As the owner of a local coffee shop, you probably don’t have a massive budget to devote to marketing and design teams. And that’s okay.
Fortunately, in this digital age, there are several strategies you can employ to draw in more customers—without breaking the bank.
Sure, these strategies may not be enough to compete with the Starbucks of the world, but they can certainly help you navigate and corner your local market like a pro. After all, everyone has a favorite coffee shop!
Here are some tips to put yours on top of the list.
Host and Attend Community Events
The best way to get recognized in your community is to become an integral part of it. You’ve already gone through the trouble of putting together a lovely cafe, so why not maximize the space by hosting various community-building events?
Some examples of events you could host include charity fundraisers, seasonal meetups—such as a Valentine’s Day speed-dating event—book clubs, coffee-making classes, and more. You’re only limited by the number of events you can fit into your schedule.
Besides hosting your own affair, you could also contribute to other events in the neighborhood—by supplying the coffee and cakes for instance. These little acts of goodwill go a long way in getting your name out there.
Distribute Well-Designed Flyers
It may not sound like the most glamorous strategy, but distributing flyers is still as effective today as it was 100 years ago. Online advertising will get you more eyeballs, sure, but distributing flyers can help secure conversions with much less investment.
For this to work, however, there are some things to keep in mind:
- Flyers should be distributed strategically. Target high traffic residential and commercial areas that your clients frequent.
- Your flyers should clearly communicate all the special offerings, discounts, or special coffee styles that make your cafe unique.
- Flyers should be well designed and printed on high-quality paper. Anything less and they will be too easy to ignore.
Essentially, all you need to make flyers work is an understanding of who is most likely to visit your cafe and some rudimentary design skills. You wouldn’t be in the coffee business if you didn’t already understand the art of the brew. To help with the latter, feel free to be inspired by the millions of small business flyer templates available online.
Promote Yourself on Social Media
This can be tricky territory. It’s obvious that companies with millions of social media followers will have more customers. The real challenge is how to make a small business reach those heights without dedicated marketing teams.
Here are some questions worth asking to see an improvement in numbers:
- What am I posting? Do I have enough mouthwatering posts showing off my delicious coffee and food? Is my audience familiar with all my discounts and offers? Are there social media trends that I should be capitalizing on?
- Who am I posting it for? Am I effectively capturing the local market? Do I want to reach out to a younger audience enticed by Dalgona coffee? Or should I target working professionals who need their daily pick-me-up?
- Where should I post it? Will my video clips work better as TikTok videos or YouTube videos? Are my images going to grab attention on Instagram or am I better off targeting coffee lovers on Facebook?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll find that coming up with new posts and earning dedicated followers isn’t an insurmountable task. If you’re still struggling to find an audience, consider working with relevant local influencers for a wider reach or paying for social media ads that target specific locations and demographics.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile
More than eight out of 10 customers go to a business’s Google page before visiting in person. What do they see when they land on yours?
Are names, addresses, and contact information up to date? Is there an enticing description accompanied by several positive reviews?
As the first introduction to your cafe, you’ll want your Google listing to set the tone for new clients. You’ll also want more customers to find your listing first when looking up coffee shops near them. To achieve this, familiarize yourself with local SEO practices—such as ensuring your website and Google profile have several relevant keywords.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to understanding how local SEO works.
Create and Market Loyalty Programs
As a small business owner, you rely on repeat customers a lot more than you think. Loyal customers spend more, aren’t afraid to try out new menu items, and will refer your business to other customers.
To keep them happy, devise and implement a program that rewards loyalty. A survey suggests that 79% of customers will be more likely to come back.
Rewards can be item-based, visit-based, spend-based, or offered when they recommend your services to friends and family. Whichever you opt for, ensure that they are relevant to your audience and offerings.
For instance, there’s no point in rewarding customers for buying the best selling items on your menu. Instead, reward them for the products you want sold.
Furthermore, it’s crucial that you promote your programs and your rewards effectively, so more potential customers know what to expect.
This is where an online tool like PosterMyWall can come in handy. This massive library of over a million highly-customizable templates can help you craft better social media content, create attractive thumbnails, design emails, and promote loyalty programs and events. Find the right design here.
