Promotion Ideas......Help

[RiverNile]

We are surrounded by restuarants, and banks, plus Home Depot.

I am thinking of an idea to promote the busieness to all of their employees

However, everytime I come up with an idea, I don't feel it is good enough.

Anyone here, has tried and succeeded in something like that.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[billagirly]

Punch cards for business neighbors? After purchasing so many drinks, get one free? Or if you're already doing that for customers, give your business neighbors a different color for their punch cards, and give them two punches per drink instead of just one. Because the double-punch thing could add up fast, maybe limit the free drink to whatever your small size is (probably 12 oz).

 

[TakeFive]

May I suggest an excellent book called "Guerrilla Marketing for Free" by Jay Conrad Levinson. Mr. Levinson has an entire series of "Guerrilla Marketing" books out and they are all very helpful in promoting a business, especially on a shoestring. They can usually be found on Amazon pretty inexpensively. (Be sure, though, that if buying used you are getting the latest edition. Most of the series was originally written in the '80s and early '90s, and the latest editions include details on using the Internet while the earlier ones do not.)

 

[morrisn]

Promotions

Try distributing 2 for 1 drink coupons, yes they cost you but the idea is that they are for a limited time. We did it when we first opened and it worked well. You get them in once, they like what you have and they keep coming back. A great way to jump start your business

 

[Muddycup]

you need to change there routine and get them hooked free drink cards handed out personally works.

 

[harpua]

Do something like a Bar & Restaurant appreciation week. Have a different special for every day. $1 lattes, BOGO or use a bounce back for free drink next time. If your going to just give a free drink coupon make it good for only certain times of the day when you are not usually busy (Bar/restaurant employees will not be morning people so late morn or afternoon will be good) Then go into the bar and restaurants and introduce yourself to the owner/manager (give him a free drink or 2) and ask that you give the coupons personally to the employees. Hopefully during a shift meeting or something similar. If you just drop them off and ask them to give them out it will not work as well.

Make them have a coupon for redemption (Though I usually am not a stickler for the date). Keep track-know how much you gave away then track how many new customers you got. Find out which restaurants were most effective and try to give them good word of mouth business, try to make them an advocate of your business.

The model can be used over and over... teachers, nurses, fireman (get a truck to park at your place), police, humane society, zoo, city/township employees, EMS, bus drivers, taxi drivers, churches etc. Don't have one every week (once a month or even better, once a quarter) and never make it so any one person can always get a coupon for your shop. You never want them to say "I never pay full price there" or "I only go there when I have a coupon"