Opening A Bakery: 3 Sweet Marketing Tips

The baked goods trend is underway, and if you've decided to open up a shop of your own, set yourself up for success by standing out from the crowd. If this means your location is built around a novel theme, great - it will add to the experience of coming into your store and enjoying a piece of cake and a cappuccino and draw both locals and tourists your way. If this means you make the only vegan, gluten-free chocolate cheesecake cupcakes in your area, fantastic - you're targeting a niche demographic who can't find what they want just anywhere, and if your cupcakes are delicious, even better.

But don't bank on creative interior design or niche product selection if you want to stick around for the long haul. With so many bakeries popping up around town, you'll need an edge that keeps you top of mind among customers old and new, and what better way to distinguish yourself than with an inspired sales and marketing strategy? The good news is the nature of the bakery business lends itself to colorful and fun custom printing! So read on for three sweet marketing tips to follow when opening a bakery.

1) Design a Kitschy Custom Menu

One of the most important tasks when opening a bakery is menu design. This is when you select what cakes and pastries you will offer and how you will differentiate yourself from the competition. In addition to determining content, however, you can help create a memorable customer experience by paying special attention to layout and design and creating a custom menu that works for your store. Though kitschy art and design won't work for every business, when it comes to a bakery kitsch works well. Look at restaurant menu templates for ideas. Whether you go retro, cartoonish, vintage, or romantic, think of your menu as a work of art, and don't be shy - it will help you brand yourself in the minds of customer and add an element of fun to the everyday.

2) Get Creative with Your Coupons

The versatility of custom printing makes getting creative a snap when it comes to printing coupons. Don't go with a regular rectangular shape; this might work if you're including your coupon in a newspaper or magazine, but if you're distributing coupons at the store or via hand-to-hand promotion, do something fun. Print die cut coupons in the shape of your most popular products, like cupcakes, tarts, or cookies. Your customers will be more likely to take notice and will associate your bakery with positive experiences of whimsy and deliciousness - giving them more reason to return.

3) Design a Business Card to Remember

If you're opening a bakery, you are more than likely artistically inclined - they call it the culinary arts for a reason. Not to mention, people associate bakeries with comfort and delight. Capitalize on these facts and design a business card to remember. Forget about anything standard; experiment with die cut business cards, magnetic business cards, or any combination of the two. Lots of color and fun graphics are expected in this industry, so don't hold back - and if you come upon a design you really like, design postcards, brochures, and letterhead to match. Your brand won't be soon forgotten and it will help drive business over time if your printed products have a unified look and feel.