Six Ways to Drive Sales during Seasonal Slumps by Joe Abuso Keeping your restaurant full during certain times of the year can be a challenge as we all deal with the ebb and flow of the business cycle. To get large groups of new customers through your doors during the slowest times of the year, think outside the normal scope of your operations. . . . more >>
DOWNLOAD: Customer Database Template This download features an Excel spreadsheet that can be used to build your own customer database for birthday clubs and other promotions. It also includes a printable form for customers to fill in their contact information. . . . more >>
ONLINE WORKSHOP: How a Simple Birthday Club Results in 50% More Sales! Pat Vaselakos' quick serve restaurant's sales were stagnant & even declined for 4 years after opening. Then, she started a birthday club & her sales went up OVER 50% in three years! In her amazing success story, she'll show you exactly how she did it and how you can too. . . . more >>
How to Calculate & Track Your Marketing ROI by Joe Erickson Restaurant operators may differ on how they market and promote their restaurants, but nobody wants to throw money down the drain. Learn how to plan and track your marketing investment dollars so that you can clearly determine what marketing activities are worth repeating and which ones should be modified or dropped. . . . more >>
DOWNLOAD: Restaurant Marketing Promotion Tracking Template Many restaurants spend from 2-4% of revenue on marketing. The most successful ones track their promotions so they "know" which ones work & which don't. Use this template so you can concentrate your efforts & dollars on your most productive marketing activities. . . . more >>
How to Manage Online Customer Reviews by Amelia Levin For better or for worse, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Zagat and other online user review sites are here to stay, just as social media continues to become the wave of the future. If you're doing everything right - your food is good, your service top notch, your house is clean and running smoothly - you'll get great reviews, if not, it's time to take a closer look at your restaurant. . . . more >>
WEBCAST: Why Your Restaurant Should Have a Facebook Page & How to Get Started No matter the type of restaurant, your business would likely benefit from having a Facebook page. Many RO.com members tell us their Facebook page helps them stay in touch with their current customers and get new ones.Learn how to setup a new Facebook page that will save you time and effort and help you maximize your Facebook page's value and effectiveness. . . . more >>
WEBCAST: What You Should Know About the New Facebook Timeline Design Facebook has just adopted a new business page design and has changed to the new Timeline design. Watch this webcast recording to find out what Facebook is doing and learn how to take advantage of the new features to make your Facebook page even better. . . . more >>
DOWNLOAD: Catering Marketing Letter Templates Need a creative boost to jump-start your catering sales? Use these ready-to-use marketing letters to introduce your restaurant to prospective catering clients. These templates include five sample introductory letters that you can send to your direct mail or email list of prospects. Also includes our day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, sales letter template. . . . more >>
WEBCAST: What You Should Know About the New Facebook Timeline Design Facebook has just adopted a new business page design and has changed to the new Timeline design. Watch this webcast recording to find out what Facebook is doing and learn how to take advantage of the new features to make your Facebook page even better. . . . more >>
DOWNLOAD: Birthday Club Startup Checklist Restaurants that form a birthday club have found it to be one of their most
cost effective and successful marketing endeavors. Even better, their customers
love it! This detailed checklist provides all the elements you need to easily and quickly implement a birthday club that will grow guest counts, sales and customer goodwill. . . . more >>
WEBCAST: Marketing Best Practice - Scratch Ticket Promotion Watch as veteran operator Peter Troutman shows you his variation of the 'secret envelope' promotion that's resulted in a 30%+ year to year sales increase in one of his slowest months. Learn in detail what he does, his results, costs, prizes, changes he's made over the years, and more. . . . more >>
DOWNLOAD: Restaurant Marketing Planning Calendar Today, sales growth doesn't just happen, it requires proper planning and execution! Get a jump on your 2012 marketing plan with this great tool to organize your promotions for the entire year onto a single spreadsheet that shows the dates of each promotion and the tasks required to make them happen . . . more >>
How to Claim Your Page and Set Up a Special on Foursquare Foursquare allows business owners the opportunity of claiming "Business Pages" and using them to promote their places. Almost every business now has a page on Foursquare, see the steps on how to claim your page and create special campaigns to boost your bottom line. . . . more >>
ONLINE WORKSHOP: The Yelp Effect - How to Manage Guest Reviews & Your Online Reputation Online review sites such as Yelp, UrbanSpoon and others, have elevated the matter of an irate guest and their potential ability to spread their story to a whole new level. Learn how to monitor what people are saying about you online and how to manage negative reviews and get more positive reviews that potential customers will notice. . . . more >>
How to Target New Customers with Facebook Ads See how to create very specific ads on Facebook targeted to a particular market and criteria. The ad features are numerous and allow you to be creative to discover which ads are most effective with your audience. . . . more >>
How to Create Your Facebook Landing Page and Add Coupons Follow these steps to create your Facebook landing page and add coupons. It is critical this first view, or home page is attractive as it is the first impression your customers will have about your web site. . . . more >>
How to Attract Facebook Fans and Engage with Customers - Part 2 How to use Facebook to help you attract new customers to your restaurant and keep your current ones coming back. Second article focus is on how to best use the features to get more fans and engage with customers. . . . more >>
ONLINE WORKSHOP: How to Use Google Places to Drive More Customers to Your Restaurant - Part 2 Every day hungry people in your area are searching online for restaurants. Not having a position on Google Places can significantly lower the odds that they will choose or even notice your restaurant. Sign up now to attend Part 2 of our series on Google Places. Focus will be on how to improve rankings and what do to about negative reviews. . . . more >>
How to Attract Facebook Fans and Engage with Customers - Part 1 Interacting with fans on Facebook is similar to interacting with guests at your restaurant-but a different environment. Facebook is about bonding with your clients and establishing a personal relationship. This article will help attract new customers and keep your current ones coming back. . . . more >>
