Who is doing your marketing?

"In football you always get judged on your last game. Whoever you are, or how amazing you are, it's the last game that everyone has seen."

Thierry Henry is at his best on the soccer field. He works with his team to win each and every game. And, with the world cup going on, you can bet he is putting in even more effort. So, if Thierry is only concerned about his last game, then shouldn't you also be concerned about the last time you interacted with one of your customers?

Who is on your marketing team? Is it just you? Or, do you have a team you recruited to deliver fancy brochures to 2000 people in your region? Realistically, I'd bet a Buffalo Nickel that it is you and your staff - your servers.

The front line of any marketing effort is the people who touch your customers. In other words, your team consists of you and your staff, but what about your current customers. Are they involved in your marketing program? According to an article on Hospitality.net, the restaurants that combine word of mouth marketing and mass promotions are destined to win. In other words, if you turn customers into little marketers, then you're going to gain a "vested" new customer. Their article goes on further to suggest that word of mouth is even more powerful than the hundreds of dollars spent on mass marketing. So what's the answer? How do you turn a customer into a billboard?

I'm all about ideas, so let's start compiling some:

1. If you have a new customer in your midst you might want to consider passing a free coupon to them for a free drink with their next meal. Tell them you have one more free drink card for them if they give you an email address. Remind them that you'll send it to the email address they provided. Do you think they'll come back? Do you think they'll check your email? You bet!
   
2. Ask one of your best patrons to contribute a few positive words about your restaurant to the local paper's food critic. Almost every paper in the United States posts the contact information of their editors, so be sure to have the email handy.
   
3. If you serve families then talk to the kids about their experience. If they enjoyed something on the kid's meal then ask the parents if you could send an email coupon on their child's birthday. Be sure automate the email for timing accuracy.
   

With all of these ideas, your goal is to *give* to your customers so they promote you! It is all about pulling customers into your marketing team. To do this, all you have to do is give...