It’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel when it comes to creating a successful email marketing campaign. Check out the following best practices:

1. Start with an enticing welcome message

Your welcome message is the foundation of your relationship with each subscriber.

In the autoresponder to first-time subscribers, start with a warm greeting and express genuine gratitude for their interest in your restaurant.

For example, “Welcome to [restaurant name], [Name]! We’re thrilled to have you with us.” This sets a friendly tone and helps the new subscriber look forward to future communications.

Building on the warm welcome, you could offer new subscribers a gift for signing up. This could be a discount on their first meal, a free appetizer, or exclusive access to special events. These incentives reward your new contacts for signing up and encourage them to visit your restaurant soon.

2. Create a solid, eye-catching subject line

Your email subject line serves as the first impression of your email in each weekly or monthly communication. So, make it as impactful as possible.

Use words that clearly convey the content of your email while also being intriguing enough to prompt readers to open it. For instance, “Unlock Secret Menu Items This Friday!” points to an exclusive offer with a specific time frame.

In terms of subject line length, a general guideline is to use no more than six to nine words, or a maximum of 60 characters, to prevent truncation in browsers.

A subject line that sparks curiosity or a sense of urgency can dramatically increase your open rates. You can use time-sensitive words, like “hurry,” “last chance,” or “ending soon,” to form a stronger sense of urgency.

To spark curiosity, ask a question or teaser that leaves them wanting more, such as “Did You Hear About Our Chef’s Latest Creation?”

3. Include the recipient's name in the subject line

While it’s not necessary to do it every time, adding the recipient's name to the subject line personalizes the experience. Personalized promotions can generate a stronger sense of connection; as such, they’re less likely to be ignored.

For example: “John, Your Exclusive Dinner Invitation Awaits!” This immediately makes the recipient feel special.

Email services such as Mailchimp can extract these names from your customer database.

4. Include high-quality pictures of menu items

In the restaurant industry, what your dishes look like can be just as important as their taste.

A visually appealing photo can tempt customers into making a reservation to experience a dish firsthand. So, use professional, well-lit photos of your dishes in your emails to make your menu as alluring as possible.

You may want to invest in a professional photographer who can capture both the quality of your food and the ambiance of your restaurant.

Whether you hire out or take the pictures yourself, make sure that the photos are consistent with the branding and quality you’d like your restaurant to be known for.

5. Keep your content varied and engaging

Variety is key to keeping your customers interested in your establishment over time.

You could mix promotional materials and special offers with content that adds value to your customers’ lives, such as recipes, chef interviews, or behind-the-scenes looks at your operations. The trick is to build stronger connections with your patrons by giving them a peek into the culture and craftsmanship of your establishment that they can’t access anywhere else.

Include interactive elements occasionally, like polls about new menu items, feedback surveys on dining experiences, or links to fun content such as virtual restaurant tours. These elements not only make your emails more engaging but also give you valuable insights into your customers’ preferences, which is helpful for future business decisions.

6. Stay on top of holidays and events

If your restaurant highlights special moments or events, like holidays, local festivals, or significant restaurant milestones, these are great occasions for email campaigns.

For instance, promoting special menus for Mother’s Day, The Fourth of July, or Valentine’s Day in well-timed emails can draw in extra crowds looking to celebrate these occasions.

To maximize participation in your special events or holiday promotions, send out your marketing emails well in advance. This gives your customers enough time to plan their visit and make a reservation — making them more likely to commit.

For example, send a “Reserve Now for New Year’s Eve” message in early December to help your patrons plan early for their end-of-year celebrations at your restaurant.

7. Include calls to action

Calls to action (CTAs), such as “Reserve Your Table for Christmas Now!” are key to getting more customers into the restaurant. The 2024 Diner Trends Report mentioned above notes that “58% of diners are influenced to open restaurant emails for coupons/promotions.”

CTA placement and design can trigger customer actions. So, your CTAs should be easy to find and visually striking. Consider using vibrant colors that stand out from the rest of the email content but still fit within your brand palette.

Place CTAs at both the top and bottom of your emails to capture your readers’ attention. Even if their habit is to simply skim through these kinds of emails, this placement will make the CTAs more noticeable to them.

Your CTAs should tell readers exactly what action you want them to take, too. For instance, “Book Your Table Today!” or “Order Now and Get 20% Off” makes it clear what the next steps are.