The restaurant industry is very competitive and restaurants - especially those in urban areas where choices are overwhelming - can no longer rely on word of mouth to attract new diners and encourage repeat diners.

Many restaurants share a few common marketing challenges the biggest of which is lack of consistent interaction with customers. Let’s say your restaurant offers a happy hour special on Thursday and Friday nights to attract the local business crowd. And it works. Thursdays and Fridays have a line out the door and 30-60 minute waits for tables. That’s wonderful! But other than the Thursday/Friday happy hour, there is no “ask” - no communication with the customer, no reason for them to even think about your restaurant if they’re in the mood to eat out.

There are a couple of solutions to this, including loyalty programs and social media conversations.

Customer loyalty programs are an effective way to encourage repeat dining; the drawback here is that discounts are often only applied during specific times, which may or may not be convenient to the customer.

When it comes to social media, many restaurants do the bare minimum. Granted, only about 1% of posts are seen organically, but that can be boosted with a small low-cost social media advertising strategy. But on the posts that are seen, you’d be surprised at how infrequently some restaurants interact with their audience. That is NOT engagement. Engagement means starting a conversation and keeping it going.

So is there a better way than to rely on loyalty programs and social media? Yes. Another solution to the challenges of local marketing is for a restaurant to partner with GrabQpons. Users can receive notifications when you’re holding a mid-week special (or anytime you need to fill tables); and because the app is location-based, you’ll reach an audience of people - including those who are unfamiliar with your restaurant - who are actually in the area when your real-time special is going on, without having to make a special effort to get to your location.

GrabQpons demystifies local advertising. The app makes it easy for diners to find you, convenient for them to visit you, and financially attractive for them to choose you. To find out more, visit grabqpons.com