Erin Martin's Page

I haven't waited table for a few years now, but today I was thinking back on some of the craziest things I've seen as a server. Stuff that seems like it's out of a movie or a bad sitcom.

• Opening a box of lettuce from the distributor and finding a live frog.
• Having a salad thrown at me by a customer who insisted that it was "used."
• Watching in horror as the bar I worked in was raided by police because of drug dealing suspicious. I knew NOTHING,…

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Branding. It's hard to describe—but crucial to success. Using the look, feel and sound of your communications to alert your customers to the experience they'll have at your establishment is not only good business practice, it allows you to stand out from the sea of competitors.



Branding your restaurant email campaigns is just as important as branding your menu and your advertisements. Here are five tips that will help you brand your email campaign.



1. Add your restaurant… Continue

Customers have a low tolerance for spam in their email inboxes. What you see as your restaurant's email newsletter, full of interesting content and attractive promotions, may be seen by your customers as spam.



Don't sully your restaurant's reputation by having your customers flag you as spam. Make sure that your customers know why they are giving you their email address, and periodically ask them in your emails if they want to continue receiving emails from your… Continue

You're all set up, ready to go with your restaurant email campaign. You've got killer content, a mailing list full of customers hungry to hear from you and an eye-catching email layout. Now, all you need is a great subject line.



All too often, the subject line is a last-minute decision when sending out an email newsletter or promotion. A quick scan of my restaurant email folder in my email, and I see ho-hum lines like "Thank You" and my personal favorite:

"confirm… Continue

It's no secret that restaurant email marketing is a great way to connect with your most loyal customers, and ensure that they return. But one thing I often hear is "I don't have TIME to run an email campaign!" And, sure, to run a campaign that is attractive to your customers, you'll have to set aside time to create powerful content and build eye-catching emails.



But what about gathering your customer's email addresses? Do you have a stack of comment cards gathering dust in a pantry… Continue