So you are opening a new business, store or a coffee shop in a local community! The customers can be delighted to experience something new, but how do you build a long lasting relationship with them? Also, when there are competitors in the neighborhood, how do you join the community smoothly?

Show your presence and make new friends. The first thing to do is to directly get involved with the local community, make friends and let them appreciate your business. You can do this by dropping off a few complimentary coffees to the neighbor stores or providing refreshments to special events.

Get your new friends to refer you to their customers. The key is to build a real relationship with the local businesses and have their support in your new journey. This will make them want to promote your business to their own customers. While you are offering them free samples, you can give them your menu or flyer and ask for a cross-promotion to the customers. Because: the most effective marketing strategy in a local community is referral marketing.

Generate return visits with tempting & quality offers. After you have your first customers at your shop, you will need to give them a solid reason to come back. Aside from the quality and creative offerings, you can for instance provide a rewarding loyalty card so that they are tempted to buy coffee especially from your store.

Local marketing is all about networking and building relationships. What are your go to strategies for your new business?