How To Make Your Coffee Shop Stand Out
In business, just like in life, the bird with the prettiest feathers stands out. In your case, you want to attract more customers and stand out from the competition. To stand out, you will need to quickly and effectively communicate to your client how your brand is different and unique. It is imperative to do this if you are a small business, like the Mom and Pop on Main Street.
There are many ways to go about doing this marketing. For example, you could offer merchandise with your logo on it, free samples of your product, and participate in local community outreach activities like markets and festivals. Don’t forget you must also be online, so a solid social media presence is vital. Keep reading to find out nine ways to help you keep the competition at bay and make your coffee shop a shining beacon in the community!
Keep the creativity flowing both inside and outside your shop
Art can be a universal language, and having a variety of it in your shop is one way to make your place an oasis in the middle of a busy city. To attract more customers, you can also introduce exciting utensils in your coffee shop, like agave straws and personalized coffee cups. Finally, don’t hesitate to pull out the brightest paint in the store to paint your coffee shop; bright colors are one way to draw customers into your business.
Another way to direct traffic into your shop is with a custom-made welcome mat. Along with flowers, balloons, and other decorations, these will make your shop stand out in the community, draw in a curious customer or two, and generate many potential customers.
Host Interesting Events in Your Coffee Shop
As cliche as it may sound, you’ve gotta host events in your coffee shop. Turn your space into a gold mine for musicians, poets, competitions, or galleries. Doing this creates a firm base of regulars and will ultimately attract more customers, especially if you provide a space for something not found elsewhere in your community. In addition, using social media to stay on top of the reactions in your town to your event will allow you to tailor events to the liking of the crowds and double down on your ability to get customers.
Invest In a Loyalty Program
If you like repeat business and who doesn’t, one way to drive this business is to create a loyalty program. In doing this, you encourage return clients to buy more products from you and recommend you to their families and friends. You can offer anything from cash rewards to freebies from your shop to motivate regular customers. Plus, the data you get from this interaction can drive your loyalty program and share who is returning and what they are buying.
Customer Service should be your #1 priority
Customer service is one of the most important aspects of running any business, but especially so in the world of coffee! So many things are hinged on your ability to understand and serve your clientele. You have to have a friendly demeanor with customers, provide quality service, give help and advice in areas in which you specialize, etc. You want to ensure that clients feel special when they visit your business and are treated well!
Steel, coffe shop and cycle wear in Paris.
Cultivate your social media presence
It doesn’t matter whether you are a brick-and-mortar store or solely online; your business must have a robust digital presence. You must keep your online profile as up-to-date as possible so that you can obtain followers and get traffic to come to a physical location. You also want a place for satisfied customers to leave feedback so that they can share their enjoyable experiences.
Most popular online platforms offer free profiles, such as:
Setting up a profile only takes a few minutes and has connected features, like a free marketplace and budget-friendly advertising tools, to help your coffeehouse grow.
Host Events
Would you like to expand your customer base by offering more entertainment in your coffee shop? This is a popular trend among cafes and can draw in new patrons on days that might normally be slow for business.
Listed below are a few events that you can host to help you strengthen your presence on social media and draw more customers to your physical address:
- Happy hour
- Giveaways
- Partner with other businesses to offer joint promotions
- Contests
- Poetry readings
- Spoken word poetry readings
- Open mic nights
- Scavenger hunts
Engaging your market audience is crucial when trying to bring awareness about your coffee shop. This is a highly competitive industry, so offering entertainment can be a great way to highlight how your cafe is a great place to gather with friends and unplug from their busy lives. You don’t have only to attract those who simply need a quick burst of energy in the morning.
Need a Newsletter?
It is crucial to stay in touch with your clients, prospects, and regulars to tell them about new and upcoming products and services you’ll be offering. As a bonus, you’ll have a way to keep them abreast of events and promotions, show potential customers you care, and, finally, keep up with industry trends. To ensure your newsletter doesn’t line the bottom of the closest garbage pail, include things like enticing graphics or coupons for subscribers.
Add Value to Your Coffee Shop
A coffee shop needs to be a spot where folks can come in, grab a cuppa, and do what they need to do for the day. The best coffeehouses offer a variety of seating, from tables and chairs, so that customers can work if they need to. Provide couches for sitting and lounging or outdoor sitting for those days when the weather permits time outside. More perks you can offer to make life easier for your customers include free Wi-Fi, electrical outlets, and charging stations.
Providing a place for patrons to get a bit of work done while enjoying a fresh roast and breakfast sandwich builds loyalty and brand recognition. Adding multifunctionality to your establishment achieves this goal and will attract additional customer demographics you probably had not thought of.
Building a Community Around Your Coffeehouse
TV makes it look easy, you open your coffee shop, and a group of friends takes up permanent residence on your couches, and you’re set to profit from now to the future! In real life, it’s not quite that simple. You have to work to build a community around your coffee spot. You have to utilize everything at your disposal, from newsletters to social media to holding events at your shop to bring in the people. Your customer loyalty program can also play a part in building a community around your business.
In the End
If you make all the right choices, you can build a strong name for your shop and get more customers through the door. As a result, your business can become a bright star in the community, where folks work and spend their free time.
When starting your business, it’s essential to know what aspect of your shop makes you unique and use it to your advantage in marketing your brand. Don’t forget to add your own special touch with a stellar website, perks for your regulars, unique utensils, and a solid social media presence. You can have a successful coffee shop with many repeat customers if you do all these things.