On A Plate Growth Agency

Easing back into LinkedIn like it's 2024. I did my best to have a complete break over the Xmas hols and by and large I managed it. Although I never find it easy to totally switch-off And, there were a couple of LI posts and I created a free guide to nailing your email Welcome Series but outside of that, I tried to just enjoy a family orientated Crimbo and some days off Because I knew the pay-off would be, I'm raring to go!... 1. On A Plate Growth Agency - my marketing services biz to help grow food, drink and hospitality brands -- continue to hone my offering, particularly around the biggest problem I help solve: businesses don't send enough emails = missing sales every day -- as part of making my offering more accessible, I've created an online store where you can download The 30% Recipe, my blueprint for creating 30% of DTC sales through email. Check out it here, https://lnkd.in/ea3_mWeb -- whilst I'm UK based, I know my support will help grow brands wherever they are and I'd love to secure an international client during 2025 (DMs are open!). 2. Bloody Bens - The Bloody Mary Mix is the ingredient for perfect Bloody Marys or as Claire Dolan 🧠👩🏻💻Marketing Strategy says, is it even a Bloody Mary without Bloody Bens. -- The aim is to grow from being listed in 350+ venues to 700+ by the end of 2025 --- if you run a restaurant, bar or cafe and want to speed up service, improve guest satisfaction and increase sales then DM me for a sample of the Mix. 3. Best Before Events - there were no dedicated food & drink and hospo industry networking events in and around Brighton, so Lizzy Kaplan and I decided to change that. -- Our first event is on the 30th Jan, with a panel talk followed by lunch and networking. -- 50% of tickets have been sold, and now we're all getting back into our routines, we expect the rest of the tickets to go pretty quick. If you want to come along, then grab a ticket here, https://lnkd.in/dTHsCUJe -- and we're already planning future events. If all goes to plan, then it's going to be a super exciting and rewarding year. If it doesn't all go to plan, then at the very least, there will be lots of learnings so, no matter what, I'll finish the year in a stronger position. 🎢 So, crank up the rollercoaster. Let’s see where we go. What are you excited about this year? Drop your plans or goals in the comments - I’d love to hear them. 👇 📸 at the Brighton aquarium during Twixmas.

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Forgotten to sort your Boxing Day sale? This'll get you through...

Week 11 of building a biz in public - and hitting 4,000 followers! 🎉 As I went to write this post, I realised I had passed the 4k mark. Little milestone, pat on the back for myself. And, there's room for more pats on the back as I reflect on what was a big week. - Launched Best Before Events with Lizzy Kaplan. -- We’re building a community to connect and champion the people shaping Brighton’s food, drink, and hospitality businesses. 📆 Thursday 30th Jan, join us for an afternoon of inspiring conversations alongside local food, drinks and networking, as we host our debut event at Projects, Nile St: All You Can Forecast - Food, Drink + Hospitality Outlook 2025 - Took on new client work, -- Can't wait to help Sally Chilton share her experiences and stories, as well as establishing RamTang' as a staple behind every bar. And, get used to the word electrolytes because Theo Laviale is going to be bringing them to the lips of everyone with his drinks brand Muudy. - Agreed with Aldwyn Boscawen for Bloody Bens be a test case for his new Klaviyo app Morale Email which will help users gain more zero-party data, build better emails and generate extra revenue. And, one of my favourite things about having launched On A Plate Growth Agency and being freelance is being able to have the freedom to meet and chat with interesting people. Last week, that included, - Jack Simmonds - Daniel O. Oh, and on the theme of interesting people, I also went to the TEDxBrighton event at the Dome - which it transpired was a pilot for a new TV series. -- each speaker shared amazing stories, a reminder that there's so much great stuff happening out there and how unaware we all tend to be of it. --- needless to say I had extra interest in the, frankly amazing, work that Tom Morphew is doing. (and thank you Vicki Jakes for nudging me to attend - so pleased I went) Right, onwards to Xmas and year end, still time to squeeze in some more wins and little milestones. And, a question for you: - Are there any projects you’ve been putting off that could be kickstarted now instead of waiting until January? The sooner you start, the sooner you'll be making progress. Everyone else will be starting in Jan... do you want to be like everyone else? And, if you're thinking, yeah actually I do have some I'm gonna start in this crazy period or over Twixmas, then please share in the comments. I'd love to know. --- LinkedIn Followers: 146 Instagram Followers: 74 Substack Newsletter: 48 --- 👋 I’m Ben Walton, founder of On A Plate Growth Agency. I help food, drink, and hospitality brands grow their sales with hands-on support. DM me or email ben@onaplategrowth.com to book a no obligation chat and discovery call. I'm also co-founder of Bloody Bens and the co-founder Best Before Events

Your welcome email is your first impression - are you nailing it? Too many brands get it wrong, using the out of the box template email you get on set-up: ❌ A generic “Welcome to our newsletter” ❌ No offer, no hook, no reason to stick around ❌ A missed chance to convert a new subscriber into a customer Here’s the truth: Your welcome email is the most opened email you’ll ever send. If it doesn’t grab attention, you’re training subscribers to ignore you in the future. Here’s how to craft the perfect welcome email: 1️⃣ A warm thank you. Make it personal. Make them feel part of something. → “Thanks for joining the family!” 2️⃣ A simple brand story. Tell them who you are and why you’re worth their time. → “We make better snacks - 100% natural, ridiculously tasty, and perfect for on-the-go.” 3️⃣ A clear offer. Give them a reason to make their first purchase - now. → “Here’s 10% off your first order to try us out.” 4️⃣ One call-to-action. Don’t overcomplicate it. Make the next step obvious. → “Shop Now.” Why this works: A great welcome email hooks subscribers immediately: ✅ It builds trust. ✅ It drives that critical first purchase. ✅ It sets the tone for future emails - they’ll keep opening because they know your emails bring value. Don’t let your welcome email be an afterthought. Make it count. --- 👋 I’m Ben Walton, founder of On A Plate Growth Agency. I help food, drink, and hospitality brands grow their sales with email marketing strategies that deliver. DM me or email ben@onaplategrowth.com to book a no obligation chat and discovery call. I'm also co-founder of Bloody Bens and the co-founder Best Before Events

Are you ignoring key customer milestones? Birthdays, anniversaries, first purchases - these are good opportunities to deliver sales, build loyalty and deepen connections. But too many food, drink, and hospitality brands overlook them. Milestone emails aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re your chance to show customers you value them - and drive repeat purchases in the process. Here’s how to do it: 1️⃣ Celebrate birthdays. A personalised email with a discount or freebie goes a long way: “Happy Birthday! Enjoy 20% off on us this week.” It’s thoughtful, relevant, and gives them a reason to shop with you. [restaurants, this is a no-brainer] 2️⃣ Mark first-purchase anniversaries. Remind them why they chose you in the first place: “It’s been one year since your first order! Celebrate with 10% off your next purchase.” [I'm always surprised at how this prompts people to re-order] 3️⃣ Recognise loyalty milestones. Celebrate the customers who keep coming back: “You’ve made 5 purchases with us - thank you for being a loyal customer! Here’s a little something to say thanks.” Why this works: Milestone emails aren’t just transactional - they show customers you’re paying attention and value their loyalty. And because they’re automated, they work behind the scenes to build relationships and drive sales consistently. Don’t miss these easy wins. --- 👋 I’m Ben Walton, founder of On A Plate Growth Agency. I help food, drink, and hospitality brands grow their DTC sales with email marketing strategies that deliver. 📩 Want to talk about how to set up milestone emails for your brand? DM me or email ben@onaplategrowth.com 🚀

I'm not setting the bar too high, just letting TED Conferences set the standard! Last night, I went to TEDxBrighton, which it turns out was the pilot for a new TED TV series. The timing was good... on Tuesday, Lizzy Kaplan, and I, announced the launch of Best Before Events. A new venture to shine a light on the incredible talent in Brighton’s (& beyond) food, drink, and hospitality scene. Our goal? To bring people together to eat, drink, and connect. ✨ Discover ways to make your business more successful. ✨ Find brilliant new suppliers and partners. ✨ Or, simply feel a little less alone in these challenging industries. At our debut event on the 30th Jan, we’ll host a panel discussion exploring: - The biggest trends shaping 2025. - Challenges unique to the industry. - Actionable insights to take your business forward. The TED talk was, needless to say, super inspiring, communicating the message that ideas change everything. If ever there was something to help set the standard of what can be achieved by bringing people and talking, this was it. And, what Best Before can to be: a catalyst for change, collaboration, and growth. No pressure panel! 😂 Also, shout out to Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, what a great venue the Corn Exchange was. I excitedly WhatsApp'd Lizzy, we need to do an event here... --- 👋 Hi, I'm Ben, - co-founder Best Before Events - founder On A Plate Growth Agency - co-founder Bloody Bens --- ps, we are looking for sponsors for our event on the 30th Jan. - we've made it an affordable way to get in front of founders, decision makers and industry influencers -- DM or email ben@onaplategrowth.com if you'd like the deck

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Are You Stuck Chasing One-Off Sales?" Most food & drink brands are. But it means you're missing out on a whole chunk of revenue. Here’s the thing: Email marketing isn’t just about making a one-off sale - it’s about building a long-term relationship. When your emails only chase the first order, you’re missing out on the biggest driver of growth: increasing Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV or LTV depending on how you like your acronyms). What’s the problem with short-term thinking? - It limits your growth. - It wastes the potential of your existing customers. - You spend all your time (and budget) acquiring new customers instead of nurturing the ones you already have. The good news? Lifecycle marketing can fix this. It’s a strategy that focuses on engaging your customers at every stage of their journey, turning one-time buyers into repeat customers and hopefully loyal advocates. How do you extend LTV? Here’s how to build a lifecycle strategy that works: 1️⃣ New Customer Onboarding: First impressions matter. A welcome flow isn’t just a formality, it’s your chance to build trust and set the tone for a long-term relationship. Example: “Welcome! Here’s everything you need to know about getting started.” Include tips on how to use the product, a personal message from the founder, and an incentive for their next purchase. 2️⃣ Post-Purchase Follow-Up: The sale doesn’t end at checkout. This is where you can nurture loyalty and lay the groundwork for repeat purchases. Example: “Your order is on the way! Here are 3 quick tips to get the most out of it.” Add an upsell: “If you love this, you might also enjoy X...” 3️⃣ Re-Engagement for Lapsed Customers: Every brand has dormant customers. Use win-back campaigns to remind them about you and your products. Example: “It's been a while. Here’s 20% off your next order" 4️⃣ Introduce Subscriptions These are gold for extending CLTV. Turn occasional buyers into regulars by offering convenience and savings. Example: “Never run out with our subscription service and save 15% on every order.” 5️⃣ Upsell and Cross-Sell with Context: Don’t just push random products, recommend complementary items that genuinely enhance their experience. Example: “Here's a piece of kit to help you brew even better coffee at home” Why This Works: Lifecycle marketing focuses on relationships, not transactions. It’s about meeting your customers where they are, solving their problems, and keeping them engaged with your brand. The result? ✅ Higher engagement. ✅ More repeat purchases. ✅ A significant boost in LTV. Stop chasing one-off sales. Start creating meaningful customer journeys that turn one-time buyers into lifelong customers. Need help building a lifecycle marketing strategy for your brand? Let’s chat. --- 👋 Hi, I'm Ben, - Founder of On A Plate Growth Agency, growth made simple for food, drink and hospitality businesses. DM or email ben@onaplategrowth.com to book in a discovery call and chat.

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