How Did You Advertise And Get The Word Out?
Business By PinkPetals Updated 22 Jun 2009 , 1:11pm by notjustcake
I am so excited to make cakes for people but don't know how to get the word out. I'm in the process of making a website, but how do I attract people to it? Did any of you actively market yourselves? Or did you just count on word of mouth to travel through friends and family?
Did any of you offer drastically low-priced cakes just to get people to give you a shot? I really don't feel like I can start off competing with the established bakeries right out of the gate...
First of all, are you licensed? and if not, make sure it's legal to sell baked goods in your area without a license. Second, if you've already taken care of that issue, then I find that the best way to advertise is through the mouth...not necessarily word of mouth, but taste of mouth so to speak. It can be a little costly at the very beginning, but donate cakes for bake sales, to your church (or local churches), at your day job, your significant other's job etc. Include business cards with the cake. This will get the word of mouth going very quickly.
Forgot to add, that by donating these initial cakes, you ahven't limited yourself on any prices. You aren't bound by any discounted rates and such. Also, it is important to make sure you can sell the cakes legally first because once you start advertising, it will be very easy to get caught by the local health dept.
Luckily I am able to hang a sign in front of my house, after I got the appropriate small business license. I live on Main Street in my town, so there's a lot of traffic passing my sign everyday.
Another thing I do is take cakes to the doctors offices and businesses around town. Also the schools for the teachers lounge. They love to get free stuff and it gets your cakes out there.
Word of mouth is a great way to advertise, but unfortunately it takes time.
Good luck! 
Did any of you offer drastically low-priced cakes just to get people to give you a shot? I really don't feel like I can start off competing with the established bakeries right out of the gate...
1) No. You'll find it hard ... very hard.... to convince them that the introductory price is over and gone when you try to raise your pricing to where it's suppose to be.
2) Why not? If you're ready to sell your cakes as a business, then you're a business just like anyone else who is selling cakes as a business.
Did any of you offer drastically low-priced cakes just to get people to give you a shot? I really don't feel like I can start off competing with the established bakeries right out of the gate...
1) No. You'll find it hard ... very hard.... to convince them that the introductory price is over and gone when you try to raise your pricing to where it's suppose to be.
2) Why not? If you're ready to sell your cakes as a business, then you're a business just like anyone else who is selling cakes as a business.
its way better just to give them away than start out way too low.
i started out giving cakes away...they really need to taste it, if they are good, it will sell.
i'm turning peeps away every week, so it works.
when i opened, i was higher than all the bakeries.
I currently took on a fundraiser auction/dinner to serve cake for 200 to 250 ppl, the local newspaper will be there taking pictures and maybe write a story! I will be serving neopolitan cake, 3 layers made of vanilla cake, milk chocolate and strawberry cake iced in buttercream.
They allow us to promote our business, so I will have 250 flyers with a coupon and business cards cause it is all I can afford at the moment.
To top that off I am giving them 3 gift certificates, two $25 for any cake order of at least $50 and a $150 gift certificate towards a wedding cake order of $200 or more. I wil make a dummy cake on a cake stand to use for display. I sure hope I get tons of referrals from all the cake samples!
It is a write off and even the flyers and business cards are!
I'm also hoping the newspaper writes a story about the event cause they might mention the local businesses that participated, restaurants and myself. I think this is as close to a bridal show as I'm gonna get cause I can't afford one right now.
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