I just took over a struggling delco about 3 weeks ago. So far things have not been going so well, but i received some good news last night. Another local pizzeria is closing their doors and selling their products frozen online only. They had a pretty large customer base and I want to try and strike before they settle somewhere else. Any ideas for capitalizing on this with a small to no marketing budget.
Marketing with little or no cash is “tough” job…About the least expensive thing you can do is get black & white copies of your menu on coloured paper and deliver them door to door yourself…As a little more money becomes available, upgrade to a full colour 11 x 17 tri-fold menu…Once you have some cash flow you need to be relentless in getting your menus out on a regular basis…
Do you have a website?..A basic website can be built for minimal cost and will help folks searching on Google, etc. find you…
Do you have a Facebook page?..Once you get some friends who share you with other friends you can build a following you can market to…
Have you looked in to “Fund Raising Cards” for a local school or team?..They are not really good for cash flow, but can be done with little upfront costs and will give you some customer traffic to build on…
There is lots of good discussion on this subject in the archives here…Sometimes a little hard to find so you have to dig…Good luck and welcome to TT…
Thanks. I have done alot of reading here the past few weeks. I actually do have some nice new menus on order 11x17 trifold full color. Was wondering if i should try to do a big newspaper ad to try and get in front of all these available new customers.
I think you will find that not many folks here are fans of newspaper advertising…Mostly because it take a prolonged series of ads and big investment to get enough of a return for it to be worthwhile…see if your library has a copy of the “Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads”…Somewhat dated but still useful…
I did not really think that newspaper ads were really good these days but we have a local pennysaver that is always filled with ads for pizzerias. The previous owner only advertised in papers and phone books. I started some doorhanging but the weather is about to turn. I really want to get into direct mail but don’t have the $ for it right now. I was looking for some way to get in front of all these new available customers before I lose them to other places.
Weather should not stop you from door-hanging…Q1 is usually hard at the best of times and even worse with what many areas are going through now…If you wait for good weather you might not be in business still…
Another idea is to hand out menus at events in your area…Church services, basketball games, sales at local stores, etc…Make sure you get permission 1st…
It will be tough sledding but you have to stay pro-active…
PS…Do you have your menus in a rack outside you doors…Lots of folks will not walk inside to get one…Make it easy for them…
Thanks for the tips. Do you recommend anyone for direct mail services? Oh, and I really like that you didn’t try to sell your magnets to me right off the bat. It makes me want to come to you for them when I get rolling a bit. It seems like there is a good bunch of people on here trying to help each other.
There’s been some debate on whether its a good tactic, but you could buy the closing pizza store’s phone number. You’d have to talk to the old owner to see if he’d sell it to you and how much he’d want.
They are still going to be selling their products frozen online so I think they are keeping their number.
Does that sound weird to anybody else?
Mailwise Solutions is a great direct mail provider. I have been working with Bill Holt for several years. They will store your menus and send them out as per your schedule. 21.5 cents per piece mailed. They are great at getting menus in the home on or near the day you want them to be.
Phone (859)341-3400. Tell them Paul from Claysburg Pizza referred you.