Marketing ideas for a cake shop?

[sravi]

Hi, one of my cousins has started a cake & desserts shop and has hired me to do the website and marketing stuff. I really want to use the "attention grabber" technique mentioned in Cashvertising by giving people something (like sticking a dollar bill to the top of a sales letter). I've already got my hands on data of CEO and business owner's birthdays in the city- but am not sure if it makes sense to send them an entire cake on their birthdays. Another option would be to target people by facebook ads and offer them something for their birthdays but I want something a lot more direct.

What is the best way to direct market this stuff? What can I send people on their birthdays that isn't too expensive, but will make them come to the shop?

 

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[tincho1492]

Maybe cupcakes? Cupcakes with company's logo?

 

[Gsuz]

How about giving away single pieces of cake on a paper plate that has the logo, adress and website on it? You could even make a monthly Cake day where you give away these cake pieces. I dont know where you live, but when someone in my area would give away 200 slices of cake, that would give him some serious local media coverage (newspapers, local tv stations)

 

[Alana]

A lot is going to depend on the ‘culture’ of your cousin’s bakery. There are some bakeries that are hip and fresh and full of crazy décor all over the place—from their cake decorations to the shop’s set up. Then there are more ‘old school’ bakeries where you step inside and feel like you just walked into a little old European bakery where the women behind the counter all have German accents. Then there are the more serious ones that cater to professional weddings and luxurious tastes. So figure out what it’s going to be. Figure out what (besides the obvious cake) you will be selling to your customers. Will it be more of the visual appeal of the baked goods, the amazingly delicious recipes, the cute marketing? Sure, you can have several of these features, but only one is really going to define the bakery; be what you’re known for.

Once you zero in on what your signature is going to be, then you can better target your customers. I would not focus solely on CEOs (you never know what their personal style is and how half of them are probably on some diet). Like I said, find out who your target customer is and then find ways to get your product to them (fundraisers, nonprofits, etc).

I buy a Mrs. Fields cookie because I know it’s the best tasting cookie and I love how they are all warm and gooey. Nonetheless, I bought another cookie at the mall just because the icing was georgeous (a real piece of work). Not the best cookie I ever had, but the prettiest. One is selling quality, the other is selling visual appeal.

I remember when a store opened up that did only bundt cakes near my neighborhood. It was called Nothing Bundt Cake (note the catchy name) and they had a little article in the newspaper about how the owners were local and how they are trying to bring back the bundt cake. That’s what got me into the store…and when I went there they had little samples and the place had beautiful displays of bundt cakes. But the samples are what had me become a regular—because they were selling quality, delicious cakes first and foremost.

 

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[apexstrat]

I think it depends on what you are selling. Are we talking high end birthday cakes / wedding cakes etc. or cakes for desert? I would have thought your first line of thinking will be around what you can sell locally. Connect with the people in the local community using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the local press and get the word out about that you are doing.

Think about people that are selling to a similar audience in you local community and connect with them. Is there an independent coffee shop in the vicinity that you can sell the cake to? Give it to them at a good price and ask that they put a sign up saying where the cake is from, or a link on their website etc.

If you are selling children's birthday cakes you could align yourself with toys stores, again go for reciprocal links, guest posts, twitter posts etc. All of this will help you to demonstrate to your target audience what you are capable of.

Do something for charity. get in the paper and on the charity's website.

 

[Clayton]

I wish more small businesses would re-market more to their previous customers. I like email newsletters the best. At work, every newsletter we send out for ourselves and our clients drums up more business and the ROI is insane. Mainly because cost is so low. Zero resources to collect email addresses (much easier to do in the real world than online) and very low cost to create the newsletter and sometimes a small incentive.