Why it’s time to make your brand marketing a priority

While the necessities get done by, well, necessity, marketing sometimes gets left behind. It can be challenging to keep on top of, but it’s always worthwhile: marketing generates new orders and bookings from both new and existing customers, when it’s done well.

If you have Facebook and Instagram, and see little or no return, you need help. If your average order value is low or sinking, you need help. If you aren’t ranking on Google Search because your competitors are, you need help. If you have little or no retail locations, you need help. And by help, I really mean marketing.

Many restaurant businesses join third-party marketplace apps with exposure and marketing in mind but can find that new audiences do not suddenly materialise — something we examine in closer detail in our downloadable marketplaces White Paper.

At the same time, businesses are paying hefty fees — up to 30% and more, have no sight of their own customer data, and report receiving very little support. There’s plenty of reasons to leave marketplaces, but that doesn’t make it easy.

One of the most daunting factors of leaving marketplaces is needing to do your own marketing. Marketing is necessary to keep attracting new customers and making sure your loyal customers are ordering directly.

If you haven’t had a great return on your marketing efforts to date, it’s either time to upskill, hire or outsource. As time and staff are in short supply, then let’s look at the next option.

Sounds expensive? It can be, but it doesn’t need to be. Look for a digital ordering solution with in-built, automated loyalty programmes, creative and ad support from a dedicated in-person team of experts, and a platform where you own, and can analyse, your own customer data.

All of the above is available to new and existing Flipdish customers. We bring customers to your brand, without the need for marketplaces. We help you earn new customers with targeted search advertising and bespoke social media campaigns. We build and increase average order values using SMS campaigns, and we will give you access to a dedicated Managed Marketing expert.

It doesn’t need to be wildly expensive either. Our Google Ad packages start at €2 a day, and our clients have an average 532% return on investment, meaning that for every €1 spent, they make €5.32.

Go with a provider who can tailor ad packages to your needs. Look for niche and full service,  standard and custom package offerings. It’s your call. Hospitality is rarely a ‘build it and they will come’ industry, and in order to reduce reliance on marketplaces and take in more direct digital orders, brand building and awareness need to be a priority in 2022.

See how Flipdish can suit your business’s needs by exploring its online ordering, mobile apps and Managed Marketing.