“Technology has gone to the top of restaurant-owner action lists for 2013,” says Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Association. Why? It’s what the industry’s key demographic (18- to 34-year-olds) wants most.
We’ve known for a long time, however, that an inextricable bond between mobile and food now exists. In fact, according to the latest statistics from the IAB and Viggle, 69 percent of consumers order food online using a mobile device.
The study found that people use their mobile devices to find restaurant locations, check out menus, and see other users’ reviews. Equally as impressive is the fact that online and mobile orders at Domino’s and Papa John’s pizza chains are now 30 percent of each chain’s overall business.
Consequently, it makes sense why so many restaurant owners are turning to SMS marketing to boost sales and drive more foot traffic into their establishments.
“Restaurants that use SMS marketing are becoming more and more common every day,” says Matt Baglia, of Business2Community. “Owners who ‘get it’ understand that with 99% open rates and 25% redemption rates, text is a stream that must be in their bag of marketing arsenal. For many restaurants who are less familiar with SMS marketing though, they’re finding themselves struggling to come up with effective ways to leverage the power of this mobile marketing stream.”
Baglia says mobile coupons, text-to-win campaigns, and reservation reminders are among the most popular ways that restaurants are using SMS marketing to drive traffic.
So is SMS marketing right for your restaurant? To learn more about how to implement an effective and affordable SMS marketing strategy, click here.