On-demand convenience platform Swiggy has announced on Tuesday, April 23, the launch of ‘Smart Links’ — a tool to help restaurants of all sizes enhance their online presence and drive growth. Through this feature restaurants will receive free, customized links that they can share on their social media profiles on platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook to direct customers straight to their menu page on Swiggy. 

What is Smart Links?

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In its launch statement, Swiggy said that restaurant industry typically spends anywhere between 3 per cent to 6 per cent of its revenue on advertising, including online platforms like Meta (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp), Google, and traditional media such as TV, print, and radio. And advertising on online platforms is a great channel to reach consumers, it is not always easy to track its impact on businesses. Smart Links will help address this need for restaurants as they will be able to share the free, customized links on their social media profiles on platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook to direct customers straight to their menu page on Swiggy. 

Swiggy states that the personalized feature will enable restaurants to drive orders through their online presence while engaging with a broader audience. 

And, for customers, it will be a one-click experience to order from restaurants they have discovered online or on social media platforms.

On the analytics side, it will help restaurants gain insights into customer behavior, like customer's actions after clicking on an ad, whether they have placed an order, what they have ordered, and when. 

By enabling tracking through Smart Links, Swiggy hopes that restaurant partners will be able to assess the performance of their social media campaigns more effectively, and the data will allow them to optimize future campaigns, leading to more efficient and successful marketing strategies.

Effectiveness of Smart Links 

Swiggy informs that Smart Links has proven to be a powerful tool for gaining new users, with almost 60 per cent of all Smart Links orders for a restaurant coming from new consumers. 

Since its inception, Swiggy says that the tool has driven over 4 million menu sessions, covering 35,000 restaurant partners, and brands running Smart Links have seen ~25 per cent of their menu sessions. In highlights that during campaign days, brands using Smart Links have seen upwards of 80 per cent of menu visits, leading to disproportionate gains in building brand visibility.

Swiggy informs that, on an average, newly launched brands using Smart Links as a marketing tool have seen a 120 per cent increase in menu visits compared to others. And additionally, they are twice as likely to receive a rating within the first 15 days of operation when using Smartlinks.

Commenting on the development, Deepak Maloo, AVP – Supply, Swiggy, said, “Social media is a great boon and an unmissable part of any business’ marketing strategy. But many restaurants, especially the smaller brands struggle to see the social media excitement translate to business without the right tools.  Smart Links, which Swiggy is customizing for free for all restaurant partners, will be a game-changer by giving restaurants the power to easily access and customize these links. This allows them to measure individual channel performance and compare all in the owner app, thereby promoting themselves effectively, driving actual orders, and gaining a better understanding of their customers as well as spend on online platforms and social media”.

Swiggy has also announced a cashback offer for restaurant partners in April and May 2024.