Vending Marketing That Works, Part 1: Define Your Marketing Strategy
Katie Waxman / July 28, 2022
Many vending business owners jump into marketing with social media posts and blogs to reach potential customers. Indeed, these are part of any good marketing plan. However, to get results, vending marketing needs to be supported first by a strategy behind the posts and blogs. Then you can work out a detailed plan of what and when to post.
Did you define your vending marketing strategy before jumping in? If not, keep reading. Here are some marketing strategy basics to ensure your marketing succeeds.
Marketing strategy vs. marketing plan
While often used interchangeably, a marketing strategy and marketing plan are very different. A marketing strategy is the why. It explains how your marketing will help you achieve your company’s mission and goals. Plus, it outlines what you will market, who you will market to, and how you intend to communicate your message. Finally, it should consider your competitors and how you will set your breakroom business apart.
In contrast, a marketing plan takes your marketing strategy and puts it into practice. It is how you will execute the strategy. For instance, your social media post schedule, your blog topics, and the associated performance metrics.
Steps for a strong vending marketing strategy
A well-defined marketing strategy supports your company’s mission and vision. Follow these steps to ensure yours is complete:
1. Lay the groundwork
Begin the vending market strategy process with a summary of your company. For example, how it started and the values that drive your business. It is also important to include what you wish to accomplish with your marketing efforts. Are you looking to obtain new business? Do you want to show existing customers you do more than vending? How can your marketing efforts help you achieve your goals?
2. Understand your market
Next, outline the key factors and trends happening in the breakroom industry and in your particular service area. Are micro-markets the “go-to” in your area? Are locations asking for ways to lure employees back to the office? Check industry sources, local news, and LinkedIn for some insights.
3. Detail your offering
At a high level, list the types of products and services your vending marketing should focus on. This is going to be directly related to the market trends you identified in the previous step.
4. Define your audience
In order to develop an effective vending marketing strategy, you need to know who to target. Therefore, you should create a clear description of your ideal vending or breakroom service customer. What type of business is it? How many employees are on-site? Who is your contact, the facility manager or the human resource manager? How can you get your marketing message in front of this person?
5. Describe your message
Now that you have identified your target audience, what do you want to say? Use what you came up with for overall breakroom trends, which products/services you want to target, and who your ideal customer is to solidify your message. Does it revolve around hassle-free service? Or, perhaps it highlights the advantages of superior coffee equipment? Maybe it’s showcasing your environmental stewardship through sustainable practices?
6. Analyze your competition
In marketing as in most aspects of business, it is important to look not only at yourself but your competitors. For instance, how is your vending company unique or better than others? How will your marketing plan accentuate these differences?
Don’t forget, you don’t have to come up with your marketing strategy alone. A digital marketing agency can assist you in developing and solidifying a vending marketing strategy that works.
A marketing strategy is just the beginning
Once you have all the elements of a marketing strategy complete, you can take that framework and build a marketing plan. Don’t be tempted to skip the strategy, however. It is worth the time. Starting with the support of a strategy will ensure you make the most of your vending marketing investment, keep your message on target, and reach your goals.
Ready to solidify your strategy? VendCentral can assist you in defining one that works. For a free consultation, contact us by email or at ((866) 699-8363.
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Why Personalization Boosts Your Vending Business
Katie Waxman / June 1, 2022
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.
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