Unlock the Power of Social Media Marketing for Your Cafe
How to Successfully Market Your Coffee Shop on Social Media to increase Sales
You have the best coffee in town, a great location, and a loyal base of repeat customers, but your sales are stagnant. What can you do to draw in more customers to your coffee shop?
If you are not marketing your cafe on social media to attract new customers and encourage them to return, you are missing out on one of the best ways to catch the attention of the modern consumer. When hunting down the best specialty cafes in the area, most of the research is spent pouring over social media pages. I have seen some creative pages with consistent customer engagement but I have also seen some neglected pages that miss the mark.
Don’t risk being overlooked by potential customers! Here are some of the advantages and best uses of social media marketing to increase business and attract attention to your cafe.
Showcase your Brand
Your cafe was thoughtfully crafted with a theme and a mission. Have you filled the walls with bookshelves and plush armchairs that are perfect for an afternoon of reading? Perhaps the tables are set up to encourage freelancers to work and stay for lunch? Or is your focus on brewing single-origin roasts that coffee lovers will not be able to find anywhere else? Through social media, you can showcase what your brand is all about.
Look around your cafe and think about what crowd your brand is attracting and develop your social media content to appeal to them. If there is a large lunch crowd interested in healthy options, then a photo of your delicious, whole-grain toast and fresh salads will receive the engagement it deserves. If you’re running a specialty coffee shop that is a hipster hangout spot, then posts featuring pour overs and a minimalist, polished decor will do the trick.
Stay consistent and true to your brand with every photo you share. Your cafe ́s Instagram or Facebook page is often the first impression a potential customer has of your business. A constantly changing mood will confuse both current and potential customers. Your handle should be easily recognizable. Use a simple but unique hashtag across all of your social media pages.
Highlight Your Cafe ́s Best Practices
Is your cafe involved in global or local charities? Do you use local ingredients or work with a popular coffee roastery? Social media is the perfect place to share this. Users may quickly scan over a photo of a beautiful cup of coffee if there is nothing to tempt them to interact with the page. Use the beginning of the caption to detail how your cafe makes the world a better place.
Remember, it is important to talk to your customers, not at them. Do not make them feel guilty about their lifestyle but instead give them the chance to feel good about their choice to visit your cafe. Your cafe will be something that everyone can be proud of.
Start a Conversation with Your Customers
Social media is a way for customers to connect with your business. Millennials and Generation Z ‘ers can‘t wait to share a photo of their beautiful coffee paired with a flaky croissant. If your customers are promoting your cafe on their personal feeds, don’t ignore them! By liking, commenting and reposting their content you show your appreciation and encourage them to keep the posts coming. This is a great way to start a conversation with your community.
Flip through the stories and posts your cafe is tagged in and share the posts that work for your feed design. If you develop a decent following, then your customers will begin to do half of the marketing for you.
Boost Reviews
It’s no secret that Google favors restaurants and cafes with more reviews. The majority of consumers say reading online reviews help them decide where to visit. Increasing your reviews is essential for growing your business.
However, a loyal customer may not think to leave a review of a place they visit often. If you are providing excellent service and responding to customer comments with warmth, an occasional post asking for reviews will increase your numbers. A particularly positive review can be shared on your page to encourage others to leave their own.
Show You’re Involved in the Local Community
You’re collaborating with local bakeries, artists, and other business owners in your neighbourhood? Showcase the neighborhood bakery that supplies your croissants or support the local artists whose work hangs on the wall on your social media. This will create a vibrant network of local businesses that others will recognize and want to be a part of.
Show Your Personal Side
The big coffee chains may have large marketing budgets and be internationally recognized, but a local cafe has an authentic personality and unique setting that stands out from the crowd. Social Media Marketing is a great tool to show the community that your cafe is more than just a business.
Who are the people behind the coffee? Consider sharing behind the scenes photos of your long-time employees or customers. Add some quotes about their favorite menu items, why they love being part of your community, or anything else that is unique to your cafe.
How has social media improved your relationship with your customers? Leave us a comment, we would love to hear about it!
Written by Bianka Rose Cramblit for The Way to Coffee.
Bianka discovered her love for specialty coffee while studying English Literature during her university years in the United States. She believes that a cup of coffee is a writer’s best companion and is always seeking the best new cafe in each new city she visits. An avid traveler, she has called sunny Madrid her home for the past three years. Her hobbies include baking, yoga, and reading.