Simple Marketing Wins for Local Cafés, Restaurants, and Bars
Hey small business heroes! If you run a local café, restaurant, or bar, you know that standing out in a bustling community can be a challenge. Especially in Edinburgh or places further afield like London with the density of food outlets for customers to choose from.
You want to aim to really capture people’s attention in the first instance and create a bit of a hype for people to talk to about your business, get those all important tags on social media and Bob's your uncle - you will have people flocking. Sounds simple? The thing is, it is and it isn’t. I can help you be tactical.
When I was writing this blog I was thinking about when I started my bakery and how crazy (also anxiety inducing) it was trying to figure out how I go about marketing my business with little to no marketing experience and only personal social media experience. I hope that you take some helpful tips away from this and you can always get in touch if you would like to know more and if you are looking for help, there is a contact button at the bottom of this blog.
I’ve aimed to have it packed with data-driven strategies to help you attract more customers without breaking the bank.Because marketing can quite easily be costly unless you are, dare I say it again, tactical. So let’s explore four powerful marketing tools tailored for the food service industry.
1. Affordable and Practical Marketing Strategies
Starting with a budget-friendly marketing approach is crucial. Traditional advertising can be costly, but there are creative, low-cost strategies you can implement:
Local Partnerships
Consider teaming up with nearby businesses for cross-promotions. For instance, a café could collaborate with a local bakery to offer a “sweet treat” combo, driving traffic to both locations. A study by the Harvard Business Review revealed that local partnerships can increase foot traffic by as much as 20%. I did see recently a collaboration between a local florist and a coffee company. Both small businesses, but offering a super cute deliver-to-a-loved-one service where you could send your boo, best friend or someone you are thinking about a cuppa and a mini bunch of flowers with a message to brighten their day. It blew up on social media and just shows the power collaboration can mean for two small businesses.
Community Events
Host or participate in community events. Hosting naturally has a lot more parameters to consider but there isn’t much to joining a local market stall and selling your products that way. I’ve been there and done that and let me tell you, it was a fantastic way to network, sell and it was so rewarding when I returned the next year to a local Christmas market and some customers said they came back the next year just to grab a few jars of jam for family hampers they were creating.
Then again, if you have something big to offer (with the money or sponsorship behind you) a “Taste of Fife” festival allows you to showcase your menu while connecting with local people. This also provides the opportunity to get those all important social media tags, helping to spread the word about your offering. According to a report by Eventbrite, 79% of people would rather spend money on experiences than material items. By offering unique experiences, you attract more customers!
Email Marketing
Building an email list is an inexpensive way to keep customers informed about special offers, new products, and events. A study from Mailchimp found that email marketing has an average return on investment (ROI) of $42 for every dollar spent.
Send out regular newsletters with delicious visuals and enticing offers. Data you can capture from email marketing is really insightful and platforms like Mailchimp offer you analytics when you have an account. A quick note, the most recent data suggests that average open rates are still at around 30-40% but click-through-rates have diminished a fair bit. What content you share on your emails could make or break. Too many links away might put too many of your engaged audience off.
2. Local SEO to Attract Nearby Customers
In today’s digital world, being found online is essential. Local SEO is your secret weapon to ensure nearby customers can find you easily. Okay, so, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is an interesting one. It still holds heaps of value to optimise because it boosts customer experience. However, and very interestingly, with the advancements in artificial intelligence, the need to focus on SEO might become less and less necessary. This is provided you are offering your customers/site visitors with valuable content because the algorithms, google and bot crawlers will do the rest.
Optimise Your Google My Business (GMB) Listing
Claim and optimise your GMB listing with accurate information, appealing photos, and regular updates. This is super important for businesses with bricks and mortar. According to Moz, 56% of local retailers haven’t claimed their GMB listing, missing out on potential customers. Ensure you’re not one of them! Don’t forget to mention things like baby change (adding photos will keep you super sweet with mums and their babies), disabled access, food intolerances etc. One really frustrating thing for people with food intolerances is not knowing if a cafe, restaurant or bar has a decent range of gluten-free options for example. Expand your reach and gain the buy-in of people who are often isolated when they search on Google.
Local Keywords
Integrate local keywords into your website content. For example, instead of just “best coffee,” use “best coffee in Galashiels.” This helps improve your visibility in local searches. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords and create engaging content around them. Brings you up the search slots.
Customer Reviews
Encourage happy customers to leave reviews on Google and Yelp. A BrightLocal survey revealed that 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. A positive review can be the deciding factor for a customer choosing between you and your competitor. It will be interesting to see how advancements in artificial intelligence mean people won’t need to search through all the different reviews and gain your overview when artificial intelligence can do that for you now. You can see this on google search, amazon and even LinkedIn using AI as part of their premium membership helping people on their job searches.
3. Step-by-Step Guides for DIY Marketing
Sometimes, the best marketing strategies are the simplest ones. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you create a DIY marketing plan:
Step 1: Define Your Goals
What do you want to achieve? More customers, better online visibility, or increased social media engagement? Setting clear goals gives you direction. These can then feed into what your OKR’s and KPI’s are to help you track your progress.
Step 2: Identify Your Audience
Who are your customers? Are they students looking for a quick lunch or families wanting a night out? Understanding your audience will help tailor your marketing efforts. I have written a comprehensive blog on how to Identify Your Target Audience which can help you take these steps.
Step 3: Choose Your Channels
Select marketing channels that resonate with your audience. For example, younger customers may prefer Instagram, while older patrons may engage more on Facebook.
Step 4: Create Content
Develop content that reflects your brand’s personality. Share recipes, behind-the-scenes looks, or customer spotlights to build a connection with your audience. Maybe your head chef could be a brilliant person to showcase on your social media. Think about an influencer strategy too - micro to macro influencers could expand your reach and brand name significantly.
Step 5: Measure Success
Use analytics tools to track the performance of your marketing efforts. Understanding what works will help you refine your strategy.
Online Marketing Tracking Tools
Paid Features
Positives:
Advanced analytics and reporting (e.g., Google Analytics 360)
Comprehensive customer insights (e.g., HubSpot)
Dedicated support and training (e.g., SEMrush)
Negatives:
Cost can be high for small businesses
Complexity in setup and usage
Ongoing subscription fees
Unpaid Features
Positives:
Free basic analytics (e.g., Google Analytics)
No financial commitment
Community support and forums
Negatives:
Limited features compared to paid versions
Basic reporting may not provide deep insights
Ads may be present (e.g., free versions of tools)
Example Tools
Online Paid: Google Analytics 360, SEMrush, HubSpot
Online Unpaid: Google Analytics (free version), Facebook Insights
Offline Marketing Tracking Tools
Paid Features
Positives:
In-depth market research tools (e.g., Nielsen)
Professional data analysis and reporting
Customizable solutions for specific industries
Negatives:
High initial investment
May require training to interpret data correctly
Limited real-time tracking capabilities
Unpaid Features
Positives:
Basic tracking methods (e.g., customer surveys)
Community-based insights
No upfront costs
Negatives:
Data collection can be time-consuming
Less accurate and comprehensive than paid tools
Reliance on manual processes can lead to errors
Example Tools
Offline Paid: Nielsen, SurveyMonkey (premium)
Offline Unpaid: Google Forms, paper surveys
These lists provide a solid overview to help you choose the right marketing tracking tools that fit your budget, skillset, staff numbers and needs!
4. Social Media Tips to Drive Foot Traffic
Social media is a powerful tool to attract customers and being tactical in how you use these platforms can really support your business goals and spread the word about your restaurant or cafe. Here are some tips to make the most of it:
Engaging Content
Share mouth-watering photos of your dishes and drinks! Posts on platforms like Facebook which have images receive 94% more views than those without, according to BuzzSumo. Capture the essence of your offerings to entice customers. Both Facebook and Instagram definitely still favour video more than the others, and of course TikTok even more so. The figures on video length are still the same for social media platforms and trying to capture the audience in as short a time period as possible can be tricky so it’s worth practicing before you begin posting! The rules are slightly different for YouTube long form as if you capture the audience or the viewer has specific intent, longer form videos work very well.
Use Hashtags Wisely
Incorporate popular local hashtags in your posts, such as #EdinburghEats or #EdinburghFoodie. This helps you reach a broader audience looking for local dining options.
Run Promotions
Create social media-exclusive promotions to encourage visits. For example, offer a “buy one, get one free” deal for customers who mention your post. This not only boosts foot traffic but also encourages social sharing!
Connect with Your Community
Engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages promptly. Building a relationship with your customers fosters loyalty and encourages repeat visits.
Cutting through the noise on social media is tricky and the way the advertising auctions work, you can sometimes be out of pocket for not a lot of gain. For my bakery business I managed to mitigate this with simple ‘see me’ ads but the organic content was focussed on collaborations, tagging clients and nurturing conversation which meant I saw fantastic growth in the social platforms I had.
I can help build your marketing with you
As a local café, restaurant, or bar owner, you have the potential to create lasting connections with your community. By implementing affordable marketing strategies, optimising for local SEO, creating a DIY marketing plan, and harnessing the power of social media, you can elevate your business without stretching your budget.
Remember, you don’t have to navigate this journey alone! The Cheery Marketeery is here to support you with tailored marketing solutions that fit your needs. Let’s get together and make your business the go-to spot in your community! Cheers to your success!
I’m here to help!
I support so many small businesses, start-ups and charities with their marketing and I love it!
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