Yes, a well-designed loyalty program can be extremely worthwhile for an independent restaurant. The goal of a loyalty program is to reward repeat customers – which is important because a large portion of your revenue comes from returning guests (around 60% on average in the industry). By offering perks to frequent diners (e.g. points for each purchase that lead to a free item, or exclusive discounts for members), you encourage customers to visit more often and build an emotional connection with your brand. These programs directly boost retention and sales: for example, after implementing a CRM-linked loyalty program, one restaurant found that 24% of its total sales came from loyalty members. Loyalty members also tend to spend more per visit. In practice, a loyalty program can be as simple as a digital punch card or as sophisticated as a points-based app – but in all cases, it’s about making your regulars feel appreciated so they keep coming back (and bring their friends!).

Many restaurant owners wonder which social media platforms to use, how often to post, and what to post. The key is to be strategic and consistent. Here are some tips for an effective social media strategy:

-Choose the right platforms: Focus on the social networks your target customers use most. For example, Instagram is great for showcasing drool-worthy food photos and short videos, while Facebook might help promote events and engage with the local community. It’s better to actively maintain a couple of platforms where your audience hangs out than to stretch yourself thin on every network.

-Post consistently and engage promptly: Aim to update your social pages regularly (at least a few times per week) and respond to comments or inquiries quickly. Customers expect you to engage with them on social media and respond to questions promptly – an active, responsive presence shows you care and keeps your restaurant on people’s minds. Consider using a content calendar or scheduling tool so you don’t miss posting during busy weeks.

-Mix up your content to humanize your brand: Don’t just post daily specials or promotions. People will tune out if every post is a sales pitch. Instead, mix in fun, behind-the-scenes, or personal content alongside your promos. For example, share a short video of the kitchen prepping a new dish, introduce one of your chefs or servers, celebrate a staff birthday, or post a food trivia question. By balancing promotional posts with entertaining or heartfelt ones, you “humanize” your brand and help customers feel more connected to your restaurant. Remember, the goal of social media is to build a community and personality around your restaurant, not just to advertise.

By focusing on the platforms that make sense for you and engaging your followers with consistent, quality content, you’ll build an online presence that draws in new customers and keeps regulars loyal.

Marketing automation means using software and technology to streamline your marketing tasks so they run with minimal manual effort. You can automate a lot of repetitive tasks, such as sending reservation reminders, scheduling social media posts, emailing birthday coupons or newsletters, texting out promotions, and even requesting feedback or reviews after a visit. Automating tasks like managing reservations, posting on social media, and sending out email/SMS campaigns ensures consistent communication while saving valuable time – this allows you and your staff to focus on providing great food and service instead of constantly doing marketing chores. In other words, your outreach keeps happening in the background (on schedule and to the right customers) without you having to push every button.

Importantly, marketing automation isn’t just a time-saver – it can also improve your results. Restaurants that adopt automated marketing systems often see higher customer engagement and even an increase in sales (some report up to a 20% boost) after streamlining their marketing this way. For example, automated email or text campaigns can re-engage customers who haven’t visited in a while, and loyalty programs can automatically reward customers to encourage repeat visits. By using a smart marketing platform or a combination of tools (CRM, email/SMS automation, social schedulers, etc.), even a small restaurant can execute consistent, data-driven marketing campaigns that would be hard to manage all by yourself. In summary, automation helps you do more with less effort – you maintain a strong presence with your customers and drive revenue, all while freeing up time to focus on the in-person dining experience.