We all know how it feels to run a café: your barista has just canceled their shift, milk is running late and the grinder stopped working. You’ve also run out of cups holders.

Great.

Is it getting easier? Nope. You’re wondering how to get in on the action at that cafe down by. Here are some cafe marketing ideas that can help you connect with customers, increase your value, and grow your audience.

1. Tell your story.

We love coffee but we love people even more. Your customers are no different. Your story will set you apart from your competition. Although they may stock the same product, their story will never be the exact same as yours.

This is an area where you can be very effective with your cafe marketing strategy. You do not have to give a speech or stand at the counter to shout it to customers. Simply posting on social media will suffice. You can talk about your unique cafe, such as team members, inside stories, personal experiences, or embarrassing mistakes you’ve made.

2. List your business in Google and Bing.

Are you looking for a specific product or service to purchase? Google the product or service. Search engines are a major source of information for us. Google actually processes around 63,00 search queries every second.

Google is not the only search engine. Bing is popular with older demographics and receives about 1 billion monthly visits. It’s worth creating a profile, especially since it’s completely free! These are some of the most unique marketing ideas we’ve seen for cafe owners. Create a profile to make it easier for customers to find you.

3. Take your social media to the next level.

Social media profiles are often referred to as “quick-access” websites, particularly in the hospitality industry. Most people will visit your social media profile to quickly get an idea of who you are. These tips will help you to improve your social media marketing for your cafe. But don’t forget to add your voice and personality make it you.

Update Your Bio

You must ensure that your bio is as accurate as possible. We recommend that you include the following information in your bio:

1. Cafe name
2. Operating hours and days
3. Tagline
4. The link will take you to your preferred website or ordering platform
5. Address

You can try out different bios on your phone’s notepad. Last but not least, set up all of your business information publicly on Instagram. You can then display your business category, contact information and action buttons like ‘book now.’ This step will be easier if you have already set up your profile on Google or Bing.

Always post good content.

This is a point that we cannot emphasize enough. Spam is posting consistently poor content. You won’t get along with your audience if you do this.

Instagram is often used by people to look at a café before giving the coffee a try. First impressions are a huge factor in purchasing decisions. Consider what you want your audience to see and avoid posting the same thing too often. Schedule posts using a Meta Business Account. Use free tools such as UNUM for grid design.

Play around with stories, reels, and TikTok.

Do something different to make your cafe stand out. Ask your manager or a trusted member of staff to log in to your social media accounts and post updates about what’s happening at the cafe. Stories are an easy way to consume information and have become a popular method of interacting with brands. 58% of users said they were more interested in a company after viewing a story. It’s well worth the effort to post a new one occasionally.

According to Meta video is responsible for nearly half of all time spent on Facebook and Instagram. Short-form videos can be a fun, cheap and easy way to capture an audience and promote your brand.

Share your location on Social Media.

Be strategic in your social media marketing for cafes. Social media platforms, particularly Instagram, have become their own search engines, and are especially useful for cafe-goers. Instagram’s explore feature is very sophisticated. Include your suburb when posting on Instagram in order to reach local audiences. You can include this in your caption, bio or hashtags.

Display your best side every day.

It’s so easy to look good on social media. It’s not necessary to spend a fortune on a professional shoot in order to promote your product. You can create marketing materials for your cafe using free resources like Canva. Phone cameras are improving and you can design flyers, posters and other digital assets with free tools. You should know that curated images still have their place. If you are interested, please give us a ring and we will be happy to help.

Create a QR code link to your socials.

You can make it easier for customers to find your cafe on social media. It will only cost you a little more than a coffee — you just need a laminator and a printer. How do I create the QR code, though? You can generate a QR code by copying and pasting a link to your favorite social media platform in this generator.

4. Organise events and network with local businesses.

Cafe owners can also take advantage of other traditional marketing methods.

Renting out your space can be a great way for you to increase your audience while earning some extra cash. Advertise your space to local businesses, artists and groups. Offer small businesses space to sell their goods in your store. Facebook groups, like local neighbourhood groups, are a great way to spread the word about your brand and reach new people. Join the groups and share relevant updates. Do not spam!

5. Customers can get special offers.

As our economy continues to feel the effects of recent years, and as inflation begins to kick in, loyalty cards and other offers are becoming more important. Customers are feeling the effects of inflation, as well. Rewarding loyalty is a great way to reward them. Offer coffee discounts to customers with loyalty cards during quiet periods.

Also, we recommend giving discounts to local professionals such as teachers and service workers. It is an excellent way to expand your audience and help your local community if you can afford it.

6. Try out different ads.

If you’re a cafe owner, social media advertising is a great way to reach out to customers. But if your budget is limited, you may find that your ads get lost amongst the noise. Think carefully before incorporating them into your marketing plan. Consider investing in a signboard instead of traditional advertising.

Also, we recommend printing and distributing pamphlets to local businesses or schools. Ads on Google Maps, Waze or your local newspaper are cheaper ways to reach a local audience.

Caffeine & Connection

After you’ve mastered your strategy and have your team work through it, set monthly goals, and review the results. It is important to keep up with changes in the marketing of your cafe. If you find that something doesn’t work, then give it a month or two.

There are many marketing opportunities available for café owners, but only if you put the work in.