How to Market your F&B Business During COVID-19
As the coronavirus pandemic has forced many restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and coffee shops to shut their doors, it has left many people at a loss of what to do now.
However, as they say, when one door closes another one opens and to stay afloat, many foods and beverage outlets have taken the opportunity to offer a takeaway and delivery service, which they haven’t done before.
If you have been able to adapt to the new normal with your business and are making good progress in these challenging times, then this is great.
However, if you are still finding a way to navigate your way through the pandemic but can’t think of a way around the restrictions, then the critical thing to do is to keep communicating with your customers and continue to market your business.
But when there’s no offers to promote or photos of food or drink to share, how can you do this?
It’s all About the Content
You might think that with a closed restaurant or cafe, you have nothing to tell people, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
It’s essential to keep in touch with your customers by whatever means you can.
As a restaurant or cafe, there are some excellent options for content that don’t require you to be open.
Using your smartphone, you can film yourself talking about how you started your business.
You can get the rest of your staff involved, too, and get them to share what they love about your business and what it’s like being a part of your team.
People also love to know what goes on behind the scenes, so take your customers on a virtual tour, show them how you use your equipment, show them your 75 pound coffee roasters, your industrial dishwasher, and where you keep all your stock.
Share How You’re Coping 
While people are going through a tough time, they actually want to know that others are too, or they want to know how others are coping.
Having transparency with your customers makes you more relatable and makes your customers feel like they know you just that little bit better.
It’s also a good idea to tell your customers about anything special you are doing right now, for example, if you are doing things to support your staff through this difficult time then tell people about it and if you’re helping out vulnerable and needy people in your local area then let people know how they can help out.
Market your F&B Business: Share Recipes, Tutorials, and Live Cooking Shows
While many people have time on their hands, then you can help them out with something to do and show them how you make some of your signature dishes or drinks.
You could do live sessions on Facebook or Instagram or send out recipes and methods via a newsletter or blog post so that your customers who are missing you so much can have a little something to keep them going until you are back open again.
