The restaurant industry can be a competitive place so it is important that you stand out from the crowd. Although, it can be difficult to know where to start so we’ve written a handy guide featuring our top 10 marketing tips to help get you going.

1) Show off your best side

Employ a professional photographer to take photos that showcase your dishes and restaurant. Those professional images can be used for everything from social media activity to blog posts. Great photos can really help sell your business so if you haven’t had professional photos taken, make it a priority.

2) Get set up on Instagram

The photo sharing website, Instagram is well-known for appealing to foodies so if you haven’t done so already, get signed up with a business account. Whether you are showing off professional images or more spontaneous candid moments with your followers, it can be a great way to entice new customers. For more tips on using Instagram, have a look at this post.

3) Get Pin happy

Curating related content on Pinterest, the content sharing site, can be a great way to show who you are as a brand. Share both your own images and re-pin images from others under a range of themed boards, such as Winter Warmers or Lovely Lunches. You could also invite influential guest pinners to create boards. For more ideas, check out this post.

4) Set up a Google+ Account

Setting up a Google+ account is really important because when your customers search on Google for your business, it provides the business’s details in the sidebar. So ensure that all your contact details and opening hours are up to date. Encourage customers to review you on Google+ as these reviews will be pulled into that listing.

5) Get in touch

If you have a customer database, make the most of it by sending out regular emails. From latest news, such as new menu launch to special offers, they can be a great way to keep in contact with customers and keep your restaurant firmly in their mind.

6) Set up a Blog

Demonstrate your expertise by writing blog posts and keeping your customers up to date with what you’re up to. They are a brilliant way to show search engines that your website is producing fresh new content (which helps your search rankings) and also makes your website more discoverable as you will show up in search rankings for various search terms. It’s a win-win!

7) Include your menus on your website

One of the main things a visitor to your website is likely to be looking for is your menu so make it easy for them to find it. Rather than getting them to download it, have it on the actual page instead. If you don’t have your menu on your website, it might put potential customers off visiting.

8) Develop your brand identity

Having a really strong brand identity can really help you stand out. Not only does it ensure you are unique and memorable but gives your business a professional feel. Whilst you may be tempted to do it yourself, it can pay off to get a design agency to help. With a suite of branded marketing materials to hand, it will give you the edge over your competitors.

9) Get in touch with local food bloggers

If you’re producing great dishes or you’ve just launched a new menu, shout about it! Arrange a special launch event and invite local food bloggers and press, so they can find out what you’re doing.

10) Geo-targeting ads

Consider assigning some of your budget for Pay Per Click (PPC) ads. They can be a really effective way of generating new customers, especially when used with geo-targeting, which is where the ads are shown to people searching for certain keywords, ‘Italian restaurant’ for example, in a specific location set by you.

Hopefully this will help get you going and has given you some ideas that you can put to use. If you have any questions or a tip of your own, let us know!