Kickstart Your Restaurant's Growth with SMS Marketing: A Beginner's Guide

Why SMS Marketing for Restaurants?

As a restaurant owner, you're always looking for effective ways to attract new customers and keep your regulars coming back. While email marketing and social media are important channels, SMS marketing is an incredibly powerful tool that shouldn't be overlooked.

Consider these SMS marketing statistics:

• SMS open rates exceed 98%
• 90% of SMS messages are read within 3 minutes
• SMS marketing has a 45% response rate
• 75% of consumers are comfortable receiving SMS messages from brands (with opt-in)

Compared to email marketing's 20% open rate, it's clear that SMS packs a punch when it comes to getting your message in front of guests. Restaurants can leverage the immediacy and high engagement of SMS to drive reservations, promote specials, and build loyalty.

Getting Started with Restaurant SMS Marketing

Sold on SMS marketing and ready to get started? Here's a step-by-step guide for restaurant owners:

1. Choose an SMS Marketing Platform

First, you'll need to sign up with an SMS marketing service that caters to restaurants. Look for key features like:

• Ability to import contacts and segment your list
• Templates and easy campaign creation
• Scheduling and automation capabilities
• Tracking and analytics
• Integration with your POS or reservation system

Popular options include Postscript, SimpleTexting, SlickText, and TextMagic. Be sure to compare pricing and read reviews before committing to a provider.

2. Build Your Subscriber List

Start collecting phone numbers from guests who want to receive your SMS messages. Some effective ways restaurants can grow their SMS lists include:

• Promoting SMS opt-in on receipts, menus, table tents, posters, etc.
• Collecting numbers on your website or reservation page
• Running a contest or giveaway where an SMS opt-in is required to enter
• Asking for sign-ups in person at the end of meals

The key is making the value to the guest extremely clear. Whether it's insider deals, first access to events, or a free appetizer for signing up, give people a compelling reason to hand over their digits.

3. Plan Your SMS Campaigns

What do you want to achieve with SMS marketing? Your goals and strategy will shape the types of campaigns you send. Some popular options for restaurants include:

• Coupons and promotions
• Event invitations and reminders
• Loyalty program sign-ups and perks
• Announcements about new menu items
• Reservation confirmations and follow-ups

As you brainstorm campaign ideas, put yourself in your guest's shoes. What kind of content would you find valuable and engaging?

4. Craft Your Messages

A great SMS message is brief, actionable, and provides clear value to the recipient. Aim for 160 characters max. Use a casual, friendly tone that reflects your restaurant's brand voice. Include a strong call-to-action (CTA) like "Book now" or "Show this text for 20% off."

Here's a sample restaurant SMS campaign:

"We miss you, Bob! 🍝 Enjoy 25% off your next visit to Pasta Palace. Show this text to redeem. Book now: bit.ly/pasta-reserve"

Before hitting send, double check your message for errors and make sure any links work. Send yourself a test to see how it renders on mobile.

5. Measure Your Results

After each campaign, dive into the metrics to assess your performance. Key SMS marketing KPIs for restaurants include:

• Opt-out rate: Aim for less than 2%
• Redemption rate: Varies, but 15%+ is solid
• CTR: 10-20% is a good target

Based on this data, tweak and optimize your approach over time. Maybe 2pm isn't the best send time, or perhaps your list prefers free delivery over dollar-off deals. Treat SMS marketing as an ongoing experiment.

SMS Marketing Best Practices for Restaurants

Finally, some parting tips for success:

• Respect opt-outs and don't message those who have unsubscribed
• Identify your restaurant's name in every message
• Keep a consistent sender ID (a dedicated number or short code)
• Limit send frequency to 2-4 messages per month
• Provide clear opt-out instructions
• Preview your messages on multiple devices
• Avoid all caps, too many emojis, or repetitive punctuation (looks spammy)
• Personalize when you can (e.g. "Hey Jill!" vs. "Hey Valued Customer!")
• Give people a reason to opt-in and stay subscribed

With a little creativity and experimentation, SMS can be a seriously impactful channel for your restaurant marketing mix. The direct, intimate nature of text messaging allows you to build relationships with guests and stay top-of-mind. So start collecting those numbers and happy texting!