212: Effective Digital Marketing Strategies For Restaurants With Brenton Thomas

Running Restaurants

In this episode, we host Brenton Thomas, founder of Twibi, in a conversation about effective digital marketing strategies for restaurants. Brenton advises starting with Google and Facebook ads due to their high return potential and suggests focusing on conversion tracking and consistent messaging across platforms. He recommends search campaigns and performance max campaigns for targeting high-intent customers and emphasizes the importance of optimizing Google My Business for local SEO.

Brenton also touches on the value of high-quality photography and the challenges of adapting to algorithm changes, offering practical tips for small restaurants, including:

● Recommendations for channel usage and budget allocation, emphasizing Google ads and Facebook ads

● Importance of setting up conversion tracking on Facebook for ad optimization

● Utilizing Google ads, including search campaigns and performance max campaigns

● Emphasizing the significance of optimizing Google My Business profiles and local SEO

● Incorporating short-form videos into performance max campaigns and focusing on lifestyle in video content

● Value of portraying the dining experience through images and high-quality photography

● Challenges of keeping up with evolving algorithms and privacy policies

Timestamps and other highlights from the episode include:

● Digital Marketing Overview (00:00:32)

Brenton gives an overview of Twibi's digital marketing services, including Google ads, Facebook ads, Instagram, and email marketing.

● Channel Recommendations (00:01:35)

Brenton recommends Google ads and Facebook ads for restaurants, advises against using Twitter and TikTok, and suggests split testing between Google and Facebook ads.

● Facebook Advertising (00:02:33)

Discussion on setting up conversion tracking on Facebook and optimizing for specific events like purchases and email collections.

● Google Ads Strategy (00:05:54)

Brenton explains the importance of starting with a search campaign and utilizing performance max campaigns for Google properties.

● Local SEO and Business Citations (00:08:16)

The importance of optimizing Google My Business profiles and utilizing local business citations for better visibility.

● Video Advertising (00:10:02)

Brenton discusses the inclusion of video in performance max campaigns and its effectiveness in advertising.

● Content Creation for Restaurants (00:11:07)

Tips on creating content that showcases the experience and lifestyle around the restaurant, rather than just the food.

● Keeping Up with Changes (00:12:44)

Discussion on how to stay informed about algorithm changes in digital marketing, including utilizing email updates and working with agencies.

● Digital Marketing Tips (00:14:23)

Brenton recommends starting with Facebook advertising and shares technical tips for tracking attribution in Google Analytics.

Be sure to check out the episode. Find out more at https://www.twibiagency.com and https://www.runningrestaurants.com.