Maximizing Restaurant Success: How to Drive Attention and Sales with Smart Marketing

Last week, Matt Plapp had the pleasure of traveling to Minnesota for a quick two-day visit to chat with the team at Performance Food Group about restaurant marketing strategies. The focus of his talk was how a restaurant generated over $27,000 in sales just from leveraging Facebook marketing. The key? Grabbing attention.

Engaging the Audience: The $100 Hook

To kick off his session, Matt did something simple yet effective to grab attention. He offered $100 cash to one lucky attendee if they texted him their name and favorite color. In no time, he had dozens of messages flooding in. This tactic was more than just a fun gimmick—it was a lesson in the power of attention.

We live in a world where everyone is glued to their phones. Whether waiting in line or sitting at a stoplight, people are on their phones. As a restaurant owner or marketer, this presents a huge opportunity. If customers' attention is already on their phones, why not use that to your advantage?

Dominating Attention Like the NFL

Matt discussed the concept of attention and how the NFL knows how to dominate it year-round—from the start of the season to the Super Bowl, draft, and mini-camps, their content is constant. Restaurants can take a page from this playbook. They need to find ways to stay top-of-mind for their customers all year long, not just during special promotions.

But it's not just about having a presence. Businesses must capture and hold attention in a way that engages customers.

The Power of Social Media

One of the biggest takeaways Matt shared was the importance of using social media to engage—not just sell. Many restaurant owners make the mistake of treating social platforms like advertising billboards. They bombard their audience with sales pitches, then wonder why no one engages with their posts.

To illustrate this, he used an example from a restaurant his team worked with. They shifted the focus from selling to engaging by posting a simple question about favorite state fair foods, which garnered over 3,500 comments. These types of posts don't push products—they engage people. When a business consistently engages its audience, it builds an emotional connection.

Later, when a sales pitch is made, people are more likely to respond because they feel connected to the brand.

Leveraging Customer Data for Sales

After grabbing attention, the next step is capturing customer information. In one restaurant example, Matt's team used social media and a simple call-to-action to collect data. Customers commented on posts, and through a messaging tool, they were asked for their email, phone number, and birthday. These details were added to the restaurant's database and used to send targeted promotions.

The result? Hundreds of customers walked into the restaurant, each spending an average of $27. Imagine if they hadn't collected this data! Engaging on social media without a strategy to capture information is like leaving money on the table.

Building Relationships Beyond Transactions

A key theme Matt emphasized was that marketing should be about building relationships, not just making sales. Restaurants need to go beyond transactional interactions. Employees should be trained to engage customers, not just take orders. It's all about creating experiences that people remember and want to share.

For instance, he once helped a restaurant owner struggling to grow his loyalty program. The solution was simple—ask. They put a fun twist on it by offering a "money bucket." Every customer who signed up got to pull a bill out of the bucket. That night, they signed up 90 people!

Using Marketing Tools the Right Way

There are a lot of marketing tools available—email, social media, text messages—but they need to be used correctly. Take email marketing, for example. A common mistake is sending out constant promotions. Instead, try sending something more engaging, like a fun contest related to National Dog Day. Customers don't always want to hear about menu specials—they want to connect on a personal level.

This approach helped one of Matt's clients, a pizza shop owner, re-engage a long-time customer who hadn't visited in months. With a simple, engaging email, they brought her back to the restaurant, proving the power of staying in front of customers—even when they aren't actively thinking about you.

Final Thoughts: Get Creative with Your Marketing

Restaurant marketing is about more than just selling—it's about capturing attention, building relationships, and staying top-of-mind for customers. Whether it's through creative social media posts, engaging email campaigns, or unique in-store experiences, the goal is to create a lasting connection with the audience.

So the next time you think about your marketing strategy, remember: it's not about how many followers you have or how many posts you make—it's about how well you engage your customers and keep them coming back.

If you're ready to dominate your restaurant's marketing, start by grabbing attention and keeping it!

What strategies have worked best for your restaurant marketing? Let's continue the conversation in the comments.