Yesterday, I decided to explore the Nanjichang Night Market…
At the end of the market, I stumbled upon a vendor selling small Chinese Pancakes (aka clay oven rolls) – with a couple dozen people waiting in line.
Now, a small Chinese Pancake is about the size of a slider bun. It’s crispy on the outside, flaky in the middle, and finished with salty or sweet filling.
It’s hard to give you a parallel because there’s nothing alike in America.
But the problem is –
After waiting for over an hour…
The pancakes I received were dry, hard, and had almost no filling.
I can almost hear Gordon Ramsay cursing in the background.
★✰✰✰✰
So, why are there so many customers?
Because…
If you search, “recommended food in Nanjichang Night Market,” you’ll find a lot of advertorials talking about this vendor.
Ah-ha!
Advertising actually works.
But before you run off thinking:
“Okay, Wuyen told me all I need is good advertising…”
STOP
Because I’m guessing…
You’re not selling very limited, handmade baked goods. This means you need more than one-time tourists to grow your business.
(at least, I’m definitely not buying that pancake ever again)
So, you’ll also want to have:
1. A solid product
2. A retention strategy
And here’s the best retention strategy I know –
Get people onto your email list. Email them daily(ish) to entertain, nurture, and remind them of your products.
It’ll only take 30-45 minutes a day yet solve your retention problems forever.
(or if you don’t have 30 minutes a day, get a professional to do it for you)
Cheering for you,
Wuyen