Why Your Restaurant Should Try SMS Marketing

It’s the most common claim that ninety percent (90%) – nine out of ten - of restaurants fail in their very first year. You may have heard about this claim through restaurant makeover shows and/or articles relating to the restaurant business. This failure-rate for the restaurants could, however, be a false estimate. Based on some studies the failure rate may seem to settle at around fifty percent (50%) while other researchers may claim the actual statistic to be closer to fifteen to twenty percent (15-20%). Even if you’re looking at the statistics of research that shows fifteen to twenty percent failure-rate, you would not want to be in that 15-20%, especially when the restaurant startup cost is on the higher side.

You might have chosen the ideal location for your business along with the perfect menu and a dedicated team to provide excellent service – but, what efforts you’re putting into marketing your restaurant? SMS marketing services can help you attract new customers and turn them into your repeat customers.

SMS or text marketing is an efficient and fast way to communicate with a wider audience and generate leads. While you may be reluctant to use text message marketing, there are various good reasons why should your restaurant (or any other business in the foodservice industry like coffee shop) should send texts to engage customers:

• Your potential clients are already on the phone. According to the data shown by different studies, there are roughly over 90% adults in the world who own a smartphone or otherwise; and up to 97% of them are the ones who use text messaging feature on a daily basis. While an average user may be sending or receiving 20-40 texts a day, you need to ask yourself one thing: how many of those messages are sent from your restaurant? Invest in a technologically-advanced SMS blaster and text them now.

• There’s literally no text message that goes unseen. The facts also back up this claim as text marketing boasts a 98% open-rate which is quite a tremendous thing business-wise. While 98% of all text messages are read, it gives you a clear reason that if you want your marketing messages not to be ignored, send them your promotions by text. It’s also a relatively spam-free, uncluttered marketing strategy.

• Texts are read instantly. Not only that almost all the text messages are red, but they are also read immediately with 90% of them being read within just three minutes from being delivered. Just wonder how long a marketing email would sit unread in the customers’ inbox and the chances of it being expired. So, send your promotions through texts and drive traffic without any delay.

• Text messages are personal and intimate. Similar to the messenger or any other inbox like email, the SMS text message inbox is filled with lots of messages from family members, love interests, and close friends. Unlike different other marketing channels, however, customers have to opt-in allowing you to send your texts. Once they accept your texts, they want highly targeted, personal, and necessary messages from your restaurant. Since people are dealing with such a personal and intimate form of communication, you also need to respect their privacy.

• Texts are a cost-effective marketing solution. The price of an SMS campaign, in general, is only one cent per text which is well worth the effort due to higher open rate and ROI (return on investment). It’s a perfect marketing tool for businesses of all sizes and shapes. If you do not have a heavy budget to purchase a Facebook or TV ad spot, you can still reap the benefits of sending your promotional content to a wide range of people to boost sales, thanks to SMS broadcast tools like HiTech Terminal Pro.