Growing a business in a saturated market is no mean feat. And with various cost increases, finding innovative (and free) ways of promoting your coffee shop is a must.
Social media is your friend when it comes to this - and there’s none more up to the challenge than TikTok. Over the past few years, this Chinese-born powerhouse has taken over the world of social media.
You’d be forgiven for thinking it was just for teens – but don’t be fooled – the power of this platform to launch brands to new heights, allowing them to increase brand awareness and build loyal communities around their business, is unrivalled.
So if you haven’t yet taken advantage of this platform, now’s the time! With more than 1 billion active monthly users, TikTok is the place to be when it comes to promoting your coffee shop and demonstrating why it stands out from the rest.
Not sure what you should actually be posting? We’ve got you covered! Here are 20+ video ideas you can use to share your story and make sure you have a steady stream of customers coming into your shop.
Introduce your team
To build brand loyalty, you’ll want your customers to know you better. And one of the best ways you can do this is by introducing your team. Try short interview-style videos where your employees share where they’re from, their favourite coffee drink, and what they love most about working at your shop.
Go behind the scenes
Many of your followers would love to see what goes into the life of a coffee shop owner. So pull back the curtain and give them an inside look. Take them through a day in your life and what it’s like to own a coffee shop.
Feature menu items
If you’re looking to promote a specific item, consider detailing what makes it unique in a creative video. You can talk about when it’s showing up on the menu and the type of people who might like to order it. These videos are great for seasonal and holiday items.
Host a giveaway
Social media giveaways are a fun way for your shop to gain followers and boost awareness. Consider running a contest or giveaway - offering a gift card worth x amount for use in store for someone who comments on/likes/shares your video.
Share how-to videos
Most coffee lovers are interested in how their favourite brews come to life. But instead of just telling them, use TikTok to show them! Take people behind the scenes and showcase the hard work your baristas put into each order.
Answer FAQs
Do people ask your team the same questions over and over again? A TikTok page is the perfect spot to answer them. Consider making this video and pinning it to your profile so users get a feel for what you’re all about as soon as they visit your page.
Hop on current trends
There are so many songs, hashtags, and dances that trend on TikTok. You’ll want to make sure you hop on some of these to stay relevant! Put a trusted social-savvy employee in charge of your account so they can monitor what’s popular and worth spending time on.
Promote sales and discounts
Special offers, discounts, and deals should be featured on your social media platforms. So if you haven’t already, be sure to create a video that promotes these specials so your customers will have further incentive to visit your shop.
Share your “why”
To build a relationship with your audience, get comfortable sharing how your shop came to life. Whether it’s family, a particular lifestyle, or simply a passion for coffee, don’t be afraid to open up here! Think about creating a video that focuses on why you do what you do.
Create a time lapse
All coffee shop owners know that certain drinks can take time to create. Show your audience a start to finish time lapse video that records every step you take to complete someone’s order from start to finish – showing the value and care that goes into every brew.
Talk about your inspiration
Chances are, there are a handful of things or people that inspired you to open your coffee shop. Talk about them on TikTok! It’s fun for users to put a face to a name and learn more about why you’re different from your competition.
Discuss your name
What made you decide on the name of your shop? That story can be its own TikTok video as well. Chat about your thought process and what led you to choose your current name.
Share why you opened your shop
All coffee shop owners have a handful of events or lightbulb moments that put them on the path to opening their shop. Do you have a degree in business? Did your passion for coffee turn up later in life? Whatever the answer, create a video that focuses on why you started your business in the first place.
Feature drink recommendations
If there’s an item on your menu that doesn’t get much love but you think it should, get creative and share it. Let your customers know that you have plenty of variety and there’s something for everyone at your shop!
Focus on coffee-making tips
Coffee lovers who frequent your shop are probably making coffee at home. But we’re betting you have some tips and tricks up your sleeve that you could share with them! Create a handful of videos that focus on making the best coffee or how to make a stellar brew without any fancy gadgets and machines.
Showcase coffee shop secrets
There are plenty of fun things that happen inside your shop that customers might not know about. These videos can be seriously entertaining, so try talking more about your inventory, how you come up with drink ideas, or what your onboarding process looks like. You’ll give an inside look into your shop and further build trust with your audience.
Highlight coffee hacks
Today’s “hustle” culture has people wearing a busy badge on their chest at all times – so sharing content that will save people time and energy is valuable. Think about recording a handful of videos highlighting different coffee hacks and time-saving brewing methods.
Focus on your community
Networking with other business owners is a fantastic way to grow your shop and connect with new customers. Use TikTok as a way to feature other businesses, to show how you’re active inside your community, and how you give back to your area.
Thank your customers
Your coffee shop wouldn’t be where it is today without its loyal patrons, so don’t forget to thank them. Create various videos highlighting the love you’ve received from your customers to showcase your appreciation for their loyalty.
Share user-generated content
User-generated content not only makes the content creation process easier, as you’re pulling from content that already exists - but it helps you showcase that appreciation you have for your customers. Create videos using their images (giving them proper credit!), so you can feature your unique menu items and how popular you are inside your community.
TikTok continues to grow, and we see no sign of it slowing down anytime soon. Try some of these ideas next time you’re stuck for what to create and start utilising this important platform
Looking for more help when it comes to marketing your coffee shop? Take a look at the rest of our articles here for various marketing tips for your coffee shop. And remember – when you open a trade account with us, you’ll get access to everything you need to become the go-to cafe in your town.
