Covid-19 has been detrimental to many different industries, but an argument could be made that restaurants have been hit the hardest. Losing the ability to have dine-in customers has forced many restaurants to try to figure out how to attract customers to their carry-out business. Direct mail may be able to help in this situation.
Depending on where a restaurant is located it could be potentially against the law to have dine-in customers. Even if it is not against the law many people are simply unwilling to go to a dine-in setting. This means less people are out and looking for places to eat. With less people out and about on the roads and driving by, your restaurant is getting significantly less visibility than usual. You must find a way to get in front of potential customers again. Direct mail offers the opportunity to reach your audience.
There is a large portion of the population that would not be considered tech savvy. These people will not see your Facebook post, they will not go to your website to find out if you are open or not. They only know about restaurants if they drive by them or hear about them from a friend. This portion of the population offers a unique opportunity to market to. You should take this opportunity to send out a direct mail piece to let them know you are open for carry-out or delivery. Have your piece explain all the safety precautions you are taking. This will help ease any fears they may have. Also consider offering a discount or coupon on their order to entice them to give your restaurant a try.
People are looking for something to do, they are tired of cooking at their houses and your restaurant may be just what they are looking for. But if they do not know you exist then you are missing an excellent opportunity to add customers for life. Direct mail gives you the opportunity to reach out to these potential customers and put your business information directly into their hands.
We can take a look at some of the benefits of direct mail now.
Response Rate
Even before Covid, direct mail was seeing some of its highest response rates ever. This can be attributed to less crowded mailboxes. People receive hundreds of emails a day but no longer receive a mailbox full of advertisements. This has made the effectiveness skyrocket. And now people are spending more time in their homes than usual. This should only help the response rate of a direct mail piece.
Personalization
With some of the recent advancements in the printing industry, it is easy then ever to send each person on your mailing list a personalized message. You can easily add their name into the piece to give it a much more friendly feel.
Direct
It is as direct a form of marketing as exists. Direct mail can put your message right into the hands of your potential customer. People go out to their mailbox every day, and your letter will be right on top for them to read. Even if they simply glance at it, you will build your brand recognition and be on the top of their minds.
Inexpensive
Direct mail can also be an extremely affordable way to blanket a surrounding area of your community. There are many different types of mailing lists available, but you can also just select a certain area to mail too and your message will be sent to each address in the zone. This is very affordable and a great way to let people in the immediate vicinity of your restaurant know that you are back and open for business.
If you need tips on designing a direct mail postcard refer to our post here.
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