When it comes to food, hungry diners and food lovers tend to be very clear about what they want. If you can imagine someone searching online for somewhere to go for lunch or a restaurant for an upcoming celebration, the words and phrases they use will likely be highly specific. This is why honing in on a clear and specific niche can be a winning strategy when marketing your restaurant business.
Modern Marketing & The Restaurant Industry
In the vast global marketplace, with 24/7 access to the internet increasingly the norm, being able to stand out in the sea of restaurant options is key to a thriving restaurant business. When customers can search for and review their dining options in seconds using their smartphones, reaching these hungry diners requires a higher degree of marketing strategy than merely advertising your offers and serving good food.
To win in the modern marketing game, something that all the top restaurant marketing agencies will likely suggest is a clear focus on a specific niche. It may seem counter-intuitive, but by specialising on a smaller, more targeted audience, you're likely to have more customers and benefit from the numerous perks of a strong niche brand.
There are great reasons to specialise in any type of business, but when it comes to the business of food, there are even more compelling arguments to establish a clear and focused niche.
For example, when people are discussing restaurant options, they're often highly engaged and excited about a particular type of food. "Let's go out for pizza!" or "I'd love a Thai Curry tonight." These are the types of emotions and desires that fuel customers considering their dining choices.
Similarly, the type of venue can also inspire some animated discussions about where to dine, particularly for special occasions. That chic, secluded bistro could make for a winning anniversary meal, or the American diner-themed restaurant may be the perfect option for a teen birthday party.
Deciding where to go for a meal is about so much more than how to refuel and satisfy hungry customers. When the decisions for dining out are often such an emotional and desire-led experience, it can literally pay to tap into these highly specific emotions and desires.
By clarifying the unique speciality that your restaurant business offers, and communicating that in engaging ways where your customers are likely to notice, is the core of great modern marketing. Tapping into the hungry demand in a popular niche and conveying your expertise in that area will be far more effective than more generic advertising or marketing designed to appeal to the masses.
Restaurant Niches & Word Of Mouth
When you and your customers are crystal clear on the very specific niche or speciality that your business offers, it's much easier to benefit from one of the most effective forms of marketing there is: word of mouth.
For example, let's say your restaurant serves only gluten-free food, and everything you serve is safe for both Coeliacs and those with gluten intolerance. This is a relatively small proportion of the overall market, yet it's a highly specific niche, one that is in increasing demand with passionate advocates and fans.
As such, anyone who is committed to a gluten-free diet, or who knows someone who is, is extremely likely to try it out or tell their friends. If they then have an enjoyable experience in your restaurant, there's a very good chance that they will spread the word, maybe posting on social media using a #glutenfreelife hashtag.
This is where a small niche can harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Assuming your food and service are excellent, having a highly specific niche for a hungry audience can not only reach the perfect customers for your offering, it can also inspire conversations about your business that will often do your marketing for you.
Summary
While it can be tempting to try and reach as many people as possible with your marketing, especially with the global potential of online channels, it can be more beneficial to zero in on a smaller audience. As long as the niche you choose has sufficient demand, and your business does a great job of meeting those highly specific requirements, there's a good chance you'll find more success with your marketing and branding strategies. When you become known as the best in the business for a very particular type of dining experience, you can expect your restaurant business to fully reap the many benefits of a clear and focused niche.
