How to send an email or text campaign with an offer to fill quiet nights
Create a coupon, pick the right guests, write a message that gets opened and schedule it, then see who booked. Step by step for email and text.
A wet Tuesday doesn’t fill itself. A short message to the right guests, with a reason to come in this week, can. This guide creates an offer, sends it as an email or text campaign, and shows you how to see whether it brought guests in.
Before you start
- Build at least one segment, such as your regulars. See How to get to know your regulars with guest profiles.
- Check your sending settings in Settings > Guest messaging: Email for your sending domain and how you appear in the inbox, Text messages for your sending number, and Automation & campaigns for your quiet hours.
Step 1: Create the offer
- Go to Marketing > Coupons & offers and select Create coupon.
- Enter a Coupon code guests will type at checkout, such as TUESDAY15.
- Choose the Discount: a percentage off, an amount off or free delivery.
- Set when it Expires. A short expiry gives guests a reason to book this week.
- Select Save coupon.
The coupons list shows how many times each code has been redeemed. From a coupon’s actions you can Edit coupon, Copy code or Delete coupon.
Tip: To discount one dish without a code, open the dish from Menu, go to its Item coupon tab and turn on Enable item coupon. Set the discount type and the start and end dates.
Step 2: Create the campaign
- Go to Marketing > Campaigns and select New campaign.
- Give it a Campaign name, such as “Tuesday supper offer”.
- Choose the Channel: Email or SMS.
- Add a Message idea if you like, then select Create draft. Nothing is sent yet.
The campaign has three steps: Who it goes to, What it says and When it sends.
Step 3: Choose who it goes to
Pick one:
- A saved segment: for example, Regular guests or We miss you.
- Conditions for this campaign: a rule just for this send.
Segments and conditions are worked out on the day the campaign sends, so guests who qualify by then are included. If you started from guests you picked in the guest list, that list is fixed.
Step 4: Write the message
For email, write a Subject and the message. For a text, write the message only, and keep it short.
- Use the guest’s first name.
{{guest.firstName|there}}shows their first name, or “there” if you don’t have it. - Say what’s on and when: “15% off dinner this Tuesday and Wednesday”.
- Put the coupon code in the message, with how to use it.
- Finish with one clear thing to do, such as booking a table.
Your postal address and unsubscribe details are added to emails automatically. To change how emails look, edit your layout in Marketing > Email layouts.
Select Send test to check the message on your own phone or inbox first.
Step 5: Choose when it sends
Choose Send now or Schedule it and pick a date and time, in your restaurant’s local time. Send a few days before the night you want to fill, so guests have time to plan.
Select Send campaign or Schedule campaign, then confirm.
Step 6: See what it brought in
Open the campaign from Campaigns after it sends. You’ll see:
- how many messages were delivered
- Why some guests did not get it: guests who unsubscribed, bounced or already had a marketing message that day, each with the reason
- Top clicked links
- Bookings within 7 days of the send
Compare that with the coupon’s redemptions in Coupons & offers to see what the offer earned.
Common questions
Who receives my campaign?
Everyone in the audience you choose, except guests who unsubscribed, whose email bounced or who already had a marketing message that day. The campaign report lists each skipped guest with the reason.
Can I send a campaign by text message?
Yes. Choose SMS as the channel. Texts only reach guests who gave a mobile number and opted in to texts, and they're charged per message.
What if I schedule a campaign for late at night?
Marketing is held back during your quiet hours. A campaign scheduled inside them goes out when they end. Set your quiet hours in Settings > Guest messaging > Automation & campaigns.
Does a segment's list of guests get fixed when I create the campaign?
No. Recipients are worked out when the campaign sends, so guests who join the segment before then receive it too. Only a list of guests picked by hand stays fixed.
How do I know if a campaign worked?
Open it after it sends. You'll see deliveries, the links guests clicked and the bookings made within 7 days of the send.
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