Coffee Shop Marketing Mix: Get It Right And Earn More Money

Creating a coffee shop marketing mix will help today’s coffee shops stay competitive, even in a market crowded by big-name chain shops.

The World Wide Web can help coffee shops stay competitive. Good online marketing that is properly optimized can help drive more customers to a coffee shop while also allowing the coffee shop to sell effectively online.

Yet making this work requires understanding a coffee shop marketing mix and how to optimize it for your particular type of business.

The coffee shop market is filled with competition. Big-name stores and local shops all try to compete for the same customers. Having a marketing mix in play, and reviewing it regularly, will help you drive enough traffic to your business for success.

Here is a closer look at that marketing mix and how it impacts a coffee shop’s online and offline success.

The 4 Elements Of Coffee Shop Marketing Mix

A marketing mix is a marketing plan or strategy that pulls together social media marketing, pricing strategies, word-of-mouth marketing, and other marketing tactics to build customer loyalty and ensure more new customers come through the door of the coffee shop.

It is a multifaceted marketing business plan that focuses on both the customer experience and the right marketing tools.

A coffee shop marketing mix has four main components: product, price, promotion, and place. When each one of these works together, you will be able to attract new customers and develop loyalty with your existing ones.

1. Product

The foundation of your marketing plan is the product you are selling. A high-quality latte or cappuccino is at the heart of what you do. Your menu offerings should be quality products that people want to buy and consume.

Keep in mind that you may add a new product to your menu. Any menu item your coffee house sells should be part of your marketing strategy, and the launch of a new item should be a critical part. Consider how Starbucks advertises a new drink heavily when it launches, and try to replicate this type of emphasis.

2. Price

Are you a high-end coffee house or a family-run coffee shop? The price of your espresso or mocha will likely dictate the answer to this question. 

Once you set your pricing strategy, you can use it to determine your marketing strategy and target market.

3. Promotion

Pricing strategy will lead to your promotions. Coffee shop owners who want a competitive advantage should run sales from time to time, and this should be part of your plan for pricing your coffee products.

Promotional strategies can vary but should be used regularly to entice people to your business. Your promotions can also be fuel for your marketing communication with your target market.

4. Place

Where will you set up your coffee shop? The place is not as simple as finding a location that fits your budget. You must consider your customer base and their needs, where they spend time when they might want a cup of coffee, and how much competition is nearby. 

Remember, there is only so much coffee a particular community will buy. If you can choose a place with less competition but high demand, you will sell more. Keep in mind that online sales of coffee products, like beans and coffee mugs, can be part of your place as a coffee company.

Distribution Channels For Your Coffee Shop Marketing Mix 

Once you have your product, price, promotion, and place set, you are ready to start putting together marketing channels to use in your marketing mix. Here are some of the distribution channels to consider as you work to get the word out about your shop’s offerings.

1. Search Engine Optimization

Make a website, then optimize that website to reach the search engines. SEO drives traffic to your site and helps people discover you when they search for coffee shops online. 

When crafting an SEO strategy, make sure you target local search terms. This will help you drive local customers to your coffee shop business.

2. Email Marketing

Whenever you interact with a customer, find a way to get an email address. Then use that email address to send your promotional messages when you have a new product or sale to offer. 

Email marketing is a fast ad affordable way to keep your coffee shop at the forefront of your customer’s mind. By adding it to your marketing mix, you can increase your overall visibility.

3. Direct Mail Flyers

Send coupons and ads about your coffee shop directly to people who live in your target market. If you include a coupon or offer, you can easily measure the success of this arm of your advertising campaign. 

You can integrate your online marketing with your direct mail if you include QR codes or website links on the advertisements you mail. 

4. Social Media Marketing

People spend hours every day on social media, and you want them to see and engage with your small business when they do. Create a social media marketing plan that includes paid ads and unpaid posts that reach people organically when they spend time on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. 

Take pictures of your coffee creation and post them to your Facebook and Instagram feeds for your business. Encourage customers to tag their selfies with your location’s page when they visit your shop or purchase online. Use social media ads to draw more targeted traffic to your pages and your coffee shop or its products.

5. Deals Marketing

If you have a sales promotion, consider using sites like Groupon or Living Social to get people aware of it. This particular arm of your marketing mix targets younger people and professionals. 

However, you do need to use caution with this particular option. You need to maintain the right brand image of your coffee shop, not brand it as a discount option, even while using deals to draw in new customers. 

6. Word-Of-Mouth Marketing

Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most powerful tools in your coffee shop marketing mix because people trust their friends when it comes to finding a great cup of coffee. To use this tool, you must get people to talk about your coffee shop.

Offer incentives for social media posts, such as contests for hashtags on images, and give them a reason to come back to your shop and tell their friends about it.

A loyal customer reward program can be a key component of word-of-mouth marketing, Allow people to earn points for purchases, then offer rewards like branded wearable merchandise. If you have a great product and give them a trendy t-shirt to wear, they will become a walking billboard for your coffee shop. 

A Final Word On Coffee Shop Marketing Mix

Marketing your coffee shop requires a mixture of different marketing techniques. From online to offline, putting these together expertly will drive new business to your shop.

Remember, a coffee shop marketing mix needs to consider your target customer’s needs, providing them with promotions that meet those needs. By creating a robust mix of marketing channels, you will be able to sell your coffee effectively.

Want more marketing advice? Check out our guide to finding a coffee shop logo.

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