You might have the best tasting beverages in the world but if you can’t get them into people’s mouths, you may as well be on a deserted island.
With catering, you have the best free marketing available to you that accomplishes that . . . and creates awareness and foot traffic back to your store.
Now that’s a win-win-win.
How can you get those lucrative catering jobs? Meet ’em in the inbox. Email marketing.
Here’s what you need to know in using email marketing to promote your catering servies:
1.TIMING IS EVERYTHING
There’s very little point in sending an email letting clients know you’re ready to do their Christmas party planning just a few weeks before the big day. Think about timing and when people are likely to start their planning preparations. Too early and you risk getting forgotten when it comes to thinking about event and catering planners, too late and you risk missing the boat. Do your research and make sure you’re sending out your emails at just the right time.
2. CONTENT IS KING
In a world where we eat as much with our eyes as our mouth make sure your marketing email displays your sumptuous creations at their finest and shows your wedding venue in all its glory.
Reams of text are unnecessary and distracting, but be sure to include information that your potential customers need such as price, menu, extras and service options.
Remind customers what they’re missing with beautiful photographs and always make sure you include links to the appropriate catering page on your website to drive traffic there and encourage visitors to make contact.
3. HAVE A GREAT WEBSITE
Getting your client to open your email is just the start of your marketing campaign. If you can’t back it up with a fantastic website, you’re already losing the battle. If your email is the starter, then your website is the main course and dessert.
Everything your client needs to know should be here, including menus, pictures, contact information, and personal testimonies from other customers who are happy to rave about your work.
4. PERSONALIZE EMAILS
Make sure your emails are sent to the right person with a personal greeting and include some information relevant to your reader alone. Sending out emails filled with poor spellings and terrible grammar can be a death knell for your business.
Don’t despair if your writing isn’t up to scratch. There are plenty of online tools that will check and double check your writing style and which offer helpful tips in composing your marketing campaign. My favorite is Grammarly.
5. BE REGULAR
Don’t wait until you think your client might be interested; send emails out on a regular basis using discounts and special offers to lure them in.
Clearly sending an email every day will be overkill but sending out high value emails every month or six weeks will keep your name fresh in a customer’s mind and associated with great value products.
You might even want to consider a survey asking customers how often they would like to hear from you and making sure their contact information is up to date. This has the added benefit of capturing more data.
6. USE CLIENT FEEDBACK
Nothing speaks more about your work than a client’s feedback. Use your email list to follow up with clients after an event and ask for a written recommendation.
Be bold and ask that client to consider recommending you to other clients for future events. Personal recommendation pays off far more than any marketing strategy can so work on building these relationships with clients.
7. CONSIDER OUTSOURCING
“Do what you do best, outsource the rest.” It’s a motto every small business owner needs to abide by.
Unless you have a large team to help you, consider hiring a marketing team that can help you get more catering business. Email is just one of many strategies you’ll want to use. Working with a team that knows how to get catering jobs (yes that’s what we do, hint hint), will free up your time while bringing in a nice stream of additional revenue.
A well thought out email marketing campaign is worth its weight in gold and should have your clients excited to hear from you and learn about your latest menus and offers. Spend time today crafting your perfect strategy and see where email marketing will take your company.
