Becoming a coffee shop owner is one of the most promising small business endeavors one can take part in. Not only does coffee itself never go out of style, but as a business owner, you have the opportunity to generate revenue, establish your own schedule, create jobs for others, and become involved in your community, just to name a few upsides. Simply put, it’s easy to see why many people may be interested in starting shops in their areas. Not all coffee shops will be successful, however, and one of the reasons for this is promotional work. In other words, you’re going to require marketing, which may be where a growth marketing agency can assist. To get a leg up, here are 6 Internet marketing tips for coffee shop owners to know.
1. Work with a professional. To reiterate, it’s in your best interest to work with an agency that can help with marketing. This is especially true if you’re working within a tight budget or lack advertising expertise of your own. To expand on this, if you own a coffee shop in the Long Island or Greater New York area, consider consulting a NY social media marketing agency. Not only will they assist with social media efforts, but they can provide services to help you rank better in search engines and brand your company more effectively, among other efforts.
2. Establish yourself on social media. One of the best Internet marketing tips that coffee shop owners can receive is that social media matters. Create accounts for your business across channels including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, in addition to newer ones along the lines of TikTok. Furthermore, maintain these accounts by sharing content including graphics of your latest beverages and updates regarding your business, holiday hours included. Continued social media activity of this nature goes a long way in further cementing your coffee shop in the minds of current and prospective patrons alike.
3. Know that content matters. As mentioned earlier, content can be shared across your social media channels. However, the specific types of content to present may be more difficult to nail down, which is where additional Internet marketing tips come into play. TikTok, for example, prides itself on being a video streaming platform with bite-sized content; it wouldn’t be unfathomable to share videos of beverages being prepared or pastries being baked, just to name a few examples. Facebook is more of a text-based platform by comparison, so instead of focusing so much on photos and videos, offer short or long-form written content about your business. Experiment with different types of content to see which ones yield the most results.
4. Build a functional website. From both a branding and user-focused standpoint, a company website is integral. Aside from the aforementioned social media platforms, this is where users will learn the most about your coffee shop. Be sure to include internal pages for each major point to cover. Such points include an “About Us” section detailing the history of your coffee shop, a menu providing users with a rundown of what your shop offers, and a contact form that will help users inquire further. Additionally, your website should be functional to the point where, regardless of the device, it can be accessed and navigated with ease.
5. Don’t overlook SEO. Search engine optimization is another factor that contributes to a well-rounded marketing strategy. Another one of the many Internet marketing tips that can be provided to coffee shop owners is to conduct keyword research. Focus on terms that best suit your business, as these will be the ones that patrons will search for most. Also, understand that every element of your marketing, including content creation and website development, houses an SEO component at one level or another. SEO is an incredibly involved process, which is another reason why you may wish to consult a marketing professional.
6. Don’t expect overnight results. To wrap things up, if there’s one statement that rings true about Internet marketing, it’s that results seldom occur overnight. Are you looking to rank higher in search engine results for terms including “coffee shops near me?” Do you wish to accumulate a few thousand followers on your company’s Instagram account? Understand that goals such as these take time to reach. Stick to the strategies you have in place and, if they’re effective, you’ll reach these goals in due time.
About fishbat: fishbat is a full-service Long Island SEO, branding, and digital marketing agency that takes a holistic business approach to their clients’ digital marketing programs. The fishbat team understands the importance of business principles just as well as the nuances of the latest digital technologies. fishbat offers every digital marketing service available from digital marketing research and planning to brand development to website and asset creation through social media management and search engine optimization programs – all custom calibrated for both B2B and B2C businesses.
