Consumer interest in bakeries has been increasing month over month. Additionally, recent research from Statista estimates that consumers return to local bakeries an average of 15 times yearly. The bakery industry’s market size is estimated at USD 203.8 billion and is projected to grow 3.2% in the next three years.
Interest in Bakery searches and interest trends has been growing month on month since 2015
This growing market has led to newly styled bakeries and baking specialist businesses opening up across the globe to match the increasing demand for baking specialities.
With an estimated 89% of consumers across the US, Europe, and Asia choosing their local neighbourhood businesses online via search engines and social media, digital marketing could be the key to success for your bakery.
So if you are running a bakery business or planning to open one soon, here are some tips and tricks on scaling it up online and why it is so important.
Questions to ask yourself to build your Bakery business presence online
As a local bakery, expanding your business online is crucial for reaching and retaining customers. To achieve this, there are a few key questions you should ask yourself:
- How can you ensure that your bakery is the first choice for local consumers?
- How can you maintain customer loyalty and grow your business?
- How can you stand out from local competitors and increase your visibility?
- Do you have a social media strategy that boosts your local visibility?
- Can you effectively use your customer reviews and local/online directories?
Let’s dive in if you want to learn more about expanding your bakery business online!
Local Online Marketing Strategy For Bakeries
Online marketing for bakeries provides a vast opportunity to get noticed by local consumers through various digital channels such as search engines, social media, local directories, and local news.
It’s not just about being found but also conveying the right image and sharing a positive impression of your brand to create interest and appeal to new and existing customers, ultimately improving sales and generating positive reviews to attract even more customers.
10 Strategies to Market your Bakery online
Here are the top ten channels we recommend targeting to promote your bakery business online. At BigDreams, we specialize in local marketing and have worked with many bakeries to develop effective marketing strategies. Feel free to contact us if you need help with resources, training, or campaign management.
Not all channels may suit your bakery, and it’s essential to tailor your approach to your target audience and local market. By understanding your customers’ preferences and behaviour, you can create a targeted strategy to maximize your reach and impact.
1. Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) For Bakeries
Local SEO can be a powerful tool for bakeries to increase their visibility and attract new customers in their local area. By optimizing their website and online presence for local search terms and location-based searches, bakeries can appear higher in search results and improve their chances of being found by potential customers.
Some of the key benefits of local SEO for bakeries include the following:
- Higher visibility in local search results: By targeting local keywords and optimizing their website for local search, bakeries can increase their visibility in local search results and reach more potential customers in their local area.
- Increased website traffic: By appearing higher in search results, bakeries can attract more visitors to their website, increasing the likelihood of generating leads and making sales.
- Better customer engagement: Local SEO can help bakeries engage with potential customers in their local area, building brand recognition and loyalty.
- Cost-effective marketing: Local SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy compared to traditional forms of advertising, making it an excellent option for bakeries looking to maximize their marketing budget.
Popular general SEO Keywords for Bakeries
Local SEO: Localize Your Bakery’s Impact Across Maps And Search Engines
If we use London as an example, it’s important to note that there are an estimated 57,000 monthly searches for typical bakery-related terms. And this is just a tiny sample of the many potential keywords you could target if your bakery is in London.
Test it now – click on this term and see what appears on Google: Bakery near me.
2. Digital Maps
Digital maps are everything from Google Maps to Bing Maps and GPS information. People use them to search for directions, locations, and local listings, so it is essential to be highly visible. Here are the main ones to focus on:
Google Business Profile
It would be best to optimize your bakery’s local presence to be visible for all these Google searches and Google Maps listings in your local area.
Google Business Profile should be your first place to go, but other options can be key contributors to helping you organically rank across the internet.
How to add your business to Google Business Profile
Adding your bakery business on Google My Business is a straightforward process.
Here are the steps you can follow:
- Sign in to Google My Business: If you already have a Google account, you can sign in directly to Google My Business. If you don’t have an account, create one by clicking the “Start Now” button.
- Enter your bakery business information: Once you’re signed in, click the “Add a business” button, and enter your bakery’s name, address, phone number, and website.
- Verify your business: Google will ask you to verify your business through a postcard sent to your bakery address, phone call, email, or instant verification. Choose the option that works best for you and follow the instructions to complete the verification process.
- Add bakery business information: Once your business is verified, you can add more information about your bakery, such as your opening hours, products, services, and photos.
- Optimize your listing: To improve your bakery’s visibility, you can optimize your listing by adding relevant keywords, getting more customer reviews, and posting updates regularly.
Adding your bakery business to Google Business Profile can make it easier for local customers to find you on Google Maps and search results, increasing your online visibility and attracting more customers to your bakery.
Google Business Profile Checklist for Bakeries
- Choose the right category: Select the most appropriate category for your bakery to help customers find your business more efficiently.
- Use relevant keywords: Use bakery-related keywords in your business description and FAQs to improve the SEO of your listing.
- Add high-quality photos: Include photos of your bakery to make your listing more engaging and attractive to potential customers.
- Enable messaging: Turn on the messaging feature on your Google Business Profile listing to allow customers to contact you quickly and easily.
- Use Google Posts: Use Google Posts to share news, events, specials, and other updates with customers who find your business through Google.
- Get reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews and feedback on your Google Business Profile listing to improve your star rating and attract more customers.
- Add products or services: Use the Products or Services feature on your Google Business Profile listing to showcase the different offerings available at your bakery.
- Monitor reviews: Regularly check your Google Business Profile listing for new reviews and respond promptly to positive and negative feedback.
- Use Google Q&A: Monitor and respond to questions customers ask on your Google Business Profile listing using the Q&A feature.
- Keep hours up-to-date: Keep your business hours updated on your Google Business Profile listing.
- Optimize your business description: Include relevant keywords in your business description to improve the searchability of your listing.
- Use Google Insights: Use Google Insights to monitor the performance of your listing and gain insights into how customers are finding and interacting with your bakery on Google.
- Link your GMB listing to other local directories: Link your Google Business Profile listing to other local directories to ensure your bakery has maximum local visibility.
Your Business Profile strategy continues once you’ve set it up. Frequency is critical, so you should dedicate at least an hour each week to answering reviews, adding new posts, and updating business details or images where necessary.
Additionally, you should monitor your notifications and answer customer queries within 24 hours to maintain a positive impression and avoid losing customers to competitors.
Waze
Waze is a GPS navigation software that provides users with turn-by-turn directions and real-time traffic updates. It’s available for both iOS and Android devices.
To add your bakery business to Waze, follow these steps:
- Download the Waze app and create an account.
- Tap the menu icon in the screen’s bottom left corner and select “Add a Business” from the list of options.
- Fill in the required information, such as your bakery’s name, address, phone number, and hours of operation.
- Once your business is added, you can add photos, update your information, and respond to customer reviews.
Checklist to optimize your Waze business profile:
- Ensure all information is complete and up-to-date.
- Add high-quality photos of your bakery and your products.
- Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Waze profile
Tip: Offer exclusive discounts or promotions to Waze users who visit your bakery. This can help drive traffic to your business and increase customer loyalty.
Bing Places (UK/Canada/USA)
Bing Places is a business listing platform that allows businesses to manage their online presence on Bing, Microsoft’s search engine.
To add your bakery business to Bing Places, follow these steps:
- Go to the Bing Places website and sign in with your Microsoft account.
- Click “Add a Business” and fill in the required information about your bakery.
- Verify your business through a phone call or postcard sent to your bakery’s address.
- Once your business is verified, you can manage your listing, add photos, and respond to customer reviews.
Checklist to optimize your Bing Places listing:
- Use relevant keywords in your business description.
- Add high-quality photos of your bakery and your products.
- Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Bing Places profile.
Tip: Use Bing’s “Local Insights” feature to see how many people are searching for your bakery, where they’re coming from, and what actions they take on your listing.
Apple Connect
Apple Connect is the platform for managing your bakery’s presence on Apple Maps, Siri, and other Apple services.
To add your bakery business to Apple Connect, follow these steps:
- Go to the Apple Connect website and sign in with your Apple ID.
- Click “Add a Place” and fill in the required information about your bakery.
- Verify your business through a phone call or postcard sent to your bakery’s address.
- Once your business is verified, you can manage your listing, add photos, and respond to customer reviews.
Checklist to optimize your Apple Connect listing:
- Use relevant keywords in your business description.
- Add high-quality photos of your bakery and your products.
- Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Apple Connect profile.
Secret tip: Use Apple’s “Indoor Maps” feature to create a detailed map of your bakery’s interior, making it easier for customers to navigate and find what they want.
HERE WeGo.
Here WeGo is a navigation app and map provider that offers directions for driving, walking, and public transit.
To add your bakery business to Here WeGo, you can follow these steps:
- Download the Here WeGo app on your mobile device.
- Open the app and click the “menu” icon in the top left corner.
- Select “Add a Place” from the menu.
Please fill out the information about your bakery business, including its name, address, phone number, and website.
Once you’ve added your business, you can further optimize your listing by:
- Adding photos of your bakery, products, and team.
- Including a brief description of your bakery and its offerings.
- Adding relevant keywords to help customers find your business more efficiently.
- Keeping your business hours and contact information up to date.
- Responding promptly to customer reviews and inquiries.
Add information about any special dietary options or unique offerings your bakery may have, such as gluten-free or vegan options, to attract customers searching for those terms.
Additionally, include high-quality photos showcasing your bakery’s products and atmosphere to help entice potential customers to visit.
3. Local Directories
This section will discuss adding your bakery business to local directories. Not only is it helpful for customers to find your bakery, but it is also a crucial ranking factor for SEO. Additionally, we will touch on the importance of maintaining accurate and consistent NAP information across all directories.
Yellow Pages & Extended Search Partners
Yell.com, formerly known as Yellow Pages, is a virtual directory for local businesses. Like Google Business Profile and Bing Places, Yell.com offers a free listing for your business. However, it goes beyond this and has a network of Search Partners, including popular sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp, to help increase visibility and attract even more customers.
Yellow Pages listings and reviews can appear on search engine results pages like Bing. Therefore, managing this network of partners is crucial to stay ahead of competitors.
Dedicating monthly time to review all your local directory listings, update your information, add new posts and images, and respond to customer reviews and queries is essential.
Here is the link to add a business on Yell.com (formerly known as Yellow Pages): https://www.yell.com/free-listing/.
Yelp
Yelp is a popular online platform for consumers to find and review local businesses. It’s an excellent resource for bakeries looking to increase their visibility and reputation within the local community. Yelp also allows companies to respond to reviews, offer deals, and advertise to potential customers.
Adding your bakery business to Yelp is easy, and you can do so by visiting their website and creating a business account here: https://biz.yelp.com/
TripAdvisor:
TripAdvisor is a travel platform that allows users to search for restaurants and other businesses in specific locations. It’s an ideal platform for bakeries in tourist-heavy areas, providing information about local dining options. Adding your bakery business to TripAdvisor allows you to tap into a vast audience of travellers and foodies and promote your business to new customers.
You can add your bakery to TripAdvisor by creating a business account on their website: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Owners
Zomato:
Zomato is a popular restaurant search and discovery platform in over 24 countries worldwide.
Zomato allows businesses to add photos and menus and even run promotional campaigns to attract customers. By adding your bakery business to Zomato, you can reach a broader audience of potential customers searching for local dining options.
To add your bakery business to Zomato, visit their website and create a business account here: https://www.zomato.com/business.
There are hundreds of more directories to publish.
4. Social Marketing Management: Building A Trustworthy Bakery Brand Through Social Media
Social media can help with engagement, and it is also a key part of consumers’ decision-making process. Over 50% of web users now will go onto Instagram or Facebook to view a brand’s profile before engaging with the brand.
So what do you need to do with your social media? Follow these steps to manage your accounts to increase your local presence and brand awareness.
- Original, consistent content across all platforms: You should regularly publish engaging, original content with a consistent tone and branding across your social media profiles.
- Speak to your audience: Don’t just publish posts and forget about them – respond to comments and reply to customer queries sent via direct messages to show you provide active, reliable customer service.
- Influencers in your local area: Partner with local baking influencers to get your business seen by ready-made audiences and increase trust in your brand.
Your Business Profile strategy continues once you’ve set it up. Frequency is critical, so you should dedicate at least an hour each week to answering reviews, adding new posts, and updating business details or images where necessary.
Additionally, you should monitor your notifications and answer customer queries within 24 hours to maintain a positive impression and avoid losing customers to competitors.
How To Use Different Social Channels For Your Local Bakery Business
- Twitter Marketing for Bakeries: Twitter is ideal for posting quick updates and photos to your audience and offers an easy way for customers to contact you through @ mentions and DMs.
- Facebook Marketing for Bakeries: Facebook allows you to build a complete profile for your business with details such as opening hours, address, reviews, and services. It’s also ideal for content marketing strategies to engage with your audience.
- Instagram Marketing for Bakeries: Instagram is a highly visual medium – so if you specialize in impressive cakes or other visually appealing bakes, Instagram is a great place to show them off.
- Snapchat Marketing for Bakeries: Snapchat is used mostly by younger audiences – so if you’re struggling to reach young consumers through other platforms, try using Snapchat instead.
- TikTok Marketing for Bakeries: Unlike Snapchat, TikTok’s user base used to be primarily young, but this has changed with users growing to all ages. Try doing fun baking tutorials to show off your products and engage with younger users.
- Linkedin Marketing for Bakeries: LinkedIn is a network built for professionals – so it’s likely to be more helpful for connecting with suppliers or large clients than individual consumers, so you should tailor your strategy to them.
Did you know? TikTok and Instagram map more than Google Maps.
According to recent Statistics, Generation Z now uses TikTok and Instagram maps more than Google Maps. This is why it’s essential to vary your content across social media platforms to reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness. If you have limited time, it’s best to prioritize Instagram and Tik Tok as they have the most extensive user base. If you have more resources, Snapchat and Facebook offer a great opportunity.
5. Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is an effective way to increase your bakery’s online presence and reach potential customers. By taking a proactive approach, you can directly place your business in front of web users with paid advertisements.
One of the benefits of paid advertising is the ability to target specific demographics using audience data. This allows you to create highly targeted ads more effectively to draw customers to your bakery.
How To Use Different Paid Channels For Your Local Bakery Business
- Google Ads: Boost visibility on search engine results pages related to your bakery with Google Ads
- Facebook and Instagram Social Ads: Target users with highly targeted ads in their feeds.
- TikTok Ads: Reach younger audiences with targeted ads.
- Remarketing: Re-target visitors to your bakery’s website with other ads and encourage them to return.
- Native Advertising: Engage social media users with blog posts and articles that don’t feel like ads- Use platforms such as Taboola or Outbrain
- LinkedIn Advertising: Create targeted ads to connect with professional contacts and suppliers.
Tip: To maximize paid advertising, you must vary your content and experiment with different platforms and formats. By testing and refining your approach, you can find the best strategies for your bakery and maximize your return on investment.
6. Professional, Local-Optimised Website
If you’re looking to build a website for your bakery business, we highly recommend using WordPress as your website builder.
With its user-friendly interface and robust features, WordPress is a popular choice for small business owners. This platform has a vast library of bakery-specific themes and plugins, making creating a professional-looking website showcasing your bakery’s products and services accessible.
To maximize the effectiveness of your website and provide the best value for your business, it is essential to have a professional, efficient, and locally optimized website.
Managing A Blog For Your Bakery Business
Content marketing is a crucial contributor to boosting organic traffic to your website. For many businesses, this content strategy revolves around a regularly updated blog.
For your blog to have the best impact, you should:
- Create a content schedule to ensure frequent blog posts, planning topics around specific local keywords.
- Ensure your website has an effective content management system (CMS) to make writing, editing, and publishing regular blogs easily.
- Use analytics tools to track the performance of your blogs – how much traffic does each one generate? How many of these visitors go on to become customers? Which demographics are your blog appealing to, and are these the right ones for your business?
- Be willing to rethink and improve your blog strategy on an ongoing basis to deliver even better results.
Blogs don’t have to be directly related to your business – you can get creative to target a broader range of bakery-related keywords and improve your overall SEO.
For example, you could use blogs to discuss recipes, provide tutorials for different baking techniques, review or rank baking equipment, or provide seasonal baking ideas.
7. Local Digital PR
PR (Public Relations) is another key aspect of your digital marketing strategy. PR focuses on unpaid, organic visibility for your business, such as:
- Sending your products to a food blogger to try; if they like them and make a video or post about them afterwards, you gain a genuine and wide-reaching endorsement.
- Inviting local food critics to try your bakery’s products – a good review from a trusted source can boost your brand.
- Interviews with local news sites and media outlets can offer great exposure for your business.
8. Review Marketing
Review management ensures that the feedback left by your customers works to help your business, not hinder it. Review management involves:
- Encouraging customers to leave reviews and feedback on your website, social media, and local directories – you can also ask for a review score via SMS and direct customers who give a high score to your preferred directory to leave a full review.
- Responding to positive feedback to thank customers and replying to negative feedback to resolve any issues the customer had, showing you care about customer service
- Picking good reviews to use in marketing materials and on your website to enhance your bakery business’ reputation.
Here are some of the best online review sites for bakeries:
- Yelp: Yelp is a popular review site for all types of businesses, including bakeries. Users can leave reviews and ratings for your bakery, helping to build your online reputation.
- Google My Business: Google My Business is a free service that allows you to manage your business’s online presence across Google, including search results and Google Maps. Customers can leave reviews and ratings, and you can respond to them directly through the platform.
- TripAdvisor: TripAdvisor is a travel review site, but it also has a section dedicated to restaurants and cafes, including bakeries. This site is particularly useful for businesses that rely heavily on tourism.
- Facebook: Facebook is a social media platform and a place where customers can leave reviews for your business. By claiming your Facebook page, you can manage and respond to reviews and ratings, and showcase your bakery’s products and services.
- OpenTable: OpenTable is a popular booking platform for restaurants and cafes, but it also has a review section where customers can leave feedback on your bakery’s food, service, and overall experience.
9. Email Marketing
Email marketing is a cost-effective way to reach customers and keep them engaged with your bakery business. You can use email marketing to inform customers about new products, promotions, and events and to encourage repeat business. Here are some tips for a successful email marketing strategy:
Here are some tips for a successful email marketing strategy:
- Collect email addresses from customers who visit your bakery and make it easy for them to sign up for your mailing list on your website and social media pages.
- Use a reliable email marketing platform like Mailchimp or Constant Contact to design and send professional-looking emails to your subscribers.
- Personalize your emails by using the customer’s name and sending targeted messages based on their interests and buying behaviour.
- To keep customers engaged and interested, provide valuable content in your emails, such as recipes, baking tips, or behind-the-scenes glimpses of your bakery.
- Monitor your email campaign’s performance through analytics and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Email marketing doesn’t have to be expensive – many email marketing platforms offer free plans or low-cost options for small businesses.
10. Setting Up Analytics To Measure Your Online Bakery’s Performance
To be effective, your digital marketing strategy needs to be well informed. This is where analytics comes in.
There are various analytics tools available for small businesses to use, but one of the best places to start is Google Analytics, a free set of tools that helps you make sense of audience data and improve your digital strategies.
- Using Google Analytics and other tools can help you track website traffic, identify which demographics engage with your business, and measure key performance indicators (e.g. sales) to show the exact ROI of different marketing strategies.
- Analytics tools can also help you set up UTM parameters, making tracking the performance of specific marketing campaigns using specific URL tags even more accessible.
- Using data analytics tools, you can refine and improve your marketing strategies to make them more effective and cost-efficient.
Use analytics to identify which baked goods are most popular with your customers. You can then use this information to plan your menu and marketing campaigns more effectively, promoting your most popular items to attract more customers.
Be Different - Set Yourself Apart From The Competition
To stand out from your competitors, it’s essential to unleash your creativity and differentiate your bakery business. You can achieve this by creating unique and engaging content for your social media platforms, creating entertaining blog posts, and offering special promotions and offers.
To set your business apart from competitors, try building marketing campaigns around the aspects of your business that make it unique. For example, if you specialize in artisanal bread or cakes made with locally sourced ingredients, highlight these products in your campaigns to appeal to customers looking for high-quality, unique baked goods.
By being innovative and setting your bakery apart, you can improve your digital marketing strategy and attract more customers.
FAQs: Digital Marketing For Local Bakeries
How much time should I spend on marketing a week?
Spending at least an hour each week on marketing tasks such as responding to reviews and customer queries, updating your website and social media profiles, and researching new trends is recommended.
Additionally, setting aside larger blocks at least once a month to review your overall marketing strategy is essential.
How much should I spend on marketing my bakery business?
The amount you should spend on marketing depends on various factors, such as the size of your business, its goals, and available resources. Generally, allocating 5% of your annual turnover for marketing is a good baseline, but more extensive campaigns may require a higher budget to achieve significant growth.
Do I need a professional to help me market my online bakery?
While hiring a professional marketer is unnecessary, seeking expert advice to help your marketing strategy perform at its best is always a good idea. Established businesses may only need a one-off consultation to refine their strategy, while newer companies may require a more comprehensive digital marketing service to ensure a strong start.
What digital marketing platforms are best suited for bakeries?
Several platforms to consider for marketing your bakery business online include Google Ads, Facebook and Instagram social ads, TikTok, remarketing native advertising, and LinkedIn advertising. Each platform has its advantages and target audiences, so it’s crucial to determine which ones best suit your bakery’s goals and audience.
How do I measure the success of my bakery's digital marketing efforts?
Measuring success in digital marketing can be challenging, but there are various metrics to monitor, such as website traffic, social media engagement, conversion rates, and customer feedback. Setting goals and tracking progress towards them can help you determine what works best for your bakery and adjust your strategy accordingly.
How can I stay up to date with digital marketing trends in the bakery industry?
Digital marketing trends are constantly evolving, so it’s essential to stay up-to-date to remain competitive. Some ways to stay informed include attending industry events, following relevant blogs and social media accounts, and participating in online communities and forums.
Looking for some help? Let’s chat.
Let’s discuss how we can help take your bakery business to the next level. BigDreams is here to help!
Our team specializes in providing personalized local marketing solutions to help businesses like yours expand their local presence and reach their target audience.
Learn more about our digital marketing solutions by visiting our solutions or contacting us.
