Coffee is one of the most enduring products in the world. 

It is one of those beverages that can penetrate different cultures and countries. There are very few places in the world today where the phenomenon of a great coffee experience does not exist to some degree. 

As a result, entrepreneurs interested in starting a cafe don’t just have to deal with competition from small mom-and-pop cafes but also from well-known brands like Starbucks. These brands use corporate power to wield massive strategies and campaigns to market their particular spin and experience of this once-humble drink. 

If you are someone who is passionate about coffee and wants to provide an alternative to the citizens of San Antonio, you may want to learn how to ensure your new cafe will survive amidst high competition. This is where the power of digital marketing can help. Let’s learn more.

Are You Going to Be Just Another New Coffee Shop?

One of the most important aspects of starting a new business is finding customers. It may seem like this would be easy to do in a big city like San Antonio. The more people, the more customers, right? 

No, not exactly. 

One in five new businesses fails within the first year of opening. Even during that one year of operation, it most likely isn’t a good time as many run on a loss or barely break even. One reason for this is that cafes are no longer just about providing coffee. Instead, consumers now expect a unique experience to go with their coffee.

For example, take Dunkin Donuts. The experience is not just about the donuts and coffee. Instead, the focus is on the quick, affordable experience that is accessible to all consumers. Tim Hortons is known for its Canadian small-town vibe. Starbucks is known for its warm and inviting experience that encourages people to stay and enjoy their coffee with comfortable seats and good WiFi. 

You can see how each successful business attempts to craft a distinct experience. During the initial stages, when you are building your brand identity, you want to be very careful about delivering the right type of experience. 

For instance, San Antonio is known for having a particularly high crime rate.

If you are opening a cafe here, you might want to keep customer safety in mind. People are not going to want to go out and hang around your cafe if they don’t feel safe. Similarly, be aware of the local culture. Modern cafe owners typically try to market to the young university student or remote worker demographic when they open up. 

However, San Antonio is a blue-collar city and might not be as hipster-friendly as Austin, for example. Ensuring that you are marketing in an inclusive way, keeping aspects like pricing, and avoiding overt political statements in your branding and online presence in mind is key. This is also where digital marketing comes in.

Poor Digital Marketing Is Worse Than No Digital Marketing at All

It is common to see new businesses grasp, to some extent, the importance of digital marketing. It is even more common, though, to see these same businesses abandon it when they don’t see results right away. 

It’s similar to working out at the gym. Are you going to lose weight within a week? Nope! So what is with these unrealistic expectations?

There are few things worse for your marketing than a potential customer finding your business interesting, but seeing your online presence and social media handles last updated several months or even years ago. It instantly creates an image of a lack of permanence. This is why rather than trying to keep your online handles updated yourself, a lot of business owners find it more sensible to get someone else to do it. 

Hiring a San Antonio digital marketing agency to manage your online presence is something that many entrepreneurs consider when starting a new cafe. These agencies usually have a ton of experience and retain experts on their team who are well-versed in aspects such as SEO and content creation, which makes the marketing process even more effective. 

SEO, particularly local SEO, becomes important with brick-and-mortar operations, which is why Creactive Inc., a veteran-owned digital marketing agency in San Antonio, has seen a lot of success and received great feedback for its ability to manage the online presence and reputation of businesses. 

Clients of Creactive Inc. found significant jumps in their organic web traffic, which is essential for any new business that wants to survive for more than a temporary period. 

A poorly implemented digital marketing strategy is more detrimental to your business because you end up wasting time and money on campaigns that aren’t really effective. Additionally, you end up with a negative ROI and an unfavorable reputation when your amateurism becomes too obvious. 

Conclusion

San Antonio offers a lot of potential for prospective cafe owners. However, taking a close look at the local culture and demographics is going to be really important when it comes to marketing effectively in this city. 

The creation of a unique experience combined with an effective marketing strategy through the help of a marketing agency is likely the most foolproof way to get your cafe set up for success.