25 Mar LD’s on the River Annual Case Study
Overview
LD’s on the River is a waterfront restaurant in Pulaski, NY, known for its scenic river views, fresh seafood, and inviting atmosphere. Catering to both locals and tourists, the restaurant offers a diverse menu featuring rotating specials, signature cocktails, and live entertainment overlooking the Salmon River. In May 2024, LD’s on the River partnered with our marketing team to enhance their digital presence. The primary goals were to increase visibility, engagement, and in-store traffic through a new SEO-rich website, social media management, and targeted Meta advertising.
The Challenge
Before our involvement, LD’s on the River had limited digital marketing efforts, relying primarily on Facebook for social media and lacking a search-optimized website. The restaurant needed to improve brand awareness, drive more foot traffic, and capture both tourists and returning customers.
Our Approach
Website Development & SEO Optimization
To address the restaurant’s lack of an effective online presence, we began by launching a fully optimized, mobile-responsive website in May 2024. A significant focus was placed on local SEO to ensure the restaurant would rank higher for relevant search queries such as “restaurants in Pulaski, NY”.
The website was designed to be user-friendly, with an intuitive layout that made it easy for visitors to navigate. We included an interactive, easily accessible menu that showcased the restaurant’s offerings, helping to drive both online engagement and in-store visits. The SEO strategy was centered around optimizing key on-page elements, including title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and image alt texts, while also ensuring the content was informative and engaging for both potential customers and search engines.
The website now functions as the central hub for all marketing efforts, linking to the restaurant’s social media profiles and providing an easy way for customers to explore the menu, obtain catering information, make reservations, and learn about upcoming events.
Social Media Management
Our social media strategy for LD’s on the River aimed to increase brand visibility and customer engagement across multiple platforms. We expanded the restaurant’s presence from just Facebook to include Instagram, X, and TikTok, each chosen for their ability to reach different segments of the target audience.
On Facebook, we continued to build on existing momentum by creating engaging posts that highlighted the restaurant’s signature dishes, scenic waterfront views, and special events. Facebook saw the highest engagement, with 2,367,186 impressions (105.8% increase) and 69,700 engagements (131.9% increase). The restaurant’s audience also grew by 14%, reaching 11,851 total followers, with 1,449 new followers added (70.1% increase).
On Instagram, we focused on high-quality visuals that captured the essence of dining at LD’s on the River, emphasizing the picturesque location, flavorful dishes, and vibrant atmosphere. Instagram saw 345,690 impressions and 1,600 total engagements.
TikTok was leveraged for short-form, engaging content such as behind-the-scenes videos, menu item spotlights, and quick, fun updates on events and specials. TikTok impressions reached 17,171, and total engagements were 106.
A key highlight was the dramatic increase in video content performance across all platforms, with total video views skyrocketing to 299,993, reflecting a 3,624.8% increase from the previous period.
Targeted Meta Advertising ($300 Monthly Budget)
We implemented a targeted Meta advertising strategy with a monthly budget of $300, broken up into two distinct campaigns for maximum impact.
Brand Overview Campaign
The first campaign focused on building brand awareness within the local area. This “always-on” brand overview ad was designed to introduce LD’s on the River to a wider audience by showcasing the restaurant’s unique waterfront location, its atmosphere, and its wide array of menu offerings. We used compelling imagery of the restaurant’s scenic views and signature dishes to attract both locals and tourists who might not yet be familiar with the establishment. This campaign aimed to create general awareness, engage the local community, and drive foot traffic to the restaurant.
Special Event & Menu Item Promotion Campaign
The second campaign was focused on driving engagement around specific, time-sensitive offers such as seasonal specials, key events, and new menu items. The content rotated frequently, allowing us to promote exclusive happenings like the River Bar grand opening, seasonal promotions like the Snow Crab special, and annual events such as Mother’s Day brunch. This approach kept the ad content fresh and aligned with current promotions, maximizing interest and encouraging immediate visits. These ads were strategically timed to coincide with the start of each promotion, ensuring they reached the audience at the most relevant moment. The River Bar grand opening campaign, in particular, proved to be highly successful, driving significant in-store engagement and attracting new customers.
By strategically combining these two campaigns, LD’s on the River not only maintained a constant presence in the local digital space but also captured timely, event-driven interest, resulting in increased engagement and direct traffic to the restaurant.
The Results
Sales Growth & Customer Traffic
LD’s on the River saw a 25% increase in sales during peak season (September and October 2024) compared to 2023. September sales alone grew from $175,000 in 2023 to $200,000 in 2024, and ticket count increased by 20%, indicating more in-person visits. Google search was identified as the top driver of traffic, helping attract both new and returning customers.
Website & SEO Performance
Website performance showed significant improvements, with top search queries including “LD’s on the River” (1,980 clicks, 7,058 impressions, and a 28.05% CTR). Searches for “restaurants in Pulaski, NY” and “food near me” also increased, boosting local visibility with the keyphrase “bars in pulaski ny” & “restaurants in pulaski ny” ranking 1st and 3rd respectively on Google SERPs. While online orders and reservations did not see a notable increase, the menu views on the website played a crucial role in driving customers in and played a key role in adding specific food item keyphrases to the site.
Social Media & Paid Ad Success
Across all social media platforms, total impressions reached 2,731,460 (137.4% increase), and total engagements rose to 71,435 (137.6% increase). Facebook remained the top performer, while Instagram and TikTok contributed to audience engagement and video content success. Additionally, paid advertising efforts successfully amplified promotional campaigns, ensuring key events and menu specials reached thousands of potential customers. The River Bar grand opening campaign generated the highest engagement across all digital efforts, demonstrating the impact of well-targeted advertising.
Conclusion
Through strategic digital marketing, LD’s on the River significantly increased brand awareness, engagement, and sales. By launching a user-friendly, SEO-rich website, expanding social media reach, and leveraging targeted advertising, Embark Marketing has been able to position the restaurant as a go-to dining destination in Pulaski, NY.
Are you a restaurant owner looking for a marketing partner that understands the industry? Contact our team today for a free assessment of your current efforts!