5 Ways You Can Advertise Your Coffee Shop
- 11 Oct 2018
If you run a coffee shop, then you’ll already be aware of the difficulties surrounding competition. In the last five years alone, the coffee shop market has increased by 37%, and between 2015 and 2016, sales increased by 10.4%.
This means that the coffee shop competition is fiercer than ever with predictions that the rivalry is only going to get hotter. So how can you ensure the success of your coffee shop’s future? With some clever advertising, of course.
Create a loyalty scheme
Next to word of mouth, loyalty schemes are one of the best ways to advertise your business. If you can provide a loyalty scheme that provides value to your customers, then you’re on to a winner.
Many coffee shops employ the simply loyalty stamp scheme, involving a free hot drink after the collection of 10 or more stamps. This has proven to be very effective for some national chains such as Café Nero. Other chains, such as Costa, opt for a more complicated digital points system.
It’s worth thinking about incurring costs when considering employing a loyalty scheme; a points system might sound great, but will cost more to implement compared to the humble stamp card.
Provide a great offer
It’s always worth looking at your competitors nearby and seeing what they’re doing to advertise their business. Many coffee shops provide a discount offer for certain members of the public or at certain times of the day.
For example, providing a discount on take-out teas and coffees during the morning rush to work could see a boost in sales. Or a discount when customers buy a hot drink and a cake together.
Invest in signage
In order to maximise the impact of providing a great offer, it may be that you need to invest in some signage to really help it take off.
A-frame signs are a great investment and can be utilised in a number of ways. If you’re looking to lure people in off the busy high street, then it’s the ideal place to display your lunchtime offer. Alternatively, if you’re set back from the high street, A-frame signs can often be used to direct people to where you are and ensure they know you’re there.
Print out some leaflets
If in doubt, rely on a more traditional method. Leaflets and flyers are an excellent way to establish yourself in the local community. They’re a very inexpensive solution to local advertising. Although they don’t embrace the modern digital world, flyers and leaflets handed out to some local businesses or posted through the letterbox could help to boost your customer base.
Build a website
It might be one of the more costly solutions, and a reluctant step for many small coffee shop owners, but a good website can do a lot for a business. Social media is undoubtedly a great resource for advertising your business, and creating your own website is the perfect platform to leverage this.
You can display recent images from Instagram, share business news and updates, display your current menu, advertise discounts and offers or even provide directions to your shop and the nearest car park – for those who aren’t within walking distance. The possibilities are endless!