancellations – Encourage customer to rebook at a different date
- Post-visit thank you and feedback collection
- Happy birthday – send a birthday discount offer (Top tip – send this one two weeks before the actual date to increase the chance they choose to celebrate in your venue)
There are so many points of interaction that are possible with the customer outside the walls of the physical restaurant. Each one is a potential opportunity to boost your brand and win customer loyalty. Managing all these requires well thought-out and easy-to-use tools, which is where Access can help.
An example story of restaurant marketing automation in practice
Consider a customer looking for somewhere for a special date. An Instagram post, scheduled to go out automatically at 9pm, just as he is scrolling and daydreaming about this date, catches his eye. He looks at the restaurant Facebook page to see what other customers are saying, and the page seems active and responsive – a good sign. He then goes online to book a table and inputs his name, email address and phone number.
Unfortunately, his partner can’t make that time but when she cancels, she automatically receives an email offering to reschedule at just the right time for both parties. She has noted on her booking form that she is allergic to fish and though she reminds the server on the night she is gratified to notice that he already has taken note of it.
Her partner logs onto the restaurant’s free wi-fi and inputs his name and email address which is then added to the customer database as a separate entry.
Both enjoy the date and decide to splash out and order their favourite wine. The next day the customer receives an aftercare email which prompts her to leave a positive review of her experience.
Later on that month, the customer receives an email to say there will be special tasting event for wines from that region hosted at the restaurant and the customer decides a repeat visit is in order.
Why should you use marketing automation for your restaurant?
1. Personalisation
Automation allows for more targeted marketing efforts, making each customer feel valued and special before and after their dining experience.
Collecting customer data allows a restaurant to create customised campaigns for different segments of the market – for instance customers who have previously visited with children could receive news about family-orientated events over the summer holidays, while diners who have previously booked in early evening slots might receive emails about a new pre-theatre menu.
An easy way to see the effect personalisation can have is to monitor how often customers are opening emails: one casual dining brand which used the Acteol CRM to design an automated email campaign saw open rates increase to 41% by applying targeted content and personalised subject lines*.
2. Timely activation
Automation can help ensure that marketing efforts are consistent and timely, which can lead to better results and higher return on investment.
Automated email campaigns that are activated by metrics such as time lapsed since last visit, or are sent automatically the day after a visit inviting the customer to submit a review, can noticeably boost engagement without additional effort.
3. Saving time through automating tasks
Automating repetitive tasks such as email campaigns and social media posts can save a lot of time for staff, allowing them to focus on connecting with the customer. While marketing is essential to the success of a restaurant, the team can be small – or perhaps just one individual – and their time needs to be used as efficiently as possible. Campaigns that run automatically can save time as well as having more impactful results.
4. Ideal for small teams and large businesses
Restaurant marketing automation is suitable for emergent companies as well as established brands, and indeed will allow smaller businesses to compete with the big players on their own terms. But as your company grows, your software can take on more. Some platforms will charge more for more volume, so that is something to be aware of, but it is telling that large operators often use the very same software as independents. More expensive software has more features and functions, so it is really a case of matching these features to your needs.
5. Customer data marketing insights
Restaurant marketing automation products mean that your marketing insights can be as fine-grained as you like. Collecting someone’s email address is just the first step in painting a picture of what your customers likes, how much money they have to spend and what will make them a loyal repeat diner.
Our hospitality CRM can help you do more with your customer data. Compare Acteol Enterprise, our CRM for 16+ sites, with Acteol SE, ideal for businesses with less than 15 sites, to see which product best suits your operation.
6. Cost saving
A restaurant’s budget can only stretch so far, and most restaurant owners would prefer to be investing in the best quality ingredients and excellent staff than spending more on marketing; and their customers would prefer that too.
The cost-saving aspect of having multiple marketing functions - such as social media scheduling, email marketing and SMS - in one place frees up budget to be invested in other priorities.
7. Flexibility
Hospitality fortunes can change with the weather – quite literally. The enhancing effect of an unexpectedly sunny day (or the urge to stay at home on a rainy one) can bring another element of unpredictability to the industry.
An automated restaurant marketing system would allow you to add in an extra reminder to guests of their reservation that evening, or run a one-off “winter warmer’ promo to tempt customers from their couches. Apply this thinking to less-than-predictable events such as a run of sporting victories and you have an agile marketing set-up able to respond to the unexpected.
Are there any disadvantages of restaurant marketing automation?
- Bringing automation on board: Automating your marketing will requires a certain level of comfort with technology and a reliable internet connection. While most restaurants now have the latter, the former will determine what level of sophistication you are looking for in restaurant marketing automation software.
- Initial set-up costs: Investing in the right tools is a big decision. You might want to get a whole suite set up at once in order to make sure it flows well together. Or you might be very happy with your current EPoS and so be looking for tools that fit with that. Although automated restaurant marketing will save money in the long run, set-up is inevitably not free so careful thought needs to be given to your requirements and your budget.
- Overreliance: Automated marketing can be so powerful and easy to use that it can be tempting to forget that you are ultimately still in charge. Campaigns need monitoring to make sure they are still effective and driving sales. There are other examples where automation must simply take a back seat. Take a negative review on a local Facebook group. While you may or may not be able to persuade an unhappy customer to return with a personal response, other potential customers can see your thoughtful, calm reply that addresses the specific issues raised, and will go a long way to offsetting any negative effects. As good as your automation set up may be, you always need to dip in to make sure you are there to give the human touch when needed.
What are the best solutions for restaurant marketing automation?
These are just a few examples of the many marketing automation tools available to restaurants. The best tools for you will depend on your budget and needs; and the key to making the most out of them is understanding how they can all work together to create the equivalent of your very own marketing team.
Customer Relationship Manager (CRM)
A simple-to-use but powerful CRM is at the heart of turning buckets of data into hospitality magic. The typical starting point is when a customer makes a direct reservation with the restaurant. Data is collected from the very first point of contact, starting off simply with a name, phone number and email address, but getting more detailed as your relationship with the customer grows.
Depending on how you design your data collection, you might record a customer’s date of birth and be able to send them a special birthday treat, in the form of a discount voucher, a few weeks before their big day.
Or perhaps your customer has informed you they are a vegetarian, so you might use this information to invite them to a one-off vegetarian supper club you are hosting.
The level of detail is really up to you and how much you think your customer wants to share. Our restaurant CRM brings all that data into one place in an easy-to-understand format so you can design just the right message.
Wi-fi
Most restaurants now have wi-fi that they can offer to share with their customers. But by asking for a few simple data points in return for using the service, you can boost data collection and capture guests who may not be booking or paying.
Electronic Point of Sale
Your EPoS is another important data collection tool, tracking spending habits as well as being another method of collecting data such as email addresses for electronic receipts.
If a customer has previously bought big-ticket items on the menu then they may the ideal candidates for an email informing them of the revamped wine list, for example.
Email marketing
Despite being the steady Eddie of online marketing, emails are still one of the most effective ways of letting your customer know what you can offer them, including promotional offers, seasonal updates or one-off events.
A friendly aftercare email can encourage a customer to leave a good review or even use good old-fashioned word-of-mouth. The ideal email marketing platform will allow you to create, send and track email campaigns carefully designed to tempt a customer to return.
Features to look out for include:
- automated workflows
- list segmentation
- easy-to-use templates
You can find out more in our article on email marketing for restaurants.
SMS marketing services
These are similar to email marketing services but sent directly as a text to a phone. This can feel more personal, especially to customers who favour their phones above all else in communication terms. It’s also an ideal way to send out a booking reminder, reducing the amount of late-to-table customers and keeping covers moving efficiently.
Social media management software
Social media is key for getting your brand out to potential customers who are still looking for exactly the right restaurant for them. A social media management tool will allow restaurants to schedule and publish social media posts, track analytics and manage multiple social media accounts from one platform.
Social media management software also includes:
- automation features to help make social media management more efficient, taking the pressure out of posting on the fly. Instead, you can take your time to craft a social media campaign over several weeks, planning important dates such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day well in advance.
- analytics tools - so you can see which time of day your posts perform best at and start posting more often at that time. A regular, consistent presence is key on social media so scheduling posts for when you will just be too busy to do it manually will keep your customer base engaged.
How to use marketing automation in your restaurant
Step 1: Define your goals
Before getting started with marketing automation, it's important to define your goals and objectives. This could be anything from increasing covers overall, to working on repeat custom, to opening up new market segments. Knowing your wider goals will help you determine which automation tools and strategies will be most effective for your restaurant.
Step 2: Gather customer data
Collect and organise data on your customers, including information such as their contact information, purchase history and preferences. This will be used to create targeted marketing campaigns and personalise communication.
Step 3: Choose the right tools
Research and compare different restaurant marketing automation tools to find the ones that best fit your needs and budget. A demo is an ideal place to start as a representative can talk you through fitting different tools together to create a seamless marketing system.
Step 4: Integrate with your electronic point of sale system
Integrate your marketing automation tools with your restaurant's EPOS to ensure that customer data is being collected effectively and then transformed into targeted campaigns that will catch a customer’s attention and put them in a marketing lifecycle to convert them into loyal guests.
Step 5: Create automation workflows
Once you have the right tools in place, create restaurant marketing automation workflows to automate repetitive tasks such as email campaigns and social media posts.
Step 6: Follow the analytics
The next step is to test and optimise your restaurant marketing automation campaigns to ensure that they are effective in achieving your goals. Use data and analytics to make adjustments as needed.
Step 7: Monitor and improve
Regularly monitor the performance of your automated campaigns and make adjustments as needed to improve results. As you collect more detailed customer data you can use these insights to fine-tune your campaigns and discard those tactics which are no longer working for you.
Step 8: Training
Train your staff on how to use the automation tools and how to interpret the data and results so they can help you make data-driven decisions.
Ready to automate?
This article has taken you through the concepts that make restaurant marketing automation effective for your business. We have covered the benefits of gathering customer data, personalisation, automating campaigns and using analytics to monitor your successes.
Our hospitality CRM, Access Acteol enables you to achieve more with your customer data including supporting automated marketing campaigns based on triggers such as customer birthdate, visit frequency and even the local weather. Our advanced audience segmentation tools mean that your automated campaigns can be highly targeted to engage your target audience.
Check out a 5-minute demo of our Acteol SE CRM system for businesses with fewer than 15 sites.
Find out more about our hospitality CRM, Acteol, and how it an help you achieve marketing automation in your restaurant
More about restaurant marketing
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