Starting a cake business is already a tough decision. The next step is to get out, advertise, and promote your cake business. Actually, you may have made the most beautiful, delicious cake in the world. But, if your message didn’t get out, how could you sell it? In order to promote your cake business, marketing is the key. So, let’s see the ways.
Actually, the cake business is a very profitable plan, if you promote it correctly and gain customers. This is on the edge for those who have a passion for baking. Desire and love alone will not promote your business, definitely, you need to do more than that. Active marketing is essential for your baking business. So, we listed here the most effective promoting methods for a cake business.
Social media works best when it is a combination of conversation, content, and promotion. The right combination of each aspect will vary depending on your market, business, and audience. You can keep your customers on the line by making your company easily reachable through social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
If you are not active on social media, you are actually missing out on a large opportunity to reach a large customer base. However, social media is an easy way to acquire customers. 61% of people find out about restaurants, bakeries, and other food stores through social media. So, this how-to promote your cake business through social media.
- Read Ultimate Facebook marketing strategy for small business – 2021
- Read Ultimate Instagram Marketing Strategy For Small Business – 2021
- Read Amazing LinkedIn marketing strategy for small business – 2021
1. Set up your profile impressively
In fact, your profile makes the first impression on social media about your business. So as that, make sure to create a perfect profile with comprehensive, precise, and updated information. It is crucial to include information like your location, business hours, and contact details. Additionally, you can add information like your website, offers, or deals or so many things.
For instance, Lily_vanilli_cake uses the limited Instagram bio space to speak directly to their customers.
Crumbs and Doilies have cleverly incorporated their specialties and multiple locations along with their website URL, into their Twitter bio.
While Instagram and Twitter provide a limited bio section, Facebook is providing space to you to include information like opening hours, address, messaging options, and popular times to visit. The Hummingbird Bakery has updated its Facebook profile with their information.
There is nothing terrible than a customer looking at your social media pages and finding that you haven’t posted anything in months. Newsfeed moves very fast, so you need to be visually proactive if you want to stay in your customer’s mind.
Just as your business produces fresh cakes every day, make sure you and your team have a maintenance schedule that you can give a reminder about your presence.
3. Post great images on Social media
Posting photos regularly will remind customers to order those new cupcakes and they will come through the door. But stay tuned, the quality of your photos and videos reflects the quality of the products to the online customer, so make sure the photos are top-notch.
So never agree on the quality of the scenes you use. You can use design tools and editors to add more value to them. But, ensure that you do not need to be overdone. As well as, Images should be the best size for the best look on different social media networks.
4. Listening and engaging with the audience
In fact, Social media is a great place to learn from your customers. Have you ever wondered if your customers like your latest cupcake or bread? Or are they looking for a new flavor of ice cream? Just listen to the conversations and ask them. Actually, this is a great way to capture people’s interest, build online communities, and connect with loyal customers.
So, this way you can work enough on creating good content, responding to reviews, and engaging the audience. Now, try to understand what is actually working for your cake business. Every effort you make to promote your business on social media is little without data to back it all up. Therefore, it is essential to measure your progress on social media and change social media strategies for your business to get better results.
#2. Build an Email List
People need to know that you are implementing promotions for your cake business. So, one way you can build your future customer base is to start an email list. You can start with your friends, family by saying them to join your email list. As your email list grows by word of mouth, send regular emails to the customers on your list.
You can talk about the new cake you are selling and the promotion of ads to your customers. Every time you sell a cake, ask someone who is not on your list to join them. Email marketing is a strategic strategy for product promotion.
#3. Start a website to improve online presence
As we all know, gaining more customers is the most important goal of the majority of business owners. Whether you are a techie or not, you have to admit that modern-day businesses need to promote their businesses online. Actually, 99.9% of business owners will have a website to promote their business.
With content management systems like Wix, WordPress it will be much easier and less complicated to create a site and build a web page.
The truth to be told is, there are so many step-by-step guides on the Internet about how to create your own blog or your own website. Make sure to make it impressively, because it is the mirror that reflects your online cake store.
#4. Partnering with local businesses
Actually, if you are new to the business field, it is so hard to find new customers. As a resolution, you can consider partnering with local businesses like Bridal salons, wedding hairstylists, jewelry stores, or something else.
You can offer beverages and samples of your creations in exchange for the opportunity to distribute your marketing materials to their customers. This will be a good chance for you and your partners. Your partner will be able to improve their customer satisfaction, for free and you can reach potential customers directly.
#5. Motivate your customers
When you are promoting a cake business to customers, you should always give them something new. For instance, if your customer is crazy on gluten free products, try to develop a whole line of gluten-free foods to satisfy that new market sector. When you have something new, your customers will be tempted to taste it.
#6. Offer free samples
There is no doubt, we all love free stuff. So, same with your customers. Give them what they need by placing a few free samples at the order counter. When they have to try something before they buy, they increase their appetite and it is better to buy an extra item to satisfy their new craving.
Additionally, you can give away a cake sampler featuring your signature frosting and cake combinations. If you are displaying some unique flavors, always keep a sample for customers to taste. Because, people unwilling to take risk on buying tasteless ones. It will be very useful for the customer’s purchasing decision.
#7. Word of mouth
Word of mouth is the most effective form of business promotion and marketing to your customer’s family and friends. And you can start to promote your cake business with your family and friends’ helps. In addition, donate your products to non profit organizations and churches.
#8. Hold a survey to know your customers
If you are not sure what your customers want from your cake business, start a conversation, or do a survey. Knowing your customer gives you the entire idea of their choices, preferences, spending limits, and much more.
When you have the understanding of your best customers, you can create services and products that meet the needs and desires of the people who are the trusted sponsors of your business. You can give your customers a free loaf of bread, a cup of coffee, or a discount on their next order for their input.
The value you place on focusing on what your customers want will help you to create more motivational offerings that keep people coming back. Not only that, this will be advisable to build a long-term relationship with customers.
#9. Sponsor community events
Putting money behind a big cause helps your bakery reach the targeted people. Whatever the reason you support it, you can find an event or group for it. If you’ve looking for a good reason to support, why not start by analyzing your audience? What are the reasons they support and how can they help you? For example, you can sponsor a local school event and hand over the fliers to all parents.
#10. Sell Custom Merchandise
Customers tend to support their favorite local stores, shops, and restaurants. So give them the opportunity to do just that with custom-branded merchandise. As a cake business, there are tons of options, such as a wooden cutting board, branded oven mitts, or a custom-made raw material bag. Of course, you can always be offered standard shirts, hats, and aprons as well.
#11. Teach your potential customers
Giving others the art of cake decorating can encourage creativity, imagination, and promote your business. You can give your students any cake decorating techniques or shortcuts you can find to make cake decorating easier or faster.
It may seem fun to teach a class about a topic you prefer about. But, attracting customers, with teaching is tough sometimes. However, if you do it right, you can build them on top by offering something new. Such as teaching your competitors, that is, you can organize some cooking and baking tips, cooking competitions, etc. to build your brand.
So, with a little practice and a little attempt, your cake business will be promoted very quickly change from work to second nature. Actually, getting started is easy. Just choose your favorite idea from the list here, make a plan, and take the first step. Once your business grows little by little, take another step of promoting your business.
Related Questions
Is it a good idea to start a winter cake business?
Of course, it is a good idea, but it is limited to one season. So, your cake business should be planned to be profitable not only in winter but throughout the year. You need to choose a safe e-commerce platform for international exporters and importers to make your business successful. Then you can expand your business to a wider range and open up new possibilities.
How to generate cash flow for a cake business startup?
If you still do not have the cash and need cash flow, you can create something related to the cake business that does not require any inventory. A definite example of this is a website that lists recipes for different cakes as well as for instructions on how to make those cakes. This way, you can generate traffic through content marketing and search engine optimization. From there you can generate cash flow by selling any product or service related to the cake business.
Generating cash flow requires continuous hard work but it can be done.
Is it better to start a cake business from home?
Of course!
It is true, the cake business does require a little practice and some experience. Luckily, that is something you can gain with a little cash. A cake business requires supplies that you may already have lying around your kitchen. If you already feel that you are good at this activity then you are in for a treat. On top of that, starting a cake business from home can be the best opportunity for someone like you!
five suggestion(Smells Are Free!
Perhaps the lowest barrier to entry when marketing your bakery is something that you’re, most likely, already producing – the scent coming from your delicious baked goods! Any smart baker knows that keeping their doors wide open, when weather allows, gives them free advertising to consumers who are in the vicinity. The best part is, as long as you’re already baking, it’s completely free to prop open your doors and entice hungry patrons with your mouth-watering aroma)