How to announce a new product to customers, starting with your regulars

To announce a new product to customers, tell your regulars first: they try new things first and spread the word. Tell them in person at the till, with a table or counter card, with a message to your loyalty card holders, on Instagram and on your Google Business Profile. Give them a reason to try it straight away, announce it on launch day, remind them a week later, and after three to four weeks check your POS to see whether it sells.

Below you will find where and when to announce a new product or menu item, how to give people a reason to try it, three message templates, what staff should say, how to measure whether it worked and what to do if it flops.

Why announce a new product to your regulars first

A new cake, a seasonal drink, a new salon treatment or a new line in a shop needs its first people to try it. Regulars are the best place to start, for three reasons.

1. They are coming anyway. You do not need to persuade them to visit, only to order something new.
2. They trust you. People try something new from a place they know far more readily than from an ad by a stranger.
3. They tell you the truth and tell others. Their opinion helps you fine tune the product, and their word of mouth brings in more people.

Advertising to new people makes sense once you know the product tastes right and sells.

Where to announce a new product: 6 places

A mix works best. One channel reaches only some of your customers; several at once give the feeling that something is happening.

1. At the till

Your staff are the strongest channel. One line at payment reaches everyone who just walked in. How to say it is below.

2. Table card, board, counter

A table card, a chalkboard by the door or a small tag right next to the product. Keep it short: the name, one sentence on what it is, the price. A photo helps if it is a good one.

3. A message to your loyalty card

If you have a digital loyalty card, send all its holders a short message that lands on their phone's lock screen. It is the fastest way to reach the people who are not coming in today. Write it in advance and schedule it for a specific day and time. Push notifications are on the Advanced plan and above and only reach customers who agreed to marketing messages.

4. Instagram

A photo or short video of it being made, a story on launch day, later the reactions of the first customers.

5. Your Google Business Profile

On your Google Business Profile you can add an update post with text and a photo, or an offer post with a start and end date. People who are looking for you on Maps right now will see it.

6. Menu and website

Add the new item to the menu and your website on launch day, not a month later. If you print your own menu, make the new one with the free Restaurant menu maker and mark the new item so it stands out.

When to announce a new menu item or product

Timing decides whether your message gets lost or noticed.

• A few days before, a short mention is enough for regulars: "From Friday we have a new apple cake." Long teasers do not work for a small business.
• On launch day, announce it everywhere at once: at the till, on the board, on Instagram, on your Google profile and with a message to the card.
• Send the card message before people decide. In the morning before the commute for a café, around eleven for a new lunch dish, in the afternoon for a salon, when people plan their appointments.
• Remind them a week later. Those who missed it the first time will catch it the second. The second message can be different: customer reactions, a photo, one sentence on why you added it.

Do not launch in your busiest week of the year, when staff have no time to talk about it.

How to give customers a reason to try something new

People have their habits. Someone who has ordered a cappuccino for years will not order a new drink just because it is on the board. A small reason to try it now helps.

• A tasting. A small sample at the till, a bite of cake with the coffee, ten minutes of a new treatment as a bonus to a regular service. It is the cheapest way to remove the "what if I don't like it" worry.
• A smaller portion at a lower price for the first two weeks.
• An extra stamp. If your stamp card gives a stamp per product, the new item can earn a stamp like the others.
• Pair it with the usual order. "With your usual coffee, try the new cake at half price today."

Do not discount it for everyone for a whole month. People will link the product to the lower price and stop buying it at full price.

How to write a new product announcement: 3 templates

A card message and a post should both be short: what is new, why it is worth it, from when and where. Adapt them to your business.

Template for a café or bakery

"New from Friday: homemade apple cinnamon cake, baked here every morning. Ask for a taste with your coffee."

Template for a salon

"New in the salon: a repair hair mask after summer. We will try it on you for free for ten minutes at your next appointment. Just mention it when you book."

Template for a shop

"New handmade mugs by a local potter just arrived. There are only a few, so come and see them while they are on the shelf."

What staff should say about a new item

People often order something new when someone recommends it in person. But staff need to know what they are saying.

1. Let the team taste or try it before launch. People who know it talk about it naturally.
2. Give them one sentence, not a sales script. For example: "We started baking an apple cake today, would you like a taste?"
3. Offer it to people it suits. Someone who always takes something sweet will be curious about a new cake. Someone in a hurry should not be held up.
4. Do not repeat it to every customer every day. A regular who said no yesterday does not need to hear it again today.

How to tell if a new product is selling

After three to four weeks, look at your POS reports. A feeling that "it's going well" is not enough.

• How many you sold per week, and whether sales are rising or falling.
• How many people ordered it again. That is the best sign it is good. The first purchase is curiosity, the second is satisfaction.
• What sold less. Sometimes a new item simply replaces another one with a better margin. If total sales fall, split the drop into guests, visits and average ticket.

Example: 60 slices of the new cake sold in week one, 45 in week two, 50 in week three, and staff recognise the same people ordering it again. The new item has caught on. If sales fell every week and nobody ordered it twice, it was curiosity, not a favourite. The numbers are made up for illustration.

To see which dishes really earn their place, use a menu engineering analysis.

What to do if a new product flops

Not every new item works. Before you drop it, change one thing at a time.

1. Name and description. "Raw bar" says less than "nut bar with no added sugar".
2. Position. At the top of the menu or by the till, not at the bottom of the page or in a corner of the display.
3. Price. If people taste it, praise it and do not buy, it may be too expensive.
4. Tasting. If nobody has tried it, nobody knows whether they like it.

If it still does not work, take it off quietly and thank the people who liked it. One dropped item is better than a menu full of things that do not sell.

FAQ

How do you announce a new product to customers?

Tell your regulars first: in person at the till, with a table card, with a message to your loyalty card, on Instagram and on your Google Business Profile. Do it all on launch day and remind them a week later. Add a reason to try it now, such as a tasting.

When is the best time to announce a new product?

On launch day, everywhere at once, with the message sent before customers decide, for example in the morning for a café. Remind them a week later. Avoid your busiest week, when staff have no time to offer it.

How do you promote a new menu item?

Put it in a visible spot on the menu and on the board by the door, let staff taste it and offer it in one sentence, and give guests a small tasting. Add a post on Instagram and on your Google Business Profile.

Should you discount a new product?

Briefly and slightly, if at all. A tasting or a smaller portion works better, because people try the product without linking it to a lower price. A month long discount teaches customers to wait for the next one.

How long should you give a new menu item?

Usually three to four weeks. By then your regulars have tried it and you can see whether people order it again. If sales fall every week and nobody buys it twice, change the name, position or price, and if that does not help, take it off.

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