Updated November 25, 2025
Despite the handful of takeout menus that still wind up in your mailbox most weeks, digital marketing channels have become the standard for restaurant operators hoping to build and nurture devoted customer bases.
The most-talked-about restaurants earned their reputations by driving high-quality online conversations. More and more, they’re leveraging tools to refine their messaging, research customer behavior, and ensure they reach the right audiences on the right channels at the right time.
With all the day-to-day operational responsibilities on your list, identifying the right digital marketing strategies could wind up neglected. Sometimes, operators hesitate because they don’t know where to start, and we don’t blame them.
Restaurant Marketing Advice from Experts
The world of restaurant marketing can look overwhelming. You’ve got a whole ecosystem of vendors to familiarize yourself with, as well as countless new terms and ideas. With clarity, consistency, and a little expert guidance, however, restaurant industry operators can learn the ins and outs of digital marketing without needing to enroll in business school.
To help operators better reach and engage the right customers, we spoke with Eric Brandt, CEO of 5th Gear Marketing, and Kyle Golding, CEO of The Golding Group – two executives with plenty of restaurant marketing experience.
Brandt’s organization uses geo-demographic data to target its marketing efforts and tailor campaigns for big-name clients, including Subway, Dairy Queen, Starbucks, and Domino’s. Golding employs a test-and-refine approach. He serves an equally impressive portfolio of clients by collecting a wealth of customer feedback and tweaking digital marketing strategies accordingly.
Digital Marketing Strategies for Restaurants
Though their preferred techniques may differ, Brandt and Golding agreed on many points. For the novice digital marketer, the two seasoned pros offered these five tried-and-true restaurant marketing tips.
1. Claim and Verify Your Business Profiles
You can start generating more search traffic for free by establishing your restaurant business profile on Google. This is a key part of local SEO (search engine optimization), helping your spot show up when nearby customers search terms like “best tacos near me” or “brunch in [your city].” The profile provides you with a central dashboard for managing reviews, posting updates, running Google ads, and reaching your target audience based on their location.
Sites like Yelp offer additional resources. Claiming, verifying, and managing these profiles in the long term improves your visibility and enables you to engage directly with prospects and loyal customers.
2. Prioritize Your Ad Buys for Cost Effectiveness
What’s the best channel for paid restaurant marketing? That depends on the restaurant, but Brandt and Golding agree that operators should experiment with Yelp ads before exploring Google. While Google is a powerful tool, Yelp has plenty of specialized features to help you get started.
Be prepared to manage online reviews, especially negative reviews. The right approach could turn bad press into renewed relationships with customers who are glad to have given you a second chance.
Once you’ve mastered Yelp, branch out into additional advertising channels. Just make sure your efforts are always tied back to business goals. Golding suggests trying out Nextdoor’s advertising options, which he has found especially cost-effective.
3. Think Twice About Text Campaigns
You’ve got plenty of customer phone numbers and a way to send promotional texts. Now’s the time for a text-based campaign, right? Not necessarily.
Brandt and Golding warn that the drawbacks of this method may outweigh its benefits. Though you’ll reach customers directly, you’ll run the risk of alienating them if they consider the messages obtrusive. That’s not to mention the cost and time commitment of getting text campaigns up and running.
Brandt says that you should only commit to an SMS (text) campaign if you know you’ve got what it takes to track customer engagement from the start. Restaurant owners who are just getting their first taste of digital marketing campaigns would do better to conduct outreach via email and social media platforms.
4. Build and Refine Your Official Online Presence
If your restaurant isn’t easily discoverable online, it may as well not exist. Hungry customers will settle for a competitor before they commit to extensive research. Whether you decide to leverage a Google business profile alone or build your own restaurant website from scratch, you’ll need up-to-date information and professional-quality photographs to keep customers informed and to stand out from the pack.
Once you’ve got a website to address common questions, handle online ordering, and set up reservations, you’ll spend less time fielding phone calls and more time focused on creating memorable dining experiences and building customer loyalty.
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Don’t forget about social media marketing. From newer channels like TikTok to standbys like Instagram and Facebook, social media offers unique opportunities to build your brand awareness and online visibility.
A social media presence isn’t just useful for attracting new customers or advertising special events or special offers. It offers a venue for ongoing conversations and relationship building. You’ll find powerful performance insights and potentially game-changing restaurant marketing ideas by engaging with your followers and listening to their feedback.
5. Make Data Collection Simple With Your POS System
Successful digital marketing strategies for restaurants run on customer data. To excel at restaurant marketing, you need to know as much as possible about your customers. This will help you better serve your existing customers while empowering you to reach unfamiliar audiences.
Thanks to your POS (point of sale) system, you may already have the means for capturing this data and putting it to strategic use. Square, for example, easily collects phone numbers, email addresses, and ordering preferences. These data points could serve as the building blocks for targeted email campaigns that drive additional restaurant traffic.
Additional Restaurant Marketing Tips
Once you’ve got the basics down — your website’s running, your social profiles are active, and you’ve got a handle on promotions — it’s time to dig into the details that really move the needle. These smaller strategies might not make the headlines, but they can have a big impact on how guests discover (and remember) your restaurant:
- Consistency is key: Though you’ll use a slightly different voice on social media than in emails, you should strive for consistency across your various digital channels. Are you friendly? Folksy? Formal? A consistent tone, message, and brand identity helps you build trust with customers by assuring them of your dependability.
- Take advantage of user-generated content: Loyal customers may want to do some marketing and advertising on your behalf. Their authentic testimonials will help you bolster your reputation without devoting too much additional time to creating and distributing new, engaging content.
- Pick the right metrics: How do you define success? You can’t achieve it unless you know what it is. First, establish your short- and long-term goals. Next, determine how these relate to your marketing initiatives and how you’ll track progress with key performance indicators.
Perhaps the most valuable advice of all is to keep tracking and refining your efforts. Digital restaurant marketing strategies evolve as quickly as the industry itself. Long-term success requires close monitoring and ongoing work to ensure tools and techniques remain suited to your ideal customers.
Need Help Putting Your Marketing Plan Into Action?
Marketing your restaurant takes time, and wearing ten hats at once isn’t exactly sustainable. That’s where we come in. Back of House connects you with trusted marketing tools, tech, and partners that help restaurants grow smarter and faster.
Whether you’re looking for help with social media management, email marketing platforms, reputation monitoring, or guest loyalty programs, we’ll help you find the right fit for your goals (and your budget).
Book a free discovery call and see how Back of House can help take the guesswork out of growing your business.
