You could believe that the most difficult aspect of the baking industry is getting started. Sure, it requires a lot of work, and you could have a few sleepless nights and worry as a result. However, once your bakery is up and running, staying ahead of the competition will become your primary priority. Furthermore, your objective is to become a go-to spot for individuals searching for delectable pastries, not merely to stay afloat. In the bread industry, you want to generate a profit as an entrepreneur. This will need meticulous attention to your finances, records, and inventory, but there is one aspect of the firm that is sometimes overlooked: marketing.
You probably don’t have time as a business owner to study and uncover these free marketing ideas, but we’ve done it for you.
1. Brand Identity
With the aid of a logo that depicts how distinctive your bakery business is, you must build a brand identity for it. It allows you to stand out in a crowded market. Spend money on promoting your business in local publications, hand out brochures in key locations, and use social media to promote your brand.
2. Create a Free Google My Business account for Your Bakery Store
A Google Business Profile has become one of the most efficient free marketing tactics accessible, especially for small firms. This free listing will allow your company to appear on Google Maps, Google Search’s local section, and the right-hand Knowledge Panel for sponsored queries.
However, in order for your Business Profile to appear higher on Google Maps or local searches, you must optimize it, and to improve it, you must have confirmed ownership of it—which you can accomplish using your Google My Business account.
3. Post (and engage) on social media
Increasing social media interaction and creating an online community is a cost-free approach to expand your small business while expressing your brand’s personality and gaining trust from your audience. Create company profiles on major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and others. This is something you can do anytime you have some extra time.
- Drive traffic to your website by promoting your blog content.
- Have direct conversations with your followers to communicate your brand voice and increase engagement.
- Conduct polls and solicit input.
- Create brief and informative postings using extracts from larger forms of material that are simpler to comprehend.
Whatever your motive, make sure you’re engaged and proactive on the social media profiles you build on a regular basis. Consider the words “consistency,” “community,” “partnership,” and “commitment.”
4. Tag people (and brands) on social media
Using social media to tag your loyal customers, brand evangelists, or even nearby firms and providers may help you expand your organic reach to a new potential audience, develop your following, and maybe get additional clients. Encourage your fans to include your social media account or company location as a hashtag in their postings. Here’s more on user-generated material.
5. Use hashtags!
Incorporating hashtags into your social media posts—not only on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok but also on Facebook and LinkedIn—is another free marketing approach that may help you expand your reach.
While broad or trendy hashtags might help you reinforce your brand identity, they shouldn’t be your sole option. When you’re sharing materials or guidance, more precise hashtags (similar to long-tail keywords) are useful. If you’re a local company, you’ll need to include hashtags that are specific to your location. Don’t forget about custom hashtags! Use a variety of hashtags in your postings to ensure that they reach the intended audience.
6. Don't sleep on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a significant social networking platform that is frequently underutilized. Don’t just build network connections and then disappear; engage in conversation with them, share your blog articles and offers, join and participate in forums, and share other people’s high-quality information.
7. Do some local SEO
The great thing about Google’s algorithm is that it’s built to deliver the most accurate, high-quality, and relevant results for each given search query. Because it is not necessary to pay to play, this leveled the playing field and allowed small enterprises to compete with major corporations for top-of-the-page real estate.
Local SEO is free, but it takes time, so get started immediately and stay working; the rewards may be substantial over time. Here are some must-dos for local SEO:
- Include location-based keywords in the names, headers, and body text of your primary website pages (e.g., “Portland bakery”).
- Register with online directories, ensuring that your information is consistent across all platforms.
- Create websites or blog articles that are tailored to the communities you serve.
8. E-Mailing Customers
To keep in touch with your consumers, you may utilize e-mailing as a marketing strategy. Request that everyone who comes into your business jot down their e-mail addresses on a sheet of paper. You may send them emails with information about new items and great promotions. You may also use e-mail to thank your loyal customers and follow up with new ones.
9. Create data-rich infographics
As marketing tools, infographics are quite effective. They’re eye-catching, easy to comprehend, and people love to share them, making them an excellent approach to increase referral traffic and links.
Hiring a designer to create an A+ infographic is expensive, but you can create your own for free using free programs like Canva, Adobe’s free vector kits, or our personal favorite, Visme, which includes all of the pieces needed to create a witty, shareable infographic. Don’t know where to begin? Visual.ly is a great place to get ideas. They include examples for both beginners and expert users.
10. Start a blog
Starting a blog is a terrific way to make content a regular component of your marketing efforts.
Small companies utilize blogging to enhance website traffic, enhance user engagement, boost their online presence, and boost their overall SEO. It’s a completely free approach to market your small company online, via tales about your firm and relevant information that future consumers are looking out for.
Blog entries don’t have to belong and complicated—speak in simple terms, focus on a different topic with each article, and naturally integrate the keywords you’re seeking.
11. Host classes and events
Plan an event or class to organize, then print and distribute fliers to neighborhood bulletin boards (libraries, coffee shops, local colleges, and adult ed centers). While most community bulletin boards would not allow you to post commercial adverts, they will frequently gladly publish a flier announcing a class or educational event.
If you are unable to hold an event, attend any local activities that may be beneficial to your business. You never know where your next customer or business partner may appear!
12. Instagram and Pinterest
When it comes to social media, Instagram and Pinterest are wonderful places to show off your brand’s full potential. Both are heavily image-driven platforms — possibly the most popular among bakeries and restaurants — and with a technologically aware eating clientele, both of these tools are excellent for bakeries.
Great images are an unspoken need of these platforms, and they will help your bakery business attract more customers, work with influencers, successfully communicate with your online community, and ultimately generate more money!
Conclusion
Finally, if you have the funds, begin online ad campaigns using Google Adwords, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads. Because your bakery is a location-based business, you’ll want to make sure your advertising are only accessible to those in your surrounding vicinity. To achieve a greater return on your ad expenditure, you may also segment your audience by demographics and psychographics.
Finally, if you have the funds, begin online ad campaigns using Google Adwords, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads. Because your bakery is a location-based business, you’ll want to make sure your advertisements are only accessible to those in your surrounding vicinity. To achieve a greater return on your ad expenditure, you may also segment your audience by demographics and psychographics.