September 20, 2019
The restaurant industry is all about food and when you market right, the foodies will flock. The best places for an establishment to show off their wares are on media-laden sites like Instagram and Pinterest. These platforms allow for high-resolution images with less space for text.
Projected annual sales in the restaurant industry are $863 billion. That means competition is tough. Understanding where to market your restaurant is the first step, but the most important aspect is content. This is where short links come in.
To make a link easier to manage, you should shorten the length of it. This is particularly important when you are posting on social media platforms that have limited characters and space. You don’t want to sacrifice your message.
A restaurant should put their media front and center. Yet, without including a link, the post is pointless. Their branded website will never be seen. The link is what guides the traffic.
Short links can also be branded. These are typically called “branded links” or “vanity links” and contain things like keywords or phrases related to campaigns. A custom short link is when you have succeeded in connecting your domain to a URL shortener host, like Link Hawk.
There are several ways in which a restaurant can take advantage of shortening their URL.
Not only does it make the data manageable, it’s more shareable, memorable, and functional. Here’s how it can benefit your food brand:
Whether it’s a flyer, brochure, or menu, using a short link on your printed marketing material makes the information stand out. If you have a special meal or a reoccurring event like Happy Hour, which would you find more appealing?
www.restaurant.com/menu/drinks/happy_hour/346&8_tier=2,3&sort=recency&user_locat_m=2
Or a shortened link?
restaurant.click/HappyHour
The choice is obvious when laid out before you. These small bits of data are easy to put on flyers and other tangible materials. You can even include a QR code. This allows people to scan the data with their phones which directs them straight to your page. The point is that you are making it easier for people to remember a URL—which isn’t typically that memorable.
Studies show using branded short links in your social campaigns result in 39% more click-throughs than generic ones. Additionally, they lead to increased brand trust (especially in short links) and brand awareness. Using them in your social media campaigns can increase the results by 35%+.
A restaurant can also use short vanity links as their username on social accounts. So, instead of a typical Facebook URL that looks something like this:
www.facebook.com/6541Yns7nsjs92681
you would have a shortened link:
www.facebook.com/MyRestaurant
The easier you can make it for people to follow you online, the more curious they become.
One of the most cost-effective ways for a restaurant to market is through email. The ROI of email marketing is 28.5% better than direct mail. Using short links in your email campaigns means you can track people’s every move. Even if they delete the message.
A short link will track the analytics of your email campaign and produce metrics like:
You can then go on to further follow conversions from each campaign you run. If you choose to employ a tool like a CRM (customer relationship management) system, you can automate the whole process.
Once you begin collecting data on your customers, you’ll gain deeper insight on their consumption habits and preferences. Use the info to run marketing accordingly. Hold specials on days the dish is popular or shift your Happy Hour to when more patrons are available.
Using short links in restaurant advertising not only creates convenience for your customers, but it gives you an edge over competition with smart analytics.
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