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Blogging can help you get more vending and breakroom service leads. In fact, small business resource Fit Small Business reports that businesses that blog get 67% MORE leads per month. That significant boost in leads makes blogging a huge return on investment.

6 Benefits You Get From Blogging

What makes blogging so successful? What brings all those breakroom service leads? It’s a combination of factors, from better search engine optimization (SEO) to being considered a breakroom expert. Keep reading for more details on the 6 benefits of writing a vending website blog. Trust us; you won’t want to miss them!

1. Increase Website Traffic

Blogging helps people find your website. Keywords used in a blog, like vending and breakroom, are “seen” by search engines. That makes your blog and website more likely to show in search results; therefore, more people will find your company while shopping online for breakroom services.

2. Blogging Drive Conversions

Your vending-related blog is a great place to show customers and prospects your knowledge of breakroom services. And that knowledge can lead to conversions, where users fill out an online form or sign up for an email list. After all, when you want a product or service, you go to a company that knows its stuff. So, show off your expertise by publishing blogs!

3. Contribute to Social Media Efforts

Every company needs a social media presence. If you don’t have one, you should. But let’s assume you do have one. Blogging gives you more items to post about. Yes, it’s true. You can promote your latest article with a nice photo to engage your audience and drive traffic to your website. It’s a win-win! But don’t forget to include a link to the blog. Why? Because a direct link encourages clicks and reads without any leg work from the audience. Doing this also helps boost your SEO score and can help your website climb to the top of the search results.

4. Build Trusting Client Relationships

Just as knowledge of quality refreshment solutions drives conversion, it also builds trust. Blogging about services like micro-markets or office coffee shows your customers you are devoted to your businesses. In turn, they are more likely to trust you with their service needs.

Plus, it lets you show off what you can bring to your customers. And who doesn’t love that? Writing blogs about specific break rooms you’ve installed will help your audience understand what you do and what their break room could look like.

5. Reinforce Your Brand

Don’t forget what your blog can do for your brand. Most people, including human resource professionals and facility managers, prefer doing business with companies they recognize and trust. So, make sure they know your company with a blog tone and look that follows your branding plan.

6. Differentiate a Business From Its Competition

Not all vending companies blog. And that’s to your advantage. Blogging sets you apart from the competition. But even if your local competitors do have a blog, you can still use yours to stand out. Ensure your blog has a personal touch, introducing readers to your brand. Cover local issues, seasonally relevant topics, and the service and products that make you the best choice for breakroom services.

The Time to Start Blogging is Now!

Blogging is an important marketing tool. It brings in readers who can convert to breakroom service leads and sales. The key is consistency and industry knowledge, ensuring appropriate keywords appear throughout the blog for maximum results.

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry; our team of marketing experts can help! VendCentral offers different levels of support for vending marketing. Contact us at (866) 699-8363 or visit us online.

Testimonials and Reviews are akin to word-of-mouth marketing. And we all know how important word-of-mouth is to a vending business. Testimonials from happy vending customers are a top way to get new vending customers. And a nonpartial third-party review strongly impacts a decision maker’s buying process. So, how do you make the most of a client’s testimonial or review? And how do you get more?

Share Testimonials on Your Website

One of the first places a prospective client visits is your website. And because as many as 93% of buyers read reviews, displaying testimonials on your website is a must. Ask your long-term customers to send you a statement about their experiences with your company and services. Let them know that you plan to share it on your website. For even more impact, include a picture of your customer along with their statement. This helps show prospects that the testimonial is from a real person.

Don’t be tempted to create testimonials on a client’s behalf. Make sure every testimonial is authentic. Overly positive or promotional reviews will stand out. Savvy decision makers will see right through them.

Ask for Reviews on Social Media

A prospect who does research on your vending company will look on your website. But that’s not all. They will look elsewhere online for feedback too. That’s why reviews on your Google Business Listing and social media are also critical. An active Google Business Listing with lots of reviews will also gain a higher SEO.

Make it easy for clients to share their honest opinions by sending them a link to your Google Business Listing. Don’t worry about imperfect reviews. It is a chance to engage a client and turn the situation around. Do not be tempted to pay for reviews or to reward customers for submitting them.  The feedback on your Google Business Listing should be organic and people should be inclined to leave them without incentives or rewards.

Video reviews are also becoming more and more popular. If you’re visiting a customer who is raving about your service, ask to record them. Use your smartphone for a quick video review of the happy customer. Then post it to social media. It’s a great way to spread the word about your stellar service.

Get Testimonials. Gain Leads.

Testimonials and reviews by a customer can impact future sales. Make sure your vending business is getting the leads it deserves by focusing on your testimonials and online reviews. If you want to grow your business through testimonials, reviews, and other digital marketing strategies, VendCentral can help. We offer various digital marketing plans created just for breakroom service providers. Call us at (866) 699-8363 or reach us online.

A vending marketing program is your secret weapon for growing sales. It’s crucial for driving leads to your website. And for changing prospects into customers.  A vending marketing program will drive new buyers to you! It will also spur upgrades with your existing customers.

Vending operators who want to stay focused on their daily tasks turn to VendCentral for marketing help. If fact, it’s why we created our vending marketing programs. All of our marketing programs include a brand-new, mobile-friendly website to attract more leads and convert more customers. They also include top-notch social media content to engage your audience online.  But, our sales and marketing programs offer lots of other benefits too. Looking for more leads and more sales?  Keep reading, because this guide will help you decide what vending marketing program is right for you.

The Works – a COMPLETE vending marketing program

Looking for a program that is completely personalized for your business? A program that drives sales? One that includes all aspects of digital and print marketing? This program is for you. Clients on our COMPLETE sales and marketing program rely on us to handle it all!

To start, we craft a sales and marketing strategy based on our COMPLETE clients’ unique needs and growth plans.  From that, we develop their monthly promotional schedule. These clients work closely and regularly with their VendCentral marketing account manager to fine tune their marketing strategy throughout the year.

Clients on our COMPLETE program have the most robust website growth plan for top SEO results. They also receive the most social media and blog content. Plus, it’s all customized for their business. We help these clients tap into the power of social media to grow their audience and reach. Press releases and design services for email and print campaigns are included too. It is our highest tier program. But COMPLETE clients consider it a valuable investment that pays off big for company sales growth.

The Assist – a CORE program

For vending operators that need only a bit of marketing help, we offer the CORE vending marketing program. In this program, our marketing account managers focus on generating content to help our CORE clients get top search results. Blogs and social media posts concentrate on industry topics and promote our clients’ services and expertise. They contain great SEO keywords but minor customization.

The CORE program appeals to clients looking to establish an online presence, improve search rankings, and grow their websites over time. It works best when complemented by a member of your own team who can add personalized content.

The Best of Both – a CUSTOM program

Take all the benefits of CORE, pair them with several great options from COMPLETE, and you’ll get our CUSTOM program. This is our most popular program with good reason. It is a semi-custom approach that highlights what sets your vending business apart from competitors.

We work together with our CUSTOM clients to create promotional plans. These include both industry-related and personalized content. Website growth is also emphasized in this program to maximize SEO. Clients on the CUSTOM marketing program also get ZippyLead, a website IP tracker tool that can increase vending sales. It does this by capturing valuable contact information about website visitors.

Our VendCentral marketing account managers collaborate closely with our CUSTOM clients for maximum impact and maximum lead generation.

What Type of Vending Marketing Program Do You Need?

Looking to grow your vending sales?  Want to stay focused on your operations? We have a marketing program that fits your needs. From full-scale sales and marketing to a more simplified approach, VendCentral will help you succeed.

Contact VendCentral today for more details on our vending marketing programs.  We will help you find the best fit for your business. Call us at (866) 699-8363 or reach us online.

The vending industry is buzzing about social media. With good reason! A solid social media presence gives vending businesses some unique benefits. What benefits, you ask? Read on for the top reasons why social media helps your vending operation thrive.

Increases Traffic to Your Website

Social media posts can drive people back to your website with links for more info. And your website is a sales tool open 24-7. That means social media posts are part of a good sales strategy.

Drives SEO Ranking

Social media posts and YouTube videos rank with search engines. That means more hype for your services, photos, videos, etc. That’s marketing gold. Just make sure to include helpful keywords, like your city name and vending service offering.

Showcases your work

Social media lets you highlight what you do and how well you do it. Plus, you can talk about the benefits of your services in bite-size posts. That will help customers remember them. Social media is a great place to show real-world breakroom pictures. This gives potential clients visual examples of how you can improve their breakroom. It can also help upgrade your existing vending customers to a brand-new micro-market.

Helps Recruit Skilled Staff

Posting a job on social media helps you announce your open jobs to candidates. It also makes it a lot easier for them to see you’re hiring. Professional networking sites, like LinkedIn, can even reveal people with specific skill sets. These are skills you may need to help your vending operation grow.

Reinforces your brand

Well-crafted social media posts can be terrific branding. They show people who you are and what your company stands for. Customers like to do business with a company they can connect with. Social media gives them more chances to understand and connect with yours.

It’s not enough to have a logo and some images on social media. There’s a strategy for getting the many benefits a social media presence offers. Posting frequently and personalizing your content are two important components. Engaging with customers, prospects, and other industry professionals on social media is key too.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the need to create and maintain a social media presence, there is help. VendCentral’s team of digital sales and marketing experts is dedicated to the breakroom services industry. Contact us today at info@vendcentral.com or (866) 699-8363 to grow your vending sales and stay current online.

Understanding marketing vs. branding is important for vending sales success. The two are different aspects of a single strategy used to tell others about your company and its services. Together they create a base for communicating strong, consistent messaging to existing customers and prospects. And growing sales revenues.

Keep reading to understand the difference between marketing and branding. How they both work together. Plus, learn which one needs to come first.

Defining Marketing

Marketing is promoting your vending company and the services and products you offer potential customers. Your company website, sales brochures, promotional emails, radio or internet advertisements, and even social media posts are all essential ways to market your company.  Marketing strategies evolve over time to focus on different aspects of your business. And to support changing sales goals.  Marketing often capitalizes on how your business leads when it comes to new and fresh vending products and equipment, emerging technologies, seasonal changes, and industry trends.

Marketing is critical to sales. It spreads the word about your services. It promotes what sets you apart from your competitors. And finally, it reinforces why you are the best choice for breakroom services in your service area. A successful marketing strategy will bring customers into your sales funnel and deliver more leads.

Understanding Branding

Branding, on the other hand, is about shaping your vending company’s identity to represent its core goals and purpose. Branding is a strong reflection of your company’s personality and it is how people will identify and remember your company as a whole. Good branding keeps your target audience in mind and helps them establish trust in your business. Branding includes everything from your company logo and taglines to the core narrative about your company’s foundation, purpose, and goals. Branding gives your vending operation meaning and character.  Through it, customers will understand who you are and what makes your business unique.

Branding Must Come First

Marketing is the most effective way to spread your message and promote your business, but you must understand the message you’re spreading first. That is why establishing your company’s branding is an important first step. Solid branding will help shape your marketing initiatives and keep them consistent in look, feel, and context. Take the time to establish your vending company’s brand identity. It will help your company define what to say, where to say it, and the goals of your marketing campaigns.

As you can see, marketing and branding are closely tied but distinctly different. You must first understand what you want to say to communicate effectively. Starting with solid branding is the best way to optimize your vending marketing and grow your sales.

Are you a vending operator struggling with branding or marketing? VendCentral specializes in helping vending operators increase sales with successful branding, marketing, and sales strategies. Reach out at info@vendcentral.com or (866) 699-8363.

It’s important for vending companies to understand a breakroom customer’s journey. Why? Because it is the key to attracting new business, matching a buyer with the right breakroom services, and closing a deal that will satisfy your customer for years to come.

If you’re looking to grow your breakroom services client list, try our 3 step process for success in the customer journey.

Step 1: Be Where Your Customers Are

Ask yourself this question: if an office or facility manager runs a Google search for ‘vending services near me,’ will they find your business? And if it does appear, where is it on the page?

Ideally, your vending business is a top result on the first page. That way all potential customers see it. But how does it get there? A great vending marketing plan is a good start.

However, there is more to effective vending marketing than just being seen on Google. Publishing blogs and articles will help reinforce your vending industry expertise and establish your company as a service leader. In addition, strong social media posts will help you establish a personal connection with potential buyers. It will also ensure you are top-of-mind to those looking for vending services.

Step 2: Anticipate (and Answer) Your Customer’s Questions

Over 90% of business-to-business (B2B) buyers conduct research online and the most popular resource is a supplier’s website. Does your vending website give potential customers the information they need? Many office and facility managers complain of a significant gap between the questions they have and what breakroom service providers share on their websites. Therefore, to win new business, you must provide potential clients with a website that is easy to navigate and filled with the information they want. It can really help to enlist a digital marketing specialist who knows what drives buyers and how to showcase your breakroom services to match.

Step 3: Bring It All Together to Seal the Deal

Once you have the attention of your potential breakroom service customer, then what? How do you prove that you are the best choice so they reach out and ultimately sign a contract? The answer is ensuring everything comes together online to provide a great user experience. From powerful SEO to engaging content to lead capturing technologies, a full-circle approach is needed to showcase your business, interest buyers, and capture leads. When your outreach is seamless, informative, engaging, and complete, then it’s easy to close the sale.

Ready to enhance your vending marketing to impress customers? VendCentral is dedicated to assisting breakroom service providers with vending marketing, including enriching the customer’s journey. Contact us for help navigating online marketing and creating strong business leads.

Five years ago, we shared the philosophy of Karmic Management and how it influenced VendCentral’s team and business approach.  Our founder, Neil Swindale, connected with the concept when he first read the book Karmic Management many years prior and its principles continue to shape the way our company operates and grows. Today, the idea of good karma is still one of the cornerstones of our vending marketing agency. Here are some of the biggest ways it is impacting our own people and our relationships with clients.

Do for Others

We believe in putting out into the world what we hope to get back. Because of that, VendCentral nurtures an honest and ethical team with a strong desire to do for others. We know it is just as much our people as our business practices that turn new customers into long-term clients. We aim to foster a supportive community within the vending industry and to lend a hand to hardworking breakroom operators, whether they are our clients or not.  To us, it’s just as important as hitting profit goals. In our practice of doing for others, we have been fortunate to gain valuable friends and business relationships in the vending industry and grow our revenues.

Build the Connection

Our relationships with our clients are just that: relationships. And, we know a great relationship can’t result from two people just doing their own thing. We invest in building a connection with our clients that generates positive energy for us both. The foundation of that relationship is communication, collaboration, and respect. Through it, we gain a deeper understanding of our client’s business goals. For those relationships to be strong long-term, VendCentral invests in learning, growing, and adapting to our client’s changing needs. It has allowed us to exceed our client’s expectations as they evolve.

Be Comfortable with Change

Growing a small business is the result of being open and responsive to change all of the time.  And in the world of digital marketing things are changing all of the time too.  Our mindset is to view change as an opportunity, even when it’s hard. Change, in itself, is the constant we can always count on in the vending industry, in digital marketing, and in our own lives as well.

Live (and work) with Purpose

Personally, and professionally, we believe life is much fuller when we live it with purpose.  Our purpose at VendCentral is to use our talents to help vending operators succeed online.  Through authentic customer engagement, we drive new businesses to increase their sales and profits. For us, it means more than building vending websites or developing marketing programs. It means helping family-run operators thrive. It means secure jobs for route drivers.  It means spreading the word on what better breakroom services can do for employees and communities across the nation.  It means spreading good karma.

VendCentral is laser-focused on supporting the vending industry.  To discover how our marketing programs can help you achieve your sales goals contact us or call (866) 699-8363.

For vending operators, developing an effective marketing plan can be overwhelming.  That is why your vending marketing plan should start with a solid marketing strategy first.  A marketing strategy is a foundation for any successful marketing plan. If you have not created a marketing strategy yet, useful tips can be found in our last article.  If you are satisfied you have a great marketing strategy in place then let’s start discussing how to turn that strategy into action.  That, in essence, is your marketing plan. Here are some things to consider:

Online Branding

The majority of a vending company’s marketing is now done online.  It is important to remember that consistency is key.  As you execute your marketing plan over multiple platforms be consistent in your brand look and messaging.  Also, develop and maintain a consistent schedule with your content creation. And finally, ensure your marketing content is consistently supporting your marketing strategy.

Website Content

Your vending website is one of the biggest components of your online brand and marketing plan so it’s a good idea to start here first.  Remember when you detailed your company’s mission and goals during your marketing strategy development? Your vending website should support them. It should also clearly show how your vending business differentiates itself from your competitors.  If your website is outdated, it may be time to refresh your image to get off to a good start.  Websites that are difficult to navigate or hard to read on mobile devices will lose your audience fast.  Consider a website health check to see if a refresh is in order. A website refresh may also give you the opportunity to breathe new life into your company logo, brand colors, font styles, etc.  These factors all contribute to your company’s brand image and personality online.

Remember, keeping your website updated and growing is an important part of your marketing plan.  Add web pages to support new products, brands, or services. Consider publishing blogs to stay on top of new and trending topics.  Your new content will continue to improve SEO performance, especially if it contains keywords potential clients might use to find you.

Social Media Content

In addition to your website, social media plays a huge role in vending marketing. If you’re happy with your website branding, terrific! Keep a consistent look on social media by using the same fonts, colors, taglines, etc.  This will reinforce your brand image across your social media platforms.

What social media channels are your potential customers visiting? Are facility managers reading news feeds on LinkedIn? Do breakroom service providers read Google Business Reviews? You bet they are. Your marketing plan should include a social media posting schedule across these multiple platforms. This will help your company stay relevant and top of mind for current and potential customers. Don’t forget to use social media as a tool to direct potential and existing customers back to your website to learn more about you.

Marketing Messaging

No matter where you are posting your marketing content, your messaging should reinforce the goals established in your original marketing strategy. Include content that helps potential customers learn more about your business and the team that makes it thrive.  Dive into important industry trends to reinforce your company’s expertise. Share customer reviews to show how you are helping customers improve their employee breakrooms – and even show off some of your incredible breakroom installs.  Marketing content like this will help tell customers how you are different than your competitors.

Dedicate Resources

For your vending marketing plan to work, someone must build it and oversee it. This person, or team, will create a schedule for website growth, blogs, and social media posts.  They will likely compliment it with email campaigns, print, grassroots marketing efforts, and more. They will also review key performance indicators to make sure your marketing plan is working. If no one can take on these responsibilities internally, consider outsourcing to a reputable marketing firm that specializes in vending marketing.

At VendCentral, we are dedicated to the vending industry and marketing to bring our clients new breakroom customers. To get a marketing plan started today, contact us online or call (866) 699-8363.

Your website’s About Us page is the place to share your vending company’s story. Why is that important? Because a good story can sell your vending services to customers. In particular, you want prospective breakroom customers to feel good about hiring you and buying your breakroom products.

An impactful About Us page will showcase the unique attributes of your vending business. It should have personality and represent your company’s values. The text should inspire confidence in the services you are offering. The page should resonate with the reader and make them feel good about entering into a business relationship with you. For many vending services companies, achieving the right tone and content can be difficult. Fear not. Vendcentral can help. Read on for our best About Us page tips.

The About Us needs a beginning

Start your About Us page with how and why your vending business began. Was it a family business now in the third generation? Did your vending services company grow out of a different business? Was it first started out of a desire to fulfill a specific customer or community need? Whatever the origin of your vending business story, let it be front and center.

What makes you special

Part of a good About Us page is its uniqueness. Therefore, include what makes your vending services company different from your competitor. Is it the diverse group of people that contribute to your team? Is it the family environment you create in your workplace? Have members of your company been recognized for their contributions to the vending industry? Perhaps it is your unique relationship with local providers. Put whatever makes your company different here.

Workplace values

Another About Us page must is stating your company values. What mantras do your employees embrace? Is it customer service, attention to detail, hard work, quick solutions, or integrity? Mention them. Aim for 3 to 5, not a long list that captures every value in the dictionary. Why? Because a long list will ring false. Plus, you don’t need all of them. Let’s say someone sees a company that promotes Family Values, Integrity, and Grit. That person doesn’t assume there won’t be good customer service because it wasn’t mentioned.

Why you are a great place to work

It’s not just decision-makers who read About Us pages. Potential employees do too! The About Us page will show them what your company stands for, how you care for your employees, and what your business culture is like.  A well-crafted About Us page can make your company very attractive to valuable new talent.

Personal, yet professional tone

Finding the right tone can be difficult. In vending marketing, it is important to be friendly and upbeat, yet professional. Aim for positive stories and avoid too much vending or business jargon on this page.

Short and sweet

It can be difficult to determine which details to include on the About Us page. This is especially true if your company has been in business for many years. Your company’s milestones may help guide your way. Highlight important company growth and acquisitions and the people and passions that make your company thrive.  Your goal is to make it a cohesive and well-rounded story.

Community and volunteer endeavors

People will like to hear how your company gives back to your community. Include community support and volunteer efforts, whether it is initiatives your company takes on as a whole or individual pursuits by your employees. These can be supported with pictures to bring an extra special touch to your page.

Tell the occasional anecdote

As you consider what should be on your About Us page, make sure to include anecdotes. Short, humorous stories or personal reflections from your team will stick in people’s minds. This will make your vending services company more real and memorable.

It might surprise you how many people visit the About Us page.  Because of its popularity and importance, we consider it an essential part of a great vending website!  Have a few people read your About Us page before publishing it be sure it flows well, is free of errors, and properly reflects your company and your team.  If you want help creating a vending website with a great About Us page contact VendCentral. We build vending websites that generate leads and impress customers!

Hungry for new vending clients? Focused on retaining current customers? Consider your level of personalization online. Have you gone beyond the basics – logo, brand colors, and website? Those are all critical first steps. However, to elevate your vending marketing, you need to personalize it. Why? Because that is the key to bringing in more business and keeping the business you already have.

Ready to learn how you can use personalization? With this intention, keep reading.

Breaking down personalization

Personalization is a long word that simply means showing who you are online. Websites full of stock art look great. However, they are generic. That’s purposeful, as stock art companies sell stock art, not vending art. Therefore, the photos don’t show your specific vending services. Nor does stock art showcase your employees or brand. Using only stock art can cause you to blend in with other vending businesses in your area that also use stock art. As a result, facility managers and human resource managers won’t differentiate your company from your competitor. Personalization in your vending marketing can change that.

Utilize photos

Remember the saying, a picture is worth a 1,000 words? It’s still true, even with online vending marketing. Therefore, to personalize your vending business online, you must focus on photos. Consider the services you offer. Do they include office coffee service? What about water filtration service? How about that micro-market service you’re growing? You will want photos of all of these. Photos that show your coffee brewers,  your branded vending machines, and your specific micro-market fixtures. Furthermore, it is important to showcase your employees in these photos. To do that, snap of photo of them installing equipment at a friendly customer location. Another way to include employees is to take pictures at corporate events or run a featured employee each month. As a bonus, these photos are great to personalize your social media and often get shared by the employees themselves.

With a smartphone in nearly every pocket, getting photos is easy. Nevertheless, consider hiring a professional photographer for a day. A professional will consider lighting, background, and composition. The result will be a personalized photograph that is professional and rivals stock art.

Don’t forget other areas of personalization

Photos are not the only area a vending services business can personalize. For example, social media is an ideal platform to add personalization. You might want to do a short video showing a new location install. Alternatively, you may want to repost a community event you took part in. The most important thing is to keep the content personal, not general. In this way, you will set yourself apart from competitors. 

Personalization can also mean seasonal promotions. Put together a promotions calendar. Then create PDFs or images with the specific products you want to sell. These can be put on your website, social media feeds, and even micro-market kiosks. Promotions are a way to be unique in your service area and increase sales. 

In the end, personalization can take your vending business to the next level. If you need help getting there, contact VendCentral. We’ll develop a distinctive vending marketing strategy that will bring in new leads and impress existing customers.