The entire concept of Valentine’s Day is practically built for restaurants. When February 14th rolls around, it’s all about romance. And what’s more romantic than going out to eat at a fabulous restaurant (specifically yours)?

Indeed, according to a report from the National Restaurant Association. Valentine’s Day is the second most popular holiday for dining out, just after Mother’s Day. From that same report, an entire one-third of Americans go out to eat on Valentine’s Day.

Sounds like the perfect opportunity for you, the restaurant owner, right? Check out these 5 quick tips on marketing your restaurant for Valentine’s Day, plus how digital promotion can make your February 14th a smashing success.

  1. Build your Valentine’s Day menu ahead of time, and promote it on your website, social media, etc. Edge out your competition by tailoring your specials and deals to the occasion.
  2. Don’t forget to promote gift cards. Valentine’s Day sales start before Valentine’s Day. 31% of customers favor restaurant gift cards as their preferred gift, according to the same National Restaurant Association report.
  3. Go the extra mile by doing something that no one else is doing. On such a competitive night, getting a leg up sometimes requires you to think outside the box. It could be as elaborate as a gift basket for checks exceeding a set amount, or as simple as complimentary roses.
  4. Live music. Whether it’s a band, a string quartet, or a piano player, having a musical element does a lot for your romantic atmosphere – especially if it’s something you don’t normally do. Make sure you promote it ahead of time.
  5. Let your customers customize ahead of time. Maybe let them pick out their favorite wine, or even print a special Valentine’s message on the menu?

Promote Digitally With CoGoBuzz

Promoting your Valentine’s Day specials could be so much easier when you’re doing it digitally with CoGoBuzz. Our state-of-the-art digital marketing service promotes your restaurant’s biggest deals, specials, events, and more – directly to customer mobile devices. And the best part? It does all of it automatically, meaning you don’t have to lift a finger.

Here’s how it works. CoGoBuzz is powered by advanced WiFi, SMS, and Email solutions that are designed from-the-ground-up to engage and retain customers on the digital level, both in-store and out. Through a one-time login (via social media, Email, or phone number) to your in-restaurant HotSpot, customers gain access to a customized landing page built specifically for your restaurant, featuring specials, loyalty program sign-ups, and even your Valentine’s Day specials. Our service automatically produces full customer profiles for every customer that logs in.

Through SMS, you can send automated text messages at specific times, and leverage customers who’ve enrolled in your brand new digital text-based loyalty program. You can remind your customers that you’ve got Valentine’s Day reservations available, and that you’ve even got a special offer for your most loyal customers. All of your customer profiles are integrated with your favorite marketing list, such as HubSpot, MailChimp, and Constant Contact, allowing you to segment your audiences, and send Email promotions to the customers who’ll be most likely to go out for Valentine’s Day.

Want to learn more about what CoGoBuzz can do for your restaurant? Check out the rest of our website to read all about it.

Have any Valentine’s Day promotion ideas? Tell us about it in the comments!