Last Updated on February 21, 2022 by MarketerSprout
The coffee shop market in the US is very competitive.
If you don’t know you have a solid digital marketing strategy plan in place, you’re setting your coffee shop up for failure.
According to Statista, they’re over 37, 198 coffee shops across the US, that’s a lot!
In this guide, you’ll learn how to really capitalize on some of the other marketing opportunities that aren’t going to cost you an arm and leg.
Plus these and they’re going to help you build your brand and take your business to the next level.
If you want to get more people into your cafe at no extra cost, make sure to read this entire guide.
Step 1: Get your account setup on key online platforms
This might seem pretty straightforward but you would be surprised by how many coffee shops don’t do them.
You might already have these accounts set up but they do bring immense value to your business.
The four main platforms that we believe are the most valuable to make sure that you’ve got that initial online presence would be:
- Google My Business page
- Facebook page
- Instagram page
- TripAdvisor (If your local area has a lot of tourism)
Make sure the content you post is up to good. Remember, it’s a representation of your brand.
You want to be active and consistent posting three times a week.
Change up your content. Look at what your competition is doing and see what type of their posts are getting the most engagement.
Try to replicate that kind of content in the early days to get some traction.
And then you’ll find your feet and you’ll start to see what people are engaging with.
Don’t forget to look at the platform’s analytics to find out what people are enjoying about your content.
The goal is to feed them content that they love to see every day. They’ll interact with it and that will help you build your online presence.
Step 2: Google your business name and see what comes up
For brand new coffee shops after setting your business on Google listings it will take a week or two before you get the post card from Google to verify your address.
After the verification is successful, search for your business name and see if it comes up on the maps.
Showing up in the map listings will give your new coffee free exposure to searchers who are looking for coffee shops in your area.
Step 3: Prioritize getting your first couple reviews on Google not Facebook
Here’s the thing, no one goes to Facebook or Instagram and searches for coffee shops, it just doesn’t happen.
Remember most consumers view Google as the entry point to the internet. They start their search there.
So the first couple loyal customers you get ask them kindly to leave a review on your Google listing.
Note: You must not pay people to leave reviews, you will get caught and banned forever.
Play the long game by providing customers with the best coffee and customer service. This way it’s a win-win for both you and the customer. They will leave a raving review.
Step 4: Look into paid advertising
You shouldn’t add this to your coffee shop digital marketing strategy until you step 1-3 starts paying off.
Once you have a good amount of reviews look into running Google ads in your local area.
Target people who are searching for “coffee shop near me” or “coffee shops in [your city name]”.
Doing paid search advertising requires some foundational knowledge so make sure to learn about how to run profitable Google ads.
This can make you take more real estate on the first page of Google because now you’re showing up on the map listings and the top ad spot(If you bid high enough).
Before spending a dime on Google ads make sure to watch this tutorial on how to run successful ads.
More tips on how to use Social Media grow your Coffee shop sales
If you’re purely relying on word of mouth, your business won’t go too far.
Everything has gone digital now.
Digitize your menu, update the photos, have the right contact details on these platforms, and give people the ability to find out more about your business.
Facebook is a great place to build and grow a community. Here you connect with customers on a much more personal level that will have a lasting impression on your audience.
So having a Facebook account is crucial. If you want to up your game and have a bit more presence as a brand, that’s where Instagram comes into account.
Now, Instagram is a platform for brand building.
It’s a place to really portray your cafe and this is where the baristas are great value to every business owner.
And if you’re a business owner, capitalize on the young people you’ve got working for you behind a coffee machine.
Have them take photos of good latte art and post them. And if you’re a Brewster and you’re good at this, you can do good latte art.
By doing these things, you’re going to keep yourself at the forefront of your customers’ minds.
Making sure that when they think about getting a coffee, they’re thinking about coming to you and your café.