When we first launched the restaurant, I thought I had a solid marketing strategy in place. I had done my research, identified our target audience, and created a marketing plan that I thought would resonate with our Ghanaian and Expatriate customers.
But, as it often does, reality had other plans. Despite my best efforts, our marketing efforts just weren’t generating the traction we needed. It wasn’t until I took a step back, really listened to our customers and made some keen observations, that I realized what was missing.
We had been trying to market to Ghanaian and Expatriate customers using a generic approach, focusing on only social media. But, as it turned out, that wasn’t the only way to attract the varied customer segments we had.
So, we adjusted our marketing strategy to focus on a multiple publicity mix, comprising word-of-mouth referrals, consistent whatsapp group and broadcast list marketing, selling to and collaborating with local businesses to supply group lunch packages, granting live interviews with media outlets and influencer partnerships. Thereafter, slowly but surely, we started to connect with our customers and our sales begun to increase.
Lessons Learned: When marketing to customers, it’s essential to understand their preferences and behaviors in order to devise a marketing mix that connects with each customer segment. What works with one customer segment may not work with another.
Actionable Tips:
- Conduct market research to understand your target audience’s preferences and behaviors.
- Use multiple channels to reach your target audience.
- Partner with local influencers to build credibility and trust with your target audience.
