What comes into your mind when you think of marketing? Facebook ads or google perhaps? But there is a more convenient and cheaper marketing method which is called email marketing. You can use Restaurant CRM to pull out the list of interested people visiting your website or any touchpoint. A Restaurant POS Software too tracks customer transactions and helps understand their spending pattern.
But do you know what exactly email marketing is? To be simple, email marketing is a medium to establish communication with your customers or audiences via emails. This typically includes creating an email list and pursuing the recipients. You can create innovative content such as emailers, messages, cards, and so on to implement and progress your marketing plan.
A Restaurant CRM Solution is responsible for maintaining healthy relationships between your restaurant and customers. It plays a key role in strategizing your next marketing plan. Therefore, Restaurant CRM is a suggested software to use in your email marketing plan.
Email marketing has proven itself to be a significant and affordable method to lure customers into your business. Creating an email list is the fundamental step ahead. Restaurants typically collect emails from their customers or from those who would like to receive an update, details, and offers of their restaurants.
According to several surveys, email marketing is the best marketing technique. It is even better than social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, etc. the ROI is impressive; email marketing generates $38 for every $1 spent. Moreover, if planned thoroughly, your email is more likely to be opened than a tweet.
Why is Email Marketing So Significant?
Apart from enhanced security and general effectiveness, there are loads of reasons to build out and use email lists to promote your restaurant. Using Restaurant CRM makes the entire process a lot easier. Here are some statistics to back this statement up:
• Emails outrace every other platform when it comes to receiving the customer’s attention and offers.
• Up To 73% of recipients prefer their communication with a business using an emailing platform.
• About 68% of customers prefer to hear from a restaurant through the mail.
• A single email campaign can trigger up to $3,500 in sales.
• Segmented email campaigns can boost your revenue by 760%.
• Email marketing engagement has seen significant growth over the last year.
• About 59% of respondents stated that emails affected their purchase decision.
• It increased about 5% for returning customers which ended up boosting 25%-95% revenue.

Customers prefer permission-driven promotional methods over forced advertisements. With a Restaurant CRM, you can identify customers who are open to any sort of promotion, and those who repent of such measures. A consent-based promotion is driven by the openness of a customer towards your advertisement. They can block your emails or unsubscribe if they are not satisfied.

Major Reason to Choose Email Marketing Over Digital Advertising!
Another major reason to pick email marketing over digital marketing is that digital ads are becoming harder and more expensive. The Restaurant POS System, on the other hand, enables the restaurant management to track their customers. This way they can target the right campaign to the right customers without fuss.
However, no matter where you are operating in the world, you might have heard about the war going on for consumer data and data privacy. Both the government and the consumers demanded data transparency when it comes to how their data is obtained and processed. Sounds fair enough, isn’t it? However, this will bring chaos for small to medium businesses that relied on digital ads.
Earlier, they had to pay Facebook for their ads and Facebook would target the right audience and the rest of the marketing is done by Facebook itself. However, soon enough, things are not going to remain as easy as they are. Facebook and Instagram heavily relied on third-party data to run ads. Without this data, running digital ads is going to be difficult.
Restaurants can easily use their Restaurant CRM. They can easily spot their target audience using software like LS Retail Mobile POS to understand what dishes are getting popular and which dishes need to be removed from the menu. You can also segregate customers based on veg, non-veg, and vegan, and send them related offers via emails.

How can Restaurants Use Restaurant CRM to collect and make a customer list?
Collecting a list of emails is harder than sending them. Before 2020, collecting emails was a manual task, or done through a website. COVID-19 gave a significant boost to contactless dining solutions like QR code menus, and contactless ordering and payment. A Restaurant CRM helps track customer activities, what they are ordering, and what they prefer to purchase. Restaurant Management ERP utilizes Power BI tools, to help track and organize their data in a way that drives better strategies and supports effective loyalty programs.

Preferring suitable Restaurant Software Companies over disparate systems is effective for targeting the audience. A survey revealed that customers are willing to pay extra and share their details like contact numbers, emails, etc. in exchange for good customer service at a restaurant.

LS Central is one of the Best Restaurant Management Software which offers a Restaurant ERP Solution and Restaurant CRM on the same platform. Its POS Software Solution integrates the front office to the back; waiters can take orders on the table and send them to the kitchen at the right counter without visiting there physically. It encourages contactless and faster operations. In addition to it, it empowers your employees with hand-held devices and the ability to complete tasks more smoothly.

How can Restaurants use Email Marketing Effectively with a Restaurant CRM?
Restaurants are recommended to use Restaurant CRM as it becomes easy for them to collect customer data. With Restaurant ERP Software Solution, you can successfully start email campaigns hassle-free. Here are some of the methods to do the same.

Build Your Audience
To build an audience, make sure you collect their name, number, and other contact details. Your Restaurant POS System can track customer transactions to understand them better. Microsoft Restaurant ERP Software uses Microsoft Power BI tools which are perfect at creating accurate customer reports describing their preference, likes, dishes, and spending pattern. It then helps segregate and organize a customer list which will later be used for their campaigns.
Restaurants can also collect customer details from their website themselves. They can make it mandatory for customers to either log in or share their email before ordering the food. Also, do not forget to take their consent before starting the consent or they can feel forced.
Section Your Customers
Segmentation can be easily done with Restaurant CRM Software. With the generated reports via Power BI., These reports clearly distinguish between the customers with different approaches and preferences. You can segregate your existing and repeating customers and potential customers. Furthermore, you can also segregate your existing customers based on their preferences.
For instance, you can promote your existing product in front of your existing customers. Whereas, in the case of launching a new dish, you can target both your existing customers and potential customers. Further, you can recommend allergen-free dishes to your allergic customers.
Follow a Proper Content Structure
Make sure you professionally design your email. The content should be precise and to the point and not lengthy. Add delicious-looking graphics depicting your message and make it interesting. The images you use should be high quality and easy to load. Do not clutter the email using various fonts and clutter that do not fit well together. Take special note of the grammar you use. You should avoid making grammatical mistakes. Add CTAs (Call to Action). Also, offer an unsubscribe button so they do not feel forced upon them.
Send Test Mails Internally
Before throwing your freshly designed emails at your customers, make sure you first share the same internally. Check how it looks after being sent, and what impression it lays. Check for any grammatical mistakes and see if any modifications are needed. Having a unique perspective is effective, as it helps make different perceptions and modify them accordingly.
Analyze the Response
Email marketing is a trial-and-error game. Analyzing the response, you get after sending the email is the point where you need to pay attention. Inspect the opening rates, click-through rates when most people check your mail, and unsubscribing requests.
If your emails do not perform well, you can use the response data and identify the best day and time to send your emails? How can you change your subject line? Or are your opening rates following a specific pattern?
Email marketing needs creativity and effort. The most crucial step is to stay consistent. Consistency opens doors to new opportunities. Having a Restaurant CRM helps significantly. It tracks your existing customer’s behavior and potential customers. It greatly helps in starting an email marketing campaign based on the insightful reports produced by Powerbi.
If you are looking for LS Central implementation, you may Contact Trident Information Systems. We have been a Gold Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementation partner for more than two decades. With a robust team of experts and a strong track of accomplishments, we have managed to serve several businesses without fail.