If you plan to run a coffee shop business, you should already be thinking of ways to market and promote your coffee before you even open it. Aggressive marketing will drive customers to your business in droves. Some cafes have attractive looking stores, they sell great tasting coffee, but they cannot fill their coffee shops even during peak hours. This is due to the lack of marketing promotions.

Do your homework before implementing a marketing plan. Study the demographics in your area and spy on your competitors. See what the community’s hippest coffee shops have to offer their customers. Now, think of a marketing promotion that can outbid your offer and make your coffee shop business more popular. You won’t get many customers to come to your store if you simply imitate others. Offer something better or different.

Even if it has to be original, there are still some basic promotional tricks that most cafes should have, like coffee mugs with your logo printed on them. Travel mugs are one of the most sought after items by coffee addicts. You can sell them in your store or give them away on special occasions like your store opening or the annual anniversary.

You should also have other standard promotional items such as shirts, key chains, glasses, and notepads. If you want your promotional items to show up more, offer things that people will actually wear on the go, such as golf jerseys, caps and visors, laptop bags, and backpacks. For the high-end market, you can sell CDs with a collection of music that you usually play in your store.

Another method of marketing your coffee shop business is to increase your visibility online. Create a website where you can post materials related to the coffee business. You can also post advertisements on your website for special offers and contests. Post your business details on your site, such as the cafe’s name, logo, location, and phone numbers. Add a page for suggestions, a forum, and a contact page.

Promote a special item on your menu weekly. The product can be a coffee drink. pastry or dessert. Advertise the promotion on your site. Make your promotion exciting and fun to encourage customers to come. You could have a contest like a coffee art contest where customers can create their own coffee art prizes. Post the details of the contest and the prizes on your website as well. Prizes can be inexpensive, such as a free cup of coffee, coupons, or a free t-shirt with your logo on it.

Offering credit cards for coffee is a good idea. It is convenient for both staff and customers. Instead of searching their wallets or purses for coins and bills, customers can simply use a prepaid credit card to purchase their coffee. It is very convenient for customers who buy coffee on a daily basis. Another advantage is that you can sell more coffee in advance.

Set one day of the week as Artist Week. Painters can hang out in their cafeteria to paint. This attracts curious customers to watch for at least half an hour or more. They ask while they watch. Let the artists sell their paintings to clients and you can even get a commission for that. It’s a great way to help artists, entertain clients, and make more profit. Do some research on what people in your community would be interested in and use them to promote your cafeteria business.