Any restaurant worth its salt — pun intended — needs regular, year-long patronage to stay in business. A restaurant email list is one way to build a loyal customer base (and attract new customers).
So often, restaurateurs have restaurant email addresses that they’re not using properly. Email marketing campaigns give restaurant owners a direct line to build brand awareness, stay in touch with customers, and more.
Keep reading to learn more about email marketing lists and how they can fortify your spot in the restaurant industry.
What Is an Email List?
An email list is a list of emails that businesses collect to reach guests about updates, offers, and other information. It’s an essential component of any restaurant’s marketing efforts. Why? Because it gives you a direct line to your customer base.
Many entrepreneurs consider their email list a way to keep in touch with their most loyal customers. You should tailor the messages you send to them. You want to send specific, valuable information your subscribers view as exciting or rewarding.
Email Marketing as a Restaurant’s Bread and Butter
Nowadays, everyone’s on their phone, whether waiting in line at the grocery store or a cafe. Any free moment is perfect for checking their social media channels or email.
If you’ve found a way into their inbox, you can reach your customers 24/7. That’s why creating an email marketing list serves as the bread and butter of all restaurants.
Here are just some of the ways you can use your email efforts:
- Stay in touch with your customers and thank them for their support.
- Introduce your establishment to new customers.
- Share updates like opening a second location or introducing a new menu.
- Offer exclusive discounts and rewards, or advertise “subscriber only” events.
- Keep your guests updated on their online reservations.
- Send receipts from your POS system.
- Collect guest feedback.
But an effective email marketing campaign only works with solid restaurant email lists.
Benefits of Restaurant Mailing Lists
Building a solid and up-to-date restaurant mailing list is as crucial as creating an appetizing menu. After all, you need diners enjoying your delicious food to reach your bottom line. That’s why you need a solid email data bank.
It’s a way to get to know your clientele and connect with them personally. At the same time, you’re promoting your restaurants at a lower cost than other forms of restaurant marketing. Here are a few more benefits of maintaining a mailing list.
Increase Web Traffic
What’s one of the best things about learning how to collect emails? You can direct more clients to your website. With clickable links in your messages, you can easily direct more eyeballs to your restaurant website.
More website traffic improves your search engine rankings and increases your audience connection.
Increase Repeat Visits
Email strategy also increases foot traffic. Your restaurant business thrives on repeat visits. You’ll grow a loyal following through impeccable service and mouth-watering cuisine. But your email list should be a part of that as well.
Here’s an example of your emailer can accomplish this. Say you send a message to your subscriber list in between meal times. They’ll see your company name in the subject line and think, “Now that you mention it, I loved that place last time I went. Maybe I’ll go there today.”
The power of suggestion is a massive part of restaurant marketing.
Stay Connected With Customers
We’ve mentioned this point a lot, so you may wonder why it’s so important to maintain regular communication with your guests. When done correctly, it fosters a stronger bond between you.
Small businesses thrive off of personal touches and relationship building. It’s what separates your boutique venture from the big box chains and franchise restaurants. You can use your emails to show that there’s a real person behind it all.
However, one important thing to remember is to strike the right balance with communication frequency. While people appreciate necessary updates, services, and deals, overly frequent messages feel like spam. The last thing you want is for them to feel like you’re bothering them.
Establish Loyalty and Reward Systems
Another benefit of a restaurant email list is establishing a mutually rewarding relationship with your community. Think of your subscribers as your business’s inner circle. As a reward for people giving you their email addresses, you can inform them about exclusive deals and events.
For example, say your venue will hold a special Valentine’s Day event. You plan to have a decadent prix fixe menu, live music, and complimentary champagne. But there’s a limited number of available seats. Send a reservation form to your email subscribers before opening it up to the public.
Email marketing is a convenient and affordable way to announce new products, special deals, and events. You can also update customers on changes to your operating hours, pricing, menu, seating capacity, etc.
By doing this, your diners feel in the loop. They will feel satisfied if they visit your establishment and notice changes.
An intelligent marketing strategy is an inclusive one. Your efforts should feed into each other and help your other channels grow. Emailers are a great way to maintain interest and engagement with your brand.
You can promote your social media and encourage customers to engage with you via likes, comments, reviews, and tagged posts.
How To Make an Email List for a Restaurant
Are you ready to learn how to make an email list for a restaurant? You need one vital thing to build email lists: guest email addresses. Not only that, but you need consent to send guest emails.
Many restaurateurs need to learn the best way to go about collecting email addresses. They feel awkward asking their visitors for personal information. However, most people feel more generous with their email than their phone numbers or postal addresses. You should feel confident collecting data to build your email list.
Keep reading for our top tips on how to encourage guests to share their addresses.
Build the Restaurant’s Email List With a Sign-up Sheet
Sometimes the best solutions are the most simple ones. You can collect emails through a signup sheet if you have a small marketing budget. Place one by your register or check-out counter.
Or, if you’re a sit-down restaurant, post one by your hostess stand. If you like to check in with your guests, try to collect business cards from tables you’ve shared conversations with.
You can even entice folks to hand over their data by incentivizing them to sign up. Like a free drink or 10% off their bill. Just be sure you have a way to confirm they’ve given you an actual address, so you don’t lose profits.
Build Your Restaurant’s Email List via Your Own Restaurant Mobile App
Mobile apps for restaurants allow you to feed two birds with one stone. One, it’s a means to collect customers’ email addresses and build your restaurant’s email list. Two, it gives guests a more convenient option for online orders or booking appointments.
Creating and maintaining an app that processes online orders is more affordable nowadays. Increased sales and improved customer experience make it a worthwhile investment.
When customers download your app, they’re prompted to provide their email addresses for order verification and processing updates. The app will also work like a loyalty card, which they can use to accumulate points. It’s a win-win solution for both your restaurants and your customers.
Create a Restaurant Emailer via Your Social Media Pages
For customers engaging with your social media, run a contest or promote an exclusive event requiring email signup. Use a “form fill-in” page during sign-up to collect the necessary customer information and build your contact list.
Your followers likely will want to refrain from publishing their email addresses in posts or comments. If you’re going to run a contest, ensure they can join via a private form.
Build Your Restaurant Email Database via a Loyalty Qr Code
Another way to build a comprehensive database is via QR codes. They can quickly scan the codes with their mobile phones, making it convenient for everyone.
The digital code then directs them to your website or app. From there, they sign up for your restaurant’s loyalty program with an email address.
You can quickly publish QR codes on your social media pages. Or prominently display them in your restaurant via menus, walls, table signages, and receipts. You’ll have a robust restaurant email database before you know it.
Create an Email List by Using Lead-generation Software
Every time a person visits your website, you can collect their email address and build your restaurant email list. You can use lead-generation software to set up pop-ups for when a person visits your website or before they leave.
If your pop-up is engaging enough, you can collect many email addresses.
Build Your Restaurant Email Marketing List via Your Guest WiFi Access
Offering guest WiFi access is a perk that customers expect from the establishments they visit. Guest WiFi access in restaurants attracts more diners, encourages extended visits, and increases return visits.
With a WiFi marketing system, you can build your subscriber list and ensure your customers stay connected online.
A WiFi marketing system uses a captive portal to initiate guest WiFi access. When customers try to connect to your WiFi, they’re redirected to a landing page. There they must enter an email to log in.
Most customers willingly share their email addresses in exchange for free WiFi. So make sure to leverage the full advantages of offering free WiFi to your customers.
How To Get People on a Restaurant Email List With WiFi Marketing
A WiFi marketing system provides a convenient way to collect email addresses and build your restaurant email list. It offers several other opportunities to promote your establishment, enhance your customers’ guest WiFi experience, and build loyalty.
(We can’t stress that last point enough: customer loyalty is a must for any small business.)
Customers’ email addresses are precious data for many reasons. One is that email marketing is a low-cost, effective means of reaching your target market. That’s why it’s worth investing in email marketing software for restaurants.
Combining email marketing with WiFi marketing gives you an advantage in ensuring your establishment’s solid footing in this highly competitive industry.
Make sure you choose a WiFi marketing system that delivers a tailored solution for your needs and those customers. Ask them if they offer specific marketing software tools for restaurants, like proximity marketing and a guide on how to use it.
Partner with a company like Beambox to use customizable guest WiFi marketing platforms that provide an enhanced experience.
Marry Email and WiFi Marketing With Beambox
With Beambox, you can connect, capture, and keep more customers. Why? Because we offer a wide suite of WiFi marketing tools designed for the hospitality industry. We know how important things like CRM databases, Wifi CRM, and proximity advertising are for small businesses.
Beambox’s WiFi marketing also helps you understand the fans of your business with innovative marketing tools integrated into your captive portal. You’ll grow your restaurant email list via a customized captive portal login. Delight your target audience with WiFi that remembers and welcomes them each time they visit.
Beambox has an existing client base of over 3,000 venues. Each client uses our customizable WiFi marketing solutions in remarkable and rewarding ways. Here are a few examples:
- You can drive sales with time-sensitive deals and promos for your restaurant.
- Boost social engagement with Instagram or Facebook contests.
- Climb up online ranking platforms through real-time customer reviews.
Beambox is an all-in-one WiFi solution that accomplishes all of the above. Whether you own a fast-food diner or an upscale bistro, we’ll get the contact information you need for a successful email newsletter list.
Accelerate your business growth — start your Beambox free trial today!
