Need Advice? Talk to an Expert
Email and SMS Platforms for Restaurants
Need Advice? Talk to an Expert
Written by: Hilary Young | Published: August 26th, 2024
A key piece of any marketing strategy should include email and SMS (text) messages to your target audience. As a restaurant operator, being able to remain top of mind with your customers is essential to your success, and thanks to technology advancements it’s now easier than ever to do that.
What to Know About Email Marketing for Restaurants
Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective methods for growing your business. According to HubSpot’s Ultimate List of Email Marketing Stats for 2023, a typical return on investment (ROI) for email marketing is a whopping $36 for every $1 spent. Given an estimated 4 billion people use email on a daily basis, odds are good that by implementing an email marketing strategy, you’ll be able to increase your bottom line.
But email marketing isn’t the only thing that will help you successfully scale your business. Data collection – and the insights you gain in the process – are equally important for growth. It’s near impossible to collect the data you need without technology, and a robust email platform designed for restaurants will help you take your restaurant to the next level.
Things to Consider Before Implementing SMS Marketing
The stats don’t lie; one source from 2024 found that “businesses that text customers are 683% more likely to report digital marketing success than businesses that don’t use text messaging.”
One of the main things to consider before implementing an SMS component of your restaurant’s marketing strategy is compliance. There are (believe it or not) text marketing laws and regulations that have to be followed in order to operate above boards, and it’s important to choose the right SMS marketing platform for your restaurant that will follow all the rules.
Vetted and Approved by Back of House Experts
Our Top Picks
Feeling overwhelmed by all the email and SMS options out there? Our team of experts have identified their top choices for you to consider in order to keep in touch with your customers. As you review, pay close attention to more than just price–from the level of your own involvement in the process to the other types of integrations that work well with each platform, it’s important to take your restaurant needs into careful consideration before making an investment.
Disclaimer: Any paid partnerships have no influence on our evaluations and suggestions. All our opinions are our own.
Best Overall Email Marketing Platform
MailChimp is a great solution for businesses of all sizes looking for an easy and efficient email marketing solution with built-in analytics. It’s ideal for drag-and-drop template-style emails, so it doesn’t require a deep knowledge of coding in order to make it feel customized to your restaurant’s brand.
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Features
- Email, SMS, and Social Media tools
- Pre-designed email templates
- AI-generated designs
- Omni-channel marketing
- Advanced analytics and reporting tools
- Access 300+ integrations
- Guided support from an onboarding specialist
Where it excels
MailChimp merges an easy user interface with comprehensive reporting and analytics about each email you send. It’s also reasonably priced, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes to use according to their varied marketing needs.
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Support
The MailChimp support team has won 14 service expertise awards, so it’s no surprise that they offer 24/7 customer support through chat and email. Those with a Premium Plan have special access to guidance over the phone, as well as priority chat and email support.
Pricing
Best Email Program for Growth
Klaviyo easily integrates with existing restaurant software, including POS and loyalty programs, in order to seamlessly collect data and inform your email marketing decisions. While Klaviyo is not necessarily known as a restaurant-specific software, they do have a specialized solution customized for restaurants to help you work smarter, not harder when it comes to your marketing efforts.
Features
- Email, SMS, Forms and more
- Pre-designed template library
- Web forms for easy subscription opt-in
- AI-enabled design segments and blocks of email content
- Built-in integrations with ad networks for powerful retargeting
- Power lookalike audiences in Google and Facebook
- Create custom dashboards
- Track your busiest locations
Where it excels
For multi-unit restaurants and groups, Klaviyo gives you the ability to unify all of your data from across the different locations and brands to make smarter marketing decisions across the board.
Support
Pricing
Best Overall SMS Platform
Attentive’s “conversational commerce” platform provides all the tools you need to deliver timely messages that your customers actually want to receive. From personalization options to built-in compliance tools, Attentive is a great way to keep your customers engaged.
Features
- SMS, Email, and List Management
- Valuable first-party data
- Send personalized messages
- Engage your mobile subscribers
- 100+ integrations, including Punchh Loyalty
- Meets compliance needs
Where it excels
Attentive provides each customer with a playbook of best practices and focused support to guarantee successful campaigns. Their team will help you scale and grow your business with a solid return on investment (ROI).
Support
Pricing
To learn more about Attentive and their pricing, you have to schedule a demo.
Best Up-and-Coming SMS Platform
Boostly helps restaurants increase orders, drive reviews, and measure performance through SMS marketing – all while maintaining compliance with SMS marketing guidelines.
Features
- Collect customer data from your existing software
- Build a compliant database
- Automate your text-based marketing efforts
- Drive online reviews
- Address customer issues in real-time
- Track your ROI with weekly reports
Where it excels
More than just an SMS marketing platform, Boostly helps you to collect customer data from your existing sources to build a compliant database from your POS and online ordering systems.
Support
Customers can chat with the Boostly customer service team by sending a note through the website or email.
Pricing
Pricing is available upon request, although they do advertise that there are no contracts or setup fees.
