Congrats on starting a new cake business! You’ve got a name, a logo, and brilliant recipes so good they’d get you a Hollywood handshake from baking legend Paul Hollywood.
Now you need a marketing plan to draw in new customers, drive revenue, and create demand. But maybe you’re not quite sure where to start, or you worry you might be missing a key ingredient in your marketing strategy.
You’ve come to the right place! Here’s everything you need to know about how to market your cake business.
Create Your Cake Marketing Plan
5. Run paid ads
1. Set Up Your Website for Success
Your website is the hub for everything potential customers want to know about your business.
Here are some tips for creating a great website to market your cake business:
- Use an all-in-one website builder: Platforms like Squarespace and Wix are easy to use, even for beginners. They have ready-made templates, drag-and-drop editing, and built-in tools for search engine optimization (SEO). Plus, both have tools you can embed to take orders and payments.
- Name your city or service area: Listing your city, county, or other regional identifier on your website is essential. People using Google to find a business like yours will incorporate words like these (e.g., “cake businesses in Omaha”) when searching online.
- Find the right keywords: Master the art of keyword research to see what terms can help your website rank higher in search engine results.
- Include your FLIP badge to boost credibility: All cake makers need insurance to protect their businesses. Displaying your FLIP badge tells customers you’re prepared and professional.
- Update your site regularly: It’s hard to trust a business website that looks outdated or lacks information. Fill yours with images of your cakes, client testimonials, up-to-date contact info, and a bio that tells the story of your business.
2. Invest in Video Creation
Did you know that 91% of businesses use video as a primary marketing tool? With the rise of video platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts, video is an important part of any good marketing plan for a cake business.
- DIY (Do It Yourself): Most smartphones have high-quality cameras, and social apps like Instagram and TikTok have built-in video editing capabilities so you can record, edit, and post videos with ease.
- Partner with a pro: For top-tier video content, hire a freelance videographer from Fiverr or Upwork to create and edit your videos.
- Share your content widely: You can get a lot of mileage from video content you create. Post on your website, share on social media, make an Instagram ad out of it, and include it in your email newsletters.
3. Share Your Content on the Best Social Media Platforms for Cake Businesses
At the start of 2024, 207 million Americans ages 18 and up were active on social media. That’s 77.4% of the total population of American adults!
Without social media accounts for your cake business, you’re missing out on potential sales.
Here are the top social media platforms to use to promote your cake business:
- Facebook: Facebook is the most popular platform in the U.S.
- Instagram: Great for enticing customers with pics and video clips (Reels) of your cakes. Post to Facebook and Instagram simultaneously to save time!
- TikTok: TikTok use is steadily increasing in the U.S. — 170 million Americans are on the short-form video app.
- Pinterest: Like Instagram, Pinterest is a visually-oriented social app for sharing high-quality pictures of your delicious cakes.
4. Create Local Directory Profiles
Many people use Google and other search engines to find local businesses and navigate to them. Give your business even more visibility in online search results with profiles on local business directories, such as:
In addition to more visibility for your business, they’re all free to use and feature reviews from your happy customers!
5. Run Paid Ads
It can take time to get traction with a website and social posts, but targeted advertising can put your business on the map instantly. Paid ads can significantly boost your brand’s online visibility and ability to attract new customers and improve sales.
The most popular platforms for paid ads are:
- Meta Ads: Highly targeted visual ads, and the ability to post to Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger at the same time
- Google Ads: Ideal for helping your business appear in local searches
- Pinterest Ads: Keyword, audience, and interest targeting on a highly visual platform
- YouTube Ads: High-engagement video ads that are well-suited to showing off your cakes to local audiences
- Yelp Ads: A great way to reach customers who researching local cake businesses
Pro Tip: Need help with your advertising visuals? No sweat. Canva’s ad creator has a plethora of templates and free design tools that you can use to create visually appealing ads.
6. Utilize Email Marketing
According to 80% of small and midsized businesses, email marketing is the most effective online strategy for retaining customers. And since it’s much cheaper to retain customers than gain new ones, email should be a big part of your cake marketing plan!
Here are some different types of emails you can send to customers:
- Welcome emails: An introduction of your business to new customers and thank-you message for their interest or recent purchase
- Newsletters: Regular emails with updates about new offerings, upcoming events, and other important news
- Promotional emails: Alerts about special offers and seasonal specialties
- Educational content: Updates with cake-related tips, like how to properly store them, what size of cake you need for a certain number of people, etc.
To efficiently manage your email marketing campaigns, use an email app like Mailchimp or Brevo. These systems can help you grow your contact list, manage customer relationships, and organize your email strategy — and both let you start out for free.
7. Create a Buzz With Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Word–of-mouth marketing contributes to 90% of all purchases.
Yes, you read that right!
People are more likely to purchase from a business their friends or loved ones recommend, which is why word of mouth is so important for marketing your cake business.
Here are some tips to get the buzz going:
- Encourage customers to leave reviews and testimonials on Google, Yelp, and your other listings.
- Create a referral/loyalty program that rewards customers with discounts, freebies, or specials when they refer a friend to your business.
- Utilize social media to build excitement around your business, share user-generated content, and host giveaways or contests.
- Include freebies with purchases, like branded stickers or free cake samples (just make sure you price your cakes accordingly to maintain your target profit margins).
- Deliver exceptional customer service to leave a lasting positive impression and encourage reviews and referrals.
Cake Marketing Ideas: Examples and Screenshots
Finding the Best Keywords for Your Website
You can use Free Keyword Research Tool to get insight into high-volume search terms to incorporate into your website. Look for keywords with “Low” or “Medium” difficulty — these are easier for you to rank for than keywords with “High” difficulty.
Developing a Strong Social Media Presence
Paper Cake Shop, a Seattle-based cake business, has an active, aesthetically pleasing Instagram account that has earned them nearly 10,000 followers. They use their account to share gorgeous shots of their cakes, business updates, and behind-the-scenes glimpses.
Creating a Google Business Profile
Making Content With Canva
Canva makes it easy to create paid ads using their visually stunning templates. Choose between static images or video templates and add your branding/imagery to make them unique and true to your cake business.
Take Your Cake Marketing Strategy to the Next Level
Once you have the basics down, you’re ready to level up! Check out our Instagram marketing eBook with tips to get the most out of your business profile, including content ideas for posts, Stories, and Reels. Download your copy for free today!
FAQs About Marketing a Cake Business
- Having a strong identity sets you apart from your competition (colors, logos, brand personality, a memorable cake business name)
- Consistency of messaging, visuals, etc. across channels builds trust and credibility
- Developing a unique selling proposition (USP) tells customers what your business does better than the competition
- Storytelling fosters emotional connection with customers
- Knowing your target audience allows you to tailor your messaging and marketing that speaks directly to them
- Shout each other out on social media by sharing each other’s posts, stories, and other content
- Offer joint discounts or bundles that include offerings from both of your businesses
- Collaborate on content creation and make videos, blogs, or other content together
It’s a great way to get out in front of new audiences and grow your customer base. Event planners, florists, venues, photographers, and caterers are all great businesses for at-home cake bakers to partner with.
- Sales (revenue, number of orders, average value of an order)
- Number of new customers gained during a campaign or with a specific tactic
- Customer retention (repeat purchase rate)
- Website analytics (traffic to the site, number of people who leave after viewing one page, number of people who place an order through your site)
- Social media (engagement, reach and impressions, follower growth)
- Email (open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate)
By Alex Hastings
Alex is a Marketing Copywriter at Food Liability Insurance Program (FLIP). In her free time, she enjoys reading, birding, traveling, and finding any excuse to get brunch.
