Introduction
Here’s the thing about email marketing: it’s not dead. In fact, email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective ways to communicate with your customers, and it can be a great tool for restaurants in particular.
Email may seem like an afterthought compared to websites, social media platforms, and mobile apps—but we think it deserves a heavier weighting in your restaurant marketing strategy than you might expect. That’s why we built an all-in-one restaurant management platform that includes powerful features for managing loyalty programs, reservations, and email marketing campaigns.
We’re here to share our expertise and help you get the most out of your own customer email list. Our guide will cover everything from getting started to using advanced tactics like segmenting customers and personalizing your emails based on their interests and preferences.
What is an email marketing list?
An email marketing list is a group of emails that you can send newsletters to. It's different from an email campaign in that it's not a single message with one goal—it's a collection of emails you can use for many different things.
For example, you might have an email list for subscribers who are interested in learning about your new menu items, another list for people who have signed up to receive weekly deals on food and drink, and perhaps even another list for people who have asked to hear more about new events or promotions at your restaurant.
The best way to get started with restaurant email marketing is by building an email database by collecting emails directly from guests on your website or at events where they sign up for something specific (like signing up for the next installment of "Chef's Table"). You can also build up an audience by running contests and giveaways—you'll want this information in case you want to do some advertising later on down the road!
Why are emails important for a restaurant business?
Email is a great way to stay in touch with customers. It’s personal and lets you share information that helps build trust, which is especially important for restaurants. You can send out newsletters or updates, offer discounts and exclusive offers, and even get feedback from customers by asking questions through surveys.
You can use email marketing as an opportunity to show your appreciation for your patrons by thanking them or offering incentives like free dessert on their next visit. But it also has some drawbacks: since many people have started using spam filters to block unwanted mass emails (and those are often branded “spam”), it might be difficult for you to make sure that every email you send actually gets through the filters without being marked as spam. And if your emails contain irrelevant content or don't offer anything of value, then subscribers will stop receiving those emails altogether.
Getting started with email marketing
Email marketing is a powerful way to build your business, but it's not something you can dive into without doing some research first. Follow this guide to learn how to get started with email marketing and make sure your campaigns are effective!
Start by learning about the importance of email marketing, how to build a list of contacts, segmentation, creating newsletters, and using Wix ShoutOut. You'll also see examples of what types of content work best in these emails, as well as tips for writing engaging copy and best practices for sending out successful campaigns.
Email lists are incredibly important when it comes time to send out newsletters or notifications about special offers from your restaurant business. The more subscribers on that list, the better! It's important that you segment them properly so each group receives relevant information about your products or services based on their interests (like wine club members).
This way people only receive the information they want instead of being bombarded with ads all day long from different companies who just want money from them without offering anything valuable back." And finally: "Email marketing can be an extremely powerful tool if used correctly; however keep these simple tips in mind when designing any new campaign so that yours doesn't end up becoming spam!"
What is an email newsletter?
An email newsletter is a regular email that is sent to a list of subscribers. You can use it to keep your customers up to date on your business, promote new products, and build loyalty among your followers. There are several ways you can build a mailing list, and the best way is by collecting emails on your website.
When someone visits your website, they may be prompted with an offer to sign up for updates or information about specials or upcoming events. This makes it easy for users who want more information about what you have to offer without having to take any extra steps such as finding out how they would sign up in the first place (which can be difficult).
How to create a newsletter in just three steps
You already have a newsletter signup form on your website, so next up is creating a template for the email itself.
Go to Newsletters and click Create Newsletter.
Fill in the required fields: title, first name, last name, and email address where you want people to receive updates from you (don't worry if it's not immediately clear what kind of updates they'll be receiving).
Click Next Step > Design Template & Layout> Choose Design Template. Pick one of the templates that come with Squarespace or choose one from another service like MailChimp and insert your text into it. You can add images by clicking Insert Image and uploading an image file from your computer or Dropbox account—or just use their stock photos for free!
When everything looks good, click Save Draft at the bottom of this section; then go back to Email Templates & Layouts by clicking Edit Templates & Layouts on the left sidebar again and select Edit A New Version Of This Template To Preview before sending it live!
Bringing your newsletter to life with Wix ShoutOut
Wix ShoutOut is a free app that lets you create newsletters right from your website. It's easy to use, has a drag and drop editor, and comes with templates to help you get started. Once it's installed on your website, creating a newsletter is as simple as adding text and images into the customizable template:
Click 'Create newsletter' in the top right corner of the page
Select 'Choose template' or 'Create new' (if you want to start from scratch)
Add text and images using their drag-and-drop editor
How to use the Wix ShoutOut app to create newsletters right from your website
If you have a Wix ShoutOut account, create a newsletter template by clicking on “New campaign” and then “Newsletter.”
Enter a title for your newsletter like “Weekly Specials” or something similar. This title will be displayed in the subject line of emails sent out to subscribers.
Add some text to the body of your email using Wix's editor tools (if you're not familiar with these, try copying and pasting text from another email). You can also upload images from here if needed! Be sure to write something that will entice subscribers to click through on their mobile devices when they see this message pop up in their inboxes later on in the day (more details about this below).
You can build your own mailing list by collecting emails on your website and sending out regular newsletters.
To start building your email list, you can collect emails for your restaurant on your website. You can also send out regular newsletters that offer customers discounts or specials.
Wix ShoutOut is a free app for creating and sending newsletters from Wix.com. It allows you to create an HTML-based newsletter template from scratch or use one of the many templates provided by Wix. Once you have a newsletter design, simply click "send," add in any personal information (like the recipient's name) and let ShoutOut handle the rest!
Conclusion
You don’t need to be an expert to make email marketing work for your restaurant. With the right tools and some creativity, you can start building a list of loyal customers and repeat diners.
If you need help with email marketing, schedule a free consultation call with our team.
