The world is forever changing and standing out in a market that’s louder, faster and where customers are more discerning can be harder than ever. Follow these tips to re-think your approach and attract new customers to your business every day.
Change the status quo
A killer business idea starts by recognising a problem and finding a solution, but changing the status quo takes a concept to the next level by completely altering the way we do things. It’s one of the hardest things to do, but pays off when it’s done well – consider CD stores (iTunes), libraries (Google), DVD rentals (Netflix), department stores (eBay), and restaurants (UberEats). What could you be doing to change the status quo in your industry?
Content marketing and SEO
The best efforts in building a brand takes a combination of direct advertising and inbound methods – content marketing and SEO. While advertising continues to be at core of selling a brand, customers research everything online so companies have shifted the way they reach their markets.
In the past, content was the articles in newspapers or stories in magazines. Today it’s the copy on your website, blog posts, articles, videos, social and ebooks; anything your viewers read, download or watch.
Posting relevant and reliable content will boost your search engine ranking (SEO) and let customers find you more easily online. So it’s critical to ingrain content marketing into your SEO strategy to attract new customers.
Content marketing shouldn’t be centered on advertising your business – it’s about conveying valuable information to your target market to build trust and credibility which eventually creates longstanding customers. This could be cooking hacks or expert tips from the chef, inside vision or little-known facts behind a brand.
Build an online community
Although a shift online certainly isn’t new, a strategic approach combining in-store (or in-restaurant) and digital is. Consumer trends are seeing more bookings resulting directly from a combination of customers interacting at a digital level and coming into the establishment. So creating a consistent and high-level dining experience that integrates a digital is a must. A few tips to reach customers through Instagram when it comes to hospitality: launch new foods or signature beverages, post Instagram videos straight from the kitchen and create limited menu items which stand out on screens.
Many brands on Instagram include a link in their bio that allows followers to purchase items in their Instagram feed, so spending is inextricably linked to the platform and will attract more consumers to come in. If you have a service-based business, do you sell anything in addition to complement your brand?
