Social Media Guide for Coffee Shops

As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, more businesses and brands than ever before are changing the way they engage with and reach out to their customers.

Today, it’s common practice for businesses to communicate with their target market using social media. From Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and Snapchat, social platforms are an effective way to connect with your customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

And, with more people than ever before using social media to catch up with friends, share memories, and engage with their favourite brands, it certainly pays for businesses to be in tune with the latest social media trends.

With this in mind, important to have a sound social media presence for your coffee shop. If you’re looking to buy a coffee shop, then the business should already have established social media profiles, however, we often find there is room for improvement. We’ve created a helpful guide outlining some of the ways you can use the power of social media to communicate with your customers, attract new business, and raise awareness of your brand whilst promoting your products and services.

Which Social Media Platforms Should You Use?

Social media encompasses a variety of different platforms, all offering their own distinguishable features and benefits.

However, Instagram and Twitter are widely considered to be the most effective social media platforms for businesses. If you own a coffee shop, you should definitely have Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts.

Twitter is one of the most popular social media channels in the world of business. Your posts should not only be engaging and relevant, but they should also be professional and concise. On the other hand, Instagram is a photo-sharing application that allows users to share visual content such as videos and pictures.

Both provide the perfect opportunity to share interesting, relevant, and engaging content, helping you to maximise exposure and raise awareness of your brand. When it comes to populating your pages, you must think carefully about the type of content you share as this can have a huge impact on your reputation.

It’s equally important that you keep your pages regularly updated with content that your customers will want to engage with. Many coffee shop businesses use their social media accounts to share menu information, positive customer reviews, and images.

Creating an Account and What You Should Post

Social media is an integral component of any online marketing strategy.

And the good news is, it’s super easy to set up social media business profiles! First thing’s first, create a new email to register all of your social media channels. This will help you to manage your accounts more easily and it should also make things easier if you decide to hire someone to manage your accounts further down the line. Oh, and if multiple contributors will be managing your accounts, it’s a good idea to set up a style guide, so that you can finely tune a consistent tone of voice.

Setting up your business pages involves following simple, easy to follow steps. Each platform will guide you through the process and you’ll be up and running before you know it.

When it comes to posting on your platforms, you should remember that it’s a matter of quality rather than quantity. Over populating your pages with uninteresting and irrelevant content can cause your audience to disengage with your brand.

Instead, you should focus on sharing relevant content that will resonate with your target market. Start by creating a social media strategy outlining what you want to achieve, who you want to engage with, and the type of content you want to share.

Above all, the content and messages you share should reflect your brand identity and ethos. Think about your philosophy and how you want to be seen. For example, if you’re targeting young people, share content that they will relate to, in a tone of voice that they will engage with.

Remember, when used effectively, social media is a powerful communication tool however, if you fail to use it appropriately, it can actually damage your reputation.

Create a Hashtag for Your Coffee Shop

If you’re using Twitter, why not create a hashtag for your coffee shop and encourage your customers to use it when posting content about your brand?

Incorporating a hashtag into your social media strategy is a great way to improve brand awareness, optimise exposure, and encourage your customers to join the conversation.

Alternatively, you can also view the latest trending hashtags on your social media platform and pick one that is related to your product or service. This will help you to gain visibility, join high traffic discussions, and connect with more people.

If a hashtag is easy to remember, users are more likely to include it in their posts. This, in turn, helps to maximise exposure opportunities as the post can be shared and viewed on a wider scale.

Tips on Getting Started

Social media platforms present an incredible opportunity to broaden your reach. And, once you set up your platforms, the world really is your oyster!

Optimise your social media results by…

• Using fun and engaging visual content
• Using your social media platforms for promotions and competitions will help you to increase engagement, drive sales and traffic and reach new customers
• Share exclusive offers
• Make sure that your location setting is switched on when you post content. This will give you the best chance of being found and seen when people search for you
• Utilise features that allow people to review your coffee shop! These act as effective testimonials and encourage people to visit your shop