UK Coffee Week falls at the end of April each year. Don’t get too comfy right now if you’re not in the coffee business. Don’t think that this isn’t a week for you to get busy on the content front and get in on the act.
Each time you see one of these social media type days, weeks or months pop up, it’s easy to think it has nothing to do with your business if it’s not directly related to the reason your business exists.
For example, I’m not aware that there are any Freelance Content Writer days or weeks. If I held out for one, then I’d be waiting a long time and not sure it would be hugely popular and engaging. But I can, along with many other freelancers and small business owners, get involved in coffee action.
Coffee is the fuel of many a small business I know, so there are stories in there. And just a reminder, content is only a story with a new name.
What does content do?
Content, and stories, should hit one of three aims: educate, entertain, inspire. If you’re not doing any one of those three, then you’re probably not getting engagement with your content.
By taking a less obvious subject, then you have the opportunity to create potentially more standout content than usual. Firstly, your customers will be a bit surprised, hopefully intrigued. Secondly, you can show some new knowledge they didn’t think you had. Thirdly, it’s just very human.
Ultimately all marketing is human to human. Telling stories is the ultimate expression of that.
Not sure? Here’s some thoughts on ways you could twist UK Coffee Week, even if you’re not in coffee. You can apply the same principles to other events throughout the year as well, just pick the ones that resonate with you.
Promoting other businesses
Where do you and your team stop in for your daily caffeine hit? Give them a shout out, or produce your guide to the best coffee pit stops near you. Or maybe you have a local supplier of coffee? Or an excellent delivery service?
Sharing the love and attention is no bad thing, even if you are a coffee shop. Tell people which coffee shops you’d go to in other towns in your area. I’d take the word of a good barista of where else the coffee was up to their standards.
And hello to the team at 200 Degrees in Nottingham. Still my favourite haunt for a flat white when I’m in the city.
Your product + coffee
If you’re a food or drink brand, then how can you mix up your product with coffee to give a different twist? For example, coffee makes a great marinade for pork, but will not be the first thought many people have when it comes to mixing something up.
And turbo gin and tonics were a thing one year, combining coffee and gin. So, what can you come up with? Or if you’re an amazing cocktail bar, what’s your coffee based offer?
Sharing new recipes or ways to serve your product with coffee might just entice people into a first or repeat purchase of your product. Or maybe not this time, but it keeps you in mind.
I’m intrigued as to why more businesses don’t do this. For instance, spirit companies not showing uses for their products beyond cocktails seems like a wasted opportunity. When gin and tonic drizzle cakes were having a moment, I saw very few gin brands stepping in with their own take on the trend.
Your favourite coffee spot or coffee companion
Not about your local coffee shop, but the story of where you enjoy your cup of coffee, or who with. Mine is at the big kitchen table, early in the morning when there’s no one else up in the house, or in the area around me. Peace and quiet and birdsong, plus great coffee. All is well with the world.
This is the kind of content that’s about helping people get to know you, the person behind the brand. People buy from people. It’s an old adage but, it’s even more real today than I think it’s ever been. Equally, you could make it about your favourite mug, or mugs. There’s a story behind those as well. If there’s a team of you, then you have a host of stories waiting to be told.
GIFs and Memes
Why not? This falls under the entertain category for sure. Not everything has to be serious. Not everything has to educate. Sometimes the world needs a laughter pause. Or even just a wry smile. And one a day on a theme just might cheer your day up, let alone anyone else’s.
Five things you’d rather drink than coffee
Why go along with the crowd? Perhaps you loathe coffee. Why not tell that story? You won’t be the only one. Debate is good. As long as your business isn’t coffee. That would just be wrong. See all the lessons everywhere on authenticity.
So, the principles are the same whether it’s UK Coffee Week, or British Beef Week, or Nothing Like a Dame Day (it’s a thing). If you want some more ideas, then I wrote a post about what to do to work out which of these days or weeks might be worth some content from your business.
And if you want some advance notice, then the Content Catalyst newsletter goes out mid-month for the next month. Sign up here, and you’ll be on the front foot, or at least had a good laugh at what the next month holds.
This post was originally published in April 2018 and has been updated and republished in March 2019. All images (other than my snap from 200 Degrees) are by Richard Budd.
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