Marketing ideas for a sandwich/hot food takeaway

My husband and I run a small hot food and sandwich takeaway shop. We have a good location and are doing ok but we really want to carry out some marketing to try and make our business more successful.

I would really appreciate any ideas that might work for us to marketing our business. We've thought about flyers, newspaper adverts, a facebook group, etc but would love to know if anyone has had success with any of these ideas.

Many thanks in advance

Comments

  • Lokolo
    Lokolo Posts: 20,861
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    Whats your target market?

    First thing to find out!

    Then go from there, what can make more of these. e.g. if you are having customers of young businessman (early 20s), then facebook could be a goodun (set up a business page on there and advertise through messages and such).
  • Horace
    Horace Posts: 14,426 Forumite
    Again, think of your target market and maybe offer to make deliveries to businesses.

    Get yourself onto Twitter and LinkedIn both are free and where business people connect with each other.
  • Caroline73_2
    Caroline73_2 Posts: 2,654 Forumite
    Loyalty cards - buy a sandwich 4 days a week and get Fridays free.
  • Obukit
    Obukit Posts: 670 Forumite
    What's your USP, e.g. posh nosh, cheap prices, quick service, etc? Without that information it's pretty difficult to recommend how to market the business other than general ideas, though the loyalty card sounds good.
  • jexygirl
    jexygirl Posts: 753 Forumite
    local, fresh and environment friendly - all good selling points.

    What sort of place is it? The loyalty card works on high GP stuff especially coffee, and provided your GP on everything is ok, then its viable.

    Can you do special days / deals that you can make a big point of advertising. Certain fillings on certain days as specials. Contact the local buisnesses, expand to take the product to people, save them the effort of coming to you.

    Research.

    We are personally finding more and more that varied gluten free options and proper vegetarian options are good buisness. So many people overlook this market, yet its easy to get into with little effort and very good margins, so promote it if you do it, there is a massive market for it. Also mant people want lo cal, even rough weight watchers points meals - people are more aware of their weight, offer low cal options even if its half fat mayo and spread and low cal filling. Being aware of these markets is a selling point when advertising - even a line on an ad saying you cater for vegetarians, those on a gluten free diet and those wanting to simply watch their weight. We have so many people come here because they have a choice, and dont have to tell us of a medical condition, or eating preference as we denote it on the menu and specials board.

    We once did, many moons ago, a sunday lunch bun! meat veg gravy all inside a yorkie! What area are you in, what do they want? Make it novel and sell it!

    Whatever the food outlet, there are people looking for these options, and offering to cater for all cant be bad.

    As for marketing, nothing is as good as a massive, clear A board outside as its the people in the area that see it, and they are the customer base.

    Jex - as always my opinion and you are all entitled to it :D
    Savvy_Sue wrote: »
    I will pay jexygirl the compliment of saying that she invariably writes a lot of sense!
    and she finally worked out after 4 months, how to make that quote her sig! :rotfl:
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