As a restaurant owner, 2020 was a year that forced you to change the way you operated your business by relying on food delivery apps and performing customer service communication through messaging.

Being a brand strategist for Peter Breslow Consulting & Public Relations, we focus our attention on these and other future trends in the restaurant industry to place our clients in the best position to execute successful marketing campaigns. Let’s take a deeper dive into what marketing trends we expect in 2021 for the restaurant industry.

While conducting research, I found an article called, “Restaurant Marketing Tips To Step Up To The Plate in 2021”, where the importance of making strategic marketing decisions as a restaurant owner in 2021 is emphasized. The author identifies the need for restaurants of all kinds to diversify their content, invest in digital advertising, and monitor audience interaction with their brand through analytic dashboards on all digital channels. These strategies are necessary to ensure your customer conversion and restaurant growth.

Another article, “The 5 Sales-Driving Facebook Marketing Essentials Restaurant Marketers Need to Know,” focuses on the Facebook marketing tactics that can lead to, not only an enhanced customer experience, but also a surge in sales and customer loyalty. Along with offering value, the author also wants restaurant owners to share special events, sell features, benefits, and experience, and
maintain easy online ordering. The even mix of old school advertising methods and new school authenticity creates an opportunity for restaurants to dominate the space of social media. After gathering information from other resources, I put together my 3 action items for you as a restaurant owner to implement into your marketing plan for 2021.

• Expand Digital Assets- In addition to your digital menus, online checkout, and DoorDash merchant account, you should also identify other digital platforms to be present on to increase digital touchpoints with your audience.

• Over Produce Content- What you might think is mundane is actually entertaining to your audience. Post food making processes, share recipes, and cool venue additions. If you still aren’t sure what to post, ask your audience through Instagram stories or integrated apps like VideoAsk. Collect qualitative data to understand what your audience wants from you.

• Test & Adjust- Marketing is not about static inputs and outputs. This is a dynamic game that requires plan adjustments based on an evaluation of the metrics. Never stop exploring new methods to improve your restaurant’s marketing efforts. Now that you know what should be implemented in your marketing strategies for 2021, go out and execute them with your own personal twist.

Chris Keesser is a brand strategist for Peter Breslow Consulting & Public Relations, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His specializations are focused in brand identity & strategy, digital/social media marketing strategy, and paid digital advertising.