Restaurant Digital Marketing Simplified

Figure 2 content creation albums at sweetly defined restaurant.

Hello hotel and restaurant owners, it is 2024 and we are 2 months in YET, not all of us have figured out how to get business off the ground through marketing. WHY? Because HELLOooo … marketing models, tools, fees and agencies even the work itself is complicated. (Or so we are made to believe), we don’t even have a marketing plan on how to get started with marketing. We need a blue print. (SMEs at large) This is your simplified guide to breaking down your situation into goals, strategy, tactics and action and knowing how to measure success.  An Indulgent question-and-answer approach.

QN1: Where are we? An audit of the business through a SWOT analysis to know the “where we are”, competitor analysis and possibly social trends to determine way forward is your step one. Figure out the marketing challenges you are experiencing, what you want to achieve and the business environment to see how best you can get started.

DO NOT WAIT FOR “PERFECT CONTENT”. Get started, build consistency and the practice you get will lead you to your idea of ‘perfect content’.
–Samantha A

QN2: Where do we want to go? Now you have to figure out what objectives to set. SMART objectives guide the campaign on specialization of efforts and resource allocation in achieving strategic business goals.  Do you want to reach new customers? Foster customer interaction on your platforms? Convert customers into actualized sales? Or do you want to engage existing customers to drive brand loyalty?

Talking Strategy, Tactics, Tools and Measurements?

QN3: How do we get there? Figuring out strategy: explaining the ‘how’. This enables the you identify the business with its markets, campaign objectives and value proposition. This process should put into consideration choice of target markets, company positioning in those markets and the messaging to be used to reach them as this inevitably feeds into your Key Message.

QN4: What tactics, tools and actions do we use to deliver this strategy? These are the plan details on actionable measures such as the marketing and communications mix. An annual blueprint broken down into quarters and monthly content calendars feeds into your digital channels. Actions can include building a task force, mobilizing resources and getting started.

QN5: How do we measure success? Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and evaluation criteria must come from the objectives set in QN2. These should be reflective indicators of how far we have come from when we started; figured out in QN1. Desist from using vanity metrics as these do not serve your brand goals. Set reporting periods to enable know when or whether you need to revise strategy.

And there you go. You just went through how to plan your 2024 blueprint as a restaurant, hotel or SME owner. Still feel overwhelmed??

Call Us: The IUM digital, social media and consultancy services teams are at your disposal to inform future campaigns for your business.

Samantha Akello

Meet Sam – a seasoned marketer and fierce advocate for women in entrepreneurship. With a flair for digital marketing, she’s on a mission to use her skills for poverty alleviation and to empower women through savvy marketing strategies. ✨