Case Study-
Bua’s Bistro
Case Study
Michele Bua uses social media to elevate her brand and turn personal Facebook friends into loyal brand ambassadors
Michele Bua, a gifted chef based in Houston, is poised to embark on an exciting new chapter. With 40 years of experience under her belt running a successful catering operation, she is now ready to take her culinary talents to the next level by opening a high-end bistro to complement her existing business.
To support her ambitious growth plans, Bua understands the importance of a robust marketing strategy. After collaborating with the team at Small Biz Brands for the past 11 months, she has laid the groundwork for a comprehensive marketing program that will help propel her bistro to new heights.
The Plan
Post on Facebook/Instagram 3x /weekly
Post 2 videos /monthly
Migrate followers from personal to business page
The Results
360% increase in engagements
2,666 avg. view
766 followers migrated
Background
Over the years, Michele had cultivated a sizable following on her personal Facebook page, which served as her primary marketing channel aside from word-of-mouth. With her fun-loving personality and close-knit network of friends and family, Michele had built a loyal community. However, she began to notice that certain marketing messages were failing to effectively reach this network.
The challenge lay in transforming her devoted following into an unofficial sales force. Through conversations with her connections, Michele realized that despite their enthusiasm, many were unaware of her new product offerings, the opening of her bistro, and her active involvement in the Houston non-profit community.
Seeking to address these gaps, Michele turned to KMS. Together, they developed an initial strategy, implemented hands-on marketing management, and provided coaching – all while ensuring that Michele’s authentic brand identity remained at the forefront.
The System: Achieving Big Results
with Limited Time Investment
1. A Focused Approach: Laying the Foundation With A Streamlined Marketing Strategy
To ensure that Michele’s personal network not only remembers her business ventures but also actively engages with them, we crafted a straightforward marketing strategy. The key objectives were to remind her existing connections to place orders and provide referrals, while also educating them about her elevated presence with the new bistro and expanded product line.
This strategy leverages a mix of social media, an updated website, email, and a centralized Google Docs plan to keep Michele consistently top-of-mind with her audience. The challenge lay in designing a system that was streamlined enough for the busy caterer and her staff to maintain effortlessly.
The strategy encompasses several key elements:
- Expanding content beyond just sales pitches or generic personal updates
- Engaging the audience by providing genuine value in every post, elevating the brand through showcasing quality
- Syncing all components of the strategy through a comprehensive 10-point Google Docs plan
By taking this focused, process-driven approach, we aimed to create a marketing system that would seamlessly integrate into Michele’s day-to-day operations, ensuring sustained visibility and engagement with her valuable network.
2. Drive Momentum with Quick Wins
To quickly build traction and keep Michele top-of-mind with her audience, we implemented a few strategic initiatives.
First, we encouraged her existing business clients to transition over to her Facebook business page. This allowed Michele to be more promotional, sharing weekly specials, new products, and other updates with this engaged community.
Additionally, we introduced a simple social media scheduling tool. This single addition made it easier for Michele and her team to consistently meet their goal of three posts per week. The scheduling tool also enabled them to post more strategically, reinforcing her core brand messages across her social platforms.
These quick, tactical wins not only boosted Michele’s visibility, but also provided a sense of momentum that would help sustain her marketing efforts going forward. By taking these initial steps, we set the stage for more comprehensive, long-term marketing initiatives.
3. Streamlining for Simplicity and Repeatability
A well-designed marketing system must be user-friendly and accessible, allowing a busy business owner like Michele to easily execute or delegate tasks as needed. To achieve this, we focused on creating a streamlined organizational structure.
All critical plans, important dates, and key metrics were centralized in one location, making them readily available whenever required. Additionally, we documented detailed Standard Operating Procedures, outlining step-by-step instructions for accessing and utilizing the various tools integral to the marketing plan, such as the social media scheduler and email software.
By taking this systematic approach, we ensured that Michele and her team could seamlessly navigate the marketing system, confident in their ability to maintain consistency and efficiency. This level of simplicity and repeatability was essential for integrating the marketing initiatives into the day-to-day operations of her business.
4. Elevating Engagement Through Bite-Sized Video Content
To further captivate Michele’s audience and drive tangible business results, we incorporated the power of short-form video content. Leveraging nothing more than her smartphone, we began producing quick, lighthearted 30-60 second videos.
These bite-sized clips served as friendly reminders to her network, featuring specific calls-to-action such as “Order now for Thanksgiving.” The aim was to reinforce the notion that Michele’s social media presence was not purely for entertainment, but also a platform to actively engage with her business offerings.
By making these videos accessible and authentic, we were able to elevate the level of engagement with her audience. These short, memorable clips not only showcased Michele’s fun-loving personality, but also kept her products, services, and promotions top-of-mind in a digestible, visually compelling format.
5. Optimizing Referrals Through Strategic Outreach
To further capitalize on Michele’s loyal network, we incorporated strategic requests for referrals into her marketing mix. By proactively asking for referrals through Facebook posts and email campaigns, we made it easy for her connections to respond.
Specifically, we included clear call-to-actions and provided direct links, simplifying the process for her audience to submit referrals. This streamlined approach ensured that Michele’s network could effortlessly support her business growth by sharing information about her services with their own contacts.
By actively soliciting referrals through her established social channels and email communications, we were able to leverage the trust and goodwill that Michele had built over the years. This targeted outreach not only generated new leads, but also reinforced the sense of community and collaboration with her loyal following.
Streamlining Success: Michele’s Transition to a Professional Marketing Approach
Michele’s marketing journey marked a shift from a “catch-as-you-can” approach, common among small businesses, to the implementation of a professional, streamlined marketing program. Through strategic initiatives, her followers were encouraged to join her dedicated Facebook business page, and her team transitioned from an ad-hoc posting mentality to a consistent cadence of three on-brand posts per week.
Importantly, the emphasis was placed on elevating the quality of content to strengthen Michele’s brand identity. The marketing information that was once confined to her own head was meticulously documented in a centralized Google Docs system, ensuring best practices were captured and easily accessible.
Additionally, Michele consolidated her client email addresses into a comprehensive master document, positioning her to launch monthly email campaigns that would keep her network informed and engaged.
Looking Ahead: Embracing New Opportunities
As Michele’s marketing system gained traction, her devoted followers began requesting more video content. Energized by this enthusiasm, Michele is now poised to launch her own YouTube channel, with plans to create an introductory video and a series of key pieces to kick it off. These video initiatives will seamlessly integrate into her existing monthly content production schedule.
Furthermore, with her marketing foundations firmly in place, Michele is now ready to explore new opportunities, such as hosting on-site events at her bistro. By leveraging her established communication channels, she can effortlessly promote and support these new ventures.
Most importantly, Michele’s audience has transitioned from a state of uncertainty to one of deep understanding and advocacy. Her biggest fans have become online ambassadors, knowledgeable about her full range of business offerings and capable of providing valuable referrals. This symbiotic relationship is a testament to the success of the marketing system that has been meticulously built.
As Michele continues to evolve and expand her business, this solid marketing foundation will serve as a springboard for sustained growth and success.