7 Marketing Tips to Help You Launch or Expand Your Food Business
Marketing your food business effectively is essential for your success. Whether you are running a food truck, a catering business, or a home bakery, you need a marketing plan to help you reach customers in your area.
This goes for businesses that have their own commercial kitchens and those that use ghost kitchens instead. Ghost kitchens are a way to use a commercial kitchen while you are growing your business without the added expense of leasing a building and having your own commercial space. You can find ghost kitchens in Orlando, Austin, and many other major cities. As part of an overall growth strategy, businesses that use great marketing and eco-friendly options like ghost kitchens, have more opportunities to grow. Here are some marketing tips for your food business.
Create a Google My Business Listing
You’ll want to create a local listing for your food business. Put information about where you are located and how to contact you on your Google listing. This is the most important way to help you get found in your local area. You can link to your website, ordering page, or more information about what food products you sell. It’s 100% free to create a Google My Business listing and it helps your SEO in your area.
Create a Facebook Page
A Facebook page is a free way to connect your business and build a community and following online. Many of your customers are on Facebook, so it’s important to create an online presence there, too. You can post photos of your food and business, share news about specials and events, or even use Facebook ads to target customers. You can increase engagement with behind-the-scenes videos and so much more. Plus, it’s easy to post directly to Instagram and Facebook at the same time. This can cut down on the time you spend on social media significantly.
Connect With Other Food Businesses on Social Media
Do you make cookies, but you happen to know a business that makes sandwiches? Why not collaborate? Share content with other food businesses and be helpful, not just self-promotional. Look for opportunities to add value to them and seek to build a real business relationship, rather than just pushing your products or services at them.
Pick just a couple of social media channels and stay active on them. Whether it’s twice a week or once a day, use a cadence that makes sense for you and your business.
Consider Paid Advertising Options
Paid advertising is always a great way to reach new customers. You want to be easily searchable, which is where a Google My Business listing can also come in handy. When someone searches for custom cookies near me, you want to be on that list. Creating social media ads is also effective if you get the targeting just right. Paid ads are available on a wide range of platforms, including social media sites, search engines, and local directories. You’ll also want to consider connecting with your local Chamber of Commerce to see if they have any advertising options in their network.
Engage in Local Events and Markets
Being visible in the community is one of the best ways to market your food business. The more people recognize you and your brand, the better. Whether you are getting a food truck rolling or you want to share your sweet desserts with the world, be present at local events and markets. You may also use flyer distribution services to accelerate your business reach. They may use brand ambassadors who’ll catch people on the go. You can even use the service to ask for feedback about new dishes you are offering and use this information to refine your food products.
Help Customers Talk About You
Social media is a great way to connect with customers, but it’s also an excellent tool for collecting feedback. You can use social media to ask customers for reviews and ratings, or you can simply encourage them to share their experiences. Using feedback effectively helps new potential clients trust that you’re going to provide a great service because they can see that you’ve done it before. Use a hashtag that’s unique to your business, run contests, and encourage others to invite new followers to your pages and accounts.
Use Email Marketing to Increase Sales
Email marketing is a great way to get people back to your website. If you’re looking for ways to increase sales and repeat business, email marketing is the way to go. It’s also an effective way of building customer loyalty, brand awareness, and driving traffic to your website to boost SEO. Many people skip email because they don’t realize what a great tool it is for building a food business. Offer coupons and specials, send news about where to find you if you are a mobile food business, and more.
