May 27, 2022
Did you know that 68 percent of your guests want to hear from your restaurant via email at least once a month?
What does this mean? There’s a wealth of opportunity to deepen connections with current customers and reach new ones with email marketing.
Sending newsletters is one of the most affordable and effective ways to build your customer base and boost sales.
Benefits of Using Email Newsletters for Restaurant Marketing
Email newsletters are excellent tools to incorporate into your overall marketing campaign. Newsletters help restaurant owners stay engaged with their customers, enhance brand recognition, and keep consumers updated on any exciting changes. Here are just a few of the benefits:
High Rates of Return with Little Risk
Developing an engaging newsletter doesn’t have to be time consuming. With the help of templates and easy-to-use platforms, it can take as little as a few hours to create a unique newsletter that will resonate with your customer base. Plus, software programs can be extremely affordable.
Taking those elements into consideration, you’re likely to see a high return on investment. Some studies have estimated that restaurants earned $38 for every $1 spent on email campaigns.
Boosts Your Brand Awareness
The beauty of newsletters is that they get to tell your restaurant’s unique story. Utilizing a combination of gorgeous photos, dynamic videos, and brand-specific language showcases who you are as a company and allows you to promote events and specials.
Email open rates average nearly 21 percent for restaurants, which means your unique brand has the potential to reach a large consumer pool.
Targets Loyal Customers
Establishing a loyal customer base is vital to preserving profits. Studies show that repeat customers may only represent 15 percent of overall guests, but are responsible for nearly one-third of revenue. Upping your loyal customer count could mean boosting sales even further.
What Are Some of the Best Newsletter Platforms for Restaurants?
Restaurant owners have unique needs when it comes to email marketing, so choosing the right platform for your business and budget is critical.
Here are a few email marketing companies that are especially helpful for the foodservice industry:
- Benchmark: Benchmark helps create custom emails, optimize target lists, and allows video integration to highlight dishes and show off restaurant space. Pricing Specs: Free for basic service. $13.99 a month for Pro Service.
- ConvertKit: Offers three simple newsletter templates that are not only intuitive to use, but designed to enhance location-based conversions, perfect for targeting nearby customers. Pricing Specs: Free trial period. Pricing ranges from $29 to $119 per month, depending on the number of subscribers.
- Constant Contact: Designed for small businesses and marketing novices, Constant Contact has over 400 customizable templates for email campaigns. Restaurant owners can use the platform's automatization tools to reach consumers looking for food and events. Pricing Specs: Free trial period. $20 Basic Service and $45 Plus Service.
- Mailchimp: Mailchimp provides 15 different automation workflows, drag and drop capabilities, and optimized email content for mobile devices. They also offer their “creation wizard,” which allows users to customize emails. Pricing Specs: Free for basic service. $9.99 per month for Essentials, $14.99 per month for Standard, and $299 per month for Premium.
Build Your Brand with Business Resources from US Foods CHEF’STORE
CHEF’STORE provides the culinary community with more than just exceptional products. We also offer our partners a wealth of business tools, from menu and website design to team training. Stop by one of our convenient nearby locations to see what we have in store for you!