10 Perfect Mother's Day Marketing Ideas For The Restaurateur

Although Mother's Day is not a federal holiday we feel like everyone should celebrate that special woman.  The woman who took care of you or who takes care of your little ones.  The one who deserves appreciation for all the different job roles she may need to be that day.  This Holiday is for the Mothers, mother figures, including grandmothers, great-grandmothers, stepmothers, and foster mothers.  If someone could relate to what a restauranteur needs do in one day it would be someone who has fulfilled this roll and knows that 'multitasking' is an understatement.

From the United States Census Bureau - There is approximately 85.4 million mother's in the United States!  That is a lot of marketing opportunity, so get ahead of the curve and make sure people remember to come and spend it with you.

Now let's talk about the top 10 ways to market your establishment and make them feel appreciated for all they do.

 1. Throwback Mommy and Me Contest:
Everybody loves to have their 5 seconds of fame.  Throw a selfie contest of your customers and their mothers to help generate a share of voice on your social media.  People can post a picture of themselves and their mothers with a #mommyandmethrowback or #mothersdaybusinessname and you will pick one winner to come enjoy Mother's Day Dinner or Brunch with you for free. 

2. Get creative with prixe fix menus:
Special prixe fix menus are a great way to go on Mother’s Day. This is a great way to help keep the kitchen in tip top shape for a busy day.  Introducing a specialized menu for all of your customers with specific dishes and signature cocktails will help decrease confusion in the kitchen servers and bartenders.

3. Turn Mother’s Day into an annual brunch event:
Mother’s Day is notorious for brunch. Make this a once a year over-the-top special event.  You can even make it exclusive to customers on your mailing list.  Another reason for them to make sure they sign up!

4. Offer Fair Prices:
With restaurants from all over marketing for the same holiday we want to make sure you offer a fair yet profitable price point.  Remember families are going to be dining at your establishment and price can play a lot into where your customer decides to go.

5. Bring in live entertainment:
Ambiance is everything!  Set a nice relaxing mood with a Jazz band, spice it up with some Latino flair, or add some humor with a Comedian.  Everyone loves to have a good time, give them an all-in-one package they can't refuse!

6. Be prepared to accommodate children and older adults with special needs:
This is a family event!  Expect elderly people and children.  Offer Senior Citizen discounts and a kids menu for all to enjoy.  Being well rounded in this industry and accommodating to your customers needs is a must.
 
7. Add Mother’s Day décor touches:
Again, Ambiance!  Some easy and cheap ideas on how to spruce up the establishment without breaking the bank.  Want more ideas?  Click here to help the creative juices flow!

8. Introduce a signature Mother’s Day cocktail and desserts:

Celebrating Mom's everywhere should come with a signature cocktail or dish.  Make this you special or signature item that people can get for a lower price. Want to see more on signature cocktails and foods?  Click here to see what others are doing!

9.  Have Online Ordering?:
Simplify the gift search by creating a Facebook Album of items you sell.  Moms can share these with their loved ones to throw a small hint on what they could use this year.  It also gets your name out there to hundreds of the users' friends. 
     
10. Give them a gift for joining you:
At the entrance, as a welcome, give to each lady one flower, complimentary glass of Champagne, free gift cards, free chocolates, or 20% discount as a gift for all their hard work and effort. A sure way to bring a smile to a mother's face.  Always be sure to brand that personal item with your restaurant’s logo and name to reinforce future brand awareness.

Written By: Colleen Leonardo

7 Tips On How To Become More Likeable On Social Media

Marketing used to be as simple as running an offer in the paper and waiting for the customers to come walking through the door.  However, nowadays we have more room to experiment!  Always remember that marketing is a science and what works for one company might not work for another.  Social media is a nice test ground to see what the 'do's and don’ts' are for your following.  Seven easy tips to help you become more likeable on social media are below.

1. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words!
   Show off your culinary skills and atmosphere by posting enticing images.  People eat with their eyes and are 10 times more likely to visit if your food looks amazing or the atmosphere is beautiful.
2. Get feedback
   People don’t know that you are interested in hearing from them unless you ask some questions. Ask them for a review or what item they would like to see back on the menu.  Your options on questions are endless here because they can deal with business related questions to ‘what is your favorite hockey team?’
3. Run contests and giveaways
   Customers love to feel a part of the excitement, and they also love free stuff.  Run a contest online from the best #selfie at your restaurant all the way to how many pizzas were sold that month and give them a dessert on you for supporting your business.
4. Specials make them feel special
   Sometimes our lives get so hectic we forget about what else is going on.  It is always a good idea to remind your loyal customers about events, Daily & Weekly Specials, Happy Hour, Ladies Night, Etc.  Don’t stop with social media posts though, make sure you gain a following on your email marketing list for your ‘VIP’ customers.
5. Be personable
   Let’s face it... People like to go where they know they will enjoy their time.  Let your social media reflect your personality by not restricting your page to business only posts.  It’s just like any other relationship, you have to give and not always take.  Post humorous images, daily inspirational quotes, or anything else that will show off your personality.
6. Community - Make your people feel special
   Getting their face up on a business’ timeline always makes a customer or employee happy.  Especially if it is in recognition of their Birthday, Anniversary, or maybe even their first date night!  Have a server who just graduated from college?  Give them a special shout out and have them share it on their page.  That will get you in front of peoples’ minds and they think of you when they are looking to go out next.
7. Follow the trends
   Always stay ‘in the know’ of upcoming trends.  You want to be ahead of the curve... Not behind it.  Can’t stay up on what’s trending?  No worries! There are plenty of channels like Buzzfeed, Google Trends, Google+, Reddit, Facebook, or Twitter.  They all have trending clouds to make sure you stay up-to-date and stay ‘in the know’!
   
   
   
    

Written By: Colleen Leonardo

Why You Should ‘Claim’ Your Review Sites!

Tripadvisor, Urbanspoon, Yelp, Google Plus and even Facebook. These are some of the major sites your business will receive reviews on. If that isn’t enough of a reason to claim these pages, we will give you a few more. Claiming your business listing on these review sites allows you to not only edit and update the information listed about your business but you can respond to any reviews that come into the system. You should also claim your listing to protect yourself against disgruntled ex-employees or customers.  If the page is left unclaimed you can mark the business 'Closed for Business'! Now you don't want that, do you?

As someone who is diving into their daily duties of being an owner, a chef, a janitor, or even a waitress; we know you don't have time to focus on your online presence as well. With our new Social Media Management and Reputation Monitoring platforms we are able to handle all the editing and responding for you. We have a knowledgeable marketing team that responds to negative reviews in a personal manner for you. Every response is created to pertain to that specific review and complaint from your customer. Nothing we do for these responses is auto generated or copy and pasted from Google.

Making sure you are attending to each of these matters is a integral to your reputation. Many customers ask us if they can delete these negative comments that they receive. You do not have the capability to do so on these, nor do we. These sites are almost the equivalent of a blog forum and people have their freedom of speech. Some people say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and I would have to agree; it’s all about how you handle it. Ordereze is offering a solution so you can get back to your in store presence. All you need to do is help us claim the accounts!

Below are some links with step by step instructions on how to claim these business pages!

• Claim your Facebook business account by clicking here
  
• Claim your Google business account by clicking here
• Claim your business on Yelp by clicking here
• Claim your business on Urbanspoon by clicking here
• Claim your business on TripAdvisor by clicking here
  
  
  Written By: Cody Schantz

Why Your Online Presence Matters

In this digital age, having a website makes a world of difference in gaining clientele. Keep and gain your clientele by incorporating different social media platforms on your website. It is no longer enough to just create a website. Engage your guests by making it as interactive as possible. Allow them to explore your restaurant virtually. 

This can be done in a few ways:

Mailing List

  Creating a mailing list is a great way to reach your guests. It gives them a chance to receive updates and promotions that will encourage them to want to visit your restaurant more. It shows that you are taking an interest in reaching out to them, which is always important.

Facebook

  Facebook is huge.  A simple post can reach thousands of potential clients, even though it may not seem that way. Target your demographic in your own way through text, pictures or fun quotes. This is a fun way to get your clients involved because they are able to browse and see what you're up to on their own time. They can comment, like and share your posts and pictures as well which in turn will show up in their friends' News Feeds.

Review Sites

  This is a great way to show off just how great you are! Showcase and highlight positive reviews on your website. Give your guests a spot to leave a comment about their experience. Make sure there are sections for their names and dates. If you feature a guest review, they will feel appreciated that you took the time to showcase their experience with you. It shows concern and consideration for how you treat your guests.

Online Reservations

  A simple yet effective way to get people in the door that much faster. Utilizing applications such as OpenTable on your website is a great way to give guests the option of convenience, which is important. It also allows you to keep your phone lines clearer. Using OpenTable is great because members can gain “points” for dining. When restaurants offer this option, it gives you more of an opportunity to fill more seats.  Although Ordereze currently does not offer Online Reservations as a part of our company, here are five major third parties we could suggest you look into!

• Yelp SeatMe
• Rezku
• Open Table
• Restaurant Diary
• UReserv

Written By: Cody Schantz

*Ordereze is not affiliated with any of the suggested reservation companies named above.  Any extra charge or work required by these companies are not covered under you monthly hosting with us.

How can Ordereze help you successfully market your business?

Not only is Ordereze filled with many employees who aim to market your business successfully, we actually care about what you need in order to do so. All of our employees at Ordereze research your company and make sure they help you find ways to help you better brand your business. There are some basic marketing laws every professional should know and utilize but that’s not all it is about. That’s something we pride ourselves in here at Ordereze, we take the time to know you.

With customers all over the country we learn the ins and outs of many states. Environment is a huge factor in how you market your business. You can be the classiest steak house in the neighborhood or the best known dive bar down the street where everyone knows your name. The people you are marketing too have different needs and different interests and we must keep this in mind. Of course we learn what you want and add that on to how we research your surrounding population.

Competition, you either love them or you hate them! You would be surprised how much you can benefit from your competition. With our Social Media Management platform in conjunction with social media will allow you to have access to analyze your competitions marketing, better your brand and leave them in the dust! What do you offer that these people don’t? I don’t mean just your product; I’m talking everything from your hardwood floor to the way your staff treats your customers. Every business has its strengths and weaknesses; focus on your strengths and the weaknesses get downplayed so you really stand out! 

Of course we help you come up with all these brilliant ways to build your brand #BYB! Once we come up with these ideas and put them into action we will help you assess what is working and what needs improvement. From there we continue to grow with new ideas and strategies to expand your brand and continue to adapt with your marketing. Marketing isn’t a stand still business, marketing changes and we keep our eye on the ball so we can put that in affect for you. Market with us and we will continue to help you grow!