Julia Child once said, “Once you have mastered a technique, you hardly need look at a recipe again and can take off on your own.” The same can be said of mastering your small business marketing. With a strong business plan and a great marketing strategy, you can begin to launch campaigns and run promotions on an ad hoc basis. But how do you get started?
Much like mastering a technique in the kitchen, you need to plan ahead to master your marketing – today we’ll focus on pairings. Not wine and cheese or cookies and milk, but email marketing and mobile apps. What do these two channels have in common, you might ask? More than what may immediately come to mind. Like all the great duos – steak and potatoes, shrimp and grits, peaches and cream – mobile apps and email marketing are a perfectly complementary pairing.
Email + Mobile apps = A recipe for success
We’ve talked in-depth about how to build a solid email program, and we’ve also talked about the importance of having a mobile-friendly website. But what about mobile apps for restaurants? Do you still need one on top of your email and mobile web marketing? What about OpenTable, Zagat, and Yelp? With all these restaurant service apps, do you need one for your individual restaurant? The answer is the same as “do you want fries with that?” Yes. Though it may seem daunting to add another channel to your marketing strategy, remember these easy tips for email and mobile app marketing and you’ll be on your way to mastering your own multi-tier marketing program.
Both email marketing and mobile apps share a number of similar characteristics – communicating value and content, building your audience, and offering delightful experiences to your customers. But like every perfect pairing, each is unique and has complementary, but different strengths. Use email and mobile apps the following ways to support your marketing to all audiences on all devices:
Email marketing
- Send weekly or more often, predictably, and reach people on PCs, tablets, and smartphones – explore different types of emails like newsletters, happy hour specials, recipes, or chef spotlights.
- Send emails to promote your mobile app and encourage downloads – offer incentives to download, like a free dessert, access to an off-menu “special,” or discount on your next meal.
- Link email content to a responsive website OR your mobile app for videos, loyalty punchcards, reservations, or e-commerce on every device.
Mobile app
- Land on the home screen for valuable branding to stay top of mind with customers – remember that diners on the go want to know the “when, where, and why” of your business – include your address, business hours, contact info, and reservation access on your home screen for ease.
- Offer the same rich content text, images, and videos, and transactions all in one experience.
- Reach your most loyal customers more often with push notifications, even refine your focus to nearby customers with geo-fencing – if a customer is nearby, offer them a discount or loyalty perk to get them to dine with you then and there.
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