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Silk Espresso in Gresham, Ore., tries to take good care of its customers. Anyone who sets foot in the shop or visits its Web site can join Silk’s e-mail list, the Devotee Club, and those who decide to sign up receive monthly e-mails detailing the shop’s goings-on and offering worthwhile deals. “We make sure that the coupons attached to that monthly e-mail are really valuable,” says Leah McMahon, Silk Espresso’s owner. “We want the customer absolutely anticipating opening up their Devotee Club e-mail and going, ‘Wow, I love being a part of this.’” Devotee Club members also receive text messages three to five times a week with additional discount offers; McMahon says the e-mail/text combination caters to the café’s growing number of young, technologically savvy customers. “We wanted to see how we could capitalize on reaching our audience through the medium that is in front of them most often,” she says.

Employing technology such as e-mail marketing and texting is just one way retailers can market themselves. With pundits everywhere trumpeting the mantra that “times are tough,” coffee shop and teahouse owners must try harder than ever to establish a connection with their customers. Embracing “new marketing” via technology is a key move, but other tried-and-true marketing methods also can be employed to help give your business a boost.

CUSTOMER CONNECTION
Marketing is one of the broadest terms known to man, though at its simplest, it’s the process of communicating products and services to satisfy a potential customer base. With specialty coffee and tea shops, marketing methods include everything from the aforementioned technology-driven tools to customer service, in-store events and clear branding.

However, marketing is an uphill battle for independent retailers that lack the large staffs to perpetuate an all-out marketing assault. “Mom-and-pops just don’t have any time to do the things that a lot of consultants suggest that they do,” says David Schwartz, founder of SOS eMarketing. “What it comes down to is, what can they realistically do themselves when they have other priorities such as staffing issues, product supplies, credit and keeping the lights on?”

Most experts say the first rule of marketing is to know your customer. For independent retailers, where small shop sizes commonly lead to one-on-one interactions, knowing your customers often comes naturally. And because independent shops have the freedom to quickly enact policies, it can be easy to tweak your shop to meet the needs of your clientele. “You can offer something unique to your area that the chains can’t,” says Bruce Milletto of Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup. “They’ll be in committee for six months on any sort of a change at all, but you can change and turn on a dime.”

Of all the marketing-related policies a shop can enact, the most worthwhile place to start may be customer service, where employee behavior can directly affect whether or not a customer returns in the future. “The most important aspect of marketing today is customer interaction,” says Lon LaFlamme, marketing director of Dillanos Coffee Roasters. “Marketing is really all about what happens when they walk into your place.”

Chief ways that shops can offer superior customer service include memorizing customers’ names and drink orders, engaging customers in conversation and bidding them goodbye when they leave. Customers remember positive experiences and will often tell their friends about them, and that word-of-mouth buzz can draw more people to your place. Shops prosper from repeat business, and great customer service can help ensure that people come back. “It’s definitely important to build that relationship,” says Tim Langdon, national sales representative of Advanced Fabrication. “There are a lot of people that come to cafés because they’ve developed a friendship with the baristas behind the counter.”

INEXPENSIVE YET EFFECTIVE
Forming these direct relationships with customers is not only vital, but it’s possible for you to accomplish it by using inexpensive tactics. One popular way to lure customers is holding regular events. Concerts and art openings are easy to put on and cost little to nothing. And small shops needn’t be excluded, as hosting music or art in cozy confines can lend an “intimate” feel. For larger cafés, another popular weekly event is salsa dancing. “You want to try different avenues of bringing in new customers so they can try the coffee and come back as a repeat customer base,” Langdon says.

Coffee cuppings and tea tastings are other common ways to attract customers. Shops can choose a specific growing region each month and taste coffee or tea exclusively from there, with customers who attend these tastings receiving a coupon for that beverage. Sampling is another way to draw people to your offerings and also can be presented with coupon tie-ins. Education is a vital part of the specialty coffee and tea industry, and customers will treasure your shop even more if they feel you’re committed to teaching them. “You want to become their coffee expert,” says Milletto of Bellissimo. “If you’re a high-quality coffeehouse committed to educating your clientele about coffee, the more likely they’ll be to make you the expert.”

Another inexpensive opportunity for independent retailers is cross-marketing with other businesses. Beth Johnston, founder of Teas Etc., suggests finding like-minded companies and partnering with them to co-sponsor events. “Maybe there’s a yoga shop that would have like-minded people. … There may be a way to fuse that like-mindedness to put on a more successful event,” she says. Milletto says a cross-promotional effort with another local business can help you reach more people interested in supporting independents. “You should promote your operation first as being local, then establish symbiotic relationships that benefit another business as well as yours,” he says. “Look for who you can promote who will also promote you.” At Silk Espresso, McMahon uses her Devotee Club newsletter to regularly promote partner businesses such as Portland Roasting, Torani and Bella Cupcake. “We wanted to make sure that we’re bringing people along with us, and as we grow, that they’re getting recognition for how they’ve helped make us better,” she says.

Also vital to your marketing is possessing a clear brand identity. Have a neatly designed logo that explains your company—for example, a coffeehouse’s logo may want to incorporate a mug or beans. “The logo is extremely important,” says Oksana Fisenko of Alex & Associates. “It must explain what products you’re selling. Make sure it’s meaningful.” At O-Cha Tea Bar in Greenville, S.C., owner Mallie Majarais makes sure the company’s “O” logo is everywhere. “We have it at eye height on both doors when you walk in, and we have a big logo on our middle window as well,” she says. “I didn’t want our logo just to be our sign, so I put it on a lot of different things.”

Once you have a clear logo, use it everywhere—your sign, your Web site, your merchandise and more. The more people see your logo, the more likely they’ll be to remember your business. “Branding plays a huge part in customers remembering who you are, what you do and what you stand for,” says Langdon of Advanced Fabrication. And having consistent representation of your brand will help drive home the message, as McMahon practices at Silk Espresso. “The logo was probably the first thing that we did,” she says. “And throughout everything—from our Web site to the stamps on our cups to our T-shirts and aprons—the branding is really consistent.”

NEW BUSINESS A CLICK AWAY
When it comes to employing technology in marketing, the obvious starting point is a Web site. “Every coffee business should have a Web site,” Milletto says. “That’s such a no-brainer.” Having a Web site gives a coffee shop or teahouse an opportunity to promote its menu and specials, post its hours and location, list entertainment and events, and give prospective customers a feel for the business. “It’s a great way to give somebody a sense of the environment before they even get there,” says Johnston of Teas Etc. “It’s an opportunity for the business owner to give them something to look forward to.” And by using inexpensive programs like Google Ad Words, your shop will come up sooner in search results when potential customers search for coffee or tea in your town. More than anything, Johnston says, a Web site legitimizes your company. “It really lends credibility,” she says. “When you’re competing against larger chains, there’s even more reason to establish that credibility.”

Blogs are another effective marketing tool for a shop, either in addition to a Web site or as a standalone tool. Shops can use blogs to connect with customers about news related to the shop, coffee happenings or anything else. “The purpose of the blog is not to sell them anything,” says LaFlamme. “It’s to form a relationship with the customer.” Schwartz of SOS eMarketing says the businesses that are most successful now are ones that have taken the time to build community. “Blogging is probably the most important thing that you can do to build your business because a retail store or coffeehouse is all about community,” he says. “Coffeehouses that are doing well are the ones that have a sense of community.”

Other relatively new Web tools that help build community are Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook, shops can create either individual pages or “fan pages,” through which customers can receive updates. With Twitter, a company can post updates about menu specials or live entertainment, among other things. Majarais, who uses both technologies at O-Cha Tea Bar, says Facebook has been the more effective tool. “We have a fan page on Facebook that has quite a few people on there,” she says. “I send out special promos on there for fans.” Another option is Barista Exchange, a Facebook-like networking site specific to specialty coffee in which a shop can create either a personal page or a company page that can act as its company blog, photo-sharing forum and more. “It’s also a great place for shop owners to communicate with other shop owners to discuss marketing strategies that have been successful for others,” says Matt Milletto, the site’s creator. “There are always discussions about promotions, signature drinks and countless other topics for new and existing retailers.”

Another dependable strategy is e-mail newsletters, such as Silk’s Devotee Club, where you can update customers on shop happenings and offer them specials. Though the temptation may be strong to send an e-mail every week or even every day, most experts advise either an every-other-week or monthly policy. “I would say bi-weekly, once with a newsletter and once with a special, is a good way of keeping in contact with your customers and your clients,” says Langdon.

Lastly, in order to spread the word about everything your business is doing, you must reach out to media outlets via press releases. Not every event you host at your shop may be worthy of a press release, but Johnston of Teas Etc. says selecting special events and tying them to a news hook is an effective way of attracting media coverage. “You need to determine if the topic is timely and relevant overall,” she says. “For example, if green tea’s in the news again for its health benefits, send out a press release for a green-tea tasting at your business.” In addition to making your PR newsworthy, Johnston stresses that it should be written clearly and concisely, with short paragraphs, preferred font styles (such as Times New Roman) and, of course, no spelling errors.

MAKE TIME FOR MARKETING
Marketing has always been a crucial spoke in a company’s wheel, but the current financial state of the world makes it even more vital. Reaching out to the people who support your business through modern marketing tools is one of the wisest moves you can make. “We have to really listen to our customers right now in this economy,” says LaFlamme of Dillanos. “And we need to use today’s new tools to create a meaningful relationship with them that isn’t sales-driven.” Though spare time is not in abundance for independents, it’s worth it to make time for marketing. “Everyone’s big thing with marketing is I don’t have time,” says Johnston. “But you don’t really have time not to. In an economic downturn, this is the time to crank it up, not reduce it.”

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