6 Outdated Digital Marketing Tactics Restaurants Should Stop Wasting Time On

If a tactic doesn't capture ready-to-dine intent, build a first-party list, or create trackable reservations/orders, it's probably a time sink. Kill it, replace it with something measurable, and put those hours back on the floor.

The "Stop This, Start That" Playbook

1) Daily "because we should post" content

Stop: Generic food pics, holiday clip-art, staff birthdays, and random reposts-then hitting "Boost."

Start: 3 short videos/week built for local search (TikTok/Reels/Shorts):
- Signature dish build (12-20s)
- First-timer order guide ("Start with ___, add ___")
- Vibe walk-through + a single CTA (Reserve/Order/DM)

Why: Short video with a local tag drives real discovery. "Boosts" without a goal usually buy vanity.

2) Measuring success with likes or impressions

Stop: Declaring victory because a post "did numbers."

Start: UTMs everywhere + a tiny scoreboard: calls, directions, DM starts, orders started/completed, reservations created, revenue per send/ad. Decide weekly: scale, fix, or kill.

3) PDF menus and slow pages

Stop: Linking to a PDF or a bloated menu page that crawls on a phone.

Start: A lightweight mobile menu page with prices and dietary badges, plus one-tap Reserve/Order buttons. Test on a mid-tier phone over cellular.

Why: If your menu lags, ads and social can't convert.

4) One-off "pretty" newsletters

Stop: Sporadic, image-heavy emails with 5 CTAs.

Start: Weekly, skim-friendly email: one mouthwatering photo, 2-4 lines of copy, one button (Reserve/Order). Segment by recency (new/regular/lapsed) and track revenue per send.

5) Influencer spend without rules

Stop: Paying a big page for a reel you can't reuse - no disclosure, no tracking.

Start: Micro-creator program (3-5 locals/month). Give them a set menu, require location tag, a bookable CTA, disclosure, and usage rights so you can run their clips as ads. Track with unique codes.

6) Trying to be on every platform

Stop: Thin presence across 7 channels.

Start: Two platforms + your list: TikTok/IG for discovery, email/SMS for repeat, and Maps/GBP/Apple as your front doors. That trio fills seats faster than scattered effort.

Quick audits you can run this week

• Google & Apple pins at the door? Hours and holiday hours set
• Menu/Order/Reserve links tagged with UTMs
• Top 10 Q&A seeded on Google
• 10 fresh photos in the last 60 days
• Email weekly cadence? SMS 2/month
• One objective per campaign? Tight geo

Bottom Line

The most costly "marketing" most restaurants do is busywork that doesn't touch reservations or orders. Strip out vanity posting, untargeted discounts, and slow digital friction. Replace them with: fast menus, impeccable map profiles, tight-geo ads with one job, and a respectful list you actually use. Do that for 30-45 days and you'll feel it where it counts-more booked tables, more finished orders, steadier repeat traffic, and fewer hours wasted on tactics that don't pay.

Want 6 More Tips Like This...Plus an entire Digital Marketing Strategy?

We've got you covered with RR's "Digital Marketing 201 For Restaurants" Playbook - An advanced, operator-first system for indie restaurants to fill more seats - Click here...

Jaime Oikle is the Owner & Founder of RunningRestaurants.com, a comprehensive web site for restaurant owners & managers filled with marketing, operations, service, people & tech tips to help restaurants profit and succeed.