Master Marketing Strategy #7 - Another important technique is to make marketing affordable. Look at Master Marketing Strategy VII. Using Email and Other Techniques to Reduce Marketing Expenses.

E-mail is free! What a great word, FREE! Just as a point of information, AOL did a restaurant survey and asked people if they would like to sign up for a VIP Club and 50% of the people, with no questions asked, said they would definitely signup and they were willing to join multiple e-mail lists in doing this...

There are 6 reasons Email is an essential part of an effective Neighborhood Marketing Program.

• Keep in Touch with Your Guests
• Increase Guest Frequency
• Least Expensive Type of Marketing
• Use for Special Events
• Get Instant Results
• Good Response Through Permission Based e-mail Marketing

The secret to Email and Direct Mail is Permission-based marketing through a VIP Club

The key here is that you are getting the guest's permission. Some restaurant owners are reluctant, they say, "Well, our customers don't want e-mail." No one wants e-mail unless they know that there is something of value inside, but we can help you learn what kind of value to provide for your customers. When the e-mail is from your favorite restaurant, you love to hear what is going on. Customers love it, it saves them time, they get what they want because if you are tracking what they want and need, you are sending them what they want and need, that's what customer relations is all about. This whole growth in e-mail has been fueled by the rising costs of traditional media.

Betsy has an exclusive, 4-star dinner restaurant. The name of her restaurant is: The Frog and the Peach

Betsy sends hundreds of emails each day to people attending theater productions around her restaurant. Here is a comment from Betsy: "I never had the ability to use the power of email...We now send out email for Special Offers...A Particular Service or Function Niche...A Special Holiday Menu...Monthly Wine Dinners...or For Corporate Dining...The feedback from our customers has been very positive."

On Thursday nights, Michael Passalaqua who owns Angelo's Restaurant, sends out weekend features and specials. Email can dramatically increase your sales. The types of emails can include: Guest Surveys, Savings Certificates, Restaurant News Items, Menus or New Menu Items, Kid's Clubs, and Sporting Events. All emails can be full color and distinctive.

Other very low-cost options to reduce marketing expenses include marketing websites where you can gather customer information and post news articles and testimonials, Internet specials and contests, faxes, and direct mail using bulk mailing rates. Often Postcards can be as effective as a full size letter, so why not save money with Post cards (24 cents)? You can also use Voice Broadcast, or Fax On Demand. Here are some great ways to reduce marketing expenses:

• Use email
• Build a Marketing Website
• Gather Customer Information on a Website
• Offer "Internet Specials" for Web Surfers
• Post Customer Testimonials and News Articles
• Have Contests on Your Website
• Use Direct Mail
• Use Postal Bar Codes
• Use "CASS" Certification