In today’s connected world, Social Media applications have played an ever increasing role in the success of marketing efforts for bakeries of all shapes and sizes. Social Media outlets can be extremely useful in acquiring new customers, engage with existing ones, developing brand loyalty, communicating with vendors and more.

The first step in developing an effective Social Media strategy is to evaluate your current business objectives and establish a reasonable set of campaign goals. Having an understanding of Social Media will go a long way toward helping you accomplish this. There are a variety of Social Media applications out there, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these differences will help you identify the platforms that can best help with your specific business goals. Below we discuss some of the most popular Social Media outlets in use today.

  1. Facebook
    Facebook-iPhone-30Most people are familiar with Facebook as a way to stay in touch with distant friends or family members, but Facebook can also be a very powerful business tool. With it you can share your marketing message directly with your customers faster and more efficiently than ever before possible. Once you've created your business page, (your little home within the Facebook community), your goal will be to grow your number of followers or "likes". Very much like growing a mailing list, "likes" will ensure that your audience receives any important updates or promotions you decide to publish. By offering quality content to your followers, you can begin to translate Facebook followers into real world customers. Facebook can also be critically important to customer loyalty. By increasing their engagement on your Facebook page, you can help to ensure that your business remains in the forefront of your consumers thoughts.There are a variety of ways to increase Facebook "likes". Facebook display ads can be an effective method as they allow you to target specific demographics. Online contests or promotions, where the customer is required to "like" your Facebook page in order to enter, have also had good viral success. Once you've grown your following, the key to any good Facebook campaign is frequency. Provide your followers with good content on a consistent basis and they will come back for more.
  2. Twitter:
    Another common application among individual users, Twitter is frequently used by businesses to increase customer engagement. By allowing businesses to send out short updates, customers can stay updated on news, promotions and upcoming events. As with most Social Media, Twitter communication is a two way street. Customers can "tweet" questions, comments or problems to your attention as well, providing you with the opportunity to address them. In addition, Twitter can help you to stay up-to-date on local happenings and competitors. It can be a great resource for inspiration and competitor analysis.
  3. YouTube:
    youTubeVideo is one of the most powerful ways to visually represent your brand and tell your story - and YouTube makes it easy. On the whole bakers and foodservice professionals are passionate people; they really enjoy what they do. Through video you can convey emotion, quality, and trust and visually represent your passion and dedication to the customer. That message can go a long way toward drawing customers in. Just remember, not every video can go "Gangnam Style". Don't focus on trying to make your video go viral, just post quality content and the engagement will be there.
  4. Pinterest:
    One of the newer kids on the block, Pinterest is quickly gaining a head of steam. Widely used by food bloggers and tech savvy individuals, Pinterest has become an extremely popular Social Media application for foodies. It is easily one of the most visual Social Media applications, which makes it ideal for bakeries and food service businesses. By posting photos and links to recipes or specialty products, bakeries can effectively use this new media to attract and retain customers in a direct manner. Since Pinterest users can also link pinned items to Facebook, this particular Social Media application should be considered as part of a wider Facebook campaign.
  5. LinkedIn:
    Professional-recruiters-choose-mostly-LinkedIn-rather-than-Twitter-or-FacebookTraditionally used as a tool for job seekers, LinkedIn is increasing in popularity for a variety of B-to-B applications. LinkedIn can be a great tool for managing and acquiring vendor or wholesale relationships, and can be an invaluable asset for those looking to network with others in your field. Linked In Groups are a great place to virtually meet others in the industry - find new business contacts, work through common problems, (i.e. staffing issues, product concerns, or logistical hurdles), and discover solutions. For small businesses and startups, LinkedIn can be an invaluable source of information and may even give your business an important leg up on your competitors.

As consumers, it's undeniable that Social Media has become an important part of our everyday lives. When utilized properly, these venues can help you communicate with your customer more efficiently and directly than ever before. In the end an effective Social Media campaign can prove to be an invaluable asset in the success and growth of your business.