Introduction

The business of food delivery apps is very competitive.

Industry giants like Uber Eats, Zomato, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Swiggy have dominated the landscape. The food delivery app business can be tricky if you’re just getting started. 

But there’s nothing to worry about! 

Because the online food delivery industry is booming and shows no signs of slowing down, industry analysts anticipate the business of food delivery to grow from $3.7 billion in 2023 to $90.3 billion by 2030.

There is a tremendous market pull as consumer demands continue to rise. Plus, there are several untapped geographies on which to capitalize. So, it’s essential to identify your target audience and build a niche. By doing so, your Online Food Delivery Software will thrive—even in the presence of industry giants.

Hence, targeted marketing is the key to your success in this industry. And in this comprehensive guide, we explore that in detail. We’ll take you through the step-by-step process of Marketing Strategies for Food Delivery Apps and shed light on essential tools, techniques, and advertising strategies.

So, are you ready to make an impact?

What Does It Mean to Market Your Food Delivery App?

Whether you’re a multi-restaurant / aggregator app or a single-vendor food delivery software, you need to market it!

Imagine building a feature-rich app but finding that no one is using it because it’s buried among other apps. Don’t let this be the fate of your delivery app.

Marketing refers to all those promotional activities that convince people to download and use your app. It is also about enhancing consumer perception. When done right, your marketing strategy will influence how people feel about your app—-convincing them to choose you over the rest!

In the broadest sense, food delivery app marketing is about conveying your brand’s value proposition and creating awareness. 

Why Market Your Online Food Ordering & Delivery App?

Will marketing help your restaurant food delivery app? Let’s look at the perks of marketing your app:

Building Brand Awareness

There are now about 8.9 million mobile apps in the world, and it’s easy for your food delivery app to get lost in the crowd. Effective marketing helps you grab user attention. And it’s not just about improving the total number of app downloads—it’s about making your app a household name!

Increasing Food Delivery Sales

Marketing allows you to reach new users who have yet to discover your app. Social media ads, targeted partnerships, and App Store Optimization(ASO) can boost your app’s online visibility. As a consequence, you’ll not only expand your consumer base but also foster repeat business.

Keeping You Ahead of the Curve

Promote new in-app features or USPs to stand out from the crowd. Market your app’s trending features to stay relevant in this ever-changing landscape. This will ultimately generate buzz and accelerate user acquisition. 

Step-by-step Marketing Strategies for Food Delivery Apps

We’re so glad! You’ve finally decided to market your food delivery app. But the question of “How do I get started?” remains.

 So, let’s address that by going through every step of the food delivery app marketing process:

Step 1: Defining USP’s

The industry of online food ordering and delivery is tough to crack.

Hence, you need to examine your app from a consumer perspective and evaluate its strengths. Ask yourself how your app can help users, vendors, and your logistics partner. 

Your USP must include all the aspects of your food delivery app that set you apart from your competitors. Some examples of good USPs are serving international delicacies, an innovative loyalty program, or using eco-friendly packaging material. 

Defining your unique selling proposition (USP) will do two things for you: 

• It will help you communicate your brand’s purpose clearly and consistently across all marketing channels

• When you highlight your USPs, your customers know what you bring. Hence, this increases your brand’s perceived value.

Step 2: Identifying Your Target Audience

Creating ICPs

ICP stands for Ideal Consumer Profile. Creating an ICP means mapping the demographics and buyer psychology of people most interested in your food delivery app. Conduct surveys and send out questionnaires to gain data-driven insights. 

Pro tip: Research your competitors to understand their target audience. This can provide insights into potential users you may have yet to consider. 

Exploring Restaurant Vendors

Another essential aspect of running a food delivery aggregator business is partnering with restaurant vendors. Which restaurant should you partner with? 

The way forward is to research local restaurants, look at their Google ratings, and inspect their capability. Prioritize restaurants with the resources to fulfill high-volume orders with a proven track record of serving quality food.

To generate buzz, get popular restaurants on your app. It also makes sense to partner with food vendors that already have a loyal customer base.

Step 3: Build Organic Marketing Channels

Want more people to explore your food delivery app? Let us show you how to build an organic marketing funnel for your food delivery app:

Food Delivery App Website

If you need a website for your food delivery app, develop one ASAP. Doing so will enhance your digital presence and encourage users to engage with your brand in multiple ways. 

You can also make your services known to consumers who still need to explore your food delivery app. Building a website that reflects your brand identity is the foundation of an excellent organic marketing funnel.

Landing Page 

Your website’s landing page is your best salesman. It never calls in sick and can drive sales 24/7. 

Food delivery giants like Zomato and UberEats have compelling landing pages that give visitors a taste of their brand—seamlessly nudging them to experience the app. 

Hence, besides a website homepage, you need a landing page that persuades users to explore your app. We recommend you create a concise landing page with witty taglines. Here is a list of elements to include in your landing page:

• Compelling Copy: Make bold claims and support them with data. Use simple but evocative vocabulary.
• USPs: Explain the benefits of downloading your app. Show them what’s on the other side. 
• Customer Reviews & Ratings: Make it easy for people to trust you by providing social proof. 
• Address Objections: De-risk your food delivery app by addressing user concerns immediately. 
• CTAs: Use strong verbs and make the action clear. Keep your CTAs focused on a single act. For instance, don’t ask your audience to download the app, check out the blog, and review your services—all on a single page. 

Blogging

Blogging is a great way to enhance brand awareness. Create value-based content around your target audience. You must blog consistently to increase organic traffic over time. Incorporate keywords and SEO your blog to reach a wider audience.

Remember: Consistency is key here

Another advantage of blogging is that you’ll create content that can be reused for email and social media marketing—which we’ll discuss next.

Email Marketing and Newsletters

41% of marketers believe email marketing to be their most lucrative channel of promotion. 

Email marketing involves sending promotional content to your customers and prospects via email. Marketers love it because it’s cost-effective and can be hyper-personalized. Besides, email marketing gives you more control over the conversation, as you can communicate with your prospects directly. 

You can also use email marketing to boost brand engagement. Newsletters, which require people to opt in, can turn your customers into subscribers and provide you with better, richer leads. 

If writing emails and newsletters sounds like a lot of work, we have a tip for you. Repurpose your blog content to create newsletters. Enrich these newsletters with CTAs that drive traffic to your blog. Once your website is complete, retain visitors through intricate website links and page hierarchy.

Get Your Business on Google My Business

Create a Google My Business Profile to list your business on Google. This will make your app discoverable to millions of potential consumers. 

Optimized Google listings appear prominently on the search engine results page. Imagine a prospect searching for pizza delivery, and your food delivery app appears at the top! 

To make the most out of your Google listing, follow these tips:

• Provide accurate information like contact details or operating hours and update your profile regularly.

• Encourage users to review your app and business. Higher ratings on Google My Business can drive traffic to your website. 

• Include keyword-rich descriptions and add relevant categories to make your business more accessible. 

Google My Business is a great way to enhance your online presence. Additionally, you’ll get insights into how people discover your app and what keywords are aiding this discovery. You can also tap into data points like peak search hours, consumer demographics, and CTRs 

App Store Optimization ( ASO )

ASO stands for app store optimization and is the cornerstone of your organic marketing funnel. There is a lot of misinformation about ASO, so today, we’re here to demystify ASO.  

There are millions of mobile apps in major app stores today. How will yours stand out? App store optimization is the process of optimizing your app store profile so your target consumers can find it easily. 

How to master ASO for your food delivery app?

• Place the most Google keywords in your app title. It is also advisable to keep your title consistent across the board.
• Sprinkle secondary and long-tail keywords throughout your app description. In addition, Highlight USPs, app benefits, and features in great detail.
• Reward users to rate your app. Better ratings can help you rank higher. 
• Your total number of app downloads can also influence your ASO. To drive app downloads, build a compelling landing page. 
• A picture speaks a thousand words. To further improve your ranking, add relevant, high-quality screenshots, images, or videos. 
• Wisely select your primary and secondary app categories. Doing so makes your app accessible to people browsing apps in the selected categories. 

In-app Marketing

Leverage your in-app marketing to connect with users who have downloaded your app. Deonde’s marketing suite for food delivery apps enables in-app marketing through loyalty programs, coupon/discount codes, and push notifications.

• In-app Loyalty Programs

Institute a reward-based loyalty program to retain consumers. Have them claim points or rewards every time they place an order through your app. 

• Promo Codes and Discounts

Everyone enjoys a good discount! Launch promo codes or amount-off coupons to tip the scales in your favour. Run promo code campaigns during strategic times like weekends, holidays, or peak business hours. Target first-time and convert them into high-paying consumers.

• Push Notifications

To drive food sales, personalize push notifications with relevant offers, like free deliveries or BOGO (Buy One Get One Free). You can also use push notifications to win back dormant users who haven’t used your app in a while. 

ALSO Check: Trending Push Notification Templates for your Food Delivery App

Step 4: Paid Marketing Strategies

 Social Media Ads

63% of consumers today expect their favorite brands to offer services via social media. 

Social media advertising allows you to target your ideal audience with laser-like precision. You can target users based on location, interest, and online behaviour. 

To begin advertising, choose a platform where your audience is most active. For instance, if you’re targeting millennials, advertise on social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat. 

Next, keep your content concise and straightforward, as user attention spans on social media apps are painstakingly low. Also, choosing a bidding strategy based on your budget is essential. Decide whether you want to prioritize clicks or impressions—and spend accordingly. Make sure that your bidding strategy aligns with your end goals.

Influencer Marketing

In recent years, influencer marketing has skyrocketed. In this type of marketing, a business partners with social media influencers to market its services. Usually, the influencer creates content around your services and offers special discounts to their followers. 

To market your food delivery app marketing, you’ll probably need to partner with a celebrity chef, food blogger, or tech expert to market your app. Identify a trending influencer and work with them to create and launch your influence marketing strategy.

For example, you can have an influencer market newly added features or promote exclusive holiday deals & discounts. 

SERP Marketing

Search Engine Results Page (SERP) marketing is all about optimizing your online presence. With this marketing strategy, your app or website appears at the top of the search results.

This translates to organic traffic and app discovery. However, to ace SERP marketing, you must focus on local SEO and target relevant keywords and phrases. Use tools like Google Trends, Moz, and SemRush to see what people are searching for. 

For instance, if people are looking for a healthy meal delivery option online, optimize your listing to include those keywords. 

Step 5: Partnership Marketing

Partnership Marketing happens when you collaborate with restaurant vendors to promote your app—this form of marketing benefits all involved parties. The restaurant can further serve its consumers by offering home deliveries. 

You can generate brand awareness and expand your client base. You can co-brand your app with popular local restaurants to create buzz and garner attention. 

Bonus Tips to Boost Your Marketing Efforts

Here are some bonus tips to further enhance your food delivery app marketing strategy:

• Analyze and Adapt:

Monitor and track the performance of your content and paid ads. Use A/B testing to see which ads are performing better. Continuously optimize your content, graphics, and format to maximize lead generation.

• Visual Appeal is Vital:

Ensure your ads, landing pages, website, and mobile apps have consistent design elements, such as font style, size, brand colours, and layouts. 

• Referral Programs:

This is a cost-effective way to acquire new customers. Offer mega discounts to all existing users who refer your app to their friends and family. 

• Engage With the Community:

13% of consumers would pay up to 50% more if they believe a brand is making a positive social impact. Leverage this to boost your business and start a food drive or a social initiative. What goes around comes around!

Conclusion

When it comes to marketing a food delivery app, one size doesn’t fit all. In this guide, we’ve covered the best practices for supercharging your marketing efforts. However, you must constantly optimize your marketing tactics and structure a plan that works best for your audiences. 

Marketing your food delivery app can be overwhelming. But don’t worry; Deonde is here to help you with your marketing needs. Our white-label food delivery app has marketing automation tools like coupon/promo code management systems, customer loyalty programs, banners, and push notification promotions. These features will enhance your in-app marketing strategies and boost consumer engagement. 

Don’t believe us? Connect with us for a quick demo and see these functionalities live. We’re just a call away. Kickstart your food delivery app business with us today!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are Some Cost-effective Marketing Tactics for Food Delivery Apps?

As a start-up, we understand that you’re looking to cut corners. So, we recommend starting with cost-effective marketing tactics like regularly posting content on social media, blogging, or leveraging email marketing campaigns. Create user-focused content consistently to drive organic traffic—helping you acquire new customers.  

2. How Can I Track the Success of My Marketing Efforts?

Several key metrics can be monitored to measure the success of your marketing efforts: 

Start by looking at the number of monthly downloads. Next, see how many people are placing orders through your food delivery app. 

Another important metric to consider is CAC (Customer acquisition cost). Calculate how much you are currently spending to acquire a new customer. Lower CAC means your marketing is working! Also, analyze repeat order rates to see if users consistently use your app. 

Lastly, check your Net Promoter Score (NPS). Higher NPS means people love your app and will most likely recommend it to family and friends. 

3. How Can Deonde Help Me With My Food Delivery App Marketing?

At Deonde, we help you set up your entire food delivery app business—from development to launch and marketing. This is why we have a marketing automation suite with functionalities that can drive traffic to your app.

• With Deonde, you can generate coupons, amount or percentage-off discounts, and free-shipping vouchers to entice new customers. 

• We also offer a point-based reward program to retain your client base. 

• Additionally, you can do in-app marketing with Deonde using banners, push notifications, and promo codes.