Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing 🍪

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It struck me the other day - Susan the Scammer is actually really good at marketing. I mean - look at her! This little "event planner" has marketed so well that an entire industry knows about her antics! 👏 And 👏 the 👏 woman 👏 still 👏 doesn't 👏 quit. 

If we think about it - we can actually learn a pretty solid marketing lesson from the lady with the bluest of hearts. But beyond the scam, Susan has a pretty solid marketing campaign that's gotten her a lot of business (never repeat business though, mind you). So what can we learn from Miss Reed? 

1. 💙 Be consistent

Susan hits the pavement consistently. She replies consistently. She keeps her funnel short and converts bakers time and again. She keeps the process simple. And she's simply a good scammer - and that's something we can learn from ol' Susy Reed. Keeping your communication consistent, your order pipeline consistent, and your workflow consistent creates conversions. 

2. 💙 Don't take no for an answer

Susan has been ghosted, lambasted, told up one way and down the other by more bakers aware of her scammy ways - and yet she remains undeterred! Suzy keeps going - no after no - until she finds a yes. She's the embodiment of "it's not personal, it's just business." Don't let the next NO take you to your knees. You're a business owner now - no is a part of your life and the more you learn to love these two little letters, the more successful you'll be - just like Reed.

3. 💙 Warm up to Cold outreach

100% of Susan's emails are sent to a cold audience - people she's never worked with before. But she lures them in with promises of things that interest her audience - not the other way around. Susan appeals to her cold audience and we can too. By contacting cafes where we'd love to host cookie classes, reaching out to vendor events, and asking the HOA if a pop-up is A-okay, we're taking a lesson from Susan and doing "cold outreach." By appealing to our cold contact's wants and needs (just like Susan dangles that big check in front of us bakers), we can get a yes even from a stranger.

4. 💙 More than one form of payment

Now here's a lesson we can learn on what not to do a la Susan. Because her whole scam can only operate from checks, she limits her audience. We can get more market share by opening up our payment options. Yeah - that may mean processing fees, but if accepting credit cards gets you more money overall, it's a net win - and somethin' Sue can take notes on.

5. 💙 There are niches in the riches

Susan niched down to SUGAR COOKIE bakers - she doesn't care about cakes, she doesn't want chocolates - the woman wants her hearts, and she wants them blue. Because Susan niched down, she appeals to a smaller audience, but that audience is far more receptive that way. You can too - instead of being a baker of all trades, master of none - focus on being known for one or two products. You'll find that you'll become people's go-to source for that one thing you're really good at (the same goes for how many products you sell within your niche).

6. 💙 If it's too good to be true...

Bonus - if it's too good to be true, it's probably not for you! Very rare are the times in my life when I came out ahead on something that sounded too good to be true. Clients who promise you the world if you make this one exception, class attendees who push your boundaries but promise repeat business, and DIY kit pick-ups who promise they'll be early - if you do XYZ - these can lead you holdin' the bag (and that's not a bag of money). If it sounds too good to be true, do your research. You may find that it's just Suzy Reed lookin' for another victim. 

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🎥 Reels Really Explained for Real

Instagram Reels must stand for "reel-y confusing," but rest easy, you're not alone. Instagram Reels are new, and are shifting the decade-old photo-centric platform by a lot - which is making things feel a bit all over the place - so we (ahem - Corrie) wanted to cover the "who, what, where, when, and what the heck" of Instagram's newest push - Reels. 

To understand why Reels are a thing, it's important to understand how Meta (Facebook) was losing users to competing app, TikTok. Unlike the photo-focused platform of Instagram with beautifully curated feeds and follower/following metrics that guaranteed limited reach, TikTok opened the floodgates to creating seemingly overnight sensations. In the world of marketing, we call this "opportunity," and so did millions of users (graph below from 2018 - and that's pre-pandemic).

Why did people prefer TikTok over social media behemoth, Instagram? According to Instagram, 😍 it's TikTok's relaxed algorithms and verticle video content that kept users comin' back again and again to hear the next trending song about corn. 

👀 Instagram wasn't one to be above copycatting what was working for its competition and snuck Reels into its platform in 2020 limiting the videos to 60 seconds (two-thirds shorter than TikTok's 3-minute limit - TikTok is now at 10-minute limits for some creators). 

With a loosening of the unforgiving Instagram algo and the new ability to possibly go viral on a platform we've come to know and (debatably) love, users flocked back to Instagram torn between now two very similar apps. 

💰 But Instagram wasn't stoppin' at completely copying the Bytedance-owned company - to counter TikTok's Creator Fund - the payment paid towards creators who merit a certain number of views - Instagram launched the Reels Play Bonus Program (weirdly long name, but I digress).

How to sign up? 🤔 Well - here's the thing - you can't. You've gotta be "chosen" and to be chosen? You've gotta be producing content - Reels content - on Instagram. Once offered access to the program, a window opens up for 30-days with a payment threshold essentially saying, "If you can get X views, we'll pay you Y - but you have to do it before the door closes by Z." Once the door closes, you're booted from the Bonus Play Program until the offer randomly appears again and the entire process repeats.

To get into the "pay-to-play" platform, your Reels must follow these rules: 

• 📸  Your reel cannot be claimed by another rights holder. 
• 📸  You can't have received 3 strikes for reels violations 
• 📸  Your reel can't contain branded content. 
• 📸 Your reel can't be watermarked.
• 📸 No bad words! 
• 📸 No fake / bought views. 

Once you sign up, though - 🤑 the cold hard cash spends well. Corrie got a payout of $500 before she reached the cap (Facebook / Meta require your tax details for reporting - so none of that "under the table" stuff). 

So - should you be creating Reels? 

The answer? It depends. Like I always say - it comes down to a math problem. If you want to get more followers - Reels would be your best bet. If you want to get more local sales? I think your time would be better spent hosting a pop-up or teaching a cookie class. If you're selling to other bakers? Reels may be a quick ticket to them - but then again, it may be a quick ticket to going viral for all the wrong saran-wrapped reasons. 

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🔢It's all a Numbers Game🔢

Let's paint a picture - you need a new roof. Cool, people buy new roofs like, what - once or twice in their entire lifetimes? You have little experience in good roofing companies, so you start your online research. Let's progress through the workflow.

1️⃣ You google, "roofing companies near me." Solid start to your shingle-themed research project - wouldn't want to accidentally hire a company three states away, right? You're met with the search results (SERPs - search engine results page). Whew - about 3 roofers in the ads section, 4 in the maps pack, and another 10 in the organic results followed by another 2 in the ads at the bottom, and then the option for 10+ more pages of roofers. 

2️⃣ You click on the companies listed on the maps section. Cool - they're close by, plus you can easily see their reviews. 24 5-star ratings, 13 ratings with a 4.5-star average, 34 reviews and a solid 4-star average. These are all looking good. 

3️⃣ You got to their individual website and Facebook pages. Let's see if their website makes me feel comfy enough to call - or better yet, submit a form, who likes calling?! You swing over to their Facebook pages. Recent posts, good engagement, but... wait... what's this?!

One of these local companies has 98,000 page followers. 

That's uh - impressive? Also - slightly disconcerting. Why? Because it doesn't match with your expectation of how roofing companies and their social media presence should appear online. It's out of sync with the other companies you've researched - 

• 🤔 and frankly, who follows roofers other than people who need roofs? 
• 🤔 Are there really 98,000 neighbors of yours hiring this roofing company? 
• 🤔 If so - are all 98,000 happy?! 
• 🤔 and if they're not clients, who are these 98,000 roofing-obsessed people?! 

You see what's happening - this HUGE following is doing counter-productive marketing. It's introducing doubt.

Recently asked in the group - it brings up a good question: how many followers is enough?  

"Is it worth it to try to gain non-local followers just to increase the follower number on your business page, even if you only offer your products locally?"

The answer is as simple as it is complex - but it relies on who your target is. Let's break it down:

• ️🎯 Roofing Company -  Local homeowners within X miles of the home office
• ️️🎯 Government Office - Residents of the local with which the office represents
• 🎯 Cookie Cutter Seller - Bakers within their shippable target area
• 🎯 The Cookie College - National / international bakers with internet access
• 🎯 A Local Baker - residents within their service area
• 🎯 Baker Influencer - National / international bakers with social media access 

You see - target audiences are not a one-size-fits-all metric - it depends on what products you're selling. An influencer would want to go viral - their product is views. Whereas a local baker may want to keep their audience targeting tight to their service area - that way they're not spending time turning down leads from 3 states away.

There is no wrong answer - what your target audience is may differ from the baker next door filming ASMR flooding videos who gets paid from the Creator Fund. The only wrong answer is not building an audience that you've targeted.

So - build a following of non-bakers to build a local audience? No - focus on building a local audience to build a local audience. The 3x3x3 challenge is a great way to do that. 

Keep your target in focus and you'll hit the bulls-eye every time.

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🚫 Friction and Flow ✅

Ever been to a gym? No no - this isn't a Q3 "News Years Resolution" check-in (thank goodness), but it is a look at how gyms use friction and flow to direct customers to actions they do and don't want ya to take. 

When you go to sign up for a gym membership, it's a red carpet experience. They assign you a team of people to whisk you away for the Tour de la Gym! Registration fees? Waived. First month? Free. Extra kidney? Included with a first-year contract.  (I kid...ney on that last one - but it's close). 

When you want to cancel? You need it in writing 30-days prior to your cancelation date with proof that you were required by the FBI to fly to Mars for the first manned space mission. Oh and that extra kidney? They want it back plus interest. 

🚫 Friction and Flow. ✅

🚫 Unintentional Friction Points.

Whether we like to or not (see: hate it), the gym's cancellation friction point is very intentional. They do not want you to cancel that membership, so help them. However, some businesses may be unintentionally implementing friction points - and it's driving their clients away. 

Unintentional friction points are essentially "choke points" in your user experience. Something you did that drives people away from your goal action. These are not good for business.

Unintentional Friction Points can look like this:

• 🚫 When you don’t have a website or Facebook and people have to order from your personal profile.  
• 🚫 Adding additional steps to be able to purchase like “comment down below, I’ll DM you with the order link.”  
• 🚫 Hosting a contest and requiring 5 steps to enter to win.  
• 🚫 Only taking payments through Paypal Friends and Family. 

On paper - they all look good! Taking orders on social media, DM clients a link to order quickly, get your engagement contest out there to more people and make sure more of your money ends up in your bank account. ✅ Sounds good to me! 

🚫 🚫 🚫  But - unintentional friction points, yo.

In reality, these could be driving your audience to take actions you don't want - like, er, not ordering from you. The friction points above could lead to these unintended actions:

• ✅ People who don't use Facebook won't order from you - simply because they can't get past Facebook's paywall. 
• ✅ People will lose interest or second guess their decision to buy while waiting for you to DM the link. 
• ✅ People won't tag friends or share the posts because it's annoying to said friends.
• ✅ Your clients will feel exposed since PayPal ensures them they won't have buyer protection. They abandon check-out with you.

When we don't "brake check" our friction points, we leave money on the table - and sadly, we often don't even see it. None of the above was intentional; however, it was a wallet-thinner. 

✅  Intentional Friction Points. 

Now let's flip the script. How can we intentionally use friction points to get Imore from our target audience? Glad you ask (even if you didn't). Here goes:

• 🚫  Double-opt-in email list requiring people to sign up for your emails and then confirm by accepting the subscription via email.
• 🚫 Using Jotform to disable your calendar for unavailable dates.
• 🚫  Putting end dates to your pre-sales.
• 🚫  Sending them to Eventbrite for class tickets and not accepting ticket purchases anywhere else.

These all provide friction in an intentional way - to produce desired results. Let's look at what these intentional friction points translate to - well, listen to the podast lol.

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🏍  Bakers and Bikers

When it comes to our two-wheeled friends, I started thinking of all of the parallels there between a baking business and motorcycles - weird, I know - but hear me out. Both are HORRIFYING. But wait - there's more!

When you find yourself sweating with an engine between your legs and a bucket on your head, you start to question some of your life choices - and I surmise that sitting in the kitchen, sore lower back and aching neck - the day before pick-up because you had more orders than time might land you in the same head space. 

🏍  Look Where You Wann Go.

When you're on a bike, you need to look where you want to go - not at that mattress in the middle of the road you don't want to hit. Why? We don't notice it, but when you look at something long enough while riding, your body begins to make minor adjustments that end up steering the bike right towards that thing you'd love to avoid. So motorcyclists are told to look where they want to go - meaning, if there's a mattress in the road, look past it and to the right - your body will adjust and you'll clear the object and head on your merry way.

Same with bakery businesses - stop staring at your competitor - you're going to head right into their wake, and it won't be good for business. Instead - focus on your goal. Want to teach classes? Look there, not at the other bakers teaching classes. Want to offer spooky-season DIY kits? Focus on getting the best photos of your set - not one what the competitors are offering. Look where YOU want to go. You'll find yourself where you want to be and not about to ride over the "mattress" of business distractions. 

🏍  Ride Your Own Ride.

On a motorcycle, it's tempting to try to "keep up with the cool kids." You get invited on a motorcycle ride, there are people with years more of experience than you have - and they ride fast and well. But you (if you're me) aren't good enough to keep up. And attempting to keep up could spell motorcycle disaster. Don't. Ride your own ride - take only the risks you know you can handle.

Same with your business. It's easy to wanna keep up with the marketing fads that hit the group - Target crates, anyone?! Hey - if you're not there yet, it's okay to just ride your own ride. You don't need to jump on every "ride" - ride the ride you want to ride - the one your business can handle right now. Not doing every marketing strategy doesn't make you a bad business owner - it makes you a smart one.

🏍  It's Not If, It's When.

Motorcycle accidents - not fun. Motorcycle accidents - also kinda possible. When you go to a bike meet and you see someone that says "I've NEVER been in a bike accident. It won't happen to me! I'm safe!" you'll also hear someone say, "It's not if you get in an accident, it's when." Not because they hope you'll end up high siding on the interstate, but rather to keep you cautious. The more you're aware of the liability, the safer you'll ride. Invincible riders are just riders asking to be humbled. 

Same with your bakery business. Never had a bad review? Never had a client asking for a refund? Never had an irate Facebook comment? It's not if, it's when. And knowing your vulnerabilities can help you prepare for them. Get a stack of good reviews, come up with a refund policy, and learn how to deal with difficult clients. It'll save your butt (and your bike). 

Okay - I'll stop bothering you with neat motorcycle catchphrases - but there are a few other gems on the podcast you can annoy your two-wheeled friends with (or better manage your bakery / bikery business). 

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What?! Two podcasts in one week?! 

Well - sorta. This is an audio-outtake from a Facebook Live I taught in The Cookie College yesterday launching the 3x3x3(x3) Challenge for Instagram! And to celebrate a year of the Cookie College, I'm inviting you podcasters to get it on this challenge - by listening to it!

If you like what you hear - jump in! This challenge is a fun one and really works! If you'd like to learn more about The Cookie College, you can check it out here: https://www.thecookiecollege.com/

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🏠  It All Starts at the Foundation

Ever built a house? Well - probably most of us would say no, but we've all probably lived in a house - and what's under your feet? A foundation. Now - how good that foundation depends on who laid it. A sandy foundation is going to lead to future cracks and a headache in repairs. A strong foundation could have that house standing for a century. 

It depends on the foundation. The foundation is everything when it comes to building a strong house that'll stand the test of time and weather.

Your marketing? No different. 

I can nearly guarantee that when someone runs to the group and says "Marketing on Instagram doesn't work!" that it actually does, but this person is missing some of their foundation. 

You may have tried something, but you didn't try everything. How do I speak so confidently? Because I'm able to monitor a group of 36,000 bakers makin' what you just said doesn't work, work. 

And that is awesome news. Why? Because that means you can make it work - you just need to spend a little time repairing your foundation.  

1️⃣ Get on Facebook and Instagram.

😭 "Yeah, Heather, but I don't use Instagram." 

Okay cool - then acknowledge you're leaving leads on the table over on Instagram. Why? Because a lot of people are making sales on Instagram. So it works. And whether you choose to use it or not is up to you - but as such, not using it means you don't want Instagram leads. 

There's your leads. 

2️⃣ Join Local Community Groups or NextDoor Neighborhoods.

😭 "But my local groups don't allow sales posts." 

Cool. Then figure out how to sell without selling. Add enough value to this group that people stalk your group profile and see that, guess what, you sell baked goods. And if you sell baked goods that are half as good as that play-by-play you gave of that over-crowded pumpkin patch, people will order from you.

There's your leads. 

3️⃣ Create an Email List.

😭 "But I don't have an email list." 

Yeah, you do - everyone you've ever sold anything to. Gather their emails. Put them in a list, and make a free Mailchimp account. Then get to sendin' because goodness knows emails convert, and even more, goodness knows a warm lead is a great lead. 

There's your leads. 

4️⃣ Utilize a GMB / GBP Listing.

😭 "But I don't know how."

Join the Cookie College for a month. I'll teach you how. And then you'll start seeing more cold audience leads (people who haven't ordered from you before). Can't join the College yet? Just Google "how to create a GBP" and get to gettin'.

There's your leads.

5️⃣ Get a Website.

Websites convert more leads. 

😭  "But I don't have a website, and I get leads." 

Yeah - but could you imagine how many more leads you could get? Websites provide buyer confidence. Nothing screams "you're safe here" like amazing product photography, a return policy easy to find, product descriptions that answer questions, and a beautiful baker bio that makes you seem like a bestie to each client who reads it. Get a website. Get a website optimized. Get a website with great photography. Get a website with e-comm integration. Get a website that sells why you sleep. 

There's your leads. 

Getting the foundations dialed in will result in more leads, better leads, and higher margins = which all added up together means a better business. Stop falling into marketing fad traps until you get that foundation built and those cracks filled. With the right foundation, your bakery buildin' will stand for years to come.

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