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Marketing Tip: Time to Text?
Here's one thing you already know -- there are countless ways to market to your customers. The best advice remains a sampling of
marketing programs done on a regular basis to see which are most
effective for your restaurant. Adding to the mix, now we have a
new marketing concept in "text messaging". The idea is simple --
customers sign up at your restaurant to be notified by cell phone text
message of any special promotions, offers or events. The restaurant
then sends out messages such as "10% off your next visit when you show
this message at Bistro 211" to drive a spike in the week's business.
The opportunity here is of course to generate repeat business and to
create the possibility for increasing levels of customer loyalty.
One such company offering this service is Textalert. Based out of
Boston, the company has operating history in Europe where text
messaging is already happening on a gigantic scale and where
commercial text messages are accepted by consumers.
"A restaurateur's first reaction," says David New, CEO of Textalert
"is often who wants junk mail on their cell phones?" A valid concern
indeed. "The key to the text messaging option, much like any
advertising vehicle, is that you first obtain the customers
permission to contact them. And the customer has the ability to
unsubscribe from the messaging list at any time."
Our Take: There is something very valuable in permission based
marketing. By giving permission the customer is literally saying "I'd
like to hear from you!" Unquestionably, many restaurants currently do
a poor job of communicating with their existing customers (which of
course assumes that they do any communication at all with these
important folks). Whether it is through mail, email or now text
messaging restaurants should take advantage of all available tools
which allow them to easily contact existing customers in an effort to
drive return business.
Is text messaging a good marketing idea? It is too early to tell.
Nonetheless, it seems worth exploring for certain restaurateurs who
are looking to build their clientele and expand their business.
Weblink: http://www.restaurant.textalert.com
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