Increase guest throughput with digital marketing

For restaurants, the ability to efficiently manage and increase guest throughput with digital marketing is more crucial than ever. With the shift towards digital solutions reshaping customer engagement, franchise directors and VPs must leverage advanced marketing strategies to drive growth.

The 2023 Restaurant Operator Insights Report by Toast reveals insightful statistics: 53% of restaurants now use social media to drive growth, a 6% increase from the previous year. This shift underscores the importance of digital strategies in addressing key operational challenges. 

This blog post explores how platforms like Evocalize enable enterprise-level leaders to implement targeted digital campaigns that attract more guests and streamline operations franchise-wide. 

Understanding guest throughput: The lifeline for restaurants

Guest throughput – the number of diners served in a period of time – has a tremendous impact on the success of every restaurant location and the profitability of the overall franchise. High throughput means more guests and revenue.

However, balancing quality and managing high volumes across multiple locations presents complex challenges for franchise leaders. Coordinating marketing initiatives across units while allowing for local customization is critical but difficult to orchestrate.

By adopting strategies to increase guest throughput with digital marketing solutions like Evocalize, directors and VPs can set overarching strategies based on analytics while empowering local owners to refine tactics based on their area’s demands. This localization within a unified platform is key to increasing throughput franchise-wide.

Role of digital marketing in addressing throughput challenges

The key to increase guest throughput with digital marketing lies in understanding its multifaceted role in the restaurant industry. Digital marketing isn’t just about promoting a brand; it’s a strategic tool for managing customer flow and expectations. Consider these advantages that underscore digital marketing’s strategic importance:

Targeted outreach and engagement

• Customer attraction: By using targeted social media ads and SEO, restaurants can attract more customers, especially during off-peak hours, effectively balancing the customer load.
• Engagement strategies: Regular, engaging content keeps the restaurant top-of-mind, encouraging repeat visits and word-of-mouth referrals.

Efficiency in reservation and queue management

• Digital reservations: Online reservation systems, promoted through digital channels, can streamline the booking process, allowing for better prediction and management of guest flow.
• Real-time updates: Social media platforms can be used to provide real-time updates on table availability, reducing wait times and improving the guest experience.

Data-driven decision making

• Insights and analytics: Digital marketing tools provide valuable data on customer preferences and behavior, enabling restaurants to tailor their services and marketing strategies for optimal throughput.

By integrating these digital marketing strategies, restaurants can effectively increase guest throughput with digital marketing, turning a challenge into an opportunity for growth and customer satisfaction.

Effective social media strategies

To increase guest throughput with digital marketing, effective use of social media is key. Here’s how restaurants can leverage these platforms:

1. Engaging content creation

• Create visually appealing posts that showcase menu items, special events, or behind-the-scenes glimpses.
• Use storytelling to connect with your audience, sharing the restaurant’s history, staff stories, or customer experiences.

2. Consistent and timely posting

• Maintain a regular posting schedule to keep your audience engaged and informed.
• Use timely posts to drive traffic during off-peak hours or promote special events.

3. Interactive campaigns

• Run contests, polls, or Q&A sessions to increase engagement and attract new customers.
• Encourage user-generated content, such as customers sharing their dining experiences.

4. Targeted advertising

• Use social media advertising to target specific demographics, locations, and interests.
• Promote special deals or events to attract larger crowds and manage customer flow.

5. Influencer partnerships

• Collaborate with local food bloggers or influencers to reach a wider audience.
• Leverage their followers to boost your restaurant’s visibility and credibility.

By implementing these strategies, restaurants can effectively utilize social media to increase guest throughput with digital marketing, enhancing their overall customer reach and experience.

Targeted advertising for maximum reach

Targeting ads is a powerful tool to effectively increase guest throughput with digital marketing. These ads could be on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Google, and more. Here are some reasons why you should consider targeted advertising for your restaurant:

1. Enhanced visibility and reach

• Paid advertising breaks through the clutter of organic content, placing your restaurant in front of a larger, more diverse audience.
• It transcends geographical boundaries, enabling you to target potential customers beyond your immediate locality.
• Expand your reach by running campaigns across various platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google, tailored to each platform’s unique audience.

2. Customized customer journeys

• Digital ads can be tailored to different stages of the customer journey, from awareness to decision-making, ensuring a personalized approach.
• Utilize data-driven insights to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring your ads reach the most relevant audience.

3. Immediate impact

• Unlike organic strategies, paid ads offer immediate visibility and quicker results, crucial for time-sensitive promotions or events.
• Leverage analytics to measure the effectiveness of your ads, allowing for real-time adjustments and optimization.

4. Competitive edge

• In a crowded market, paid digital marketing provides a competitive advantage, helping your restaurant stand out.

Evocalize: Simplifying and amplifying targeted advertising

In the quest to increase guest throughput with digital marketing, Evocalize emerges as a revolutionary tool, transforming the way restaurants approach their digital advertising strategies.

1. Simplifying digital marketing complexities

• Localized adaptability: Allow local operators to tailor campaigns while adhering to corporate branding, creating a perfect balance between global and local marketing.
• User-friendly interface: Evocalize’s platform is designed for simplicity, making it accessible even to those with limited marketing experience.
• Quick campaign setup: Restaurants can quickly set up and launch campaigns, a critical factor in responding to market trends and customer preferences.

2. Targeting and personalization at its best

• Precision targeting: Leverage Evocalize’s advanced targeting capabilities to reach the right audience, increasing the likelihood of attracting potential customers.
• Personalized marketing: Tailor your ads based on customer data, ensuring that your marketing messages resonate with your audience.

3. Automated campaigns based on data

• Inventory integration: Automatically adjust marketing based on inventory levels, promoting items that are plentiful or need quicker turnover.
• Traffic analysis: Use data on restaurant traffic to tailor campaigns for slower periods, boosting customer visits when needed most.
• Weather-responsive advertising: Implement ads that respond to weather conditions, like promoting cozy indoor dining on rainy days or refreshing drinks during heatwaves.

4. Data-driven insights for better decisions

• Real-time analytics: Monitor the performance of your campaigns with real-time analytics, enabling swift adjustments for better results.
• Actionable insights: Use Evocalize’s insights to refine your marketing strategies and increase effectiveness over time.

5. Scalability for growth

• Grow with your business: As your restaurant expands, Evocalize scales with you, supporting larger and more diverse campaigns without the need for additional resources.
• Multi-channel campaigns: Seamlessly run campaigns across multiple platforms, including Facebook, Google, and Instagram, from one central location.

Incorporating Evocalize in your digital marketing strategy not only helps to increase guest throughput with digital marketing but also elevates your restaurant’s overall digital presence. It’s about harnessing the power of technology to reach new heights in customer engagement and business growth.

Increase guest throughput with digital marketing

As multi-unit restaurant leaders gear up for continued growth amid evolving consumer tech behaviors, digitization will separate the major players from niche establishments. Franchises that strategically invest in centralized yet locally customizable digital marketing programs like Evocalize will gain traction through:

• Increased visibility – Breach new local customer bases through personalized, targeted local ads and promotions
• Simplified execution – Easily coordinate high-performance digital campaigns across all locations with one unified platform.
• Actionable analytics – Track key metrics like guest throughput franchise-wide to optimize operations and marketing.
• Local empowerment – Allow location owners to tailor initiatives while strengthening the overall brand.

The verdict? Embrace restaurant digitization through platforms purpose-built for multi-location enterprises. With the right tools, technology, and strategic oversight, franchises can increase guest throughput both locally and nationally to maximize profitability and sustain market leadership.

Explore how digitization can transform your franchise and schedule a consultation with Evocalize’s restaurant experts today. The future of your brand depends on it.