In the restaurant business, you have a lot of things to juggle. Chefs, food and beverage, ambiance, architects, staff, training, etc. You want to have your seats filled and the last thing on your mind is marketing. If this sounds familiar, then you CANNOT miss these 3 tips.

I understand that it’s easier said, then done, but the reality is you are spending a great deal of your time and money creating the perfect experience for your patrons. Why would you not want to broadcast that to the world? Or the internet, at least.

Here are 3 tips on what you can do today to boost your marketing and start filling seats.

1. Start the experience before they come to your restaurant

The largest piece of real estate you control, aside from your restaurant, is your website. Nowadays, restaurants of all sizes are missing out on the opportunity they have to start the experience before your patrons get through your doors. Most sites hit all of the regular checks: menu, location info, reservations. My guess is that you’ve put WAY more into your restaurant than a menu, location, and whether or not you take reservations. If that’s true, then make your website work for you.

2. Tell your story

Every entrepreneur starts a business because they think to themselves, “I can do that and I can do it better.” Restauranteurs are no different. Your best patrons want to know all about the restaurant, the food, the story. By sharing these stories, it gives the overall eating experience more depth. Patrons feel more connected and then want to share their experience within their circle of friends. Have you ever heard a friend say, “I’ve got this great place to eat that no one knows about.” Sharing stories can be through short videos, blog posts, social media interactions, etc. Here’s a great example from the NoMad Hotel NYC:

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/embed/_j-2ihqsYDM[/embed]

Patrons want to know YOUR story so they can tell THEIR story of who they are to the world.

3. Execute against your story

This one is a “no brainer”, but important enough to be written. You have to make sure that you are executing, on all levels, against your story. If you say you’re all about service, then every part of your restaurant should be about service. This keeps the experience consistent from beginning to end and ensures loyal patrons and repeat visits.

Try to carve out some time in your day to work on these 3 restaurant marketing tips. For the short time it takes to implement them, it will pay off in the long run.