How to Market Bakery Products
You can make the best chocolate chip cookie in the city, but, if nobody knows about it, your business can falter or fail altogether. Developing a marketing strategy for your baking products that helps you reach your desired client base can increase your chances of success in a competitive industry. Clearly defining your market and finding an innovative approach to reach those people will be the best use of your advertising resources.
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Things You'll Need
- Product menu
- Business cards or other contact information
- Promotional material
- Coupons
- Electronic newsletter
Instructions
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Define your target market. If you want to sell baked goods to corporate clients, look for businesses in a specific radius around your bakery, especially if you plan to deliver your products. Precisely define who will buy your products in order to design appropriate marketing materials. If you plan to market to corporate clients, your materials will contain different information than if you are baking wedding cakes for couples.
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Distribute marketing materials that clearly communicate your baking services. According to Retail Bakers of America, business cards are essential to show that your bakery is a professional establishment. Coupons, flyers and newsletters should prominently feature your business name, contact information and website.
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Join your local Chamber of Commerce. You will network with other businesses so that they think of you first when they have a need for baked goods.
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Rent a booth at bridal shows, if you bake wedding cakes. Offer a coupon for a discounted price on the groom's cake with a wedding cake order. Take the opportunity to offer free samples of your products so that couples can taste the quality of your items.
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Join a cake decorating club. This can be a networking opportunity with fellow bakers, and you can refer specialty business to one another.
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Use social media and Internet outlets to constantly stay in touch with your clients. Offer a free dozen cookies with their first order if they choose to follow you on Facebook or Twitter (see the Resources section). Update your page on a regular basis with relevant information, such as a special coupon exclusively for your followers. Create a website or blog that has appealing pictures of your bakery products and relevant content, like "How to Plan a Great Birthday Party at Home." Social media sites are an inexpensive way to quickly get the word out about new products and sales.
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Reward your clients for referring new people to your business. Offer them an incentive like earning a free dozen cupcakes when their referral places an order. Send new clients thank you notes with a discount coupon for their next order.
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Use a monthly newsletter to remind clients of upcoming dates that may require baked goods, such as Thanksgiving, and encourage them to place orders in advance by offering an early-bird discount or free products. Include coupons for the Cookie of the Month in your newsletter, and publicly thank those clients who have referred new business to you. Some will enjoy seeing their name in print.
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Tips & Warnings
Invest in a well-designed logo and website.
Use several different marketing campaigns at the same time.
Highlight the things that differentiate you from your competition. Emphasize the quality of your ingredients and the freshness of your product. If you bake-to-order, let your clients know this. It will make them feel like you are giving them personalized service.
Don't promise more to your clients than you are able to deliver.
Not every marketing campaign will be successful. Don't invest too many resources into an idea that isn't working.
