Digital marketing for restaurants: choose the right activity

Define the problem you want to solve

A fully booked Saturday rarely needs the same promotion as an empty Tuesday. Choose a goal the operation can support: more weekday lunch guests, bookings for a new menu or additional takeaway orders.

Write down the goal, period, owner and budget. This helps you choose content and decide whether the activity justified the effort.

Make the path to a visit clear

First check that your website works on a phone and that menus, hours and contact details are correct. A booking button should open the booking flow, without making guests search another page.

Update Google Business Profile too. Complete business details help Google understand the restaurant, although visibility also depends on factors such as the searcher's distance. Google's guidance.

Test a booking or order from each important link. A successful campaign that leads to a broken page wastes both budget and guests' patience.

Create content that helps guests choose

Show what a visit involves: the food, setting, people and occasion. A clear post about Friday's menu can be more useful than several posts without a purpose.

Plan a few recurring themes and take photos when service allows. State when a menu or offer applies and where to book. Only publish photos and customer quotes you have permission to use. Invite honest reviews without rewards or selecting only satisfied guests.

Build a contact list you can use properly

An email address collected for a reservation is not automatically permission to send advertising. In Sweden, marketing email and SMS to individuals normally require prior consent. The existing-customer exception applies only when its conditions are met, including your own similar products and an easy opportunity to opt out. Swedish Marketing Act, sections 19–20.

Record how each contact may be used. Provide easy unsubscribe options and keep booking confirmations separate from campaigns. You also need a legal basis under GDPR; the right to object to direct marketing is absolute. IMY's guidance on objections.

Measure beyond the click

Record spending on advertising, messages and staff time. Then track bookings or orders that can be linked to the activity, separating reservations from completed visits. Channel reports do not always explain the guest's entire journey.

Hypothetical example: a campaign costs SEK 2,000 and is linked to 20 completed party bookings. That is SEK 100 per booking. This does not yet establish profitability: consider party sizes, sales excluding VAT, additional costs and how many guests would probably have booked anyway.

Keep the routine manageable

Vendion Marketing brings together segments, campaigns and messaging tools. Check recipients, permissions, wording and terms before publishing. AI can help draft a message; you remain responsible for what is sent.

Start with a focused activity, assess the outcome and improve the next one. Regular review makes spending easier to manage than trying to be present everywhere at once.