Pizza Today - June 2022 - 34

OPERATIONS
Digital
Marketing
in 2022
Search engine
optimization, text
messaging and social
media can help pizzeria
owners reach customers
By Nora Caley
TEXT
STRATEGY
P
eople are staring at their screens,
and viewing everything from
friendly texts to pandemic puppy
posts to dinner suggestions. Advertisers that
want to be included in this mix are moving
beyond traditional print and TV ads and
boosting their digital marketing strategies.
According to Mintel, digital advertising
revenue in 2021 totaled an estimated
$162 billion, a nearly 16 percent increase
from 2020.
Pizzeria owners are leveraging text
messaging, search engine optimization and
online review management to better engage
with customers and measure the effectiveness
of these campaigns. These days it's not
enough to post a discount and fun photos
on a business's social media pages, and pizzeria
owners must figure out how to get the
best return on investment.
Search for pizza
According to Google, pizza was the
top-searched dish on Google Maps every
month in 2021. For pizzerias, the challenge
is to stand out among the many " pizza near
me " search results. " A lot of large chains are
34 / PIZZATODAY.COM / JUNE 2022
bidding on those keywords, " says Christian
Jones, senior vice president of marketing
and client development for Hawthorne
Advertising in Los Angeles. " Those are
expensive because you have to outbid them
at $30, $40, or $50 per click, for someone to
click through and buy a $30 pizza. "
Instead, pizzeria owners should differentiate
themselves with a specific descriptor,
such as wood-fired, vegan, authentic
Neapolitan, even 00 flour dough. People
who search using these keywords have a
very high intent to buy. " You are capturing
that niche when someone is looking for
you, " Jones says.
Social media is also a big part of businesses'
digital marketing plans. According
to Nielsen's annual marketing report, which
surveyed global marketers, 64 percent of
respondents said social media is the most
effective paid channel, and are spending
the most on TikTok and Instagram. When
choosing a platform, opt for one that is suitable,
not just popular, Jones cautions. " If you
are a fine dining establishment is TikTok
right? " he says. " Probably not, but if you
are a fun, youthful restaurant or chain and
you've got things to say and to show that
you are engaging, it might be. "
Everybody's a Critic
Another way to boost the chances for
success with online searches is to make sure
the establishment's profile is up to date.
Many pizzerias changed their hours or
limited their menus during the pandemic, so
it's important to update that information.
" We call it local presence advertising, "
says Brock Berry, CEO and co-founder of
AdCellerant in Denver. " It means making
sure they have a website, making sure they
have a Google business profile page, their
social media pages, all the kind of basic
things a consumer will use to essentially
make a purchasing decision. "
These purchasing decisions are usually
quick, and online reviews can help. Having
no reviews might make a customer look
elsewhere, Berry says, and even negative
reviews can be helpful if one responds
to them effectively. " The business owner
reaches out and says, 'I'm sorry you've had
this experience, since COVID started we
have had challenges, we are doing our best,
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Pizza Today - June 2022

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