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Even though coffee enthusiasts love to talk about their favorite local cafés with their friends, it seems like many of them still end up going to Starbucks most of the time due to convenience. That’s a perk that’s nearly impossible to compete with when you run a small business. That’s why you need to provide more incentive to convince them that it’s worth coming to you for their morning coffee. Here are some of the best ways to create buzz for your local café that should accomplish that.
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Start a Joint Venture
If you want to try tackling the previously mentioned convenience problem, the best way to do so without opening a new store is to look into doing a joint venture. This is when you and another company come together to promote and sell each other’s products.
For example, if there’s a local donut shop across town, you can set one of these up as a way to sell your coffee to those who normally don’t have the time to travel all the way to your establishment. As a part of that deal, you’ll also be able to sell some of their donuts in your shop, giving you business from some of their loyal customers.
Embrace Seasonality
One thing that Starbucks does that everyone seems to love is seasonal drinks. There are many ways to diversify your café’s menu, but creating new concoctions based on the current season is one that typically creates the most buzz. People love to get into the mood for the upcoming holiday, and drinking a cup of coffee with the season’s flavors is a great way to do that.
If you want to take it a step further, you can redecorate your shop with items that fit the season. This will help boost customers’ holiday spirits and give them more reason to venture out to your café each time the season changes.
Hold Events on Location
Of course, you don’t need to wait for the next holiday to give people a reason to come to your local establishment. You can create your own events and sell specialized menu items or give discounts during them. For example, you could hold a poetry night or bring in a local musician for a live performance. Regardless of what you come up with, giving people a reason to come in will generate buzz for your humble café and increase sales.
Make Yourself Known on Social Media
While all of these previous strategies will work well on their own through in-store promotion and word-of-mouth, social media is the best way to let people know about them. We’re sure you’ve already made a few accounts across the various platforms, but if you’re not fully using these services to generate buzz around your events and brand, you’re missing out.
Social media is perfect for buzz. As long as you communicate regularly with your followers, they’ll handle the rest by reposting your updates and sharing the info with their friends. Doing this correctly should result in a constant amount of buzz surrounding your store.
