Coffeehouse marketing is all about letting people get to know you and the benefits you offer. 

In a way, your coffeehouse or restaurant is its own form of advertising. If you've got a good location—with plenty of drive-by or walk-by traffic—visibility may be enough to keep business humming along. But other than your brick-and-mortar address, how do you promote your business? And does your marketing message communicate your philosophy while giving customers good reasons to walk through your door?

If you market your coffee shop online or with flyers, cross promotion, or print ads, consider these ideas for honing your message:

1. Tell people why you do what you do. Your menu and atmosphere are hints that you sell quality products and a unique experience. But why do you do it? Do you love meeting people and being part of the local community? Do you care about mentoring employees? You don’t have to write a novella, but share your passions in your marketing materials. These things will resonate with your desired customer base, things that could bring people from across town to see what you've created.

2. State the concrete, tangible benefits of visiting your business. Coffee, paninis and fancy pastries can be found just about anywhere. Why should people choose yours? What do you do better than anyone? Make sure it’s clear in your ads, on your website, on your menus and signage (if appropriate).

3. Evoke emotion. Within the scope of your brand, can you make people laugh, or feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Encourage them to dream about drinking a cappuccino in Rome? Does your shop make people feel sophisticated, or simply like they’re a part of something? An incredibly successful example of evoking emotion is the Free Hugs campaign from several years back. It’s been viewed almost 80 million times and counting, and not because it’s selling something. It gets people to feel something that they want to feel, over and over.

You don’t need a fancy marketing firm to successfully market your shop. Just make people feel something good, and they’ll keep coming back for more.