Marketing Workshop: How to Market, Promote your Cake Business
How to market & promote your business, get your name ‘out there’ and have a fully booked out diary within 2 months!
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
1 What we will be covering in Marketing Workshop:
The different marketing strategies + which one is best for you! ‘Free as a Fairy’ marketing strategies (cost $0 nothing) How to promote your business and get (more) cake orders. And not the sleazy-used-car- salesman type selling! Networking: how to do it like a pro Websites – how to get cake orders straight from your website Rainbow layer money makers (how I got booked out 6 months into business) Online + offline marketing strategies Social media – where to start 3 ways to sell cakes using Facebook The secret of getting cake orders at markets/events/expos How to Stand Out From the Crowd and Outsell Other Cake Businesses Email newsletter subscribers, with deals or specials + Email marketing strategies Free Advertising and Marketing strategies and how to get more bang for less buck Samples – how giving away freebies = cake orders The art of vouchers and loyalty cards turn into orders and stark raving fans (WOM) Paid advertising – is it worth it?
What is marketing?
Marketing is how you help people. Taking a step further, marketing is how you promote and share how you help people. (You help by making edible pieces of art. You help by saving time. You help by saving frustration … hello, cake pops! You help by being part of a gorgeous event.)
Important NOTE
Marketing only works when you go out and market yourself and your business. If you don’t share with the world how you help people (market your business), then you will not get orders and you will not have a successful business. Period. Instead of thinking of a strategy that ‘doesn’t work for me’, flip that on its head and think ‘how can this work for me’. There are loads (and loads) of marketing strategies. And you don’t have to do all of them. Choose the ones that you want to start with and go and do that. Remember, it’s your business. Your rules.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
2 Try. Test. Tweak. Repeat.
When doing anything new you need to try it (try that marketing strategy). Test – see if you get any or how many inquiry or orders. Tweak – change it up for next time. Repeat – try that marketing strategy again.
100% perfect - It does not have to be 100% perfect.
Confidence. Confidence will come with time, experience, skills, etc. You will be more confident on your 10th cake then you’re first. You will be more confident on your 100th cake.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
3 Marketing Strategies
There are dozens (hundreds) of marketing strategies. Ultimately it comes down to you. Choosing which marketing strategies comes down to you. Your preference, personality, your skills set, and what works for you in your business. A strategy that works for me, might not work for you.
100 Marketing Strategies
Make a portfolio of your work.
Ask previous clients for testimonials. There is nothing more powerful than someone else’s recommendation to buy from you.
Share testimonials on website and social media.
Share any certificates, qualifications, registrations and licenses to prove your skills.
Include any evidence of awards you have won within your portfolio (on your website and relevant social media platforms).
Share any magazine or newspaper clips where you, your business or your cakes have received coverage (that includes online websites and blogs, too.)
Categorise your portfolio into sections – children’s, weddings, cupcakes, etc.
Network. Go to business sessions or mastermind or networking meetings, you never know who you are going to meet.
Collab with other people in similar industries. For example – wedding coordinators, party planners, gift shops, etc. Offer commissions for cross-promoting or recommending. Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
4 Social Media
Set up a Facebook Business (or Fan) page.
Join local Facebook groups and share your weekly deal. (These groups are similar to online community noticeboards).
Share on your personal Facebook page that you are taking cake orders. Your friends and family will be your biggest supporters!
Improve your Facebook Business page with an App that collects names and email address.
Create your own Facebook group for people in your local area. Have a competition inviting people to add their friends. Share you latest creations and sneak peaks and deals regularly. Ask people to comment for engagement.
Pin your cake photos and blog posts to Pinterest. It is where your target market are hanging out that is also a visual gallery or portfolio of your work. Create a Pinterest business account here. (I also have video training on my Pinterest strategy here. How I got 5 x times traffic in 6 weeks, from as little at 10 minutes per day!)
Share your cake photos and blogs posts across all social media platforms.
Share any sales, deals, discounts, etc. across all social media platforms.
Advertise Online
Advertise on TrueLocal (Australian site).
Advertise on GumTree (Australian site). Or here for USA or UK.
Get your business added to the Yellow Pages directory.
Offline Marketing
Bake mini cupcakes and give to local businesses.
Make up and print off Vouchers and give to people you meet (Check out chicks, neighbours, people at a BBQ, parents at the soccer game).
Letter box drop with business card and voucher (either yourself, or ask a couple of friends and pay them in cupcakes!)
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
5 Visit your local PCYC, community or sporting clubs and offer your services.
Message, text or ring friends and family who are having a birthday or party soon. Offer to do a great deal when they order from you.
Go to Restaurant and Café’s with free samples. (Here is how to get Wholesale orders in 9 steps.)
School newsletter advertising.
Day-care newsletter advertising.
Network. Connect with other people in your community such as other business owners.
Email Marketing
Send out regular emails newsletters with deals or specials to create interest. (For information on how to do this, click here.)
Collect email address from website, inquiries, orders and events.
You can manually add email address to an excel spreadsheet or word document and bcc (blind carbon copy) in on emails or use an email service provider like MailChimp or ConvertKit.
Collect email address from website traffic (more information below).
Email out your latest creations, your latest blog post, what market or event you will be at next, what shop stocks your goodies, a deal/voucher/discount/sale, what social media platforms you are on, invite to join your Facebook group, sneak peaks, etc.
Give a call to action (CTA). For example – get a free quote today, click to read more, press button to join Facebook group, hit reply, etc.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
6 Website
Have a website to share your portfolio and/or gallery to showcase your work.
Blog regularly (for Google-ability). By regularly adding blog posts and photos you will get better Google ranking.
Collect email addresses. Over 98% of people who hit your website will navigate away and not contact you – boo!
Add an ‘opt in’ to your website to give incentive for people to give you their email address. Here is more information about opt ins.
Have a call to action (CTA) on every single page of your website – I suggest inviting them to contact you for a free quote today!
Have good quality photos! No blurry, dark or messy cakes here.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
7 Quick Website Reference Resource List:
Website: WordPress.org
Hosting: Bluehost or Siteground
Domain: GoDaddy or Crazy Domains
Themes: Sparkling or Genesis Framework or StudioPress or Foodie Pro
Security: Sucuri
Email Service Providers: MailChimp or ConvertKit
Video Editing: Camtasia for PC or Mac
Enrol in Cake Business School for step-by-step video training on building a WordPress website in under 60 minutes.
Tailwind app for scheduling Pinterest pins
How to Start a Website & Make Money With It
How to Start a WordPress Website on Bluehost hosting in 3 Easy Steps
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
8 Markets, Expos, Shows, Festivals, Events
Have a stall at festivals, shows, markets and fetes and give out business cards.
Sell at the markets and hand out business cards.
Give away free samples, which invites people to try your goodies, they slow down to look at your table, you have time to say ‘I have these on special, these are new flavours this week, feel free to enter competition to win free cupcakes’ and they generally walk away with a business card!
Have a competition! At the end of the table have entry forms and a box, where people put their name and contact details to win something (like a box of cupcakes or a voucher). Give each entrant bonus points for putting family member’s birthdates! (Now you can add them to email newsletter list.)
Have a portfolio on display or photo album (laminated photos hanging off sides of table and marquee worked well for me).
This is how you become known as the local cake lady. People will recognise your brand.
Have signage that says ‘’Taking Cake Orders Today!’’
Direct people to look at your website and ‘Like’ your Facebook page (and any other social media platform you are on.
Take photos of your stall or stand at the event and share on social media, on your website and for email newsletters.
Invite customers to take photos and share on social media and tag your business in it!
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
9 Wedding Expos
Exhibit at a wedding expo or fair, with more than 1 display cake. This will expose you to more wedding cake orders. Here is the ultimate wedding expo guide.
Share your portfolio at the wedding expo (it could be a photo book, a TV set up with photos or videos, a laptop with a slideshow playing or a iPad with a gallery for people to click through.) and get other types of cake orders – like birthday, engagement or baby showers!
Give away brochures, business cards and samples.
Hold a competition and collect your own leads and contact details at your booth. Collect contact details of people you meet on the day so you can follow up with them after the event. Partner with businesses, such as a romantic meal for 2 or a massage at a spa for prizes and offer to share the lead list with them.
Sales - Sales usually don’t happen on the day of the event. After the show, follow up. FAST. That could be in the way of a quote or a free taste testing day that you are taking bookings for. Normally it takes 1-3 months to see the orders coming in from the event.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
10 Customer Service
Provide really great customer service! Customer service can be (and usually is) the key to turning potential customers into paying customers.
Follow up with every. Single. Inquiry. Until it is a ‘no’, assume it is a ‘yes’. Don’t think you are being pushy or salesy, because you are not.
Initial quote - Provide great customer service. That is important. #1 Give very quick quote.
People are wanting the price $. You do not want to spend 30 min / 60 min every time someone asks for a quote.
Follow up with a combination of Facebook message, email, phone call, text message, leave a message, etc. People thank me for following up! To get the script and exact step-by-step instructions on how to follow up, enrol in Pricing Workshop here – http://angelfoods.net/pricing-workshop
Don’t assume or think that the customer should follow up with you!
Every quote I give 3 quotes. Every quote I give a very (very) quick quote and then give another 2 options. So then you are offering 3 price points and that way the customer is more likely to find something within their budget.
With each cake order add cake instructions, on how best to delivery, keep and eat the cake with a small handful of business cards (to hand out to friends, family, guests).
Show confidence (even if you don’t feel it), communicate clearly, eye contact and smile.
WOM! Great customer service and great customer experience equals marketing gold = WOM. Word of mouth is the bees-knees and best marketing tool and strategy for a cake business.
Invite your previous customers to recommend to friends and family. (You don’t know unless you ask.)
Offer your previous customers incentive to recommend to friends and family, like a voucher or bonus with their next order (free box of 12 cupcakes, for example.)
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
11 Note about Cake COMPETITION
Remember there will always be ‘other cake decorators’ you were once the ‘new cake lady’. There will always be competition.
You cannot control other people business. What you can control is your business and your customer service.
Read this article – How to deal with competition and copycats.
What marketing strategies should you use?
Essentially, find what works best for you based on your skill set, personality type, experience, work works for your business and what doesn’t.
Remember. Try. Test. Tweak. Repeat.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
12 Social Media and Cake Business: Where to Start
With a cake business and all the social media platforms, it can seem confusing. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+, Periscope, Snapchat… And whatever the latest thing out is.
Which social media platform(s) should you be on? (And what to post so that it turns into inquiries, orders and money in the bank.)
Firstly, yes, you should be on social media. Because that means you are more Google-able.
Meaning if someone types your business name into Google, your Facebook business page (for example) will show up before your website, because Facebook is a huge website with loads of authority.
But the main reason? Because your target market (the people who are buying from you) are hanging out on social media.
What Social Media Platform Should I Be On? If you plan on getting more website traffic, inquiries and your business be more Google-able, then you need to be on at least one social media platform.
I don’t recommend jumping on all of them, instead choose 1-3 which you are most comfortable with and probably already use yourself!
Once you are easily doing a couple of social media platforms, add another one into the mix.
How Long Should I Spent on Social Media? A social media plan should only take 60 minutes or less per week.
This is exactly what our Guest Expert in Cake Business School shares this week and exactly what your no fluff action plan is.
Test for Results You will know 2 ways whether your social media plan is getting you inquiries.
1.) By asking every (single) inquiry and quote how they heard about your business.
2.) Also, check your Google Analytics to see how much traffic is coming to your website via social media.
If you haven’t got Google Analytics set up yet, here is a guide to adding GA to your website (only takes 5 minutes).
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
13 Social Media Final Notes
To sum up – have a couple (1-3) social media business accounts, update at least once weekly, direct traffic to your website.
Note – Remember, you don’t own the social media platform. What you do own is your own wordpress.org website and email subscribers list and that is wayyyy more valuable than a social media account.
In Cake Business School there are training modules that cover: how to DIY a WordPress website, and how to set up MailChimp for email opt ins and Pinterest Marketing Strategy. It is only $1 to enrol in CBS.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
14 3 ways to sell cakes using Facebook
1. Set up a Facebook Business (or Fan) page.
2. Join local Facebook groups and share your weekly deal. (These groups are similar to online community noticeboards).
3. Create your own Facebook group for people in your local area. Have a competition inviting people to add their friends. Share you latest creations and sneak peaks and deals regularly. Ask people to comment for engagement.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
15 How to Stand Out From the Crowd and Outsell Other Cake Businesses There are literally hundreds of Cupcake & Cake Businesses out there (maybe even 1000’s). While there is more than enough work for everyone, what is going to set you apart from the rest?
If you are going to do what everyone else is doing, what is the point?
A Unique Selling Point (USP) is your point of difference and essential in any business!
The USP is what makes your words convert into sales, make traffic stay longer & deeper relationships are made with your client base. It is what sets you apart from others. The USP is what can make you & your business go viral very quickly … or remain stagnant.
How do you get your own USP?
What does your product (and possibly service) do for me, the customer?
The big question customers ask is ‘’what is IN it for me?’’… ‘’If I get this – what will I get?’’.
Give them the benefits.
The 4 U’s to a Successful Business:
Unique – tell customers in your emails, Facebook & tweets.
Ultra-Specific – show them why they can’t get this product at Woolworths
Unbeatable Proof – Bullet points of testimonials & raving results
Unable to Resist – Give them an offer they can’t refuse like free delivery
Your USP is absolutely critical in setting you up in your field. Your details, such as website, colour of your logo, social media & technical stuff doesn’t matter, as long as you set yourself apart.
Have you ever felt a little overwhelmed by your competition?
Wondered how you are going to outplay them? Wondered how you are ever going to be first choice for customers?
Some of us are fortunate enough to work in very niche areas, but the rest of us have chosen businesses that operate in a crowded market place.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
16 So, how do you get ahead?
Often we look for a quirky difference, or something amazing and revolutionary. But the search can be long and fruitless. Finding nothing that customers actually want.
Look outside the square.
Quick delivery
Guaranteed quality
Free delivery
On time delivery
Take last minute order
Order in full & on time
This example means, that you don’t have to do anything clever, quirky or fun. Look at delivering their quality cupcakes, in full and on time.
Write below. What is your USP?
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
17 Email newsletters
Email marketing is a powerful form of marketing. It is getting inside someone’s inbox, with something interesting, helpful, inspiring, and entertaining or a great deal!
Think of email subscribers like Facebook ‘Likes’.
Having and growing an email list and regularly emailing with email newsletters is a great way to stay top of mind as their local cake lady.
How often to email?
Frequency comes down to you (remember, your business, your rules) but more important is consistency. Choose how frequent (daily, weekly, fortnightly or months) and lock it in! Email consistently.
What to email about?
Email out your latest creations your latest blog post what market or event you will be at next what shop stocks your goodies a deal/voucher/discount/sale/specials what social media platforms you are on invite to join your Facebook group, sneak peaks competitions share a story Or a combination of any of the above!
How to start an email newsletter?
You can manually add email address to an excel spreadsheet or word document and BCC (blind carbon copy) in on emails.
Or use an email service provider like MailChimp or ConvertKit.
Collect the emails of people who have previously emailed asking for quote and customers who have ordered from you. Get permission to add their email address to your email newsletter list. For example ask – would you like a free cake voucher if it is okay to add you to my email newsletter with my latest cake creations?
Hold a competition on Facebook and get entries by name and email address. Hold competitions at markets. Collect email addresses from your website via an opt in. Read more about opt ins here.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
18 Samples
Giving away samples or freebies is a great way to get cake orders!
Combine that with business cards, vouchers and limited time deals and you will get orders within a couple of weeks!
I suggest baking off mini samples (mini cupcakes are perfect for this exercise) and boxing up with your logo on it.
Take into local shops, businesses and offices (think mechanics, hairdressers, spas, servos, clothing shops) and introduce yourself as the local cake lady and get them to share amongst their colleagues and customers!
All employees and owners have birthdays. They all have family members that have birthdays. Plus it is brilliant for WOM.
Add a handful of vouchers and business cards to sweeten the deal (read more below on vouchers).
You don’t need to bake 1000 cupcakes! Just start with 5 or less sample boxes and walk into 5 stores this week (there is no time like the present.)
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
19 The art of vouchers and loyalty cards turn into orders and stark raving fans (WOM)
If you want to grow your cake business, get more orders and have fully booked out weeks – that requires getting new customers. And vouchers is a great way to do that.
Give out business cards & vouchers to (everyone) you meet – the Check Out chick at Coles, your day care mum, your work mates, your friends, the mums at soccer practice, the people sitting beside you in a restaurant. Oh! Leave your business card on café tables! (I’ve done that.)
Vouchers.
Putting together a discount or deal that you can print off and hand out all over the place!
We all love a deal, whether it is $5 off, free extra coffee, and 50% off, free cupcakes. We are (far more) likely to go to whatever place is offering that deal to claim it. (Even if we have never been there before.)
For example:
‘’For a cake order over $50 get a free box of 6 cupcakes (valued at $25)’’
‘’Get 50% off your first cake order’’
‘’Get $20 off an order over $100’’
I personally recommend giving a bonus or extra freebie instead of a discount. While yes, the order will be at lower profit margins, think of the future cake orders and repeat customer service.
To create a voucher, I recommend using Canva or PicMonkey.
I have put together a voucher for you to print off and use straight away!
For me, the best voucher that worked is ‘’Receive a pack of 6 cupcakes when you place an order of $50 or more’’. It is the best deal that worked for me and my cake business clients, over and over again!
Click here for the $50 voucher and $100 voucher.
There is room to add your logo and I also recommend adding a Use By or Expiry Date on the Voucher.
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
20 Voucher Bonus Tip #1
Give brilliant customer service.
For the most part, these will be new people to experience you, your cake and your business. Make it a great experience! From the cake (obviously), to each contact with the business and the customer service your provide.
We all know the best business experiences we have are usually because of great customer service.
Voucher Bonus Tip #2 Turn them into repeat customers.
Customers that order over and over again are worth their weight in gold. Now they have ordered from you once, they are 80% more likely to order again from you.
Maximise on repeat business in a couple of ways.
Add the order date into an excel spreadsheet, to contact in 11 months’ time to remind that a party is coming up (and did they want to order from you)
Straight up ask for the families birthdays, to add to the same excel spreadsheet. You now have a whole families birth dates for the year! (You can offer a discount/deal in exchange for the family’s birthdays.)
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
21 Recommended Resources
Available at http://angelfoods.net
Cake Business School: Enrol for just $1
Pricing Workshop: How to price your cakes & sweets with confidence for more profit in 60 days!
Complete Cake Business Startup Kit
Angel Foods Show Podcast: Free MP3 training with interviews
Quick Website Reference Resource List:
Website: WordPress.org
Hosting: Bluehost or Siteground
Domain: GoDaddy or Crazy Domains
Themes: Sparkling or Genesis Framework or StudioPress or Foodie Pro
Security: Sucuri
Email Service Providers: MailChimp or ConvertKit
Video Editing: Camtasia for PC or Mac
Enrol in Cake Business School for step-by-step video training on building a WordPress website in under 60 minutes.
Tailwind app for scheduling Pinterest pins
How to Start a Website & Make Money With It
How to Start a WordPress Website on Bluehost hosting in 3 Easy Steps
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
22 In case we haven’t officially ‘met’ yet … Hi I’m Rebekah (Allan) from Angel Foods – AKA the Cake Business Trainer + creator of Cake Business School. I’m a North Qld country gal, now living in Brisbane with hottie boyfriend. I have worked in a bakery for 10 years, am a qualified Baker + Pastry Cook, have franchised nationally with a (special) knack for teaching and cakes!
AND THAT’S WHY I CREATED CAKE BUSINESS SCHOOL. It’s about hanging out with peeps, who are just like you! I’ve taken everything I’ve learned through 15 years in the food industry INCLUDING what I learnt in my cake business + franchising and packaged together in rainbow coloured paper into a training course, which takes just 1 hour per month! Like this workbook CBS is about IDEAS and actionable steps and sends you on your way to growing your cake business. And the ‘recipes’ of success aren’t about the latest cake lace techniques … They are timeless steps that requires just a bit of training. Enrol here for just $1 AUD. Xx Remember, it’s time to live your sweet biz dream!
Marketing Workshop - www.angelfoods.net
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