We all know communication, rather effective communication, is key to successful marketing, especially when it comes to social media. For many years, restaurants, have followed the same suit to capture audience attention - posting scrumptious pictures of their most popular dishes. Some even experiment with daily, weekly or monthly promotions to amp up the sales, while others introduce family and friends meal kits to capture high-value orders.

But now we’ve entered the new normal! Your customers may or may not be interested in aesthetically pleasing images of your dishes. They might not even pay heed to promotions. What they are most interested in is to know whether your kitchen and staff are equipped to deliver their food in the safest way possible.

And it’s very important to communicate this to them!

So how can you do that? In the last article, we covered some effective tips and strategies to capture the attention of your customers on social media. You can read about them here.

In this article, we’re going to focus on the magic words that must be a part of your content strategy, across all digital platforms, including your ordering website and mobile application.

Let’s begin!

Safety

Always first! We are living in unprecedented times and we all want to make sure that we survive the crisis. Survival is on everyone’s mind and in order to survive, we need to stay safe.

So when a customer, for any reason, decides to order food from outside, he or she is looking for a restaurant that keeps prioritizes safety over profits.

From safely procuring ingredients to preparing food wearing gloves and masks and using tamper-proof packaging containers - all these factors play a critical role in establishing trust amongst customers. And you must communicate all of this on your website, social channels, and mobile ordering app, at every possible touchpoint.

Make SAFETY the focal point of communication across all platforms. Assure your customers through videos and Instagram stories that you know the best practices recommended by the CDC, EPA, and FDA, and that you are following those recommendations. Your ability to be your customer’s ‘trusted advisor,’ by being knowledgeable on safety and hygiene standards, will put them at ease.

Following are some good examples of communicating the efforts you’re taking to keep customers safe

Now DELIVERING!

Now that you are communicating all the right things on your social channels, naturally, your customers would like to order from you. And it’s important to remind them at least once a day that your restaurant is open for online ordering and delivery. Do it through your stories, regular posts, or send out newsletters with special promotions.

Regardless of the mode of the communication you choose, make sure your customers have access to your restaurant’s website and mobile ordering app. Even if you are listed on a third-party aggregator’s site, encourage your customers to order directly from your website so you don’t have to share a large chunk of your revenue with third party delivery portals in the name of commissions.

Here are some examples of how brands are promoting their direct ordering websites

Contactless

Offering no-contact or contactless deliveries can help you reach out to both existing and new customers. Restaurants offering contactless ordering and delivery options have seen an incredible surge in daily orders, compared to those who don't provide any or don't communicate it enough on their social channels.

Putting emphasis on the safety of your employees and your customers in your marketing communication can motivate your customers to make a purchase. New to contactless delivery? Here are some tips you can use to make contactless delivery work for your restaurant.

Consider using short videos to explain how the contactless option works on your online ordering website and mobile application.

By building, promoting, and embracing a food safety culture based on FDA, you’ll keep your customers and employees. Few words, just like the ones mentioned above, can make your customers feel more comfortable.

Thinking to launch your own online-ordering website? Learn more about Restolabs, book a live demo with one of our online ordering specialists today!

Best of all? With us, you don’t have to worry about paying any fees or commissions.