Copywriting for restaurant businesses is tough. If only you could let people smell the delicious dishes through your website or app…they would surely queue to have lunch at your restaurant. But unfortunately, we still do not have the technology which allows a full sensory experience in the cyber space. What you have, though, is the use of crafty words to make your prospects’ mouth water.
The Art of Selling Taste Sensations
There is nothing more difficult than expressing the juicy quality of a medium-rare steak or the spicy savour of Mexican food in words. However, it is something which many restaurants achieve in their online menus and other marketing materials. It is not easy, but once you get a hold on the right recipe and mix your ingredients – the words – properly, you will be able to write amazing copy for your restaurant.
These are a few simple and effective tips:
- Start with a Healthy Portion of Sensory Words
When describing food, it is important to let your own senses guide you. If you have the dish before you, how would you describe it? Take a salad, for example – what makes it so savoury and tasty? Is it the memory of a farm garden, sparkling after a summer rain, with ripe vegetables giving out their fresh scent? Or the bright colours of freshly gathered tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and herbs?
A well made steak – is it succulent and tender, yet consistent down to the last bite? See how simple words almost make you hungry, despite having had lunch just now?
- Pick Your Flavour Carefully
Food copy is not about menus alone. Every piece of content is a valuable portion of promotional material. Blog posts, videos, social media posts – they must be carefully crafted and work together to give your restaurant website the right flavour you are aiming for: family style, gourmet, affordable dinner for an evening out with friends, or boutique restaurant with a certain cuisine specific.
- Mix Your Ingredients Carefully
Great copywriting is not monotonous. It is surprising and has a unique character and feel in every instance.
It feels tempting to save time by sharing the same text on various social media platforms and in your emails. However, people expect different things in various mediums. There are times when they like to read or watch a story, there are times when they want to enjoy a vivid photo, and there are times when they want a short and snappy story to share with their friends.
- Include a Juicy Call to Action
While your recipe for blog posts, email marketing and online menus has all the right ingredients to make people lust for your food, it is not enough to bring them to your restaurant. There is a simple rule: if you do not tell people to do something, they will leave your website with a sense of confusion and dissatisfaction. After you have built up their appetites, you have left them in suspense…
A call to action is a must at the end of every piece of content. Anything from ordering for home delivery or booking a table works. Just give your prospects the guidelines they need for the next logical step.
- Leave Room for Dessert
There is always a sweet spot in the food business, and everyone is looking forward to it. If you want to keep your prospects and current customers engaged, give them a few sweet rewards in the form of simple and delicious recipes they can try at home, various contests with prizes and a peek at how things work in your kitchen.
These small tokens of appreciation will build loyalty with your customers and will increase your popularity. This translates into more people walking into your restaurant and then recommending it to their family and friends.