How to Find New Clients for Your Bakery for Under $10,000/month

These days, even the best businesses need marketing strategies. The competition is fiercer than ever before. Large companies and multinational chains are still putting up a good fight, but your bakery has finally reached the mid-market and you deserve to keep enjoying that success. That, of course, means that you also have to keep looking for new clients so that you can continue to grow your business.

What methods are you currently using to acquire new clients? Are they effective? Perhaps you’re looking for a more focused effort or just reassurance that you’re on the right path. In any case, you are in the right place. In this guide, we’ll look at five tactics that will help your bakery rise to the occasion when it comes to bringing in leads and new clients, along with the elements involved in those efforts that make the difference. 

Right now, a lot of the most valuable marketing efforts cost a lot less than you think. Even with a 10k budget, you can still do quite a bit of charming with those new clients, in all kinds of ways. From building your professional reputation to utilizing your existing client base, there is no shortage of strategies that can ramp up your new client acquisition. 

Here are five strategies that should be on your list if you’re looking for new bakery clients. 

Tactic #1: Build your professional network 

Cost: Free, unless you buy event tickets or join membership organizations

Professional networking is an essential part of your business. It’s something that requires your dedicated attention and it is an ongoing effort that will always be on your agenda. Connect with local businesses, such as caterers or other food businesses to help you build a strong local network, too.

Professional networking can also be done on social media (more on that next). Your goal is to connect with the right businesses to attract new clients and also build your professional reputation. In today’s world, having a reputable, authoritative professional image is what will separate you from the competition and help your bakery keep growing. 

Tactic #2: Show off your (baked) goods on social media 

Cost: Free

If you’re trying to attract business, why not show people all the deliciousness that you have to offer? Sites like Instagram and even Facebook are great for sharing images of your various baked goods, special orders you’ve made, and so forth. Some bakeries and similar businesses don’t realize the value that comes from social media marketing, but it’s a critical strategy to utilize if you want to continue growing. 

In addition to sharing images, you can share relevant content, information from your own website or blog, and so much more. Start conversations with people. Advertise special offers and seasonal deals. The list of what you can do on social media is nearly endless. It’s a place to get involved and stay involved if you want to succeed in business. 

Tactic #3: Make sure your local SEO is on point 

Cost: $250-$5,000 

Local optimization is a must for today’s local businesses. You can no longer rest on your laurels and rely on the local customers to keep coming in. You have to use digital marketing and part of that includes optimizing your online presence for local search. In addition to using location-based keywords, local optimization also includes making sure that you have a consistent name, address, and phone number listed across the Internet and that you have completed your Google Business Profile. 

Reviews are another helpful tool for your local SEO, so make sure that you’re getting those (more on that next). You’ll also want to include relevant search terms like “near me” to ensure that you reach all potential audiences. This is a lot of work that has a lot of tedious details, so it’s usually better to hire someone to help improve your local SEO. What you pay will depend on what you have done. 

Tactic #4: Get reviews and referrals 

Cost: Free, unless you offer incentives or discounts 

Word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the most effective ways to drum up new business. The Internet makes it even easier for people to spread the good word, too, and that’s something you should take advantage of. Ask people to submit reviews for your bakery. Google and Yelp! reviews, especially, will help improve your local SEO and boost your reputation at the same time. 

You can offer incentives or start a referral program if you want to make sure that you’re maximizing this strategy. It could be as simple as a free treat or discount on the next order—what you give isn’t as important as showing appreciation in the first place. Also, make sure that you’re checking up on negative reviews and working to resolve them, because that will get noticed, too. 

Tactic #5: Outsource to save time and stress 

Cost: $250-$5,000 

Outsourcing can connect your bakery with a lot of different professional services so that you don’t have to handle them on your own. You could hire an accountant to do the books or outsource to someone to handle your SEO, for example. There are companies throughout North America that are ready to help your bakery grow, no matter what kind of support you need. 

You could also (and should) consider outsourcing to a 24/7 answering service so that you never miss another opportunity. When you choose to do that with the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai, you’ll get a lot more than just someone to answer the phone. Our dedicated virtual receptionists will also offer support for lead intake, appointment scheduling, and live website chat. If you’re still working on the marketing, ask how we can assist with outreach campaigns, too. 

Plus, it all comes with your own custom strategy to ensure that we cover it all and can keep your business running smoothly. To learn more about how we can help your bakery, schedule a consultation or reach out to hello@smith.ai. 

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