5 Ways to Promote Your Special Holiday Menus

While the holiday season is a busy time of year for retailers, it can be a quiet time for restaurants. Consumers are spending their money on gifts, and not necessarily on evenings out with loved ones. Luckily, there are many things restaurant marketers can do to boost business. One of the most popular is developing exclusive holiday menus to attract hungry guests. How do you spread the word about your holiday specials in the most effective way possible? 

1. Create a Social Media Account for Your Food 

Your food is delightful, and it has personality. Why not give it a social media account of its own? 

Whether you're using Facebook or a more photo-specific platform such as Instagram, giving your food a venue where it can shine will attract more visitors to your restaurant for your mouth-watering holiday menus. Add a tidbit of information to your professional photos of dishes. This could be information about the chef or a detail about a unique quality of the meal. 

Consider adding photos to Pinterest and Snapchat as well. Pinterest photos can highlight the "how to" of the food experience, giving a bit of information about how the food is made. Snapchat can tantalize with a photo, then invite people to connect to a deal.

Make sure that your photos are professional and high-quality. Use natural light, make sure that the food looks fresh, and choose the right background: "the choice of tablecloth/surface, plate and cutlery all subtly contribute to the mood and success of your shot," according to BBC Good Food.

2. Share on Social Media 

Sharing information with your readers is just one part of connecting on social media. You can also invite your followers to share with you. Reminisce about your favorite holiday meals and ask readers to do the same. Ask them to take photos of their favorite dishes or send a story that you highlight. Build a community around food, and share your food stories and photos as well. 

Diversify the focus on Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving by sharing memories of niche holidays as well. For example, did you know that December 16th is Chocolate Covered Anything day? Invite your guests to partake in a chocolate-covered treat.

3. Offer Perks to Those Who Sign Up 

Who doesn't enjoy free chocolate? 

Giving your customers perks will help them connect to your business again and again. Perks are especially helpful during the holiday season when stressed-out shoppers relish a treat for themselves or enjoy receiving something that they can pass on to others. Offer a discount on a holiday meal; for example, if they order a certain number of servings for pick up, you'll give them a discount or a dessert for free. Use this strategy to add people to your mailing list, social media, and text message marketing accounts as well. In exchange for signing up, you can offer your guests a discount or a free gift.

4. Promote Your Specials With Text Message Marketing 

What's the quickest and easiest way to get in touch with your prospective guests? It's not via social marketing or email: while most people have phones, not everyone has a smartphone. It's text message marketing. With a simple text message, you can prompt your guests to visit you. Send them a discount code, remind them about your upcoming holiday special, or offer them a free gift if they come to visit in the next few days.

Are you ready to promote your business online? With text message marketing, you can reach your audience easily and quickly. EZ Texting can help you set up your first text message marketing campaign. Sign up for free today.