Inside Hospitality

Daily Tip for Monday June 28th. – Which is the Best Inbound Marketing Strategy for Restaurants?

Posted on 28. Jun, 2010 by Guest Blogger in Daily Tip

By Guest Blogger Michael Hartzell

Inbound Marketing is based on the conclusion that someone is already looking for you online.  This can apply to restaurants just as well as other industries.  I have already shown you in previous articles that people are online searching for a product or service you offer.

Question: Marketing plans include “inbound marketing” to get a restaurant found at the top of Google organic search results for specific keywords.  How do new changes in Google affect the plan?

Possibilities, Answers and Thoughts:

Fuel

• Consider that the brightness and length of time something can be seen is based on fuel. There are a variety of fuel types.

Lighter fluid for the barbecue gets your attention…it gives a big whoof and is then gone quickly.

For instance, have you noticed?

Sometimes a Craigslist ad pops to the top but its fuel quickly dwindles.  Videos are also a good example.  (Though if you use www.tubemogul.com and post videos everywhere at once, it is interesting to see which sites are more found and which are not.)

Here are various types of inbound marketing methods to be found in the search engines.

1. Links to your website from other authority websites.  (Longer lasting)
2. Fresh content on your website, frequently.  (Longer lasting)
3. Social media, classifieds, press releases are now in search engine results. (Fast and dwindles quickly.)
4. Articles on article sites (Can add authority and last)
5. Online press releases. (Fast and dwindle quickly)
6. Kindle books, ipad books, ereader books are new in town.  What will they provide?  Will you write short books for e-readers?   (To be determined.)
7. The i-Phone or mobile App.  How will more push button technology affect this?  What type of fuel will this be for search engines?  Or does this bypass search engines?  Watch this grow.  Push button is the goal.  (To be determined.)

As with any fire; the wind blows, the rains come, and anything fuel-based will be affected.

Prediction: It is only a matter of time until “tax” is a word spoken more on the Internet.  When will there be a tax per consumption?  Isn’t the Internet, in a way, a utility?  Don’t you wonder how that wind will affect things?

Two ways to approach changes in Google

1. Reactive: Trying to figure out the next change or current change…chasing the chicken like everyone does and never quite catching it since the chicken quickly changes direction.
2. Proactive: Thinking 12 to 18 months in advance and anticipating what the goal of those in the search engine business are about:

Which might be: Read the minds of those who search and give them what they want before they even know what “it” is themselves.

Being in the restaurant business for 30 years teaches one a thing or two:  Anticipating wants and needs and giving it before guests ask makes you “unbelievable”.  This creates FAT.  (Faith And Trust).    When FAT is high then prices can be higher.  When FAT is high then there is less competition.

If the goal of a Google-Yahoo-Bing is to read the mind of the searcher and understand the truest nature of every page via bots, widgets, and eyeballs…then wouldn’t it be crucial to simply be the most amazing resource on a specific topic?  Then no one will be able to help but say:  That is the best place to go.

If some restaurant businesses would work just as hard on serving and being amazing with their guests as they do with search engine results and being on top, they would hear only the very best comments on tools such as GuestPulse.

Considering the options, pro-active and reactive, chasing the chicken and the ultimate goal; here is a solution list for the small restaurant business owner:

1. 1. Use the free resources on Google Places, Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, Bing Maps.
   2. Include Social media, blogging, and fresh content.
   3. Videos, classifieds, press releases
   4. Asking guests for their feedback during their visit.
   5. Monitor your progress with GuestPulse and respond to the comments.
   6. Restaurant marketing is not only about tasks to be done, it is a culture.
   7. Everyone on staff is part of the marketing culture

These will improve the chances for a restaurant owner to keep a business competitive online.

Question:  What do you believe?

Which will people respond to more?

• Your website that has links to your restaurant website?
• Comments on the various review sites, social media and word of mouth?

The answer depends on the reputation of your business and the community. Monitor it and you will know.  Someone is searching for your type of business online.  What are you doing to get found?

Once you know the answer, that will determine where you spend your time and how you invest your money.

Here is a dashboard to consider for measuring success:

1. Online Presence:  Happiness Factor, mentions, comments, buzz. (Use GuestPulse.)
2. Dining Room: Comments, feedback, opinion.  (Your team and managers can do this.)
3. Website: New connections, new emails, new contacts. (Send them a welcome card.)
4. Guerrilla Marketing Squad: Number of responses to invitations in community.
5. Internal Daily Snapshot: Sales, labor, COS, Cash, menu mix, promotion results.

As you can see, my measures of success lean heavily on restaurant marketing and people.  Controls are very important but the connection to people is the most valuable of all.

Question:  What are your measures of success based on?  How do you measure your people connection?

The information I have reviewed is neither new nor original.  It is simply a reminder.  Sadly there those of you who work very hard for people to find you in the traditional methods.  They still work but more is needed.

Take-Away:

• List of options for inbound marketing.
• A decision to make based on Reactive or Proactive.
• A solution list for the small restaurant business owner.
• Five measures to include on your dashboard.

Michael Hartzell –, Inbound Marketing Certified Professional in Seattle / Tacoma, entrepreneur, writer, speaker, restaurant marketing coach.  As a self proclaimed Professor of Magic Marketing, author of “10 Magic Marketing Tips” and over 30 years experience in the restaurant business, Michael helps business owners “Boost Sales & Build Teams” on the foundation of Knowledge Empowers so Learn & Teach ™.  Member of the American Marketing Association and Guerrilla Marketing Association