When writing your marketing plan, remember that the proper marketing strategy may be different for each target market you choose. Here are some common marketing methods and thoughts on how they can best be utilized.
Event Publications
Advertising in event industry magazines or websites may put your catering business's name in front of professional even planners and other vendors who may be in a position to either use you directly or refer your services to others. Just seeing your name may not be enough for planners to call you for their next event, but awareness of your services can only help when they consider a short list to get bids from for a certain job. If you operate in a market outside of major cities you may find it difficult to reach your customers this way, as event publications and websites tend to be more city focused.
Public Relations
Being a caterer, you are in a good position to be mentioned in press about events you work at, especially if you cater high-profile events in the community. To get the ball rolling, you may give court certain non profits by offering a discount on your services for their annual gala. Having done this, seek press mentions as a sponsor and vendor of the event. To systematically work to get press, include in your contract with clients the right to send press releases about the event to encourage coverage, an effort which most clients should welcome if they are seeking press attention as well. Be prepared to remove this clause if the event is intended to be private, however.
Client Referral System
You can informally seek referrals from customers, but creating a formal referral system can give you much more success. By requiring salespeople to gather referrals to potential new clients from each current client or offering deals to clients who pass on other clients you can create incentives to make sure the referrals roll in. Once they do, be sure to heartily thank your clients who felt confident enough in your work to refer you to others. Don't just call or email, but send a handwritten thank you or gift to let the clients know how much it means to you.
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