Anymore, how you market your restaurant is just as important as the quality of your food, and believe it or not, one of the most underutilized marketing assets for most restaurants is the Point of Sale (POS) system. Your POS isn’t just a transactional tool; it’s a gold mine for revenue generation through targeted marketing strategies, especially SMS marketing for restaurants. Let’s dive in.

Understanding Your POS as a Marketing Tool

Most restaurant owners use their POS system to manage customer orders and transactions. What you might not know is that your POS is also a powerful database storing valuable customer information such as contact details, dining preferences, and purchase history. By leveraging this data, restaurants can launch personalized marketing campaigns with compelling offers and updates.

The most valuable data stored in your POS are the phone numbers of customers who have ordered in the past 18 months. These numbers are typically collected when customers place orders online, or if the POS requires them to enter their phone number when ordering at the restaurant. 

Once an owner has collected a substantial list of customer data, they are primed to take advantage of the greatest revenue tool for restaurants: SMS Marketing.

Benefits of SMS Marketing for Restaurants

SMS marketing has proven to be the most effective form of restaurant marketing for several reasons:

• Immediate and direct communication: SMS has an impressive open rate of over 98%, ensuring your audience sees your message almost instantly. Compare this with email open rates of 20% or the average Facebook post reach of just 2.2%

• Personalization at its best: Restaurants can use POS data to send tailored messages based on customer preferences, increasing the likelihood of a positive response.

• Increased customer engagement: Frequent, relevant SMS communication keeps your brand at the forefront of customers’ minds, which increases brand loyalty and repeat business. 

When compared to other common marketing techniques like email blasts and flyers, SMS has the highest open rate, engagement rate, and redemption rate. It’s no secret that texts are the most effective form of communication between a brand and its customers.

Effective SMS Marketing for Restaurants Using POS Data

Simply having access to a list of customer phone numbers isn’t enough to guarantee a successful marketing effort. Below are a few examples of strategies for an effective SMS marketing campaign:

• Promotional alerts: Use POS data to identify slow business days and send out SMS offers to boost sales during these times. Because texts are read almost immediately, it’s the best way to increase customer traffic during slow hours.

• Event notifications: Notify customers about upcoming events or specials, and encourage them to book a table or order online.

• Feedback Solicitation: Send a post-visit thank you message with a link to a feedback form to improve the customer experience, gather valuable information for your staff, and drive more 5 star reviews for your restaurant.

Best Practices for SMS Marketing

• Consent is key: Always obtain explicit permission from customers before sending SMS messages. This isn’t just a nice-to-have but a requirement of law.

• Timing Matters: Send messages at appropriate times, considering meal times and customer time zones.

• Monitor and adapt: Regularly analyze the effectiveness of your campaigns and adjust strategies as needed.

• Find a good marketing partner: There’s a learning curve when it comes to SMS marketing, and many restaurant owners may feel overwhelmed by the difficulty of creating an effective marketing campaign that also complies with texting laws and requirements. Find a marketing agency with a proven track record that can help with the brainstorming and fine-tuning of different campaigns.

Ready to Try SMS Marketing for Restaurants?

Boostly stands as a premier choice for businesses looking to take advantage of POS data and SMS marketing. Our platform, acclaimed for its ease of use and automation, empowers you to effectively engage customers, increase order volume, drive more 5-star reviews, and get more value out of the gold mine of data stored in your POS and online ordering systems. 

Ready to see how Boostly can transform your marketing efforts? There are no set up or monthly fees, and no contracts required! Book a free demo today and explore the potential of SMS marketing for restaurants!