A Guide On How To Market Your Tea Business

Are you planning to start your own tea business? If you’re wondering how to market your tea business, this guide will help you successfully attract customers to buy your products.

A Guide On How To Market Your Tea Business
Countries like Turkey, Ireland, and the UK drink more tea than the US

While tea remains the most consumed beverage in the world, second to water, it seems that it would take more time for tea to be popular in the US. Other countries like Turkey, Ireland, and the UK drink more tea than the US. 

However, don’t let this statistic discourage you as more and more people are shifting to tea for health reasons. The continued growth of the tea business in the country is proof of this shift.

But there are other players in the tea industry. So how can you keep up with your competitors? An excellent way is to market your teas effectively. 

The Tea Business In The US: Then Vs. Now

Tea was first seen in America’s history in 1647 when the Dutch governor Peter Stuyvesant and the Dutch East India Company brought tea to colonial America. The colonist brewed more than one million pots of tea per year in the early 1700s, a reason for the tea’s increase in popularity. Tea was a profitable business, especially when the cultivation of tea plants in South Carolina started, followed by the invention of iced tea and tea bags.

Analysis shows that the US tea market size has slowly increased with a record of $13.12 billion from 1990 to 2020. These numbers are expected to rise as the country’s economy recovers from the pandemic. Now is the right time to start or further strengthen your tea business.

New Trends In Tea Business

 

Whether launching or rebuilding your tea business, you must always be aware of the latest trends in the F&B (Food & Beverage) industry. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay traditional, it often leads to business losses. 

Listed below are five key trends in the tea industry that you should be aware of to boost your business:

More Coffee Lovers Want To Drink Tea

Have you ever wondered why nowadays, more and more cafes are putting tea on their menu? This is because coffee drinkers are gradually switching or trying tea. 

Coffee is the second most common non-alcoholic beverage, with over 150 million Americans drinking it. However, recent data shows that there are more than 159 million Americans who drink tea every day. 

Tea Drinkers Are Looking For Healthy Tea Options

woman-drinking her-cup-of-tea
Most drink tea to reduce caffeine intake, help with specific ailments, weight loss, and other health benefits. 

Tea became famous not just because of its flavors but its health benefits. Most drink tea to reduce caffeine intake, help with specific ailments, weight loss, and other health benefits. 

For example, if your customer is looking for a beverage to help them lose weight without too much caffeine, you can add several dieter’s teas to your menu.

Customers Want To Know What They Are Drinking

Remember that not all customers know what they are buying. Many customers now first wonder what ingredients are mixed in the tea, whether it’s organic, and what benefits are available before they buy the product. 

This trend helps to better introduce your product to consumers and a chance to be able to offer other teas in case the product they want does not match the benefit they want to get.

Drinkers Crave Wide Selection And Convenience

Customers will always look for high-quality products and services. But they don’t want to feel constricted when presented with limited options. 

This is why many tea products are available in different flavors and packaging. Some of these are ready-to-drink teas in cans, bottles, or packages, dried tea leaves in small tea bags, and powdered tea.

Customers Want To Shop Local

Shopping local is often seen as helping the community and supporting small businesses. Today, people don’t only buy because they want the product. They also buy to show they care for their local community.

As a seller, you are responsible for returning your local clientele’s trust by carefully reviewing every tea you sell. You must avoid misinformation at all costs, especially if customers seek advice for their health.

Marketing Your Tea Business

woman in blue shirt typing something in her laptop with a cup of tea and sunglasses besides her
How you market your product to customers is a critical aspect of achieving success in tea industry

The tea industry is a vast market. You’ll have to face old and new businesses with varying experience and resources. Because of this, how you market your product to customers is a critical aspect of achieving success. 

Here are the best tea marketing strategies that you can use:

Create A Solid Business Plan

To create a strong business plan means you must develop an effective managing style, strategy, and tactics to reach your goals. It’s the stage where you’ll have to do market research and get to know your target market, what’s in demand, and who your competitors are. You should also work on your finances and see how much you will need to spend on equipment, labor, and inventory.

Proper Tea Branding And Logo

Before building your brand and logo, look at your competitors and target market. You need to create a brand and logo that anyone can easily recognize. 

Avoid picking a logo that vaguely looks like another tea shop. Get one that’s easy to remember and connects well with your target market.

Sell The Experience More Than The Product

Selling focused solely on the purpose of selling the product is old-fashioned. Make it innovative and unforgettable. For example, in introducing different types of tea, add an experience where your customer can learn.

Invite them to special events where you can teach them how tea is grown, brewed, etc. 

Use A Sample Box

Create a sample size of your best tea products and send them to local businesses, offices, friends, and others to reach a broad audience. Treat your sample box as your product’s introduction, so they should impress everyone. Your samples should pave the way for customers to start buying your products.

Be Unique

To be unique means to have something your competitors don’t. Always be on the lookout for new flavors or find a supplier that can offer you exotic teas or rare tea leaves that you can experiment with to create new and limited-edition drinks that can only be found in your tea shop.

However, remember that it’s still important to make tea drinks that are palatable and appealing so your customers won’t be intimidated when they try these new teas.

Choose The Right Packaging

Your product packaging can attract or lose potential customers whether you sell online or in person. Choose eye-catching and interesting packaging to make your potential customers curious about your products and shop. 

Aesthetic packaging is also crucial as it can persuade buyers to share your products on their social media accounts, giving you free promotion.

Take Advantage Of Technology

This strategy is more than just taking photos, videos, or other modern advertisements. This includes promoting your products and campaigns through social media, opening SEO blogs and websites, using e-commerce platforms, and building email lists. Joining an online forum for tea enthusiasts also helps in reaching more audiences.

Other Strategies To Market Your Tea Business

  • Reward new and loyal customers with promos and discounts.
  • Use pay-per-click advertising for more brand exposure.
  • Launch a webinar to connect with your existing customers.
  • Create merchandise to sell or giveaway.
  • Join food fairs, networking events, exhibitions, and local events.
  • Try partnering with other F&B businesses to gain more customers.
  • Get sponsorship to promote your brand.

Author

  • Maria Caballero

    Writer and coffee lover, Maria Caballero, is fond of visiting new cafes and trying current trends involving caffeine. She shares amusing experiences to fellow coffee enthusiasts who wants to explore the world of coffee.