Pizza Today - October 2016 - 32

of that is on Facebook," says Brian
Petruzzi, founder of 1000 Degrees
Neapolitan Pizza. "Compared to TV,
we get a much better ROI and much
lower cost per view, and we're able
to target and segment our audience
better." Petruzzi also gives each of his
franchisees their own Facebook page,
allowing them to tailor their messages
to local audiences.
When it comes to content, videos
have far higher success rates than
images. "You can convey a lot more
in a 30-second video than in a static
image," says Petruzzi. What's more,
social apps and sites tend to give
preference to videos in their search
results.
Of course, social media needs to
be just that -- social. "Some people
just treat it as an advertising medium,
but people don't open up Facebook to
see ads," says Karington. To create a
genuine connection with your customers, you'll need to post about your own
life, new employees and upcoming
events. Once you've built that connection, you can "cash in" every once in a
while with a promotional.
As important as online
marketing has become, your

you," says Karington. Promotional
signs keep big chains congruent with
corporate advertising, but they do
little for the small franchise or momand-pop shop.
Drawing in first-time customers

is more than half the battle, but
retaining their loyalty still takes
work. The best ways to keep them
coming? "Every business should have
a loyalty program, but most don't,"
says Karington. A loyalty program is a
great way to capture contact info, track
customers and customize offers. You
can also offer big discounts only to
customers who haven't come around
in a while, instead of throwing away
money on people who would have
dined with you anyway.
Social media also shines in staying
top-of-mind among current customers. Contests, giveaways and gift card
offers can quickly go viral, especially
when you require people to like or
share to reap the benefits. Similarly,
local events - particularly fund-raisers - are excellent opportunities for
smaller shops to integrate themselves
into their communities and retain
business.
Ultimately, gaining and retaining
customers in today's pizza market is a
matter of carving out your niche and
communicating your unique qualities
to as many people as possible. "You
can't be great at everything, so you
need to focus on the total experience
that makes people comfortable and
makes them want to keep coming
back," says Ryan. n

physical storefront is still crucial for
drawing in new business. "The exterior
look of your shop is crucial," says Al
Ryan, director of operations for Firo
Pizza in Lawton, Oklahoma. "You
want people to turn their heads when
they pass by."
Of course, not every shop will have
the funds for a fancy exterior -- and
that's okay. "You can spend all the
DAVID LAMARTINA is a Kansas
money you want on the building, but
City-based freelance copywriter who
ultimately you need to design around
specializes in the finance, food and health
a theme," says Ryan. Whether you're
selling rustic Neapolitan pizza or clas- industries.
sic New York-style pie, the look and
feel of your shop should be appropriate, unique and memorable.
As for signs and window clings,
PizzaToday.com
most shops should keep clutter to a
minimum. "By the time people get
MORE low-cost ways to attract more
to your business physically, they're
customers be sure to visit:
already ready to do business with
Pizzatoday.com/more/attract/
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Pizza Today - October 2016

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