You’ve got a new range of pastries for the season and some really good special offers. So what's the next step in getting the word out to your current and potential customers. How can you promote your new range without shelling out huge amounts of money? Below are some solid strategies.
1. SEND EMAIL CAMPAIGNS
Email is one of the most effective ways to reach a wide range of customers. The best way to do this is to use an online email platform such as Mailchimp so that you can automate your email campaigns and communicate regularly with your customers.
To make your email marketing more effective, you can also add “gimmicks” to your content. For example, you can include coupon codes that will enable your customers to receive something free so long as they hit a particular amount of orders.
2. CONNECT WITH INFLUENTIAL FOOD BLOGGERS
These people have a huge network of loyal readers or followers. Remember, word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing and business growth. You can make connections with food bloggers and online influencers by hosting a small event where you showcase your new range to them or by sending them a few samples from your new range.
3. ATTEND EVENTS AND BRING SAMPLES
Food and beverage trade shows and other similar events are the right place to promote your seasonal products or your new range as these events are attended by thousands of visitors. These visitors are in the same industry as yours so it's an excellent opportunity to promote to your target market. Often at these events booth traffic depends on offering free product samples so make sure you have plenty! If you want a comprehensive guide to exhibiting at trade shows? We’ve got you covered.
4. DROP OFF SAMPLES STRAIGHT TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
Alternatively if participating at trade shows is too expensive and unrealistic for a small bakery such as yours, you can simply send your samples directly to your customers. Retail venues like cafes and restaurants only want to order the best products that are tried and tested. By sampling, you give your customers the chance to taste how delicious your new product range is before they commit to a big order!
5. OPEN POP-UP SHOPS
This is great if you’re running an online bakery. Set-up small pop-up shops in your city or in your neighbourhood to let potential customers discover you and try your new range. You can do this for several weeks or just a few weekends to make sure you won’t exceed your marketing budget. If the new products you’ve got are seasonal (Christmas cakes, special winter bread, Valentine cookies, etc.), you can even choose to run your pop-up store for the entire season.
6. POST YOUR FOODIE PHOTOS ON INSTAGRAM
Instagram’s strong focus on images and visuals makes it the perfect social media platform to market your new bread and pastries. But be sure to only post high-quality and delicious-looking photos. Having an amazing-looking Instagram feed helps you attract more potential customers. Also, include hashtags in your promotional posts. Hashtags are a great way to get your photos discovered by new users.
7. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FACEBOOK, TOO!
Use your personal profile or your business page to spread the word about your new products and special offers. Facebook has billions of monthly active users so you’ll also reach a wide audience in no time through this platform.
8. DON’T FORGET YOUR WEBSITE
Have a website? Create promotional digital banners and place them on your homepage. This way, your site visitors will know that you have new products in your range. If you’re running an online store for your bakery, you can also put a “new products” section on it, or use the cross-selling and up-selling trick.
9. CREATE A DIGITAL PRODUCT CATALOGUE
Digital catalogues are easier to update, unlike their print counterparts. So when you’ve got a new range and want to promote it, you can just add the images of the new products to your digital catalogue. It's also a good idea to have a section that’s dedicated to your new products and limited offers. Worried about your budget? Don't be, digital catalogues are cheaper so you won’t need to put out big sums of money every time you want to promote something.
There are currently quite a few tools around that let you create digital catalogues. Ordermentum is one of them. And what's even better about this online ordering and payments platform is it allows your customers to place their orders straight from the catalogue. A lot of Ordermentum users have reported that their sales have increased from using the tool as their products are immediately visible to customers through images.
Ordermentum's digital catalogue
Ordermentum is the best way to showcase your product range and manage your influx of orders. You can book a free demo here to find out more.
Promoting your new range doesn't have to cost you a fortune in marketing tactics. By following any of the effective strategies above, you can get your products and your bakery business in front of potential customers without spending a lot of money. Got more tips? Don’t hesitate to share them in the comments section below.
