Keep the Party Going With Email Marketing

The holiday parties may be over, but that does not mean that your event business needs to slow down. Email marketing can be a great way for restaurants to drum up repeat business. Sending out emails to diners about private dining events, or banquets held at a hotel for VIPs, can be a wonderful way to generate leads and conversion.

Everyone seems obsessed with all the latest apps, but email marketing is often overlooked. Email marketing isn’t dead, and it’s still just as effective as ever. With that in mind, here are some email marketing best practices that you can use to generate more leads for your restaurant:

Incentives Can Increase Open Rates

For instance, let people know that there is something in it for them, when they open your email. Give them something that is worth their effort, and you’ll have a significant rate of success on reaching prospects.

The Call-to-Action Should Be Above the Fold

If you’re call to action isn’t instantly visible, then 70% of your prospects will never see it. Keep the call-to-action at the top and your chances of success increase considerably.

Keep Emails Between 500-600 Pixels Wide

If your emails are larger than this, prospects will be forced to scroll horizontally. That’s a huge no-no.

Logos Should Go on the Upper Left Hand Side

Studies have shown that readers look for logos in the upper left-hand side of emails. Your logo will have more visibility if it’s placed there, instead of another location.

Subject Lines Should Be Compelling

If your subject line isn’t interesting, chances are, no will read it. Subject lines should always be interesting and compelling.

Emails & Landing Pages Should Match Up

When sending out an email, make sure the landing page has a log and font that matches the email. Also, make sure you’re using tracking that measures which marketing emails are the most successful at generating traffic. If it isn’t measured, it didn’t happen.

Send Out a Few Test Messages

It’s always helpful to test out a marketing message. Send out a few emails to friends and ask them if they can find the call-to-action. If they can quickly find it, the message is appropriate. If they can’t find it, rework the email until they can.

Don’t Use More Than 3 Typefaces in Messages

You shouldn’t have more than 2 typefaces in emails. The more cluttered your message looks, the fewer conversions you’ll generate. At max, you should never have more than 3.

Today’s marketers have access to an arsenal of apps. However, the old standby is still extremely effective. Don’t overlook email marketing when you’re looking to generate leads.

To generate your email list you can simply turn on the Tripleseat integration to MailChimp or Constant Contact or export to Excel your list directly from Reports within the application.