Toast just released their industry report on Restaurant Success in 2019, analysing opinions of restaurateurs and guest alike. Amidst the information, a curious section on E-mail marketing grabbed our attention. So what should you be sending?
Want the full report? Access it via Toast here!
Getting a customer e-mail is a strong starting point. It usually indicates a previous, happy diner or an interested potential patron. Once you have their details, you're able to directly market to them - but are you doing it effectively?
Toast asked Restaurateurs what content they were e-mailing, then asked guests what content they felt was important.
Toast asked Restaurateurs what content they were e-mailing, then asked guests what content they felt was important.
Specials and Discounts Reign Most Engaging
Whilst only 40% of Restaurants focused on discounts/specials, a whopping 87% of guests felt this was important for e-mail communications. In hindsight it almost seems obvious that a guest will engage more with a special offer teasing them back.
Use this to your advantage by leading with an offer, perhaps outlining it in the e-mail subject or at the very least prioritising it at the top of your e-mail.
Use this to your advantage by leading with an offer, perhaps outlining it in the e-mail subject or at the very least prioritising it at the top of your e-mail.
Staff, Blogs and Humour are 'Fine'
Teetering at the lower end of importance (around 10%), guests weren't so fussed on this content. There's certainly merit in it, and perhaps the importance of these sections will be for developing your brand - selling your story.
It's worth bearing in mind that even if customers don't acknowledge these points as important, they may still be subtly influenced more than they realise! A humorous or well-written piece of content is worth it's weight in gold if it holds the readers attention. So whilst the temptation may be to drop these features as a knee-jerk reaction, tread slowly. We'd recommend analysing your own brand to decide how much time should be dedicated to these features - and then being aware of the customer wants when piecing together your e-mail order. Perhaps lace the humour throughout but never in place of quality content. Keep the blog post and staff highlights to the latter stages of the e-mail and see if your engagement increases.
It's worth bearing in mind that even if customers don't acknowledge these points as important, they may still be subtly influenced more than they realise! A humorous or well-written piece of content is worth it's weight in gold if it holds the readers attention. So whilst the temptation may be to drop these features as a knee-jerk reaction, tread slowly. We'd recommend analysing your own brand to decide how much time should be dedicated to these features - and then being aware of the customer wants when piecing together your e-mail order. Perhaps lace the humour throughout but never in place of quality content. Keep the blog post and staff highlights to the latter stages of the e-mail and see if your engagement increases.
Something New? Shout About It!
The biggest disparity is between the 72% guest response and the 40% restaurant reaction regarding the important of emailing about new menu items. To us this seems a new brainer, if you've got something new then it is a big new selling point (especially if you've done your homework to engineer the item well!). Giving customers a reason to come back need not just be for a discount, it could be for a new experience. 59% of guests were interested in upcoming events, which also ties in with the idea that something novel would peak their interest.
Is There a Perfect E-mail Format?
In short, no. There are too many variables and a more localised analysis of your market may find wild differences to the study in focus.
However, we do feel it's an excellent starting point to put together a template for a finely tuned marketing e-mail.
However, we do feel it's an excellent starting point to put together a template for a finely tuned marketing e-mail.
If you have a MailChimp account already, follow this link to grab our template for free:
https://us19.admin.mailchimp.com/templates/share?id=101260874_80ababb2f2be99247c18_us19
https://us19.admin.mailchimp.com/templates/share?id=101260874_80ababb2f2be99247c18_us19