A few years back I pitched an idea to a cafe in Malta that’s situated in a very busy area booming with e-gaming companies and local businesses. The concept, ask people to subscribe to a daily email that sends them the varied specials of the day in order to wet the appetite and get the customers hooked.
We kept it simple for the first iteration taking into account that for the cafe owner to update this we had to look at minimizing the time spent away from the day to day running of the cafe.
It’s not a new approach, many establishments in London have implemented this e-marketing strategy and improved sales dramatically. Unfortunately the cafe owner in Malta was very reluctant to adopt this new approach and interact with the public.
When I read that workers in the Empire State Building twittered that they were craving ice cream, New York local chain Tasti D Lite was there to listen and meet their need, I started to really appreciate the potential this medium had to offer in terms of how listening can generate revenue for your business.
The more we start interacting with our clients in Malta the better exposure we have in our saturated market allowing us the advantage to increase clientele and reduce our advertising spend. With time the shift will happen but for now, the marketing culture is still hanging on to a one sided approach without truly understanding the customer’s need.
The message is simple:
- Don’t rely on your standard menu and offerings, be inventive, delight people with your ideas
- Offer ways for people to interact, encourage repeat business building up your community
- Target your clientele, keep them in the loop
- Listen for ways to promote your brand engage your customer base and expand your value
By interacting, encouraging and listening, your bricks and mortar business will prosper.
