MARKETING

With Covid-19 impacting businesses in all sorts of ways, Maria Frangieh, managing director of Socialprise, looks at how restaurants can market themselves digitally during the pandemic.

How restaurants should communicate online during a crisis

We live in the "new normal", business is changing so are customers. Covid-19 has forced companies to change the way they do business and respond to new patterns of consumer behavior. The hospitality industry has suffered immensely and travel is largely on pause.

Online is the place to be. Customers who used to enjoy experiences outside have been stuck at home due to lockdown restrictions. They have had to resort to virtual escapes and business have had to adapt. While many have found it challenging, others have embraced the digital approach.

So what’s the secret? Being agile is key. Keep an open mind, find opportunities online and make them happen. Be positive! Communicate with your audience online and engage in activities to show your loyal community that you share their feelings during these challenging times. You are also planning your strategy post-pandemic to secure higher revenues.

Attend webinars and online workshops to hear from others and share your struggles.

Below are 10 best practices and tips to help you boost your digital marketing strategy and survive the pandemic.

1. Be creative and adopt an omnichannel approach to reach out to everyone.

2. Post photos and 360-degree tours of your venue. If you have a spacious venue, show it and invite people to visit.

3. Highlight your safety measures to reassure your audience and communicate your opening hours or any updates on social media. Let your audience know how you are dealing with the situation.

4. Listen to your online audience and respond to negative feedback. 5. Promote offers for online orders and delivery.

6. Host online live/prerecorded cooking classes with your chef, educate your audience with recipes, share at home workouts, share music playlists, DIY spa tips, share virtual trips and other activities.

7. Sell ingredients for do-it-at-home meals on social media or via e-shops.

8. Shift your team’s tasks to support the customers on social media, engage with your community. Your regular clients will love talking to a familiar team member.

9. Engage in social impact projects and donate meals.

10. Consider shifting your business offers to meet people’s needs.