With the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, many ghost kitchen companies are rapidly growing in popularity. The combination of fast service with an engaging and alluring digital aesthetic is causing an entirely new culinary wave - elevated delivery. Whether you choose to create a ghost kitchen and have no plans of owning a physical establishment or your restaurant has had to pivot due to current restrictions, a great marketing strategy can help drive new traffic to your business.
To build a kitchen online, you must pay attention to virtual restaurant trends in technology to ensure that your food and services are easily accessible. You also should focus on ways to refine the messaging around your unique selling point (USP) and brainstorm ways to create a connection with your customers. Food is an essential part of the human experience, so leverage this moment to help solve people's problems. Here are four tips to help you improve your ghost kitchen marketing effort.
4 Marketing Tips for Ghost Kitchens
Be brave with branding
It's great to know who your target audience is, but it's even better to deliver them creative that they connect with. Humans are innately visual, and many people will make purchase decisions on how they perceive your brand. Decisions that you make regarding typography and the color palette that you choose can help people emotionally connect with your brand and your food.
Does your ghost kitchen offer rustic Northern Italian cuisine? Try to capture the warmth and heartiness of comfort food by using rich reds, browns. You can also play with texture by using antique wood to really create a connection to a rustic material. Sticky content that captures the emotions behind your food will help you to create the most impact and set you up for future conversions.
Maybe your ghost kitchen offering is more lively—shared plates, fusion, approachable. Consider playing with bolder and more dynamic typography to welcome people into your brand. One of the first steps to build a kitchen online is to make engaging choices with your branding.
Video, video, video
You should definitely be posting curated photos of your food on your website and other social media platforms. But to really make an impact in the attention wars, you need content that brings your food to life. Try creating videos showing the preparation, cooking, and plating process. By doing this, you help your audience learn more about your brand. It also helps to see you as innovative because you are cleverly utilizing the digital landscape.
Many social media platforms are also promoting video content, so it's helpful to incorporate these tools into your marketing strategy. Using features like Instagram Reels can put your kitchen in front of an entirely new audience. Video will definitely be a ghost kitchen food trend this year, so make sure to incorporate it into your marketing strategy.
Treat social media as a two-way street
Social media is the most powerful ghost kitchen tool because it gives brands a valuable piece of real estate - a storefront from which to showcase their brand.
Customers expect to have a conversation on social media, and being mindful of this in your messaging can drive engagement that may lead to conversion. New social media marketing plans will often discuss CPC's and ROI, but many skip the storytelling component.
Remember that now is a time to build relationships for beyond this period of quarantine. Use social features that encourage engagement and make sure to provide value.
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Re-target with value
As your ghost kitchen company grows, you will begin to have a better understanding of your offline and online audience. Make sure you include data management and collection into your marketing strategy so that you can accurately re-target people that interact with your brand. Consider doing a giveaway or contest for people who either regularly order from your service or engage with you online. You can also send them discounts or other incentives to help build brand loyalty.
While traditional dining is expected to make a return at some point, the demand for ghost kitchens is unlikely to go away. Take this time to really hone in on your unique selling point and collaborate with others who can help to showcase your brand in the best light. There are many inspiring designers online that can help you in areas where you might need assistance. We can also offer you assistance to help you expand your digital presence and ghost kitchen tool.