There is no denying that we have all been through a lot over the past year. Small business owners have been navigating a constantly changing landscape of regulations, customer sentiment, and the convergence of the two.
Still, things are beginning to look up with spring’s arrival in colder climates and the light at the end of the tunnel with the pandemic. Keep reading for ideas to freshen up your marketing with some of the marketing trends of 2021.
Look Forward
It is time to look ahead; people are beginning to feel some optimism about an eventual return to normal, and they want to hear how your business will be part of that. When your customers are ready to come back to indoor dining, or they’re ready to have a beer on your patio, let them know that you’ll be there and what you’ll be doing to keep them safe.
Tell Your Story
Use your experiences as you get ready for spring as content across your online and social media channels. Build excitement around new, updated custom merchandise. Order new branded merchandise to entice customers new and old who haven’t been in to see you, or anyone, in a while. Customize limited edition stoneware steins or mugs to reflect a new spring beer or coffee loyalty club membership.
Focus on Your Current Customers
You’ve undoubtedly heard that it costs more to acquire new customers than it does to retain current customers, but that’s not the only reason you should focus most of your marketing budget and attention on your existing customers.
Current customers are the best brand ambassadors a small business can have. They wear your custom merchandise, they post on social media while enjoying a beverage in your branded mug, and they tell their friends and neighbors about your business.
Thank Your Loyal Customers
Use your current customer list to reach out and thank those loyal patrons who have seen you through this past year. Celebrate their birthdays with a free pint or latte. Reach out on the anniversary of the date they joined your loyalty club with a thank you and maybe a special offer.
Create Exclusivity
Make sure members of your loyalty clubs feel like they’re part of something special. Use custom branded merchandise to facilitate exclusivity. Invite loyal customers to the grand opening of your newly spiffed-up patio. Commission a new beer stein that riffs on your logo and form a new loyalty club if you don’t have one already. Offer a complimentary beverage with the purchase and use your social media to hype it.
Stay Connected in a New Way
Marketing in 2021 means reaching out to customers across all social media platforms. People are spending more time than ever refreshing their social media feeds and watching online content. You don’t have to invest in professional equipment or produce slick videos to go live or push video content to your followers.
Think about doing short videos to introduce new products or to unveil fresh custom merchandise. Go live to give a tour of your updated taproom or show off a new menu item or introduce new staff members.
Pay Attention to Reviews
Like it or not, customers who haven’t been to your brewpub or coffee shop are probably going to take reviews into account when they decide whether to visit. Pay attention to reviews and take the time to respond to customers who leave negative reviews.
Make Sure People Can Find You
Take the time to make sure people who haven’t visited your business before can find you when they’re looking for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. Pay attention to how your business is listed on Google, Facebook, and other sites. If customers search for coffee near me, make sure they will see you.
Incorporate Branded Merchandise
Branded merchandise deserves a spot in your marketing plan in 2021. Customers have a pent-up desire to be a part of a community again. When they find that community at your brewery or when they grab a coffee every morning at your shop, they’ll be more than happy to show off their loyalty if the custom merchandise looks good.
Incorporate branded merchandise that makes sense for your business, like stoneware coffee mugs or beer steins, attractive, branded apparel, and more.
Work with Grey Fox Pottery to get unique, quality branded stoneware mugs and steins that will last a lifetime. Our unique ceramic scrimshaw process means your logo will be rendered in clay on an amazing 3D relief medallion that’s a permanent part of the stoneware mug which will outlast cheaper alternatives. Take a look or get in touch with our artists to learn more about seeing your brand in stoneware today.