Six tips to market your food business this holiday season

Food is a significant part of the Christmas holidays. There are staff parties, class parties, family gatherings and countless other opportunities to eat. So, if you have a food business now is the most opportune time to position your food business for a financial windfall. 

The following are some tips that you can use to market the business during the festive season (and maybe beyond).

• Start early – Know what your holiday plans are for the business and pull together those plans early enough to craft a comprehensive marketing plan. Contact current clients to find out what their needs are during the holidays and use the opportunity to advertise your offerings for the season. Use both traditional and non-traditional media tactics to attract new clients as well.  A rewards programme for existing clients may also be a good option to attract new clients.  But again, you must start early!
• Use social media – Incorporate appropriate social media into your marketing campaign.  Social media platforms provide a unique opportunity to reach audiences in real time and basically ‘show and tell’ your holiday offerings.   A good social media campaign will engage your audience and assist in spreading the word about the business.
• Take great photos – And if you’re using social media, ensure that you have high-quality visuals to share.   There’s no better way to promote your business across platforms than with superior, drool-inducing photos from your menu. #Enoughsaid
• Incorporate your customers – Encourage customers to share pictures of their favourite meal at your restaurant, and to say why it’s their favourite --- kinda like an endorsement.  You in turn, can share that on other social media networks or even in your traditional marketing campaign.  Offer an incentive for the most compelling story, just as a reward for any random customer sharing their experience.

 

• Offer a delivery service – The great thing about offering a delivery service is that you do not necessarily have to have a delivery department as part of your business.  There are several small delivery companies that now offer these services, and at a minimal cost.  Partner with one of them for deliveries as this can boost the attractiveness of your business to clients.
• Offer a catering service – In addition to operating an ‘eat-in’ facility, offer a catering service for both corporate and residential clients.  This will not only diversify the business but provide an additional stream of income.

Especially during the holidays, food is a connecting force over which new memories are made and festive moods shared.  Your establishment, once prepared can capitalize on the many opportunities that this period presents.

Four tips businesses can use to influence consumer buying behaviour this holiday season

Whether you ‘buy it’ or not, psychology plays an integral role in the consumer’s decision to make a purchase.  And, as a business owner, you have a unique power which can help you to influence the consumer’s buying behaviour.  Particularly during the upcoming holiday season, the following tips could help you to maximise your business’ potential and earn some well needed cash for your business during this season.

Firstly, you must believe in the wealth and worth of your business.  Whatever product or service you offer, there must be a clear definition of the features and benefits of your offerings and every effort should be made to show potential consumers how utilizing your product can positively impact their lives.

Broadly, consumer buying behaviour is usually influenced by environmental and marketing factors, the situation, personal and psychological factors, family, and culture.  More recently however, consumer behaviour has been influenced by more modern factors.  The following are four areas that businesses can focus on to help to influence spending this holiday.

Trends – A trend is the general direction in which something is developing or moving.  The fashion industry is one area that is most influenced by trends as fashion changes based on externals such as seasons and locations and internals such as the wearer’s hobbies or music/creativity.   The fact is however that any industry or business can benefit from currency in trends.  The trend may be a newer, more efficient way to manufacture thereby saving production costs and time or it may be an introduction of a new product to the market, whatever it is, find out what is trending in your industry and use it to improve your business’s viability.

Aesthetics – Whether your business is online or brick and mortar, the physical layout of the space can influence what and how much the consumer purchases.  There is a school of thought that presumes that the longer a customer wanders around a facility, the more he or she will spend. Grocery stores frequently place bread and milk products on opposite of the stores because people often need both types of products. To buy both, the customer would have to walk around the entire store, which of course, is loaded with other items they might see and purchase.   Likewise, your online storefront should capture your business offerings in a fulsome way so that it encourages the customer to click through, recognize additional needs and possibly make extra purchases.

Atmospherics – The term may be a somewhat new concept, but atmospherics have been used for a long time to influence consumer buying behaviour.  Atmospherics refers to the physical layout of the space, type of music, lighting, temperatures and smells the customers experience during a shopping event.  Especially during the Christmas season décor, music and layout will play a significant role in encouraging consumers to make additional purchases.  Equally, the business’s advertising campaign can and should be used to shape how your products can improve the holiday experience.  Holiday advertisements must emphasise beauty, comfort, affordability and providing a satisfying experience for both the buyer and his family.

Self-concept – The customer’s self-concept is a very important factor that businesses can use to influence purchasing.  Self-concept refers to how the customer sees himself.  Is your product offering capable of helping the customer to achieve his ideal self – whether that is becoming more fashionable or more environmentally friendly or more popular etc.?  Conducting some level of market research can help the business to identify products that enhance how consumers feel about themselves.