Concepts for Success: 7 easy bakery promotions

November is a tough month for bakeries. Kids are back in school and the football season will soon be over. You have to promote your bakery shop in a way that motivates potential customers to give it a try.
Here are seven quick and easy fall promotions and marketing ideas for attracting new customers and strengthening loyalty with your existing customers. 

1. Get social
Use social media as a marketing tool for your bakery. Social media websites will help make your operation popular for many people. It’s also cost-effective. My clients love using Instagram over other platforms. What better medium than a picture to tell a story about your bakery? The popularity of Instagram is based mainly on excellent, mouthwatering food photos, videos and recipes. To increase your reach, add relevant hashtags to your images so when people search for that particular hashtag, they can locate your pictures. Try to create great content that people want to see and engage in a transparent and real way. 

You can also create exciting and engaging videos for marketing your bakery through social media and YouTube. Don’t forget that videos can persuade customers to visit your bakery store. You could easily post a few videos online that show the making of your baked products. How about creating video cooking lessons? This can entice a number of customers to visit your bakery and buy the products they saw in the video.

Don’t forget to ask your customers to share their feedback on the bakery items on your official social media page or website.

2. Autumn food incentives
Fall is for apple and pumpkin flavours that make everyone nostalgic. Consider food specials such as a Pumpkin or Apple Pie Tuesday just for the season to draw more customers. Advertise these specials through your usual channels, including social media. 

3. Innovate constantly
It’s essential not only to hold on to your loyal customers but also to attract new customers. You also need to remain updated with the demands and trends in the marketplace. Try updating the taste of your bakery products by changing or adding new ingredients. You will always entice new customers to your bakery by offering them new products.  

4. Give away fall recipes
No matter how many recipes you give away, people will still want you to bake for them. It’s a great way to kick-start conversations with your customers and to upsell them by selling spices, toppings and gourmet ingredients. It’s also an excellent way for your customers to remember your bakery and to build great relationships. 

5. Grab attention with branding
Does your bakery use branded takeout packaging? If not, you should think of using takeout bags and boxes with your bakery name and logo on them. You could simply have some stickers on a roll printed to lower your cost. This is a proven and effective way of making sure that your bakery brand follows your customers. This is the first thing people in your parking lot, co-workers, neighbours and others all get to see about your bakery business.

A promotional banner on your front pavement will help attract customers to your bakery shop. Coasters or napkins with your logo might end up in the background of a picture showing off your bakery products. You could also print images posted online as little billboards for your bakery. Get some big, bright and colourful posters and place them in a central window of your front door, above and behind your front counter, and next to the door to your washrooms.

6. Invest in designing or updating your website
It’s essential that you invest in designing or updating a website that looks professional and is dedicated to your bakery business. It’s also a great extension of your online presence. Customers will be able to find your bakery store online if you have a website. Share all the relevant information with clear photos about your business to existing and potential customers. Include any seasonal offers and menus and be sure to update your website for the upcoming Christmas holidays.

7. Get more customers to your bakery by offering festive offers
How about throwing a late fall-themed event like a harvest gathering or a bakery product tasting? You can promote your event or your themed menu in advance to keep your customers’ taste buds watering all the way to your bakery door.

Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 35 years by providing innovative and revenue-increasing food service and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns. Contact her at 416-926-1338, send her an email at chiasson@chiassonconsultlants.com,
or visit chiassonconsultants.com