If you own a restaurant or diner, then you’ll already know that there are several different methods to choose from when it comes to both online and offline marketing. When you run a business which caters to the public in-person, then you have the best of both worlds to choose from when it comes to marketing your brand and reaching out to both new and existing clients. But, whilst you may have it down when it comes to online marketing, such as using social media to gain exposure and ensuring that your brand is out there on review sites such as TripAdvisor, what can you do to better market your brand in the offline world? We’ve put together some of our best ideas.

#1. Branded Tableware:

When you run a restaurant or diner, one of the best ways to remind your customers of where they are is to simply use branded tableware. Whilst you may not think that this is the most important marketing method to invest in, bear in mind that it could reach more people than you think – today, more and more people are taking to posting photos of their food and drinks on social media when they eat out. By using branded tableware such as these coffee mugs from Grey Fox Pottery, you can make sure that your diners’ followers know exactly where they’re eating.

#2. Host Events:

If you’re hoping to get more customers through the door of your restaurant, then hosting an event could be one of the best ways to improve the footfall. At an event, people tend to turn up even if they wouldn’t have considered that venue before – after that, it’s not uncommon for many to be pleasantly surprised and decide to come back again on a regular day or evening. Events such as live music, quizzes, DJs and comedians are easy to arrange and can seriously improve your exposure to your target audience.

#3. Food Festivals:

If your target audience are the type of people who would enjoy attending a food festival, then taking advantage of this is a great idea when it comes to getting the word out about your company. Along with that, if the people who come to your food festival stall are blown away by the dishes that you have to offer, then they are certainly going to consider your restaurant next time they are thinking about dining out. Food festivals are a great place to connect with your potential customers on a more personal level, and give you the chance to offer them samples of your dishes to encourage them to visit.

#4. Print Advertising:

Lastly, don’t forget about good old print advertising when it comes to getting the word out about your business. While digital marketing methods are often seen as more important, you can get a huge response from an ad in the local paper, a billboard, or simply handing out eye-catching flyers with interesting information about your restaurant included.

Would you like to add to this list? We’d love to hear more from you in the comments.

By Eddy

Eddy is the editorial columnist in Business Fundas, and oversees partner relationships. He posts articles of partners on various topics related to strategy, marketing, supply chain, technology management, social media, e-business, finance, economics and operations management. The articles posted are copyrighted under a Creative Commons unported license 4.0. To contact him, please direct your emails to [email protected].