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Quick question: When's the last time a restaurant texted you and you actually thought, yeah, I want that? Honestly, when it was a free appetizer. Right. And here's the line from today's blog that got me. Even people who love your restaurant can fall out of the habit of visiting.

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It happens to everybody. Nobody stops liking the place, they just stop thinking about it. Like that favorite taco spot you forget exists for a month.

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Welcome to the Six-Minute Marketing Pod, big strategies in bite-sized chunks, brought to you by Lead Converter. I'm Jake Morgan, and Maya Torres is here. She builds these systems for a living. Good to be back, Jake. Today's episode goes with a blog post on the site called Ten Restaurant Text Promotions that give guests a reason to return. Maya, 10 is a lot for six minutes. So we pick three ideas and let the blog carry the rest. Deal. First one. Say Tuesday's a ghost town. What do I text? Something specific with a reason to come that night. The blog's example is a free appetizer with the purchase of two dinner entrees. Valid this Tuesday, dine in only one per table. Okay, but I'm giving away food. That's my problem with it. Fair. So you pick an appetizer guests like, and your kitchen can serve profitably, and you tie it to a dinner purchase. It's a couple or two friends already buying two entrees. And if I'd rather do money off? The blog uses $10 off a food purchase of 50 or more, and it does the math for you. That's 20% at the minimum spend, so check that what's left still covers your costs. So the minimum is the guardrail. Right. Set it around your typical check and keep the terms the same everywhere the offer shows up. What if I already have a loyalty program? Do I just ignore it? No, that's another option. Double loyalty points on a slow night, say after four on a Tuesday. It doesn't cut the bill right now. The reward builds toward a future visit. So it's less about a deal and more about building a habit. That's how the blog frames it. A recurring points night can build a habit, and an occasional bonus can point people at one date. Just make sure your system supports it and explain any exclusions. Second one, I do not want to be the restaurant that discounts every single week. I hate those places. You don't have to be. The blog is clear that every text doesn't need a discount. So what else is there to send? A favorite dish coming back? Their example is short rib ravioli returning Friday with roasted garlic cream sauce. Or happy hour, $8 flatbreads from 4 to 6. Or Sunday brunch with live acoustic music. Hmm, those I'd actually read. What about families? That's most of my Friday night. There are two good ones for that. Kids eat free with an adult entree, like kids 12 and under on Mondays from 4 to 7. And a family meal. The blog uses a $42 pasta special with baked ziti, a large salad, and garlic bread that serves four. Kids eat free sounds like a money pit to me. It can be if you leave it loose. So set clear boundaries. Eligible ages, which adult purchase qualifies, how many kids per adult, and a time when your team can comfortably handle families. And the family meal? That one solves a real problem. Getting dinner on the table without cooking. Build it around food that travels well and add a pickup link right in the text. What about birthdays? Is asking for somebody's birthday weird? Not if they share it voluntarily when they join your list. And you don't need the birth year. Send a free dessert with an entree purchase during your birthday month and give them a generous window to redeem it. Okay, that one's actually nice. And the blog says mix it all up. Offers, new items, events, then your texts feel like useful updates, not a coupon feed. Pushback. If I text that something's back and it sells out Saturday afternoon, I look banned. The blog covers that. Only say limited availability when it's true, and check with the kitchen so the text matches what guests can actually order. And how often am I doing this? Weekly can be a practical starting point if you have something worth saying. Don't send one just because another week went by. Third one, say I send all this. How would I even know it worked? I'm picturing me guessing. Give each campaign its own redemption code, a dedicated ordering link, or a promotion button in your point of sale. Then track redemptions, sales, and average check. Not just clicks. Clicks show interest. Redemptions and completed orders show people actually acted. And start small. Pick a few offers you can execute well, then we'll pee or adjust based on what happens. Okay, and the list. Everybody who ever ordered from me, I can just text them, right? No. An order or reservation isn't permission to send marketing texts. Guests need to choose to sign up, you keep a record of it, and every text says who you are and how to opt out. And keep each text readable in one glance. Copy the offer, the date or time, the one requirement, and a link if the next step is ordering or resolving. Alright, Maya. Owner slammed 10 minutes. One thing. Pick your quietest night. Then write one text with an offer, a day, a time, and one thing the guest has to do to redeem it. Just draft it. So quietest night, one text, offer, time, how to redeem. Not sending it yet, just writing it. Good work. Writing it forces you to find out whether the offer actually works for your numbers. We covered a handful out of ten today. The full blog post has all ten, with sample text for each, plus a big FAQ. It's on the site with this episode at onlineprofitstrategy.com. Go read it. And if you know you should be doing this, but nobody has time to plan and write texts every month, that's what Lead Converter does. Through more table traffic, we can be able to sign up, planning, writing, and sending four campaigns a month. Which beats me typing specials at 10 at night with my thumbs. Thanks, Maya. Thanks, Jake. This has been the six minute marketing part. Go read that text. We'll see you next time.