How to Promote Your Coffee Shop
How to Promote & Market Your Coffee Shop
Increase sales by Promoting Your Coffee Shop
Promoting and marketing your coffee shop is one of your main jobs as a coffee shop owner. You are ultimately responsible for the sales and profits of your coffee business.
If you went through all the trouble of starting your coffee shop, why stop there?
Unfortunately, coffee shop owners often take a “hands-off” approach to promoting their coffee business. This often leads to eventual sluggish sales and a lack of energy throughout the coffee shop.
Therefore, the first rule when it comes to promoting your coffee shop is simple:
You have to own it.
Promoting your coffee business is entirely your responsibility as a coffee shop owner. Whether you delegate all or part of it, you ultimately need to have a hand in your promotion. In other words, you are indispensable in the process and will always be your coffee shop’s biggest cheerleader.
The second rule is regularly assessing where your coffee shop sits within your marketplace. In essence:
Determine where you are right now.
Whether you decide to do a SWOT analysis or write down/discuss where you need help, it would be best to think about what was done and what needs to be done.
For the sake of your coffee shop's success, you need to ensure the work gets done. This means you need to:
Commit.
Not a sluggish attempt to market your coffee shop but a true commitment to try various approaches. Perhaps you need to renew your commitment. That’s okay!
Start where you are.
The list below is focused on getting you to effectively promote and market your coffee shop to increase sales, develop your coffee brand, and solidify your coffee shop's customer loyalty. It isn’t a special list. There is no magic bullet here. It requires intention, purpose, and commitment to promote your business.
The Magic in Promoting Your Coffee Shop
The magic is in doing what I mentioned above, which I will list again for you here:
- You have to own it.
- Understand where you are.
- Commit to following through.
If you apply these three basic ideas to the following simple (but important) approaches, your marketing efforts will go a long way.
Fall in Love with Your Coffee Shop (Again)
Here's a quick note:
To effectively promote your coffee shop business, you might have to fall in love with your coffee shop all over again. If you have struggled to find the passion for your business, you might need a jolt or a well-deserved break. Whether it's taking some time off or bringing in people who can help you find your love for your coffee business again, do it! Your love for your coffee business will be infectious and potentially the most potent tool you have to promote your coffee shop.
10 Ways to Promote & Market Your Coffee Shop
Develop a Coffee Shop Logo
A catchy logo helps your customers identify with your coffee business. If you haven’t already done so, develop your coffee shop branding and logo with the help of a local graphic designer.
Or… maybe you already have a coffee shop logo, but it needs to be freshened up a bit. Investing in a memorable logo can impact your business across the board. A fresh and catchy logo can appeal to new and long-time loyal customers.
Fortunately, there are available options to get a new logo using services like 99Designs or Upwork to help find talented graphic designers. Your coffee shop logo will be used for various elements in your promotional efforts. A well-designed logo can make all the difference from your website, indoor and outdoor signs, menus, and advertisements.
Get Your Coffee Shop Website Up
Having a coffee shop website is ultimately important for promoting your coffee business. Your website generates added value for your brand and delivers vital information to your customers.
Your coffee business needs to have an online presence. Regardless of how slick your website looks, you want to offer the basics: where you are located, your hours of operation, contact information, values, goals, and more.
Additionally, your website can also be a source of revenue as well. You may decide to sell merchandise or coffee directly through the website.
For more information on how to build your coffee shop website, visit our post about it here.
Get Your Social Media Accounts Running (But..)
Social media can be tricky. Some businesses depend way too much on it, while others don’t utilize the incredible reach it can provide. Social media should never replace the face-to-face work of promoting your coffee business with real customers in your community. However, underwhelming social media can dampen the excitement.
Develop a social media plan. For example, consider posting content (pictures, blog posts, announcements) at least twice or thrice a week. Interact professionally with your followers and engage in positive conversations about your coffee business.
How to Promote and Market Your Coffee Shop
Develop Your Coffee Signage
Your COFFEE SIGNS are important to your promotion. You must anticipate what signage will trigger your customers to enter your coffee shop.
Window signs, exterior rooftop signs, marquee signs, A-frame sidewalk signs, etc., are all important to capture potential customers' attention. Your signs should be clear, noticeable, and cohesive with your overall branding.
When I say “Develop” your coffee signage, I have also been to continue your signs' evolution or growth. If you already have signs, consider refreshing them, repainting them, or hiring an artist to redo them again.
Have Coffee Shop Loyalty Cards
As the name suggests, loyalty cards can build customer loyalty, deliver repeat business, and provide “touchpoints” for you and your staff to develop good relationships with your customers. Profits depend on repeat sales… repeat sales depend on good relationships.
Essentially, with a loyalty program, you are rewarding your customers for choosing your coffee business instead of your competition.
Cards are relatively inexpensive to produce. Just make sure that your current prices compensate you for your complimentary beverages.
Outreach to Local Community Organizations and schools
Your coffee business is a part of your community. Your promotional efforts should reflect this community connection.
Drop off fliers and cards by your local churches and schools, etc.. Invite your neighbors to come to check out your business.
Develop ways you can partner up with various organizations. For example, maybe you would like to help with local fundraising efforts. There are countless ways that you can work with your neighbors to help promote your business while strengthening your community.
Develop an Email List
Emails are not talked about nearly enough when it comes to promoting your coffee shop. And yet, they can be very effective at promoting your events, specials, promotions, and brand.
Consider signing up with a free or low-cost email marketing company that allows you to collect emails through your website or social media. You can also utilize an email sign-up sheet or coffee shop POS system.
How to Promote and Market Your Coffee Shop
Get a Better Coffee Shop POS System
Today’s Coffee Shop POS system offers you some powerful and convenient tools.
Your POS System can be a formidable ally in helping you promote your business. If your customers opt in, you can send out messages through email or text messages.
We recommend Lightspeed POS, an excellent café payment platform that makes marketing and promoting your coffee shop a breeze.
Be “The Place” in Your Community
Decide how you want to utilize the space to benefit your business and the community. Determine what you want your space to be known for.
For example, are you willing to host local organizations? Would you like the local book club to drop by every week? Would you like open mic nights on the weekends? Whatever you decide, develop your coffee space to “be the place” your community turns to. If you are indispensable in your community, you'll see your goodwill skyrocket, your value increase, your profits rise, and your customers happier than ever.
Always Listen to Customers
You will develop a fiercely loyal following if you take the time to listen to your customers. You’ll develop your most effective and personal marketers by listening to your customers.
In-person marketing by your customers is one of the most effective things to nurture. You can nurture this type of marketing by listening to your customers.
How to Promote and Market Your Coffee Shop
Invest In Promoting Your Café Business
Promoting your café or coffee shop will pay you and your coffee business plenty of dividends. Take a moment and see which of the above elements you can start doing or improve with your coffee business.
Marketing your café will take time and resources, but you’ll reap tremendous benefits in the short and long run if executed correctly. Successfully market your coffee shop, and you will see an increase in customer growth and revenue growth as well. Highlight your Unique Selling Point and other elements important to your customers. For example, you might highlight your live music, organic coffee beans, or eco-friendly coffee shop investments.
In other words, the marketing investment you make will be worth it! Everything from putting your name on your cups, printing t-shirts, or taking out an advertisement in your local paper, develop a promotional plan you can measure and invest in.
For more coffee business topics and in-depth discussions on retail coffee, visit our coffee business blog here.
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Based in Seattle, Washington, USA, Coffee Shop Startups is dedicated to providing you with the most relevant information on how to start a coffee shop business successfully. Over the last 11 years, we've helped thousands of aspiring coffee business owners worldwide. We harness the experience, wisdom, and knowledge of many successful coffee shop owners to help you increase your chances of success and profits. We support business owners who want to start a coffee business by providing them with valuable information on starting their coffee business successfully.
