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Restaurants Build a Loyal Customer Base by Offering Freebies

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Restaurants Build a Loyal Customer Base Modern Restaurant Management Our Town America Marketing

Modern Restaurant Management — A 10-percent discount for a local restaurant is of course appreciated, but when looking to grab the attention of new customers – offering free food via direct mail has proven to be a more effective strategy. Benefits of Restaurant Freebies Everyone enjoys getting things for free. Whether it’s a side of fries, a bread basket, or a birthday dinner, the psychology of freebies is innate. Free food leverages the principle of reciprocity: when someone gives you something, you usually feel obligated to provide a benefit in return. A free meal helps create lifelong customers. Nearly 65 percent of a company’s business comes from existing customers, and 43 percent of customers spend more money at businesses they frequent regularly. Discounts can briefly generate an increase in sales, but they generally attract bargain hunters who will turn to another brand at the first sign of a better deal. Offering strategic freebies helps form relationships and delivers real value. A freebie is an easy way to improve customer service and form a loyal relationship with a customer. It’s also a great tool to highlight new menu items and products. Customers expect great customer service; retention is significantly less expensive than having to continuously add new customers. At least 88% of customers have higher customer service expectations than in the past, according to a survey conducted by Hubspot. Direct Mail Freebies Reach Targets Sending free offers via direct mail is an efficient way to reach your customer demographic. You can blanket a zip code or send the message straight to existing customers. Many companies rely on email to reach existing customers. While email can be effective, it often gets lost in the shuffle. In 2023, experts predict 347.3 billion emails will be sent and received each day, according to Statista. The average American worker spends 28 percent of their time managing their email inbox, McKinsey & Company reports. When you combine email with other electronic forms of communication, such as texting and instant messaging, it’s no wonder Americans are suffering from communication overload. Postcards are a tangible token people still appreciate in our digital world. New Mover Marketing Relies on Freebies New mover marketing relies on reciprocity to help small businesses add loyal customers by using direct mail to reach new households before they form relationships with competitors. Nearly 27.1 million people moved in 2021, and trends indicate a growing number of people are making long-distance moves. The National Association of Realtors tracks migration. They revealed people are leaving California, New York and Illinois for warmer climates, such as Florida, Texas and the Carolinas. Amidst the chaos of unpacking boxes and turning their new houses into homes, they must form new routines and try out local businesses. New residents are crunched for time and searching for ways to lighten the load as they adjust to their new location. A direct mail gift certificate is a welcome gesture they won’t forget. Loyalty Programs Add Value Provide a solid customer service experience and deliver a great product to drive repeat visits. To help generate repeat business, restaurants should consider offering a loyalty program for valued customers. Loyalty programs vary, depending on the type of food you serve. A coffee shop may offer free coffee after six visits. A pizza delivery location might add a medium one-topping pizza for free if you opt for carryout. Some upscale eateries gift a free birthday meal to regular customers so they can be part of someone’s special day. You even have the option of running a supplemental digital marketing campaign to both the new movers in your list as well as additional consumers in your desired geographical region. Take steps to create a marketing strategy that includes offering freebies. It will help you add new customers and ensure the goodwill of your regular diners. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Offer a Free Dental Cleaning to Attract New Movers

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Offer a Free Cleaning to New Movers Our Town America Marketing

Dentistry Today Magazine — New movers can be a huge asset to dentists. Welcoming them to the neighborhood by offering a free cleaning as part of a new mover marketing program can help get them in the door and introduce them to your practice. Competing with the hefty marketing budgets of large dental chains can be challenging for local practices. Small dental offices can capitalize on new movers to tap into a potential customer base in transition. In the United States, more than 27.1 million people move each year. The top three reasons people pack up and make a move are to improve their quality of life, lower cost of living, and live in a larger home, according to a survey conducted by Home Bay, an online moving and real estate resource. In fact, 25% of Americans who relocated in 2022 left city life and moved to the suburbs. BENEFITS OF A FREE GIFT The hallmark of a new mover marketing program is offering free gifts. Providing new movers with a free cleaning can go a long way to endearing you to potential patients. Remember the last time you got a gift in the mail or a surprise flower delivery? Receiving a gift makes people feel good, and the thoughtfulness of the gesture is appreciated. A free gift offers many perks and pays for itself in the long run. Let’s explore some of the benefits of a free gift. Increase patient satisfaction. At least 48% of people dread going to the dentist, and only 5% of people go to the dentist each year. Receiving a free dental cleaning can spur people to schedule an appointment they’ve been putting off. As you’re aware, avoiding the dentist can lead to gum disease and increase the chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Securing your preferred dental office shortly after a move will ensure cleanings remain on schedule. A free gift can engage customers and make them regular visitors. Once you attract them to your business by offering a free gift, turn them into loyal customers by providing a positive customer service experience. Raise brand awareness. Raising brand awareness builds trust and is a necessary step to building a loyal customer base. Ramping up brand awareness is particularly important for dental practices as they do not typically have overly-pronounced street signage or television advertising. A free gift can help showcase your brand’s philosophy and is a useful tool to welcome new patients to your practice. Differentiate your brand. A free cleaning can help differentiate your brand and enable you to stand out from the competition. As the amount of chain dental practices grows, local establishments need to double down on marketing to continue to add new patients. Generate positive reviews. Positive word-of-mouth references are also an important tool. Positive reviews help generate new business. At least 9 out of 10 customers read online reviews, and others get recommendations from family and friends before visiting a new business. Word-of-mouth marketing can increase sales and build a loyal customer base. Valuable reminder. Many customers put off scheduling a dental appointment because they are concerned about cost. A free cleaning shows that you appreciate your prospective customer’s time, and serves as a trial run for your business. USE FREE GIFTS TO TARGET NEW CUSTOMERS New residents need to build routines and establish a relationship with businesses in their new community, including finding doctors and dentists. Moving is pricey, and many new homeowners are searching for ways to cut costs as they fork out cash to turn their houses into homes. One in three Americans went over budget on their move, Home Bay reports. Treating new residents to a free cleaning can be a welcome relief and be the motivation that prompts them to pick up the phone and schedule a cleaning. New mover marketing offers a tangible, tactile tool for treating new residents to a free cleaning; it adds a personal touch that is useful. Our Town America has introduced new residents to businesses in their local community for more than 50 years. Our new mover direct mail marketing programs rely on carefully curated, up-to-date lists to make sure your message reaches potential customers. Our program starts by sending a first-class Welcome Package to new residents before they form loyalties with your competitors. The proven offers are free gifts, not discounts. Once a person redeems a free cleaning, our technology can automatically trigger a ‘thank you’ offer to keep your practice top-of-mind. The TruTrak® app lets you easily keep track of redemptions at the point of sale or at your convenience on a mobile device. You also have the option to run a supplemental digital marketing campaign to both the new movers in your list, as well as additional consumers in your desired geographical region. Targeting new residents with a free cleaning is a cost-effective marketing strategy with a high return on investment. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Why Dentists Need a Marketing Plan

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Why Dentists Need a Marketing Plan Our Town America

Marketing for dentists is best executed when a multigenerational approach is taken to appeal to the unique needs of people in the local community. Learn how dental practices can use new technology and techniques to retain patients and drive new business. Dentistry Trends Competing with the rising number of dental chains poses a challenge for many independent dental practices. These high-volume, low-fee models attract patients by offering competitive prices and extended appointment hours. Aspen Dental opened its first office in 1998 and now has more than 1,000 locations. Heartland Dental supports more than 1,600 practices across the country and has plans to roll out 103 new sites this year. Only 73% of United States dentists own private practices, down from 84.7% in 2005, according to the American Dental Association. The drop in the number of private practices comes as overall spending on dentistry services is down. National dental spending dipped 1.8% to $142.4 billion in 2020, the ADA reported. Spending shortfalls can partially be attributed to fallout from the outbreak of COVID-19, but private practice appointment bookings are still not back to pre-pandemic levels. Take a Fresh Approach Unless you are a pediatric dentist, your practice serves the entire community, and marketing for dentists needs to take this into account. Digital efforts will help attract younger generations, but baby boomers may prefer traditional marketing tactics like direct mail. To ramp up business, private practices need a solid marketing approach covering a wide variety of platforms. In addition to traditional advertising and social media marketing, here are a few new marketing techniques to help your practice shine. Tell your story. Your dental practice is not the only game in town. Separate yourself from the competition by telling your unique story and humanizing your practice. Providing a personal approach will amplify what sets your practice apart and help capture new patients. Ditch the glossy stock photos on your website and instead feature pictures of your staff, patients, and, most importantly, you. Highlight what makes your practice unique. Whether it’s offering same-day service, dental sleep medicine, or treatment for TMJ, make sure to maximize your unique selling proposition in your marketing efforts. New Mover Marketing. Direct mail postcards are great for blanketing a neighborhood with your practice’s message, but a targeted approach can yield a better result. Our Town America has more than 50 years of experience helping dental practices add new patients before they form loyalties with the competition. We send a Welcome Package filled with proven offers to new residents to entice them to give your practice a test drive. To get the best results, we compile lists of individuals who have filed some sort of address change in the past 30 days. We filter out the duplicates to increase your return on investment. Lights, camera, action! Did you know that adults are forecast to watch 80 minutes of digital video per day in 2023? Meet patients where they spend their time by posting videos to your social media feeds. Adding video can increase engagement and help give your practice a personal touch. Consider filming interviews with your employees to help people get to know your staff or make a welcome video. Promote oral health by filming a video outlining the importance of proper cleaning techniques or showcase positive patient testimonials. The options are limitless. Rely on referrals. Launch a patient referral program. Word-of-mouth marketing remains one of the best ways to build a practice. People trust recommendations more than advertising — it’s one of the reasons Google reviews are so popular. A patient referral program provides an incentive for current patients who recommend your practice to another community member. Letting your existing patients do the legwork is a no-hassle approach to adding new clients. Throw a party. Let’s face it. Visiting the dentist can be a drag. Experts speculate dental fear or anxiety impacts 36% of the population. You can help alleviate some anxiety associated with a six-month checkup by making your practice a warm, welcoming environment. Host an open house with free snacks or a barbecue in the parking lot. Make sure your party appeals to your target customer demographic. Employee appreciation. The backbone of any successful dental practice is its employees. Your dental hygienists form relationships with customers, and people appreciate familiarity. Make team building and appreciation part of your marketing budget. Showing your employees you are grateful for their hard work will help improve staff retention and create a welcoming environment for patients. Welcome New Movers Learn more about marketing for dentists and how Our Town America’s new mover marketing and direct mail services can help your practice appeal to residents of all ages in the local community. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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