Most Louisville restaurants choose channels by gut or sales pitch. Here's what works: Google reviews, social media, and email. Paid ads need real budget.
We see this with the restaurants we work with. The cheapest channels bring the most steady traffic.
Google Reviews: The Most Effective Channel
Google reviews matter. Every restaurant search starts with Google or Maps. Reviews show up in results and control if you get recommended nearby.
A 4.5-star restaurant with 150 reviews beats 5 stars with 5 reviews. Google likes businesses with new reviews. Ignore them and you vanish from search and Maps.
New reviews each week keep you visible. One per week tells Google you're still open. If reviews sit for weeks, it looks like you quit.
We see 20–40% more search visits in 30 days just from answering reviews. You rise 3–5 spots in local results. It's the one thing most restaurants skip.
Social Media: Consistency Over Perfection
Instagram and Facebook keep you on people's minds. They don't bring new diners like Google does. They work on people who already know you.
Post 3–5 times a week. That's the minimum. Miss a week and the app hides you. Daily posts aren't needed, but regular ones are.
Behind-the-scenes shots do better than sales posts. People want to see who you are. "Meet the chef" beats "20% off."
Don't miss DMs. Instagram and Facebook DMs are now how people book, especially younger ones. Reply fast and you win.
Email Newsletters: High ROI, but You Need Subscribers
Email works. But you need subscribers first, which most restaurants don't have.
Good email lists have 500+ people. They get 20–35% opens and 2–5% clicks—better than social. With 50 people, skip email for now.
Building a list takes months. Add a signup form and give them something: a discount, early tables, weekly specials. Plan 4–6 months to build it. Start now.
Paid Ads: When to Use Them
Ads work if you spend $2,000+/month. Most restaurants spend less and get poor results because the budget gets spread thin.
Under $1,000/month, big spenders beat you. Free channels come first (reviews, social, email). Then add ads to boost what's working.
Seasonal ads are different. Burger Week or a new location work because they're urgent. Year-round ads for a restaurant with no reviews or dead social don't.
Website and SEO
A website is now required. People need hours, a menu, and a way to book. Wrong hours kill more walks than a new site creates.
The worst mistake: outdated info. Bad hours, old specials, broken numbers. More restaurants lose customers to stale websites than win them with new design.
SEO is local now. Google Maps and local search matter. Reviews are #1. Building reviews helps SEO.
Start with reviews and social. Both are cheap, under your control, and drive real traffic. Email and ads come second—once foundations are solid. Most restaurants reverse this and waste money on ads before fixing the basics.