For several years now, restaurants, especially the larger ones, have been using digital signage. But their use was by no means universal. Not all owners understood just how powerful this advertising medium could be. To a large extent, that changed during the CoVid pandemic.
Once they were open again, restaurants realized that they needed to find a simple, non-intrusive, and gentle way to prompt their customers to follow the regulations. Most of them did not have enough staff to stand at the door and ask people to use the hand cleanser and wear their masks.
So, they set up a couple of screens to gently remind them what to do, with a member of staff stationed near the door just keeping an eye out for those that did not comply. Surprisingly, this was rarely necessary.
The vast majority of customers noticed the screen and responded positively to what they were being asked to do. Something that opened the eyes of restaurateurs to the true power of this marketing medium and prompted them to use them more to boost their sales and cut their overheads. Here are some of the ways this has been done.
Switching to Digital Menus
Customers like digital menus. They are easy to see and read. As well as far more hygienic than paper or plasticated ones. They can also speed up the ordering process. There is no need for customers to wait until their server arrives to take the drinks order and hand out the menus.
People who are in a rush can order their meals at the same time as their drinks. This is particularly important for a lunchtime crowd who may have to get back to work within 45 minutes, sometimes less.
They are far more likely to use a restaurant that serves them as fast as possible, than one that keeps them waiting. That and the fact that a restaurant can potentially use the table for more covers results in higher sales.
Reduce Waste by `Promoting Dishes That You Need to Sell-Through
No matter how hard a restauranter tries, at some point, they will end up with food that is in danger of going off. Usually, because someone has overestimated how well a dish will sell. When faced with that situation, it is possible to reduce the price and automatically update it on the digital menu to boost sales and reduce wastage.
Or spend 10 minutes putting together an ad promoting that dish and displaying it on all your screens. In particular, the ones that people will see as they walk in. Most display screen deals include hundreds of templates with text and images that can easily be edited or replaced. It is also possible to set things up so that which screens the ads are displayed on can be controlled from one central place.
Tailor Adverts to Appeal to the Type of Person Using Your Restaurant
Most restaurants find that the kinds of customers they serve at different times of the day vary considerably. Digital screens can be used to ensure that you display the right advert at the right point in the day.
For example, at weekends when most of your customers are families you can promote kid’s meals. Whereas on a Friday night when you are serving more couples, promoting romantic drinks and dishes that lend themselves to being shared would be a better idea.
In large restaurants owners may notice that certain types of customers gravitate towards different areas. For example, many families choose to sit near the playroom. While couples will gravitate naturally to quieter, cozier corners. This opens up the opportunity to display different promotions to those customers in each of the areas where they typically sit.
Pull In More Clients for Local Events
It is also possible to encourage people to pop in for a bite before attending a popular local event. For example, perhaps come in for a light snack before taking the children trick or treating.
Charge to Advertise Other Local Businesses
In some cases, it will be possible to advertise the event at the same time as making this suggestion. Potentially creating another revenue stream because event organizers will be willing to pay for that advert to be run. It is also possible to display adverts for other local businesses.
Tap Into New Digital Marketing Trends to Keep Boosting Sales
There are plenty of ways to use digital signage to boost sales in restaurants, many of which can be implemented immediately. Often without any additional cost. But, to continue to get the most out of these innovative marketing tools owners need to be constantly finding new ways to use them.
That means reading the newsletter and emails from the digital media firm their screens were bought from and occasionally visiting the restaurants of competitors to see what they are doing with their display screens.
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