First Table Blog

Strategies for getting the most out First Table's marketable contacts

Written by First Table Marketing | Friday, 23 February 2024

As seasoned hospitality professionals, you'll know that retaining customers is as important as attracting new ones. First Table not only helps you get new diners through your doors but also collects valuable marketing contacts for your restaurant during the booking process. By utilising these contacts in targeted email and SMS campaigns, you can turn these fresh, first-time visitors into loyal, full-price-paying customers, fostering long-term growth for your venue. Here's how. 

In this article:

Why 'Marketable Contacts' are vital

These contacts are invaluable for restaurant owners and managers. Customers who have visited and enjoyed your venue are more likely to return and can be easier to convert than new diners. Leverage these contacts by sending targeted offers, news, and updates from your restaurant. This keeps your restaurant's brand top of mind and encourages First Table customers to return as full-price-paying customers.

How First Table collects 'Marketable Contacts' for your venue

As part of the reservation process, each diner booking with First Table has the opportunity to sign up for the marketing list of the specific partner venue. Remarkably, over 49% of our guests choose to stay connected with these partners, resulting in a valuable database of contacts. These details, including their first and last names, email addresses, phone numbers, booking times, and whether they are first-time diners, are securely stored in the Restaurant Admin area and easily downloadable whenever needed.

Learn how to download your marketable contacts:

 

Suggested email and SMS campaign ideas 

At First Table, we know that a majority of our diners are foodies who enjoy dining out often, sometimes multiple times a week. Here are some campaign ideas to inspire First Table diners to return to your venue:

  • Exclusive foodie events: Invite them to attend any special events your venue may be offering, like new menu launches or guest chef appearances. 
  • Tasty deals: Target First Table diners with free entrees or desserts and happy hour specials. These tasty wee offers may be just the incentive these diners needs to revisit your venue.   
  • Off-peak promotions: Knowing that our diners are open to dining at off-peak days and times, target them with mid-week promotions like Tuesday night special pizza nights or unique and exciting events to spice up their week

How to automate this process

First Table offers integrations to help automate your marketing efforts. Our integration with me&u's Connect CRM allows marketable contacts to flow seamlessly from First Table into your Connect account, enabling you to include these customers in your current campaigns or set up targeted campaigns specifically for them. Additionally, reservation systems like Sevenrooms, which integrate with First Table, have built-in capabilities to streamline this process.

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