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Generation Z is a demographic cohort of the population with birth years starting from the mid-to-late 1990s till 2010, which usually means this segment of the people is young, tech-savvy, teenagers, mainly with student status.
Studying generations and their behavioral patterns is as old as the concept of learning the language. From a restaurant marketing perspective, it is expected that Generation Z will be the majority segment of customers for the restaurant market in the near future.
They are found to be more social and interactive compared to others, and their purchasing power is equivalent to that of Millennials. With these significant characteristics, restaurants need to focus their marketing and align themselves in light of customer expectations of Gen Z.
To a generation born in an era of social media, online digital marketing has become an essential element of strategic business planning for restaurants. Traditional ways of marketing won’t be effective, especially with Gen Z, who spend most of their time out of homes.
Mobile phones are their only source of keeping in touch with their homes and the outside world in such a situation. Gen Z has a picky palate for advertisement and a short attention span. Therefore, restaurants will have to focus on fast but interactive engagements regarding advertising.
Moreover, restaurants need to train their staff keeping in mind these characteristics and preferences of Gen Z. In some situations, they won’t mind self-service. However, meal preparation time would be of more importance to them as they squeeze through their daily classes and routine.
Gen Z has a craving for unique and new food experiences. Restaurants need to focus on their customer experience, including restaurant ambiance, theme, and presentation.
Gen Z will not shy away from trying out new restaurants. Customer retention, in their case, becomes of critical importance. Every time, offering them a unique dining experience should be a restaurant’s priority.
Gen Z, as mentioned earlier, are mostly students, so besides food experience, they also look out for discount deals and savings. By offering discounts in happy hours, mid-night deals, and weekend meals, restaurants can easily attract members of Gen Z. They spend 78% of their money on entertainment and dining experience.
Off-premise dining is another essential factor for restaurants in Gen Z dining trends. Most of the time, dining on-premises becomes difficult for Gen Z members who either hang out at a friend’s place or prefer to have their meal on campus.
Online ordering and delivery applications like Blink and others have a critical role in allowing restaurants to brand themselves. Blink is one of the best options for both restaurants and Gen Z, as it provides branding options. With business intelligence tools, restaurants can track Gen Z ordering patterns. Through Blink’s advanced fleet management and quick commerce framework, members of Gen Z will get their food in the shortest possible time.
The Three Best Social Media Tips for Restaurants
Digital marketing and online advertisement have overtaken traditional marketing means, especially for the entertainment and Restaurant industry.
Today the majority of customers for restaurants are young and tech-savvy. With a generation that has lived and grown on social media, restaurants need to plan their presence and presentation on social media platforms strategically.
To do so, restaurants need to focus on 3 tips appended below:
Be Interactive, Engaging, and Personal
Besides increasing engagement on social media, restaurants have to be impactful. To create this impact on social media, it is essential to respond to all comments and engage with customers. It is suggested that 88 percent of customers are less likely to come back if you don’t respond to their complaints on social media.
And 71% of customers who have a positive social media interaction are likely to recommend you to others.
Your response on social media has to be quick and prompt, as late responses would not result in positive results. Your responses should not be a stock or automated standard response. Instead, a personal touch should be added to each. This way, the customer feels valued.
Also, it is important to remember not to get mad at nasty comments or insults to business. One has to take each comment or feedback positively.
Focus on Presentation and Outlook
Choosing a look for your restaurant’s social media account gives the customer an idea about your restaurant’s ambiance. An eye-catching feed will draw more engagement and users to follow your social media account.
Spend some time thinking about the feeling you want your customers to have when they are in your restaurant. Nowadays presentation and ambiance of the restaurant are crucial as dining has become a form of entertainment for the customers and your presentation of the dish or your ambiance and outlook plays an integral part in the overall customer experience.
It is important to convey this ambiance and outlook to your potential customer, and your social media feed is the most important way of doing so. Restaurants should organize their social media feed in the best possible manner. They should post more interactive and engaging stuff, photos, and short videos of restaurants and their products is one way of doing so.
Be Fun, Human, and Relatable
We often use corporate language, like dining experience and utility, to respond to customers’ comments. Such a professional language works well for business-to-business interaction, but it is important to give a personalized touch when it comes to customer interaction.
They should know that there is a human behind this account, not a robot, who values your ideas and feedback.
Educational and entertaining content will go a lot further than simply advertising. Your posts on social media should not be about your achievements and goals but rather be relatable to every reader and follower. Restaurants are about more than just food — they’re about community. Your customers and followers want to get to know you, so let them.
Therefore, it is important to cover behind the scenes, introduce your team and value your customers in a personalized way.