subject: 3 Factors For Advertising And Marketing Your Bakery [print this page] Getting Your Bakery Online Getting Your Bakery Online
The technology of todays world means that everybody is online whether it is a young teenager on a smartphone or a grandparent using an iPad and every demographic in between. And if theyre online, they will most likely look for your website. Thats because popular search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo are the yellow pages of current society. But while having a website will benefit your bakery the approach of combining a website with other advertising approaches will increase exposure and possibly boost sales.
Having a Google+ account, being listed on Yelp, or having an account on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest can also help advertise your bakery. Social networks are effective because they enable you to upload pictures of baked goods, details about discounts, or news about a new menu item in real time, which other members can then re-share, re-tweet, or re-pin. This type of marketing is not that much different than word-of-mouth advertising that took place in small towns just a generation or two ago.
Direct Mail versus E-mail
A lot of money goes into print marketing and advertising, such as direct mailers. Hefty fees are involved in both printing and mailing the advert, whether the mailer is the size of a postcard or some type of a brochure which folds out to a much larger size. Even though email is free to use, and which is why it is so essential to have a database of consumers that includes their email address. Email advertising is reasonable because you can offer information to a lot of end users at once without spending a lot of money in the process. Emails that just advertise the corporate get old, and sending emails too often is a quick way to lose clients.
One technique that creates higher potential for consumers to open your email is to include some type of beneficial information. Such as, tips for baking without common allergens like gluten, dairy, eggs, or even alternatives to chocolate, tree nuts, or cinnamon are highly sought after by people who are allergic to any of those popular baked good ingredients. Not only are you developing a relationship with those who are in your customer database, but the next time they want to visit a bakery theyll be more likely to visit the one that has taken the time to reach out to them with pertinent information.
Taking Advantage of Special Events
Sites like Living Social are another preferred method to your business, especially if youre holdinmarketg a special event. Couples baking sessions that include a single glass of champagne, parent and child cookie baking sessions, or even birthday parties for all ages that allow participants to decorate their own cupcakes using special approaches, such as fondant are perfect for advertising on Living Social. People buy tickets to the event because of the discounted price, but once theyre through the front door, mouthwatering displays that show off the best talents of the bakery staff will certainly tempt them into providing into their sweet tooth.
And finally, network with other local enterprises. For instance, team up with a local florist and offer a slight discount for brides who use both businesses when planning their wedding or reception festivities. Inquire about selling pastries at local coffee shops that dont have the means or skills to do their own in-house baking. And finally, put the word out through donating your product. Donating a dozen muffins to a different civic organization every Monday could help increase your sales on the other days of the week, just through word-of-mouth alone.
