7 Successful Restaurant Direct Mail Campaign Ideas

Direct mail can be an old way to get customers into your restaurant. It’s 2021 Study by the US Postal ServiceIt was found that 66% of millennials think direct mail information is better than email. 80% look forward to receiving the daily news.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at how owners like yours can get started with restaurant direct mail campaigns. You’ll hear from restaurant marketingExperts who are experts in direct mail campaigns. 

Here’s what we’ll cover:

Direct mail: What does it mean?

• Direct mail can be any type of printed material that is designed and delivered to those who may like to dine in your restaurant.
• Flyers, brochures, postcards, and magnets might be included for a restaurant. 
• Some estimates suggest direct mail campaigns can achieve Rates up to 90% on open rateComparable to Open rates of 23% for email. 

Restaurants should use direct mail.

According to Ed Kohler (president of Direct Mail), audiences that are immune to clicking-bait hyperlinks will be more inclined to trust mail from direct mail. Jet Mail. “Plus, the message is right there with print. With a tangible mail piece, consumers don’t have to click and scroll through dozens of website pages to find what they’re looking for.”

When is the best time for restaurants to utilize direct mail? 

However, it is crucial to understand when and how to send direct mail campaigns for restaurants. StarGFX was founded by Stephanie Tay, who is responsible for designing, printing and mailing direct mailers to many restaurant business owners. 

“Specials, special events or holiday menus do really well,” said Tay. “If it’s a one-off event or special, we target a larger audience with one promotion. If it’s something along the lines of a new location or ongoing event, like a Thursday night wine dinner, we typically target a smaller audience and create multiple designs to send at various times.”

You can also send direct mail to restaurants at these other times.

To celebrate your grand opening

You must have direct mailers in your mailbox Grand opening of restaurant. When a local community hasn’t heard of your restaurant before, you need to get the word out to as many potential guests as possible. If you have a limited budget, you can save costs by going door-to-door and leaving mailers in people’s mailboxes rather than sending them out via the post office.

It’s fun to check out new restaurants. 

Birthdays of customers before they were born

Brittany Mendez (CMO of Brittany Mendez) said that birthdays, if a customer has been registered in your system are a good time to mail direct mail. Florida PanhandleThis site provides detailed information on Florida’s restaurants, attractions, and vacation rentals. “This makes the customer feel appreciated by the restaurant, and they feel acknowledged.”

Prior to annual vacations

Mendez also believes that large holidays make a perfect time to mail out direct mail promotions for restaurants. People spend holidays with their families and often make meals together. If they have a special deal or reason to not cook for a night, then they will gladly use a promo campaign as an excuse.”

Get special offers and deals

Any time can be a great time to promote your products or services. There’s no need to overdo it. “Something as small as adding a free drink for a limited time or specific day would do the trick of creating urgency and grabbing attention,” said Mendel Cohen, CEO of Krafted DigitalDigital agency located in Miami called.

7 Tips for successful direct mail campaigns to restaurants

So that’s the why and when. Let’s turn to the how. These are the things you can do for your restaurant direct mail campaigns to be a success. 

1. Marketers to work with

A do-it-yourself approach is probably best avoided, especially if you’re already too busy to work on every aspect of a restaurant direct mail campaign. “You have many options when it comes to third-party vendors that specialize in creating these campaigns, and they will handle all the logistics, from the design to sending the actual mail,” said Cohen.

This job can be shipped to other vendors. Marketing fulfillment partners may also be able to provide all-in one services, such as direct mail and printing. Kohler suggests this choice. “Be sure to consolidate these services with a single vendor rather than working with a print shop and a mail house. This will reduce costs and expedite delivery times,” he said.

2. Your mailing list should be built

Your mailing list is key. Your customers can give you information from their previous visits to your restaurant. If that’s not possible, Tay suggests restaurants find a reputable mail house that can provide you with a list of your ideal customers. 

Zip codes can be used to target direct mail campaigns. This means that anyone living within five miles of the postal address could become a diner. “Another target audience could be found on any social media channels you might have,” said Brittany Mendez of Florida Panhandle. “Although you can find a target audience digitally, that doesn’t mean that you have to use digital techniques for a campaign.”

3. Design is important!

When it comes to direct mailers, less is better. Avoid the temptation to put too many details on one mailing. “Create some incentive to visit the restaurant or the website,” said Tay. “Use large clean fonts, and always keep your brand consistent. Printing is cheaper if you have more than one copy. You will save on printing costs, and you can always mail them more than once, hand them out or leave them with a customer’s check.”

Marketing consultant Gab SmallRestaurants are encouraged to use a simple, bright design with photos of food and drinks. If you are including a special offer, include a perforated card on the mailer that recipients can simply tear off and bring to the restaurant to redeem the offer.”

These are just a few quick ideas for creating great mailing designs.

• You can add QR codes to link your site
• Use colors and photos
• Large text should be easy to understand
• Offers with expiration dates should be included
• Add your contact information 
• Do not include too much text
• Use generic address info

4. Personalize your mailers

Simply adding a recipient’s name to a direct mail piece can Increase response rates by 135 %. Consumers have become immune to generic advertising, and “spray and pray” direct mail campaigns go straight from the mailbox to the trash can, said Kohler. 

“Successful direct mail marketing campaigns are personalized and hyper-targeted,” he said. “Names can be personalized, but nearly every component of your mail piece—including messages, offers, logos, images, URLs and QR code—can be personalized too,” said Kohler.

5. Prepare your website

Direct mail to restaurants is about reaching out offline. However, you must prepare your website in advance if your plan is to send people to it via QR codes or links on your mail.

“Your keywords and search terms need to be spot on, and all your information needs to be complete and correct with sites like Google and Yelp,” said Baruch Labunski, CEO at Rank Secure. “You need appealing images and great menu descriptions. When prospective customers receive direct mail, odds are good the first thing they’ll do is check you out online.”

6. Post your restaurant direct mail

While it’s possible for restaurants to execute direct mail themselves working through the postal service, direct mail agencies can help you focus on your day job while saving you costs on print production and customization across multiple formats.

7. Keep track of the results

“Whether it’s an online code for a carryout order or a physical coupon, make sure you collect data about the number of people who responded,” said Labunski. “Assess the cost of your campaign, both the money you spend on the mailers and also the cost of a discount or free item offered. Factor in things like average check size for people who respond and you’ll begin to get an idea of whether or not your ROI was worth it.”

While much of marketing has been digitized, restaurants shouldn’t underestimate the power of a local direct mail campaign to drive business. Each day people are exposed to hundreds of digital advertisements. An average household has around 125 digital ads. people don’t throw away mail for 17 days. This gives you the opportunity to make more impressions on your audience.

Keep your guests coming back with technology

With Small Biz Sense’s restaurant POS and management system, you can offer tableside ordering, start a loyalty program and view reports to see what’s working and what needs updating. Talk to one of our experts about restaurantsLearn how technology could help streamline your operation and allow you to make informed decisions.