Are you also looking to start your coffee shop business soon, or are you ready with your coffee shop business plan and waiting to find a perfect location? But how do you persuade locals to start purchasing coffee from your own tiny independent coffee shop? For that, you will need marketing strategies: worry not; here, we have outstanding strategies for coffee shop owners to expand their business.
1) Coffee shop concept
Before launching your business, finding a concept should be at the top of your list because your coffee shop business plan will be built around it.
A distinctive idea might determine your success in a highly competitive coffee industry.
You should consider fostering a student vibe if you discover a location close to a university. If you want to attract students, consider providing affordable breakfast options.
It might be a good idea to create a classy, quiet location where people can work or plan their meetings if you discover a suitable spot in a business street.
If your coffee shop is going to be situated in a neighborhood where people frequently walk their dogs, having an animal-friendly area could be quite successful.
So, for starters, be ready with the concept.
2) Coffee shop business plan
A solid coffee shop business plan is a good approach to keep things moving forward for your company.
A business plan will help you differentiate yourself from the competition and secure money from bankers and investors. Your business plan can be as brief or detailed as you choose, with any necessary revisions.
If you need any help writing your coffee shop business plan, then here is an amazing coffee shop business plan template that you can download.
3) A coffee shop subscription is a new thing
The typical American coffee user has 3.1 cups of beverage per day.
For several reasons, many cafes and coffee shops are switching to monthly membership programs.
Since brands interact with clients more frequently, thanks to subscriptions, relationships get better.
- They expand the up-sell possibilities.
- They generate ongoing income.
- It can be a fantastic strategy to raise customer lifetime value and guest loyalty.
4) Know your customers
A coffee shop will draw a lot of regulars as it becomes a go-to destination for many.
For example, one sort of regular conversation briefly with the clerk places their order, tips, expresses gratitude and then departs.
Another frequent customer comes in a while on the phone, expects the staff member to know their order and have it ready when they get to the register, pays, and then quietly exits.
You have to deal with both, and it’s challenging to treat both equally in terms of customer service. How can you provide “excellent” customer service to a non-customer?
However, knowing those consumers when they enter helps staff to customize the kind of service they provide.
Customer service needs vary depending on whether the customer is a happy regular or someone who calls in. But ultimately, the customer’s satisfaction is what counts, and this is one of the best methods for keeping customers pleased.
5) Coffee giveaways & contests
Comparing giveaways to other marketing strategies, you can see a 30% increase in brand awareness.
The following three strategies will help your coffee shop grow:
- Boost brand awareness: Contests and freebies allow you more exposure online. People looking for giveaways will be able to find you. Fans can also submit entries by telling their friends, relatives, and followers about your contest.
- Gain more social media followers: By holding giveaways, brands have steadily increased their followings. For instance, Instagram accounts that run contests see an average 70% increase in follower growth compared to accounts that don’t.
- Purchase more products: People are more likely to look at what you offer when you arrange a giveaway on your website or social media accounts. It aids in the promotion of your offerings.
6) Word-of-mouth marketing
Every person who enters a coffee shop is a potential customer for marketing. It is because individuals tend to communicate and put more trust in their friends and family than in enterprises.
When shop owners asked customers how they found a new coffee shop, word-of-mouth recommendations from friends came in second.
Coffee shop experts concurred with customers regarding the value of friend referrals, with 34% stating that word-of-mouth advertising was crucial for bringing in new customers.
James Yoder of Not Just Coffee states that “creating an amazing customer experience is important to everything because they are by far our best marketing weapon.”
Everyone wants to be the one to recommend a nice place they visit to their friends, and so many customers recommend this place to their friends and family.
Customer experience is the beginning and finish of word-of-mouth marketing. People don’t seem to talk much about average things, but they enjoy sharing stories about their outstanding positive or negative coffee shop experiences.
Going above and beyond what customers expect is essential to creating favorable buzz.
7) Quality matters
Be frugal with your money. Purchase high-quality, ethically sourced flavoured coffee beans, and use premium creams, milk, and nut juices.
Invest in an espresso machine that can handle your volume and a water filtration system that will preserve the flavor, and purchase a small business point-of-sale system that enables staff to enter orders quickly, complete transactions easily, and improve the efficiency of your business.
Do not give any chance to consumers to complain. Maintain the quality of everything and charge accordingly if you want to.
Wrapping up
Building a coffee shop that grows out to be famous is difficult but not inconceivable.
The above tips will surely help you in changing your business fortune. But one should also keep in mind that the Key to running a successful coffee shop is to Create a coffee shop business plan and execute it with perfection.
