The past two years have been grueling for everyone, especially those working in the hospitality industry. Small businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdown after lockdown kept customers at home, doing their spending online.
Statistics paint a worrying picture of the performance of restaurants. In 2020 the worth of the restaurant industry was $240 billion lower than projected. There is an expectation that profits will start to rise as regulations are flexible and patrons feel safer venturing into public spaces. But sadly, for many, there is no hope of resurrecting their businesses.
This crisis has forced most businesses to take a long and hard look at their approach to marketing. Some – or many – restaurants have closed, but for those that remain, now is the time to up their marketing game and invest in smart, effective strategies that have better chances of attracting and retaining customers.
What Is Video Marketing?
These days marketing is all about having a strong online presence. The internet is the new Yellow Pages, and a small business that neglects its website or social media profiles is missing out on a huge chunk of exposure.
Video marketing is pretty much what it says on the tin: using videos to advertise your goods and services.
In decades past, video marketing was confined to television. But in 2021, it’s one of the most powerful strategies to employ in the online marketplace. Using videos on social media and websites is a sure-fire way of sparking consumers’ attention and encouraging engagement.
Video Marketing – Quick Stats
Whether your restaurant is big or small, there are a few ways to approach video marketing. Some companies use their existing team, others use an outside company, or employ a social media freelancer.
Source: Lemonlight
Research from Lemon Light over the past year has shown the range of prices that businesses are prepared to pay to get a video marketing campaign up and running – roughly from $2500 to $10000. Around 70% of research participants already use video marketing.
How Your Restaurant Will Benefit From Video Marketing
Statistics show clearly that video marketing is on the rise.
In the past two years especially, people have migrated online, making video uploads even more effective than they were prior to 2020. Surveys conducted by Wyzowl show without a doubt that video marketing is a reliable way to increase customer engagement. Responses from participating companies indicate that they feel very positive about this strategy’s success.
There are a number of factors that come into play when you use video marketing to promote your restaurant. Putting together engaging videos requires careful consideration.
Before starting, however, it’s important to understand exactly why this marketing strategy works so well.
1. Videos grab attention
One reason why video marketing works is simply that people are drawn to videos more so than to photographs and written promotional material. It takes less mental energy to watch a two-minute clip than it does to read promotional content.
A short video can also communicate more than other marketing mediums; potential customers can get a better sense of a restaurant’s ambiance and overall look, which is more engaging and useful than only seeing an image.
The recent research by Lemonlight showed that 99% of respondents enjoyed watching video marketing online. The vast majority also stated that video marketing played a big part in getting them to purchase goods or services.
2. Video marketing is the new normal
Not using videos in your marketing strategy means you’re falling behind. So many companies employ video marketing that not doing so means you’re at a huge disadvantage.
Surveys have shown that more than 90% of respondents have been introduced to new companies on YouTube. Not having video content online, whether on your own website or social media platforms, means that you’re missing out on a large chunk of potential customers.
3. Connecting with consumers authentically
Videos reach consumers in a way that’s not possible with other marketing strategies.
A two-minute virtual tour of your restaurant communicates more than would be possible with print advertisements. Videos are more immediate and feel more real than other marketing media and as such allow consumers to immerse themselves in the eatery’s atmosphere.
Cultivating a more authentic connection between you and your consumers is an effective way to build customer loyalty. A reciprocal positive relationship means that your patrons are more likely to keep coming back.
Restaurants, especially, benefit from this kind of customer loyalty, as satisfied customers are a marketing tool in and of themselves. Word-of-mouth marketing is extremely powerful, but it won’t happen without the help of other strategies like video promotions.
4. Excellent Way Of Boosting SEO
SEO has become one of the most important tools in marketing. People live online these days, which makes it vital to have a strong online presence to get your restaurant noticed. We can say that SEO is amongst those techniques, which can “make or break” a business. You can help your audience to learn more about your restaurant and motivate them to visit you by utilizing the perfect SEO tools and marketing strategies. When people are searching for particular words or phrases, Google displays the most relevant results based on their content and value.
So, you must be wondering how can videos assist you in improving your SEO ranking? When someone visits your website and watches a video, it will capture the attention of that particular user and they like to spend more time on your page. Google considers this as a positive sign of increased engagement. And the visitors are spending significantly more time on your website, resulting in a big increase in the SEO rankings in the search engine.
5. Social media – videos compulsory
Social media has become an integral part of our society, and many businesses these days use different social media platforms to reach their target market. Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter allow companies to connect with customers in “real-time”.
The more videos you upload, the more clicks you get, and the more your overall online presence grows. Reaching consumers on one platform also makes it more likely that your content will be seen on the others.
When you’re browsing Facebook and stumble across a video, it takes no effort at all to sit there and watch it. People might not even be looking for the product or service being advertised, but allowing the video to play boosts the company’s SEO ranking and establishes a connection with potential customers.
Related Article: Essential steps for using Social Media to boost business marketing
Video Marketing: What Works?
While video marketing is incredibly effective, what you get out of it depends on what you put in. These days just about anyone with a mobile phone can record a video. But good quality footage takes a little more practice and is far more appealing than an amateurish clip.
Video marketing for restaurants can work well if it’s done properly. Some ideas for video content include:
- staff/chef interviews
- virtual tours of the establishment
- behind-the-scenes footage
- interesting information about a signature dish/a “how-to” guide
- diners’ opinions and feedback
a. Staff/chef interviews
Customers love to have insight into the inner workings of a restaurant. Most eateries keep their kitchens well hidden, so getting a sneak pic behind the scenes is fascinating, and builds a closer relationship between customers and the restaurant.
b. Virtual tours and behind-the-scenes footage
A virtual tour of your restaurant appeals to customers in the same way that interview videos do. Taking a walk through your dining area is very effective in terms of bringing the ambiance to potential customers.
This also applies to other variations of behind-the-scenes footage. Showing how a barista mixes a cocktail, for example, can elicit curiosity from customers and give them a glimpse of the nitty-gritty processes that usually occur unnoticed.
c. “How-to” cooking tips/sharing information
You don’t need to put together an elaborate guide on how to prepare a complex dish to capture customers’ potential. Sharing a recipe for a signature cocktail, how to mix a special milkshake or handy methods to chop vegetables are all examples of effective video marketing.
Putting out this sort of content allows you to connect to consumers and makes them feel welcome when they do come to your restaurant. Showing off a chef’s skills can inspire potential patrons and encourage curiosity. If or when they decide to visit your establishment, this type of video content gives them more context and makes the experience deeper and more meaningful.
d. Diner opinions/testimonials
Word-of-mouth marketing is extremely effective, as it’s natural for people to trust the opinions of friends and family. This trust can also be achieved to some extent when hearing the opinions of strangers.
Collecting snippets (reviews) of patrons’ thoughts and combining them into a single video tells potential customers that your restaurant delivers on its promises.
The “Takeaway”
Video marketing has proven itself as one of the most effective strategies employed by companies in every industry. When it comes down to it, restaurants are ultimately companies, and will doubtless benefit greatly from video marketing tailored to their needs.
Promotional videos are suitable for most social media platforms, and once you’ve picked up the habit of producing and sharing them, your restaurant’s online presence will become more and more powerful.
Related Article: 10 Best Restaurant Marketing Ideas To Attract New Customers
