* The female segment of your guest base usually goes ignored because they’re “clumped” into your overall marketing efforts along with the men, teens and kids.

* It’s critical to understand that women are different than men, in terms of marketing to them.  You can’t market to women the same way you market to men! So, here’s some key points to remember and implement. Do them and your sales will increase—

* Women love to be WOW’d; give them something to talk about because women love to share stories with their friends, more so than men do.
   
* Women are the heaviest users of blogs and Facebook. They love to discuss and share stories and experiences online. The more you give them, the more they’ll share and talk about it.

Adding a video to your website, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Google Maps can provide potential customers with an insight to your restaurant, the type of food on the menu, local produce used, unique selling points and of course, your location. Click here to read more and see some great examples.

Recently on one of my many Southwest Airlines flights this past month, while on-board and delayed at the gate, the pilot invited kids to come up and look at the cockpit. Can you imagine what a great experience this is for kids?

But get this—after the kids, had their turn, the pilot invited the adults up to the cockpit. It was a mad rush, and what an experience! The lesson? Us adults like to see how things work also!

What adult wouldn’t love a tour of your kitchen and an explanation of how things are made? What adult wouldn’t love a tour of your wine bar?

So, go ahead; engage your adult guests. And, especially because they’re so active in blogging and on Facebook, engage your female guests. That’s a crucial marketing nugget that’s guaranteed to go a long, long way.

Southwest knows how to WOW their guests. Now it’s your turn.

Our restaurant promises to deliver you the following:

  * A sparkling clean restaurant inside and out.

  * Great tasting food, freshly prepared that exhibits an overwhelming value.

  * A great staff to serve you, passionate about what they do, friendly and knowledgeable about what they serve.

  * A few surprises you’d never expect that will WOW you.

  * An interest in our community that we share.

  * A smile; a place you can feel at home, and be treated like royalty.

  * An active interest in recycling in order to better our community that we live in.

  * An active interest in supporting our troops, fighting abroad to protect our country, and those who serve and risk their lives to protect us locally - our police and firemen.

2. The best loyalty “card” ever will be those restaurants that have Apps that are on consumers’ iPhones and Blackberrys. Got yours yet? Without one, in the minds of the consumer, you will cease to exist. That’s how powerful of a marketing tool they are.

3. A sign in a restaurant lobby: “Please Complain To Us!” Bring on the complaints! Complaints can be like a gift. Research shows that customers who complain and are satisfied with how the complaint was resolved are up to 8% more loyal than if they had no complaint at all.

4. Retro-Marketing still works. Retro-Marketing? That’s the traditional old-fashioned way of marketing. No one ever talks about it any more because it’s not the “in thing” to talk about. It’s not glamorous. Contrary to what many pundits are saying, I strongly advocate that when targeted properly, Retro-Marketing still works.

21. Is your restaurant a place to eat, or a place to enjoy an experience?
22. What are the five reasons that make your restaurant different than others?
23. Does your restaurant have a story to tell its guests?
24.Is there something interesting at every touchpoint that guests can remark about?
25. What’s the amazing last impression you give your guests so they remember you?