In the modern business world, coffee shops, or Café, rely most of the time on in-person customer service to attract more customers to come again and make impressive sales. But how does a business' online presence fit into this experience?
Unlike retail boutiques or independent artists, most independently owned coffee shops are not known for their social media presence. However, due to careful planning, social media can enhance a customer's experience while boosting the bottom line. Apart from that, a solid social media strategy for coffee shops should support the work of your baristas and coffee sellers' existing daily routine. Moreover, it should aim to drive sales (beyond peak hours), create customer loyalty, and improve brand recognition.
Many online marketing strategies are now done as the world embraces digital technology. That makes sense when small businesses leap into developing a strategic social media plan. So make time to read and examine these six ways coffee shops can use social media to help drive sales, expand brand recognition, and deepen customer loyalty.
1. Advertise new specials or store merch
Many customers show up to a coffee shop already knowing what they want. Getting your customers to try something at the moment can be challenging, but social media ./allows you to catch a customer's interest before they even enter your store. And product advertisements are excellent content for social. Take a nice photo, and add a mouth-watering description to entice customers to switch out their regular cup of joe for a specialty latte.
Furthermore, social media also offers opportunities to advertise merchandise that can be hard for baristas to upsell to customers. Souvenirs like to-go mugs, which is expected, and customized t-shirts, including a piece of equipment for brewing coffee at home, are some of them. These are everyday products cafes sell that might benefit from an extra boost in advertising.
2. Keep customers up to date with hours and events
The nature of most social media platforms is too dynamic and diverse. As such, they can be an excellent way to convey urgent information or capture the last-minute interest of customers searching for something to advertise. It could be an event or special occasion. Whatever plan it may seem like you're sampling a new treat or hosting a significant event, social media offers a cost-effective way to send a message to everyone. It is also possible to reach a more extensive audience base through social media than in-store tactics.
3. Push your business' customer loyalty programs
A loyalty program is a significant factor for small businesses like coffee shops, and one of the many challenges is keeping track of the customers. Not to mention their rewards and ensuring they utilize the program. For example, your store uses a punch card with a "buy ten get one free promo ."Twitter and other social media channels are easy ways for your customers to be reminded.
4. Link to your website to drive traffic and increase search engine ranking
Most modern coffee shops nowadays have online stores or websites. Therefore, social media offers a simple way of driving web traffic to your site. Use the link in your social media posts to direct customers to your website and make purchasing their favorite coffee beans more straightforward.
Furthermore, beyond the increasing traffic and sales from existing customers to your shop, getting active on social and linking to your site can help prospective customers discover your business. In other words, the more traffic your website sees, the more likely it is to rank higher on google searches, leading to even more visibility for your coffee shop.
5. Teach people something new
Social media, specifically Instagram and Facebook, provide the perfect platforms to share valuable information with customers. Educational tidbits can go beyond what would fit into the average chit-chat between a barista and their customers. From easy, at-home coffee hacks (using beans they bought from your cafe, of course) to complete guides for pour-overs, social media offers more outlets to show people what they can do with your product. The world of specialty coffee can often seem niche and inaccessible to outsiders. Publishing short videos or stories on Facebook and Instagram gives your baristas a platform to speak directly to customers and explain the difference between a traditional vs. caramel macchiato or a flat white, for example. Social media offers a way to break down walls and share information with customers in easily digestible forms.
6. Create a sense of personality around your coffee shop
Selling coffee is a social job. Baristas make drinks and build relationships with customers. But, far from simply serving a great cup of coffee, baristas chat with regulars, offer advice to tourists, and help create an atmosphere where people want to be. Many coffee shops are the morning hubs of their neighborhoods and play an essential part in everyone's morning routine. Take these relationships online by featuring your baristas on social media daily, letting them lead customers through what it's like to work behind the counter or make customers' faves. Celebrate your employees' accomplishments on your feed. Social media marketing for coffee shops doesn't have to be all about making a sale. It should also be about expanding the unique personality of your business and brand. Allow that personalized experience customers expect from behind an espresso machine to appear online.
Conclusion
No one can deny the internet's and social media's impact on our lives and small businesses. It is the most effective platform in today's time to reach our bigger audience and target market. That means you must keep your store updated with a website, social media accounts, and a good marketing plan to make these things work. However, it is crucial to include technological breakthroughs such as the eatOS POS system to embrace digital technology for your business. Talk to our team now to learn more.
