What’s the first thought that comes to mind when you hear “Direct Mail”?

Isn’t it old school?

Does it really work?

Who has the time for direct mail?

You’d be surprised to know that even today restaurants use Direct Mail Campaigns for marketing promotions on their website and mobile app.

And it works beautifully!

The Below is the Flyer from Papa Murphy’s Direct Mail Campaign.

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Do you think something like this would gain the attention of receivers and entice them to visit the restaurant’s website?

I think, it would!

If you pay attention to the flyer, along with regular offers, it is also promoting the exclusive online deals that guarantee great savings on big orders.

Now imagine a receiver who’s already contemplating lunch or dinner or perhaps, a get-together with friends or family, finding this flyer lying on the porch or center table of the house.

What are the chances that he or she would be tempted to order from the restaurant?

Pretty High, right?!

Why Does Direct Mail Advertising Work for Restaurants?

Based on the analysis of the Restolabs Team, a 7%-10% effectiveness rate can be achieved through direct mail compared to 0.6 - 1% from digital channels. In fact, it has been observed that most direct mails are opened up to 90% of the time, but only 15% of emails.

High Response: According to a Marketing Sherpa report, 4 out of 5 Americans trust print ads in newspapers and magazines. This means there’s plenty of opportunity for your restaurant to gain new customers and repeat orders with a direct mail advertising campaign, especially if you have a coupon or discount order attached that can be redeemed later.

Another reason why direct mail marketing delivers a high response rate is that it gives you the much-needed space to cut through the buzz of online ads and newsletters and directly reach customers’ doors.

Targeted Approach: Delivering in Kent Only? Take out the list of people/customers residing in your targeted area and send them the flyer with a special promotion, new launches, etc. The best part is that you can track the response with the turnout of physical coupons, coupon codes, and special URLs. Another way to make it really effective is to mail a postcard with a message that’s short and valuable to the reader.

Highlighting special elements of your restaurant can substantially improve response rates. Consider featuring restaurant qualities such as family-owned, gluten-free menu items available, daily specials, or happy hour times. You can also personalize the direct mail campaign more by tailoring the offer to the recipient.

Stays on Top of the Mind: Very important if you want repeat business and most restaurants thrive on repeat purchases and customer loyalty.  If you go by the stats, an average person receives about 250 emails a day, but only a handful of direct mails, sometimes not even one.

Direct Mail is a tangible token that your customers can feel great about receiving and would keep at a safe corner to redeem later on. It’s something that encourages them or perhaps excites them to make plans that would result in a sale for your store.

Different Ways to Use Direct Mail for your Restaurant

Promote loyalty programs:

Everyone loves to be a part of high-rewarding loyalty programs and if your restaurant happens to be offering one, then direct mail campaigns can give you a head start in acquiring more customers.

All you have to do is select a demographic and/or a group of prospects from your existing list and send them out invitation postcards to make your regular customers join the loyalty program on your website or mobile app. You can add a QR Scan code for easy access to your portals. Increase your chance of better conversions by addressing the postcard by name.

Celebrate your customers’ special days:

People love getting wishes on their special days; show your customers you care about their happiness by giving them a chance to celebrate their birthday with you. Give them a nice birthday surprise by sending a personalized card with a link to the special deal. Don’t forget to add a small gift, perhaps restaurant merchandise, along with it.

Announce new menu items/launches:

Did your restaurant just launch a new kid's menu? Adding Gluten-Free food to the menu? Share the news with your customers and prospects with direct mail advertising. This advertising method makes it simple to target your customer demographic to tell residents about your new launches and specials. This activity is surely going to generate buzz and profits as soon as you open your doors.

New mover certificates:

Another best way to make your direct mail advertising successful is to tie up with real estate agents who help new residents with moving in. My real-estate companies provide a welcome kit to residents that include no-strings-attached vouchers as well. New movers appreciate such offers and are open to exploring new restaurants in and around their homes. This is a proven strategy to capture new residents before they form loyalties to your competitor restaurants.

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