Advertising

What is the best way to promote and advertise a restaurant ?
20 years ago newspapers worked for me, but today things are different. Help !

The obvious is to get a simple website with menu and other basic information--you could even explore Facebook or whatever other social network. But I still think that Leo and Velocity are picked up by a lot of people, especially those who hang out in the cafe-artsy-pub-foodie circles. These magazines also have web versions. Now before anyone gives me the grunt on Velocity just look at how large of a distribution it has. It may be shallow for reading. but it is designed for leafing through the ads and pictures. You don't find repeated heavy restaurant advertising in these sources (Leo & Velocity) for nothing.

Bob, KRA has a great text messaging program - cheap. Give me a call: 931-5420.

[Robin Garr]

What is the best way to promote and advertise a restaurant ?
20 years ago newspapers worked for me, but today things are different. Help !

LouisvilleHotBytes reaches more metro foodies, more cost-efficiently and with less waste, than any other publication, print or digital. Let me know by PM if you'd like to hear more, and I'll ask someone to call you. (I try to keep hands off that department in order to focus on editorial.)

To echo James above, HAVE A WEBSITE. I'm not in that business, but it boggles my mind that not every restaurant, big or small, has a website. Often I'm interested in trying a new place, but if there is no website (and no good info on Hotbytes), I'll often scratch it off the possibility list and go somewhere I know will serve me well. Not being able to see a menu and get a jist of the style of a place from a website is a big turnoff for a lot of people.

Bob, you've got that covered. Though I still haven't been, it was the picture on your website of the table with Albert Pujols looming over it (and the ability to see your menu) that has made me interested in trying your place.

I'm still not sold on Facebook, Twitter, etc. etc., but at the least, all restaurants should have a basic website (and to those that take reservations, use Open Table, please).

Two recent examples - Dragon King's Daughter and Tequila Factory. Yes, both are very new, but I've been wanting to try both but the lack of a website has made me hesitant (though the seemingly all positive reviews of DKD here means I'll still probably go soon).

Another thought on that - for potential diners that are vegetarian or have dietary restrictions, the ability to see a menu in advance is a bonus.

Brad, Thanks for your thoughts.

Just a quick little follow-up on what Brad said - I completely agree with him - BUT if you are going to have a website, for goodness sake - KEEP IT UPDATED. Sometimes outdated/incorrect information is worse than no information at all.

Bob,

For places like yours, coupons really work to get exposure, particularly in this economy. This can be cost effective.) Check into Savvy Shopper, and other mailer rates that go to a radius around your location for best effectiveness.

One note: if you are going to spend the money on advertising , make the coupon valuable/mean something and factor that into your "cost" of the ad. 10% off inexpensive burgers is not going to drive traffic.

Deb

Another addition to the web site suggestion: Keep it simple. I get on some that are so taken with their color scheme that you can't read the menu, or have so many many bells and whistles (like flash videos and music) that it takes them forever to load, and it just impairs the experience for me. I don't want snazzy and busy. I want info - menu, a few pics are OK if I request them, location, stuff like that. I don't want to know what a hot shot web site designer you have. (are you listening Le Gallo Rosso?)

Deb, We just had a Coupon in the C-J new coupon strip Wednesday (1/2 off any Burger) This is the first time we have had a coupon, we will be counting the coupons to analyze the promotion. Thanks

Thanks---Jeffrey D

Just a couple of things..

With everyone advocating 'buy local' why wouldn't you want t do the same with your advertising? Louisville HotBytes is local and has a market focused on FOOD AND DINING IN LOUISVILLE. When people are here on the site they are activley looking for food and dining info. Granted, it works best if you have a website that your ad can click through to but if you do then you are in a great position to steer folks to your site. The site gets more that 150,000 hits a month. That's a lot of eyes folks and all of them interested in food.

Second...
Distribution (the number of papers/magazines put out on the street) numbers are only part of the equation. The real number should be looking at is the readership numbers. What difference how many papers are put out there if half of them are returned and trashed? In the past when I tried to find readership numbers for Velocity (from the usual market suppliers of that kind of information), I could never get a definitive answer. They seemed to lump their readership in with sections of the CJ and I could never get a real readership number just for Velocity. If it's a good number why hide it under smoke and mirrors? Velocity never reports on their pick up rate(meaning, the number of papers that are picked up at the end of their publishing week when the new issues are put out.) Ask yourself which is more impressive - put out 100,000 papers a week and have less than 1% returned or put out 200,000 papers a week and have 75% returned? (BTW I use these numbers are only to illustrate that you have to look at the whole equation to get the full picture but I think you catch my meaning.)

Even before you do a website (which I think is a great idea) get your menu on the "Menus of Louisville" website. It's free so all you have to do is send them an electronic copy of your menu. That way at the very least he will be able to see what you offer.

Deb, We just had a Coupon in the C-J new coupon strip Wednesday (1/2 off any Burger) This is the first time we have had a coupon, we will be counting the coupons to analyze the promotion. Thanks

Bob,

C-J is one option, but personally I'd look into the mailers also, run one- then compare results. A lot of people ( myself included) no longer get C-J in print and it's easier to target a specific "easy driving" with the mailers as they tend to be a tighter geographic area.

Deb