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Figuring out your restaurant’s target audience can be tricky. After all, you want to make sure you’re catering to the right people and that your marketing efforts are focused on the right group of individuals. Then there are things like hospitality fit outs to keep in mind, which will be fully informed by what clientele you are trying to accommodate.
In this article, we’ll walk you through a few steps to help you determine your target audience and how to reach them. Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list – every business is different and will have its own unique target audience. But these tips should give you a good starting point!
Who are your current customers and what do they have in common?
Start by thinking about who your current customers are. What do they have in common? Some factors you might want to consider include:
- Age range
- Income bracket or education level
- What type of food they like, and where it falls on the culinary spectrum
- Any other businesses or organisations they frequent (e.g., a gym, a particular bar, etc.)
- How you want them to feel when they leave your restaurant (satisfied, excited, etc.)
- What adjectives would you use to describe your target audience (e.g., affluent, health-conscious, adventurous eaters)?
Once you have a good understanding of who your current customers are and what they have in common, you can start to think about who you would like to target.
What type of customer are you trying to attract?
Consider what factors are important to you and your business – do you want to attract more young people, families, and business diners? Remember that you don’t have to (and shouldn’t) try to appeal to everyone – it’s important to focus your efforts on a particular target audience. Once you’ve decided who you would like to target, the next step is figuring out how to reach them.
How do you reach your target audience?
There are several ways that you can do this, but first, you need to determine the following:
- Where they live (e.g., inner city, suburbs)
- What type of media they consume (e.g., social media, television, radio)
- What type of events they attend (e.g., festivals, food fairs)
The answers to these questions will allow you to start developing your marketing strategy. Cost-effective marketing for restaurants is key as the majority of funds are spent on fresh produce. Digital signage in restaurants is among the easiest ways to reach your target market with eye-catching designs. For example, if you’re trying to reach young families, you might want to consider running ads on local parenting blogs or in the kids’ section of the newspaper. Or, if you’re trying to reach business diners, you might want to host a networking event at your restaurant.
With any luck, these tips will help you figure out your restaurant’s target audience. Keep in mind that this is just a starting point – you might need to experiment and try different marketing strategies before you find something that works for your business.
You may also like: How to Build an audience the smart way
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