7 tips for promoting a restaurant event

In this article, we share seven useful marketing tactics to bring more guests to your restaurant this year.

Organising an event is one of the best ways to attract visitors. It can bring in new guests and get your regulars involved too. Many business-minded hospitality owners already use this opportunity, but too few know about it. That is why we want to offer practical advice to those who have yet to make the most of events.

#1: Choose a suitable theme

The first and most important step in organising an event is choosing its theme. Get that wrong and even a large marketing budget will not deliver enough.

This may sound difficult, but there is no need to worry. We have a useful suggestion:

Ask guests eating at your restaurant what kind of event they would enjoy. Most people like giving advice and having their opinion count. Write down their ideas and bring the options together afterwards.

This helps make the event relevant to returning and future customers. But remember to check that you are not straying too far from your restaurant's main theme. If you run an Italian pizzeria, do not organise a Japanese weekend, however much the guests you asked might want one.

Some event ideas: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, the football World Cup, a cuisine week, a wine dinner, etc.

#2: Motivate your staff

Most businesses overlook their employees' marketing power. Yet your colleagues can be highly effective at filling an event.

Offer employees an incentive for tickets sold or guests brought in. A financial reward is always the strongest. Consider giving a predetermined sum to the employee who sells the most tickets. A competition works best, with everyone able to see their position in the rankings.

For a somewhat more Western approach, share a proportion of the event's profit among those who sold tickets, according to their sales. They will then care about both attendance and how much guests spend at the event.

#3: Use your marketing channels

You probably already have marketing channels such as a website, Facebook, Instagram or email. It is time to use them to promote your events.

Start with social media. Facebook lets you create a dedicated event, but we recommend publishing posts as well. We also suggest starting to plan and schedule posts, copy and images at least one month ahead.

Remember hashtags on Instagram to reach more relevant customers for free. An established hashtag of your own is even better. To learn more, read our article 21 Instagram tips for restaurants.

Consistent communication across every channel produces the best results.

#4: Give away tickets

Giving away tickets is another way to promote your event, ideally on social media. Decide how many tickets or gifts you will offer and create giveaways.

Although people often suggest requiring shares and follows to enter, Facebook's rules prohibit this, so we do not recommend it. You can, however, ask readers to tag the person they would bring in a comment, which immediately notifies that person too.

Another professional tip: if you draw only a few major prizes, consider a small gift for every participant. Knowing they will win something encourages entries, and the gift can encourage them to attend too. You could offer everyone a half-price first-drink voucher, a free welcome drink or a mini dessert.

#5: Work with influencers

Micro-influencers who communicate with your target audience can be useful marketing partners. They are a good choice because you do not necessarily have to pay cash for their services. You could offer a free dinner or a complimentary event ticket.

It may also be worth contacting food and event bloggers.

#6: Use paid advertising

Used well, paid Facebook and Instagram ads can reach countless potential customers. We will not explain ad setup in detail here, but a dedicated article is coming soon. Subscribe to our newsletter so you do not miss it!

One important tip, though: do not simply boost posts indiscriminately. If your marketer suggests that, run!

When creating ads, filter for the right target audience, restrict location targeting to people who live nearby and create remarketing ads if possible. Send interested people to your website or Facebook event!

#7: Make a video invitation

"A video is worth a thousand pictures," someone once said... Video is one of the most effective ways to promote events because it communicates event details and shows the atmosphere of previous occasions. And atmosphere is one of the most important things!

Today, younger people in particular spend a great deal of time online, and most prefer videos. This is hardly surprising, since video engages both sight and hearing. Upload your videos to TikTok too if possible, to reach many people for free. If your TikTok profile has yet to take off, read our 13 TikTok video ideas for restaurants.

If your restaurant has a TV or monitor, that offers another use for video. Make a dedicated video for those screens, perhaps showing previous events, and play it continuously in the background throughout the day.

Summary

Now that you know how to promote events, you are ready to get started. From live music and tastings to wine dinners and themed weeks, countless opportunities can help your restaurant grow and attract more customers.

To serve that increased demand quickly and effectively, it is worth improving your restaurant software as well as your marketing. We developed Orsys restaurant software specifically for new and small businesses to make hospitality professionals' daily work easier. Used well, it can also increase revenue and reduce costs. If that sounds useful, sign up for our free demo, where our colleagues will show you the software in detail and answer all your questions.