Twitter - the only start up cost is time

Indpendents can be on the same playing field as "big guys", thanks to Twitter. This recent article in Ad Age highlights 5 tips for local businesses looking to use Twitter.
Tweet away my friends.
http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=136662

Part of your marketing mix should include community outreach

In addition to social media, face-to-face marketing should still be part of new client acquisition. Here are some ideas to leverage National Bike Month (every May) for businesses that target fitness-friendly consumers.

1. Work with your local police department on bicycle safety. Invite the department to host a workshop for families at your business. Pre-promote via your Face book page, e-mail database, in-store, through your community newspaper, etc.



2. Co-partner wtih a local bicycle shop and bicycle associations on celebrating the month. Offer customers of the bike shop and members of the organization a discount at your place of business for the entire month.



3. Co-partner with a local bike shop to give away a bicycle at your business. Have customers register all month long and do a random drawing to award one person. Ask the bike shop to put posters up in-store and e-mail their database to promote the drawing at your business.
   

Overall, make it month of fun and fitness if it makes sense for your brand.

Cannibalization or Smart Marketing

Yesterday, I was doing my thing, uncovering customer insights for a national food franchise. And I was visiting with a regular guest. And when I say regular, I mean super regular. He dines 5 times a week, 2 times a day at this franchise location. With a ticket average of $8.10 he spends approximately $80 a week, or $324 a month, at this fast-casual concept. Needless to say, he is a gem!
I noticed that he had a frequency card in his hand. I asked about it and he said that he received the card from the employees. It was actually a frequency card for students designed to encourage students from the local university to dine at various restaurants. So the staff decided to hand them out to regulars vs. handing them out to students. And it was a killer offer...50% off. Back to the regular customer. So for the next 6 months, this guy will spend a total of $972 with the restaurant vs. $1,944. And the kicker...he said he would still go two times a day whether he had a coupon or not.
I am all for rewarding frequent guests. For a guy that comes in that often, the owner should buy his lunch every once in a while. But is the relationship with the customer worth it? With food, paper and labor at 50%, and a 50% reduction in price, there is not profit, and no loss on this deal.

What do you think...cannibalization or smart marketing?

5 Marketing Myths Worth Testing

Thank you American Express Open Forum for providing another insightful article to make us all think.

http://blogs.openforum.com/2009/04/15/5-marketing-myths-worth-testing/?campaignid=OF2_ola_sb

Connect with Customers in April

Ignite your imagination this month. Here are some ideas to consider for implementation.

April is International Customer Loyalty Month. Consider the following tactics:

• Honor your customers hosting specials this month and communicate this through Twitter, Constant Contact or your company Face Book page.
• Personally get to know customers. Ask them, "would you like to see us doing.?" Be prepared to act on some of the suggestions to your customers know you are listening. Don't be afraid to personally call or talk with your customers. Their insights are invaluable.
• Host a customer appreciation week with added value offers and special promotions

April is Physical Awareness Month.

• Implement a cross promotion with a gym, fitness center or yoga studio. Create a card or flyer with menu items that are healthful and ask the gym to give them to members. Include a special offer just for their gym - members can show their membership card and receive this special offer during April only.
• In return, allow the fitness center to have cards or flyers at your restaurant or business.
• Team up with a nutritionist - have your chef and nutritionist offer a healthful cooking class one night at your restaurant.

April is Stress Awareness Month.

• Have fun with this one. Relieve stress at (insert your restaurant here). Attend a stress free happy hour. Promote your happy hour events in house, Twitter it, put it on your Face Book page, and send out to your database and ask them to forward it to their friends.

Have fun this month. And we'll keep the ideas coming.

Chicago Hot Spot is all a buzz

Building buzz -- that's the name of the game. Whether you are opening a new spot, celebrating your restaurant's anniversary or in need of inspiration, check out the Q & A with Chicago's Billy Dec.

http://http://www.rimag.com/article/CA6645155.html

Focus on Devoted Customers

In blogs, articles and podcasts, we (at Spinning Plate) talk a lot about current, loyal customers and the assortment of tactics to get this group to talk about you, visit more, spend more, and elevate the way they think about your restaurant and how it applies to their lives. And what’s interesting is we continue to get requests for concepting strategies and tactics targeting new users. We’ve never met a prospect that asked, “Could you help us increase the relationship we have with current guests?”

Please understand….getting new clients is absolutely a vital component to increasing the baseline number of customers. But we hope you consider loyalty programs, calendar marketing, and value-based programs after absorbing the following numbers.

This appeared in the American Express Briefing publication on line:

“Our research confirms the importance of repeat customers to tableservice restaurants – in family dining, they account for 75% of sales; in fine dining for 60% of sales.”
You read that right…in family dining loyal customers account for 75% of sales! That’s huge!

Here are 6 simple ideas for reaching out the people who already love you.

Thank them for their business. Literally. If you see them on a regular basis, go over to their table, ask if you could sit for a minute while they are waiting for their food and talk with them for a few minutes. It makes a guest feel so good when a manager or owner acknowledges them. And it will make them feel especially good to know that you notice.

Send a handwritten thank you note. When’s the last time you personally received a handwritten note from a retailer? Exactly.

Give them a free entrée certificate to use at a later date. Let them know you’ll buy one entrée when they bring a friend or two in to eat with them.

Offer them something special – something that is not available to the general public. Through your monthly e-mail or newsletter program, offer this loyal group a buy-one-get-one free entrée on a slower night.

Offer a loyalty program – but on a limited basis only. And for a limited time only. Give out a loyalty card (whether it’s points or a frequency card) to certain loyal guests. Maybe you limit it to 50 people. But keep it at the restaurant for them so they don’t have to give it you each time they’re in. For example, if they bring a client to lunch, they automatically get rewarded. They don’t have to whip out a card in front of their client.

If they are an A-lister (meaning if they come in at least twice a week) pick up their lunch or dinner. You only need to do this once a year. For the cost of a new customer, this authentic, generous gesture will go a long, long way.

Take care of those who have taken care of you.