Getting started with SMS marketing for your restaurant can be overwhelming.
Yes, there are benefits that come with it—from the fact that it’s a cost-effective way to stay connected with your guests, to how it can help reduce no-shows and increase table reservations.
But what steps do you actually need to take to reap those benefits?
Well, that is where this article comes in.
We’ll be breaking down the 7 steps that will help you build a solid strategy for your restaurant’s SMS marketing efforts, sharing valuable tips and expert insights in the process.
So, let’s get started!
Today, SMS marketing is no longer an option, but a necessity for any business that wants to meet their customers where they already are: on their phones.
The fact of the matter is, customers want to participate in the SMS programs of the brands they love, and your restaurant should be no exception.
Don’t believe us?
Take a look at the findings of Attentive’s 2023 SMS Marketing Consumer Trends Report.
Illustration: Tablein / Data: Attentive
It’s clear that jumping on the SMS marketing bandwagon is important now more than ever before.
But before you start thinking about the content you want to share with your guests, or which tools you should invest in to automate the process, you need to ask yourself one fundamental question:
“What goal(s) do we want to achieve with SMS marketing?”
Defining your goals before anything else will help make sure that every subsequent step you take is in line with your restaurant’s broader strategy.
It’s worth noting, though, that there isn’t one single right answer to this question.
Every restaurant has different needs and struggles with different things, so it’s only natural that the goal you set for your establishment will most likely be different than that of your competitors.
But how do you find out what it is that you should address with the help of SMS marketing?
Your best bet would be to take a look at your data.
This is where your existing technology comes in handy.
You can, for example, make use of your online reservation system’s reports feature to find out where you stand when it comes to table bookings.
Source: Tablein
Does it show that you get more walk-ins than reservations, leading you to struggle with unpredictable customer flow?
Or perhaps that you have a significant amount of no-shows that are depleting your revenue?
If so, you have your answer: these are the areas you should focus your SMS marketing efforts on.
With this knowledge, you can be sure that every text message you send will have a clear purpose, contributing to the broader goals you’ve set for your restaurant.
Of course, as you get more SMS marketing experience under your belt, you’ll be able to gauge what types of messages your guests respond to best and adjust your campaigns accordingly.
As excited as you may be to start texting your patrons as soon as possible, don’t skip this first step.
It’s going to be the foundation for your many successful SMS marketing campaigns.
Now that you know what you want to achieve with SMS marketing, it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to achieve it.
Trying to tackle this marketing channel manually would, of course, be time-consuming, resource-intensive, and error-prone.
Just think about how much time it would take for your staff to send an SMS about a limited-time deal to all the customers who opted in to receive your messages.
Now, consider how easy it would be for them to make mistakes in typing numbers, personalizing messages, or keeping track of who has already received the offer.
With your staff juggling multiple tasks as it is, it becomes all too easy for such errors to slip in.
Luckily, that is where automation comes in.
Nowadays, there is a plethora of SMS marketing platforms you can choose from.
From those that help all kinds of businesses with both email and SMS marketing, to those that specialize in restaurant SMS marketing in particular.
One such example is Boostly.
Source: Boostly
This platform collects guest data from your already existing sources, such as your POS system or online orders, builds a compliant database of guests, and automatically sends them SMS messages of your choice.
But what if you’re not ready for a full-blown SMS marketing platform and the learning curve that comes with it?
In that case, you can automate some of the most important types of messages with the help of your existing table booking system.
Our Tablein is a solution that offers exactly that.
Aside from providing you with all the essential features a good restaurant reservation system should have, and more, Tablein also facilitates SMS communication with your guests.
Once your guests have opted in to receive SMS messages from your restaurant, our system will automatically text them with all the important details and updates regarding their table bookings.
Source: Tablein
This means that your staff doesn’t have to worry about manually confirming table bookings or looking for guests at the bar to let them know their table is ready.
Instead, they can focus on more important tasks—like offering superb service—without missing out on the many benefits of SMS marketing.
In our book, that’s a win-win scenario.
With a solid goal in mind and all the technology in place, you can now start sending SMS messages to your guests, right?
Well, not exactly.
Before you send a single SMS message to the guests whose phone numbers you’ve collected previously, there’s one more thing you need to do: get them to explicitly opt-in.
Yes, the ultimate goal is for your text messages to reach as many of your guests as possible.
But not at the expense of violating their consent.
Despite this, it appears that receiving unsolicited SMS messages from businesses is a common issue.
Illustration: Tablein / Data: Validity
Whether the respondents from this survey did actually sign up for SMS messages and forgot about it, or genuinely weren’t asked for their consent in the first place, the point remains:
Having a clear privacy policy and opt-in/opt-out process to ensure compliance with relevant regulations—like GDPR in Europe or TCPA in the US—is key.
And it matters not only from the legal standpoint, either.
Neil Andrew, Founder of Lunio (formerly PPC Protect), a click fraud prevention platform, explains why:
Illustration: Tablein / Quote: American Express
At this point, you must be wondering what methods you can use to obtain guest consent and get started with SMS campaigns.
Here are a few simple ideas:
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During the online reservation process |
When guests are making a reservation online, include a checkbox stating, “I agree to receive SMS reminders and offers from [Restaurant]. |
|
At the table |
Have your staff offer the guests the opportunity to join the restaurant’s SMS program for exclusive deals and updates. |
|
During the loyalty program enrollment |
When guests sign up for your loyalty or rewards program, include SMS as a communication preference option. |
|
During the takeout order process |
Include a checkbox during the checkout process for guests to opt into SMS communications when making online or app-based takeout orders. |
So, take some time to study your local laws when it comes to SMS marketing and make it easy for guests to understand what they’re agreeing to.
Your future self will thank you.
Before you actually come up with the content you want to send out to your guests, there is one more thing you need to do to make the most of SMS marketing.
That is, of course, audience segmentation: the practice of dividing your audience into smaller groups based on shared traits to deliver personalized messaging.
Sure, you technically could send the exact same messages to all of the people who subscribed to your restaurant’s SMS communications.
But then, you wouldn’t be giving your guests what they want.
And what they want is communication that is tailored to their needs, preferences, and past behaviors, research shows.
Illustration: Tablein / Data: McKinsey
If you consider that SMS has an exceptionally high open rate of 98%, not making sure that each guest receives messages that are relevant to them would be a huge mistake.
Andrew Capland, Head of Growth at Postscript, a software company specializing in SMS marketing solutions for eCommerce businesses, thinks so, too:
“Segmentation and list management is incredibly important. People will see your texts. So making sure you send your content to the right cohort of subscribers is incredibly important.”
And it makes sense, really.
Just imagine how unappreciated a regular diner would feel if they received a generic welcome SMS when they’ve been loyal to your restaurant for years!
So, before you send the exact same message to all of your subscribers, use your SMS marketing platform to segment your audience with ease.
This is what audience segmentation looks like in Klaviyo, for example.
Source: Klaviyo
Quite straightforward and well worth it.
Why?
Because taking the time to do this will not only enhance customer satisfaction but also drive engagement and revenue.
And isn’t that the whole point of doing SMS marketing in the first place?
At this point, you’ve done all the prep work and are ready to finally start sending out custom-tailored SMS messages to guests who opted into the program.
But before you hit that “Send” button, take a good look at the message you crafted.
Is it short, but still informative? Is it personalized, and does it prompt the recipient to take action?
If you said “no” to any of these questions, it’s time to get back to the drawing board and craft messages that truly hit the mark.
Such messages are bound to help your restaurant stand out and make your SMS subscribers more likely to act on your offer.
So, what makes a truly effective SMS message?
Let’s illustrate with an example.
Source: Tablein
The message opens with a friendly greeting and addresses the guest by their name, which helps create a connection.
The next sentence clearly states what the offer is and expresses gratitude for the guest’s loyalty, making them feel valued.
The guest will want to know how they can redeem the offer, so the message also contains clear instructions on what they need to do.
Then, to make it easy for them to take action as soon as possible, the link to make a reservation is included.
Finally, including the instructions on how to opt out of further SMS communications signals that the restaurant is aware of compliance regulations and respects the guest’s preferences.
What’s also worth noting is the overall tone of the message and the use of emojis, both of which contribute to making the message more friendly, engaging, and visually appealing.
When put together, all of these elements make for a message that is clear, actionable, and engaging.
And make no mistake: offering a good deal is enticing, but it’s definitely not the end all, be all.
Dennis Yu, the CEO of the digital marketing company BlitzMetrics, agrees.
Illustration: Tablein / Quote: Postscript
Sure, having a compelling value proposition in your SMS messages is important.
But it’s just as important to treat SMS marketing as a way to create a genuine connection with your patrons, rather than just trying to make a sale.
So, keep that in mind when crafting your messages.
A successful SMS marketing strategy isn’t just about the content of your text messages, though.
Yes, you want to create messages that resonate with your audience—but you also need to send them at just the right time, at just the right frequency.
As it turns out, this can be quite a challenge for businesses.
Research shows that 96% of people who subscribe to SMS communications feel at least occasionally annoyed by the text messages they receive from brands.
Why?
Primarily due to the fact that businesses tend to send texts too frequently and at inappropriate times.
Illustration: Tablein / Data: Validity
These numbers highlight just how important it is to deliver your guests SMS messages that are not only relevant but also timed strategically.
Otherwise, your efforts might have the opposite effect, explains Shane Murphy in a Pizza Marketplace podcast episode.
The Co-Founder and CEO of Boostly warns restaurant owners about the dangers of over-texting their customers.
Illustration: Tablein / Quote: Pizza Marketplace
To maximize the revenue without burdening the audience, he recommends texting your SMS subscribers once a week, on average.
If you want to message them more frequently than that, it has to be for a specific reason, like, for example, their birthday or another special occasion.
This is in line with a recent Klaviyo survey, which found that 72% of the survey respondents globally expect to receive SMS messages from businesses at least once a week.
By sending your messages at regular intervals, yet not too frequently, you’ll be making sure your restaurant stays top of mind without overwhelming your subscribers.
But what about the time of the day you should be messaging them?
Well, this is just as important, as it directly affects open rates and conversions.
And it makes sense: an SMS message from their favorite restaurant about a limited-time offer sent around lunchtime will be happily received by your audience.
But one sent at 11 pm on a Sunday, when they’re unwinding or even asleep? Not so much.
Mindy Regnell, Head of Market Intelligence at Klaviyo, agrees.
Illustration: Tablein / Quote: Klaviyo
According to Attentive, the best times to send SMS messages are 12 pm and 8 pm, but this is not set in stone.
So, you might be best off A/B testing your campaigns to see at which time your guests are the most likely to take the desired action.
Now that your SMS marketing strategy is up and running, you may feel like you’ve got it all figured out and your work here is done.
Well, that’s not exactly true.
If you want to make sure that your strategy remains effective, you should continuously analyze your performance to refine it accordingly.
We mentioned earlier that you can use A/B testing to figure out the optimal time for sending out SMS messages.
But you can apply the same technique when it comes to the content of your messages, too.
Let’s say you want to invite your patrons to join your loyalty program, but you’re not too sure which phrasing would work better.
Source: Tablein
Why not A/B test it by sending one message to one group of patrons, and the other to a different group?
Doing this will give you a better idea of what your guests actually respond to and help you fine-tune your SMS strategy going forward.
Elliot Scott, Founder and CEO of ElliotDigital, finds that many businesses give up on SMS marketing too soon because they’re under the impression that it doesn’t work.
And the reason that they feel this way, he says, is because they don’t make an effort to figure out what works, and what doesn’t.
Illustration: Tablein / Quote: Klaviyo
So don’t make the same mistake, as A/B testing is an integral part of building a solid SMS strategy.
But it all doesn’t mean much if it’s not accompanied by tracking the results and adjusting your approach accordingly.
This is where SMS marketing KPIs come in.
They will tell you:
Not sure where to start?
We listed some key KPIs you should keep track of below to get you started.
Source: Tablein
As much as you might feel you’ve got your strategy down, keep in mind that there’s always room for improvement.
So, make sure to keep a close eye on the results of your SMS marketing efforts, and you’ll have no problem keeping your content engaging and relevant.
We hope this article has provided you with enough tips and insights that will help you start your restaurant’s SMS marketing journey today.
Yes, tackling a new marketing channel can be challenging.
But if you take it step by step, follow the best practices, and avoid the pitfalls we discussed, there’s no doubt you’ll master it in no time.
Good luck!