Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing đȘ (Heather and Corrie Miracle)
Explore every episode of Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing đȘ
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
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| 07 Feb 2022 | 48. Baking it Down - Margin Eaters and Dry January | 01:03:36 | |
| 15 Feb 2022 | 49. Baking it Down - Jane and Pre-Planning | 00:47:30 | |
Take two - we sounded lame in the first version of this podcast, so we filmed it twice - as nice.
In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie - or should we say - Jane - recounts the harrowing experience she had with Columbus clouds and a colonoscopy appointment thus drawing further attention to the need to make each customer feel like a million bucks. For course coverage, we dropped a course last week on copy and Corrie's givin' away St. Patty's Day and Mardi Gras DIY kit photos to college students. If you'd like to pick up what she's puttin' down, check it out at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership.
And our Podcast Sponsors are:
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| 22 Feb 2022 | 50. Baking it Down - Watering Instagram and Diane | 01:05:21 | |
The Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast has reached its 50th episode! Which means... the same thing as usual - weird noises from Corrie.
In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie's been watering the SCM Instagram (have you followed us yet? No?? well, we can't have that now... https://www.instagram.com/sugarcookiemarketing_/) and "where you water it, it will grow." Wanna grow on the grams? You're going to need a strategy that works while you put in the work. If you'd like to learn more about The Cookie College, tune into the Facebook Live this Thursday on writing cra- wait, great copy. It'll be at 6PM EST. Or read more about the college at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership.
And our Podcast Sponsors are:
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| 01 Mar 2022 | 51. Baking it Down - Popcorn Positivity | 00:49:04 | |
Welcome to Archer's intro for the Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast! We're runnin' on a skeleton crew (aka Corrie needs to ditch), so welcome to a slightly abridged version of "The Pod."Â
In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie is ridin' illegally not in a fishbowl like the rest of us legal commuters. So - why did she buy the mid-grade tint? Popcorn pricing would be the reason. We chit-chat about the benefits of popcorn pricing and where the buzzword came from - the crazy pricing from popcorn buckets at theaters (hello FAKE butter). THREE FREE March promo - Corrie's let me go March Madness with www.thecookiecollege.com/membership yearly membership plans. While you've always been able to buy the year upfront and get two months free, we'll be adding an additional free month for March. So - purchase the year, expect a $68 refund as soon as ya join! And our Podcast Sponsors are:
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| 10 Mar 2022 | 52. Baking it Down - Facebook Audits and Second Prices | 00:58:55 | |
| 15 Mar 2022 | 53. Baking it Down - Cookie Class Conflict and SWOT Teams | 01:23:20 | |
It's finally Tuesday and we're operating ON SCHEDULE for the weekly Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast! We talked a little longer in this episode - but for good reason - lots of content to cover!Â
In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie covers personality conflicts in a cookie class. It's hard enough to stand in front of 10 strangers to tell them how to decorate with RI, but add in a loud, overpowering voice, and it's monumental. So - how do we handle it? Here are some tips (and then more tips, and then more tips). Course Recap: THREE FREE March promo - Corrie's let me go March Madness with www.thecookiecollege.com/membership yearly membership plans. While you've always been able to buy the year upfront and get two months free, we'll be adding an additional free month for March. So - purchase the year, expect a $68 refund as soon as ya join! We've had over 15 College members upgrade their membership - so we must be doin' somethin' right.
And our Podcast Sponsors are:
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| 23 Mar 2022 | 54. Baking it Down - Refund FUN | 01:00:26 | |
| 29 Mar 2022 | 55. Baking it Down - The One about THE RULES (dun dun duuun) | 01:27:22 | |
| 05 Apr 2022 | 56. Baking it Down - Business, Baking, Boundaries, and Bamilies | 01:39:58 | |
I mean, Families. It's the Baking it Down Podcast with Sugar Cookie Marketing, and we're talkin' communication - but not just client communication - family communication.
The Business with Baking - Relationships and Baking It's no lie - working for yourself is a full-time job, and sometimes that "full-time" can be closer to 24-7 rather than 9-5. đ That's why keeping an eye on the health of your business as it relates to those most important in your life is simply - good business. Hey - business ownership is hard, and it can also feel lonely. But we don't think it has to. Using effective communication strategies, time management tools, and business boundaries is a recipe for relationship success - or at least put you on the path in that direction.Â
Group Stuff:Â
Upcoming Events: Facebook > Sugar Cookie Marketing Group > Events
Twinterests:
Sponsors:Â
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| 13 Apr 2022 | 57. Baking it Down - Instagram Growth in All the Right Ways | 01:01:46 | |
| 21 Apr 2022 | 58. Baking it Down - Corrie Reads Bad Podcast Reviews | 00:54:00 | |
There's a marketing buzzword that I really love when it comes to content management and creation. It's đł evergreen content. đł Much like the name insinuates - it's referring to "evergreen trees" which last all year round - no matter the season. The same goes for that type of evergreen content. It refers to content that can be posted whenever without seeming out of context. đ Why do I love it? It makes marketing that much easier. Building a content bucket full of evergreen posts, pictures, blogs, etc. means that, even when you're too busy, you can have evergreen content scheduled to go up regardless. Types of evergreen content ideas for bakers:
Evergreen content is not only awesome because it lasts forever, it can also be very value-added content too. Yeah, sure - maybe reviews aren't as valued-added as a list of local restaurants that are perfect for date nights, but it does provide additional social proof. That "hey, other people like me - you might like me too" proof. Using evergreen content to pad your social calendar means that, even if you get busy, your profiles don't get abandoned. I love scheduling out evergreen content to go up once or twice a week, then jumping back in when I have time to add more current content, that way my feed is a mix of old, new, value-added, funny, and interesting = which all equals reach. Got any more ideas to add to this list? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group). | |||
| 26 Apr 2022 | 59. Baking it Down - Secret To-Do Listies | 01:09:28 | |
You've been there. You have an idea. A great idea. You're going to start selling macarons and that'll translate into insane smack-a-roons (money). It's easy. You'll buy the mac baking sheet. You'll snag the almond flour. You'll watch a Maradee Martin Live on the topic. Oh - don't forget the windowpane packaging. Bows - bows always look nice. Well, gonna need that Munbyn erry'body is talking about - you know, for stickers and branding. Ah - don't forget photography - aeCore backers launched that new Rose Marble too - that'll really make these macs pop off the page. Oh yeah and... and... and... đ Welcome to your secret to-do list. A secret to-do list comes from a simple idea hiding behind it a multitude of tasks, costs, mental processing power, and even storage space. It's what takes a good idea and makes it a terrible experience. It's everything attached to an idea that we forgot to account for. Secret to-do lists are hiding everywhere. đ± Look at my (Heather here) venus fly-trap experience. What started as a Wegman's impulse buy (my entire buying experience at Wegmans is summed up as an impulse purchase) turned into a planting pot, potting soil, a mister, gardening tools, and time... so much more time than I considered whilst standing in the self check-out. Consider that each purchase or idea comes with the following strings attached:
That's... well, that's a lot more than the good idea we started off with. And that's why we always must consider the secret to-do lists attached to ideas and purchases in our business (and frankly, in our lives (ahem - corrie's closet)). It's not to say that you should never have an idea or purchase something for a new hobby or product offering. No no - I'd never encourage that. Frankly, I love buying things. But consider what else comes attached to that idea or hobby - and make a list. See your secret to-do list before you buy into that hobby. đ€ Then come up with your MVP - the minimum viable product you can invest in (time, money, and mental) to get the idea out the door. It'll be a trimmed-up to-do list that will let you taste the concept before you're too knee-deep in the thick of secret to-do-list-ness. Or better yet - budget for it. Spend time watching a Facebook Live about the idea before you invest anything further. Ask questions in a group dedicated to the idea and see what others' feedback is on the 'secret to-do list' associated with the idea, product, or purchase. And if you tried something and it didn't make the cut? Cut it out. Secret to-do lists have an even more hidden string attached - đ the guilt trip of not having completed the idea, hobby, or product. That box you have sitting with never-used cookie cutters. Those Amerigel food colorings you have more than you'll be able to use before they expire. That label printer you just never found a true use for? Yeah - get your tickets ready - we're on a guilt trip. Let that stuff go. â»ïž Donate, sell, or trash. If you're not going to use it, don't let it continue using your mental mind space. Donate your cutters to cookie class attendees, sell that label printer and roll the proceeds into your business (or an experience), and trash (and recycle) boxes you don't have space for. đ« Take the power back from the secret to-do lists! đ« Got any more ideas to add to this list? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar | |||
| 03 May 2022 | 60. Baking it Down - So Long, Long Funnels | 00:57:25 | |
đ Rule of thumb - two clicks to purchase. đ You see - when someone clicks to your website, they're, on average, about one or two additional đ± mouse clicks away from quitting the entire buying process out of frustration. In our distracted world, there's a lot fighting for the eyes and ears of our audience - and we need to get them from "interested" to "invoiced" in the shortest amount of time possible. The more clicks we separate our clients from separating from their money, the higher the odds that they'll fall out of our funnel. đŁ Each step we add into our purchase process increases our funnel. The more funnel steps, the more people we're losing - and we may not even know it. Imagine if you went to purchase a cookie-cutter.Â
â You tell me - at what point would you have given up on the cookie-cutter? 3ïžâŁ If you're like most humans, it would have been when you needed to click to the third website. You wouldn't have clicked at all, but rather returned to Etsy to find a similar cutter from a seller who is more reliable. And that's because the funnel was simply way too long. How about your business? Where do you have phantom funnels growing slowly and secretly eating at your bottom line? đ€ł A great way to identify funnel faux pas is by getting a self-proclaim tech-illiterate friend or relative to attempt to buy from you. đ Watch their every move (and try not to show your frustration) as they click here, there, and yonder further and further from your "buy now" button. Then optimize your funnel. Delete, reword, tweak, and move around - whatever it is that is throwin' your audience - help make it REALLY clear and REALLY easy to click any button that ends with dollars in your pocket. đ« So long, long funnels! đ« Got any more ideas to add to this list? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group). | |||
| 10 May 2022 | 61. Baking it Down - Breakdown of a Sugar Cookie Class | 01:00:40 | |
đȘ Anatomy of a Cookie Class. đ€ Simply put - cookie classes are high margin offerings - and we love 'em. Plus - let's be honest, if you're okay with talking in front of groups, cookie classes can be really fun. You get the date nighters, the girls-day-outters, the mom and her kiddos, the mom trying to get away from her kiddos, the bakers looking to expand their offerings, the bakers looking to hate royal icing consistencies - and just about everything in between. đž And at $75/ticket here in the nation's capital, it's not a bad way to spend 1.5 hours on a Saturday! So let's bake down... I mean, breakdown, the anatomy of what one of our cookie classes looks like. Now - if you teach a cookie class, it could (and probably will) look different, but if you're new to cookie classes or it's been on your list of things to try - then you might learn a few things from our mistakes and the pro-tips list below!
Hope that helps some of you considering teaching classes. It's a blast. In fact, we give you everything we use in class in The Cookie College (a membership plan we offer as an addendum to everything you get for free in the Sugar Cookie Marketing Group. You can find out more about that here. Got any more ideas to add to | |||
| 17 May 2022 | 62. Baking it Down - Impasta Syndrome | 01:14:51 | |
đ§ Playin' the Imposter. đ§ What is imposter syndrome?  Here's the textbook definition: the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills. I mean - let's face it - there's someone out there better than us. đ They bake better than us. đ They ice better than us. âčïž Their house is prettier than ours for photos. đ They probably have a better customer service experience. They teach better than us. đ They... ... well, that's what our imposter syndrome brains would like us to think. đ§ But guess what - your client? Yeah - they called you to bake their custom dozen. Not anyone else. So why are you doubting their decision with self-doubt fueled by imposter syndrome? We end up letting our imposter syndrome help us design and build the self-made roadblocks keeping us from trying new things. On the Happiness Lab Podcast, one of the guest psychologists says that people who attempt something and fail are actually happier than people who don't attempt anything and never fail. đ€ Why? Because we get the "but." Yeah - I didn't fill a cookie class, but I met 4 new potential clients! Yeah - I didn't sell out in a farmer's market, but I know what to bring next time! I didn't nail that custom set, but I had a refund policy in place and we all ended up winning. đ§Â People who never try? Yeah - they also never get the but - and that makes you more unhappy than if you tried and missed the mark a bit. đ© đ§ đ§ đ§ đ§Â How to deconstruct your self-made roadblocks? đ§ đ§ đ§ đ§Â That's going to take work - hard work - in fact, as much work as you spent building those roadblocks. It starts by learning everything you can - watching the free Facebook Lives, joining The Cookie College, or asking a question in the group to get more information. And then it đ requires đ actually đ doing đ the đ thing. Movement is best when it's forward - not side to side. "I'll do a cookie class... in a few months." Dude - do it now! Figure it out now! Make the mistakes now! We'll figure it out as we go along. This podcast has been listened to over 240,837 times as of the writing of this email. đ§Â What if we'd let imposter syndrome talk us down from starting it a year ago? đ€ Got any more ideas to counter imposter syndrome? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group). | |||
| 24 May 2022 | 63. Baking it Down - Competition Experience | 01:03:10 | |
| 01 Jun 2022 | 64. Baking it Down - On the Move | 00:47:52 | |
đĄ Movin' and a Shakin'. đĄ Tips we suggest implementing when you plan to move your bakery (and your home).  Okay - yeah. We're mostly home-based bakeries. But what happens when the "home" part of a home-based bakery needs to move? Whether a military family, cashin' in on the housing market's cash cowness (interest rates, say whaaaaa?!), or simply relating just because - it can wreak havoc on the marketing you've worked so hard for. đ€ So what do then? đ¶ Start over? đŻ Delete everything? đ€ Don't Tell Anyone? đŹ Tell Everyone? đ Cry? Well - yes, always cry first. But then - strategize. Here are 5 tips Corrie suggests when moving - something she's experienced up close and personal over the last 2 weeks.
Hope this helps. Would Corrie delete her page and start over with each move? đ€Â No, she says. She'd let current fans know their support really helps her and ask that they continue engaging with her cookie posts. Offering a "hard end date" for pre-move orders will keep people in the loop and may snag a few of those FOMO sales. And always, before you depart - thank those who have supported you in your old stomping grounds. Got any more ideas to help with relocation hesitation? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group | |||
| 07 Jun 2022 | 65. Baking it Down - Overwhelming Goals | 00:47:43 | |
đł Marketing Overwhelm. đ Feeling like you're drowning in marketing tips and tricks? Here's a three-step life jacket. Hey - the Baking it Down Podcast has 65 episodes - most of those episodes chock full of Corrie's annoying elephant noises, Phoebe scrambling to run out the door, and a handful of marketing ideas in each episode. On top of that - if you're in the SCM group, you're seeing about 50+ posts a day. Sprinkle in other Facebook groups, resources, and podcasts on marketing and sales - and yeah, we're reaching "marketing level overload" and fast. It's easy to read headlines, podcasts, and emails with the "5 things you have to do to grow on Instagram" or "If you're not churnin' out Reels, what are you even doing with your life?!" and think you're standing still while every other baker around you is moving at marketing lightning speed. đł What it feels like is that you're standing still while business opportunities whiz by. That paralysis can make you feel like you're not doin' it right - or not doing enough - or not really doing anything at all. đ© And it can be depressing to think you're not fast enough to get out your D-A-D DIY kits or jump on the profitable "bronut" train or... oh yeah, weren't you supposed to start teaching decorating classes, do that last cookie collab, add a pre-sale option to that website you haven't build yet? đ” The list goes on - and your marketing feels like it isn't. đ Sheeeesh. Talk about overwhelming. But guess what - â none of us here are Marketing Mavericks, and we're not on the flight deck of social media takin' off at supersonic speed (had to get my Tom Cruise reference in). The key it marketing success is this: đ”ïž ONLY focus on the marketing information that supports your goals. Yes - I'm literally telling you to tune us out. If you want more tips on how to tune Corrie out, let me know - I have many methods. But seriously. If you're focused on business finances, â skip the Gingerbread Live. If you're focused on Fourth of July pre-sales, â skip the YNAB-finance Live (on June 9th at 1:30 btw). If you're heck bent on moving, snag last week's podcast (Movin' and Shakin') and use the one on Cookie Classes as background noise you don't intend to take notes on, then turn off the group's notifications until that last box is unpacked. đ« Overwhelm is an indication of unfocused goals. đ« If you don't know where you wanna head, heading everywhere will get you nowhere fast. Figuring out what your goals are is the first step in determining what needs listening to and what needs tuning out. And in the fast-paced world of marketing - the "tuning out" will be a lot. In this week's podcast, we cover three tips to stop overwhelm. You can listen on your favorite players - Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Alexa, Audible and more. Click here to get a handle on overwhelming marketing mayhem. Got any more ideas to help with overwhelm in the business of business? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group). | |||
| 14 Jun 2022 | 66. Baking it Down - Why Why Why Why Why | 00:50:48 | |
Why Why Why Why Why. đ€ Never thought we could learn how to run a root cause analysis from the kid in the back seat of your car, did ya? I'm working through a college-level textbook on Operations Management - and the book referenced root cause analysis - to figure out what the true problem is. đ€ Oftentimes, we grab a box of bandaids and run around patching the symptoms of bigger issues, shocked when - you guessed it - the bandaid fails and you're stuck grabbin' more bandaids and spending more time well, band-aiding. đ But here's the good news. â You're doing it wrong. Hear me out. You're diagnosing the wrong problem. You're diagnosing the symptom of an underlying issue. And unless you figure out how to find that deeper issue, you won't see any long-term results from your short-term fix. đ”ïž So how do we find the root cause? Welcome the 5-Whys. No - I didn't make this up, it was actually in the 400-level textbook. You ask why five times - at the fifth "why," you've probably found the real issue, and now you can get started on fixing it. Let's play this out: Issue: đ€ My USPS shipped cookies arrived broken to their destination. đ 1ïžâŁ Why? USPS handles packages roughly. 2ïžâŁ Why was USPS able to break them? I didn't package the cookies with bubble wrap. 3ïžâŁ Why didn't you use bubble wrap? I didn't want to spend more money on packaging or insurance. 4ïžâŁ Why did you want to spend more on packaging and insurance? I didn't charge enough for this order to account for that additional cost. 5ïžâŁ Why didn't you charge enough for the order? I don't know my costs, so my pricing didn't reflect the additional packaging required. â Ah - so the root cause is inappropriate price points for shipped cookies. So - challenge: Why your business. Ask why - and keep asking. "Why are my clients showing up late?" "Why is no one leaving me reviews?" "Why are my classes not filling up?" Ask why - and then keep on asking. You'll be surprised (and delighted) with where ya end up. Did ya oot cause analyze your biz? Tell us where your 5-whys landed ya. Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group). | |||
| 23 Jun 2022 | 67. Baking it Down - Facebook Banny Bans | 00:52:51 | |
"No." - Mark Zuckerberg đ€ What would happen if you lost access to Facebook for 90 days? Not sure? Well, consider it. â Facebook's new "enforcement technology" AI ain't takin' prisoners, and there's not much you can do about it - except this one thing. Backstory - Corrie woke up this morning to find her primary account (Corrie Miracle) suspended for a meme she posted 1 year ago in The Cookie College Facebook group. The meme? Here ya go... [RSVP to our newsletter to see this - I don't wanna get in trouble]. This is the offending meme. Facebook admits that its software is still learning and tends to err on the sides of "too strict" and "too loose" as it learns from human reviewers if it hit or missed the mark on content violations. đ€ "Our technology proactively detects and removes the vast majority of violating content before anyone reports it." "Our human review teams use their expertise in certain policy areas and locales to make difficult, often nuanced judgment calls. Every time reviewers make a decision, we use that information to train our technology. Over time, across millions of decisions, our technology gets better, allowing us to remove more violating content. " (read more here) Okay - but how does this affect you? Here's the thing - Corrie didn't just get a post deleted. She also got a slap on the wrist - a big one at that.
And this isn't it. Last week, the SCM Instagram Account got a wrist slap from a meme of a person choking their own shadow with the caption "When you finally figure out who's been ordering all those cookie cutters."Â But get this - the meme was posted in an Instagram story that had expired over a year ago. And yet Facebook still deleted the content even though it was no longer publically accessible. So what do you do? I doubt you'll love my recs but here they are:
Hey - I don't make the rules. I just get in trouble with them, and I'm trying to save you from a similar fate. I (Heather here) got a ban last year from saying that đĄ homes with đ·ïž in them should be đ„ to the ground. (I've since publically apologized to all spiders who were offended). But the ban happened instantly - in fact, it was a comment I made on a Facebook Live on storefronts. As soon as I had made the comment, in less than 60 seconds, my account was flagged and suspended from interacting on Facebook Lives for 30 days. đ Like - yeah, I couldn't even watch them let alone engage. Is this ideal? No. Is it fair? Probably not. But are you a business owner with leads coming in from Meta-owned properties? Yes. And I think this is important enough to stir some action to mitigate the further loss of your content and profiles. đ·ïžÂ Long live the spiders. Have you experienced issues with the AI enforcement tech? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group).  | |||
| 28 Jun 2022 | 68. Baking it Down - What to Do When You're Not Doing | 00:53:03 | |
| 04 Jul 2022 | 69. Baking it Down - Working with the End in Mind | 00:47:00 | |
đ Working with the End in Mind "Help! A client said my cookies were too dry!" â "Block them." â "Tell them to bring you the cookies back." â "Tell them all sales final." â "Tell them to kick rocks." (or cookies that are hard as rocks đ It's no doubt that in an open forum like Facebook Cookie Groups, you're going to get a biased response in dealing with client issues. Heck - we've all been on the receiving end of a less than savory client email. But what if you worked with the end in mind? Lemme explain - in every confrontation, there are typically three optional ends:
Your goal should be the win / win. Contrary to popular belief, your clients don't want to deal with messy refund situations either. In a 2021 poll collecting 1,654 comments from Sugar Cookie Marketing Group Members, most bakers don't have to refund - even when it's offered.
It's not you against your client. It's you and your client against a problem. Being on the same side of "resolution finding" puts you together as a team finding the best possible outcome for two parties vs. you against them - in which case, it's a fight to the proverbial death - winner takes all, loser loses. â Pro-tip: Losers don't take losing very well. Rather they take it to review profiles Here are a few tips to help you "work with the end in mind" and make the best decision for your business:Â
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| 11 Jul 2022 | 70. Baking it Down - Collab Basics 101 (for the July 29th Christmas Collab) | 00:51:24 | |
đ Squeezin' the Most out of a Collab We're Havin' a Cookie Collab on July 29th. You're invited. But here's how to squeeze the most "marketing" juice from said collab. đ First off - what are collabs? Collabs aren't unique to the cookie world - but they are just as fun across the board. The concept is pretty simple. A group gets together, works to create a concept using a theme, and on a set day and time, they post up the completed work on social media. đ But like - why do it? Great question. Different collabs have different goals. For example - here are some of our past collabs and their goals:
So yeah, different collabs can have different goals. And that's the benefit of them. Whether working ahead or helping your community, these collabs give you a great excuse to put yourself out there and try something new. The goal of the Christmas in July collab is to work ahead so, come Christmas, you're not runnin' around with all the baking pans, none of the time, and none of your Christmas offerings to post. Close - but there's a bit more marketing to a collab. When everyone posts up on social media, they not only agree to participate but also to engage with others who participated. This is a form of manufactured engagement, and while social media companies dislike the practice, it still works, so we're still doin' it until reported otherwise. đ How does that work?? When you make a post, that post is "shopped around" to users on a social platform. The more users that engage with the content, the more the algorithm thinks, "Wow, this content is keeping users on our platform! We should show it to even more users!" This is the beauty of collabs. While the goal is not to follow other bakers, other bakers will comment on your posts allowing your post to reach more of your audience. A win-win. Not only can you involve yourself in a fun industry event, it also benefits your social reach. đ Okay - I'm in. What do I have to do? I knew I liked you! It's pretty easy. Here are the steps:
đ Easy as Pie - er... cookies? Yep! And if you want some additional tips - listen to this week's podcast about Cookie Collabs! We threw in a few more tips to really squeeze the most | |||
| 19 Jul 2022 | 71. Baking it Down - Marketing Campaign Life Cycles | 00:50:15 | |
đ Run, Forest, Run! You always hear us refer to marketing in terms of "run-times" - but what are we saying when we sub in track days for calendar weeks? Don't worry - no gym routines here. Run times refer to the number of days / weeks / months designated for a marketing campaign. So - let's apply it to BTS (for some reason, I thought people were making Korean boy band cookies this whole time, but I digress). How can we use a marketing lifecycle to prep our audience for the upcoming back-to-school offerings? Quick poll before we do - in a poll of about 300 SCM group members, the results on BTS offerings and run-times is interesting:
Three weeks is the most popular run-time for back-to-school sets. * I would make a disclaimer that BTS is unlike any "cookie holiday" in that it typically sneaks up on our target audience at a time when a majority of bakers have taken the summer off. I'd assume Halloween will be a bit different. Your run-times will be different than my run-times depending on your location, back-to-school date, target audience, and how prepared you are. There's no wrong answer, but if you're looking for an answer of some sort - here's mine: we start with a 6-week marketing cycle. So if your BTS date is August 29th, guess what - you're getting your BTS cycle going this week. đ 1. Awareness - getting your audience prepped First stage in this 6-stage / 6-week cycle is awareness. You're not expecting to make any sales now, but your form is probably ready just in case. You're basically introducing your audience to your offerings. Kinda like the "Hey girl heeeey" posts. This is the top of your back-to-school funnel. đ 2. Engagement - getting your audience to react / post / like This is the fun stage. Asking for your audience's opinions on your offerings, posting their kiddos' last first-day-of-school photos, or hosting a contest for last year's report card grades. You're still not asking for the sale here, but you are getting people excited! đ 3. Evaluation - getting your audience to pick you This is where you set yourself up as the "best in the business" - whether in cute packaging, customer support (more on that later), and featuring great past client reviews. You're also telling them your pricing options, informing them of pick-up dates, and last calls. Make it *easy* to pick you, or they'll pick someone else. đ 4. Purchase - getting your audience to give you money And BOOM goes the dynamite. At this stage, you ask for the sale. Make buying *so* easy. Communicate effectively. How to order. Ease of ordering. Confirmation of order. What to expect after the order. Do NOT make it hard for people to give you their money. (ps - you could also up-sell add-ons here) đ 5. Support - getting your audience to trust that they made the right decision Listen - once money exchanges hands, you can't ghost to the kitchen for 2 weeks. You can have these emails already written and ready to go - even before you made the first sale. Email clients the minute they order (auto-responder), then use a mailmerge app or bcc your list to follow up a week out from pick-up, the day before pick-up, day-of pick-up, and heck, even after pick-up! Make these clients your clients for life. đ 6. Loyalty - getting your audience to shout you from the mountain tops | |||
| 26 Jul 2022 | 72. Baking it Down - Targeting your Target Audience | 00:56:11 | |
đŻ What are Target Audiences? If you thought this newsletter was about the Dollar Section at Target, you're probably not alone *trembles in plastic apple containers* - but much like beloved Target, we need to target our audience. And unlike Target, we can't appeal to everybody. đ€ "Heather, you're off here. Listen - if I appeal to everyone = more people will buy from me. I ain't no Einstein, but the more people I reach, the more sales I can make." You're not wrong - in theory. The more people who do know about you, yes, can order from you. But what you can't see is how many people who know about you still don't order from you because your brand messaging is fuzzy. đ€Â "Fuzzy? What mean you?" Let's say I wanted to start a group to talk about marketing and selling sugar cookies. But - sugar cookies. That's so limiting! Let's instead create a group that talks about selling all baked goods. đŹ Yeah, that'll get us access to a much larger audience! But just baked goods? đŹ What about hot sauce people and kombucha bros?! Okay - you're right. Let's create a group that features tips to sell things you create under cottage laws. Wonderful idea! Hold up - why limit ourselves to cottage laws? Maybe throw in brick-and-mortar bakeries, bottling companies, and breweries too. đŹÂ Good idea. Storefront audiences - they're pining for tips to make more sales to cover leases. Waaaaidaminute. You know what - the same concepts we use to sell edible goods, we could actually use to sell candles and other products as well. đŹ Awesome - let's call the group, "Selling Things You Make (Group)," wide open to a huge target audience who will love to learn from us. But what about importers and resellers? đŹ There's a huge market for those people too - and if we add them to our audience - well, heck! The Cookie College will be bursting with new signups! But we won't be able to call it The Cookie College anymore, huh? We'll call it "How to Sell Absolutely Anything Ever!" My point is a bit long in the tooth, but it can be summarized in this quote: "When your messaging speaks to everyone, it speaks to no one." đŻ Okay - I see your point. So who is my target audience? Think of your target audience as a really tight-knit group of people. We want to keep our targets small - the smaller the better. A great way to start off determining who your current target is is by taking an average of who purchased from you in the past 1 year. Think narrow thoughts - speak almost about a single individual. What's that person's age? Male or female? Kids or child-free? Empty nesters or elementary school? Dinks or single-income? Home schooled or public schooled? Be specific. đŻ Okay - I've got the person narrowed down. Now what? Now begin crafting your messaging to speak to that person. If that person has kids, talk to people with kids. "But what if some people don't have kids." They're not your target - remember, you just came up with your target person in the step above. "But won't they feel left out?" No - they'll find someone whose targeting they fall into. You need to focus on people who fall within your target audience. đŻÂ Hey - what's the worst that could happen? đŻÂ Odds are if you haven't determined your brand voice, your messaging is already pretty generic and slightly fuzzy. The worst that could happen? You find a true tribe of customers who are more loyal to you than Corrie to a Target parking lot. Go forth. Find your target. And laser focus on what they want, like, and hate. Then speak to them about those topics. You're going to find that customers can connect with you on a deeper level (and end up reaching deeper into their pockets). | |||
| 09 Aug 2022 | 73. Baking it Down - Death Ground | 00:57:50 | |
đ Death-Ground Strategy in Business
Those excuses look comfy, don't they? Definitely not a mountain behind your back forcing your hand of excuses and making you "do or die" try, I'd say.
If you sleep the recommended 8 hours a day, spend another 8 hours a day working, that leaves you eight hours to spend how you want to. Can you take one of those hours and allocate it to a new decorating skill? Planning a cookie class? Taking a Cookie College course? | |||
| 16 Aug 2022 | 74. Baking it Down - Work and Life... Balanced | 01:20:30 | |
1ïžâŁ Treat yourself like an employee. Remember back to that last job you had in retail -  đ€ when the clock hit quittin' time, you were outta there. You should have the same boundary with your "boss self" - when it's time to close up shop, do it. Tell your boss, "Hey, sorry! You only had me scheduled until 5 o'clock! I'm out. But see ya tomorrow." If employee-you didn't feel the need to work overtime, why are you doing it now? Remember - there will always be work to do - and even if you do all of it, there will still be more. Work will eat whatever you feed it. So put it on a "work-life" diet and only give it what you're willing and wanting to. đ€€ Stop feeding an insatiable beast. 2ïžâŁ Protect your Fridays. Now this is a new one I've been trying out. No, it's not the whole "4-day work week," but instead an overage day - a day I allocate for any work that wasn't done the four working days prior. I don't schedule anything on Friday, but I reserve it for those inevitable tasks that have a nasty way of sneaking into an already packed schedule.  If you don't work a Monday - Friday schedule like I do, guess what! You can choose your weekends. If you do pick-ups on Saturday, make your weekends Sunday and Monday, then your overage day could be Monday. It's your schedule, boss, and you get to set it. 3ïžâŁ Smart-ify your Work Schedule. I found these smart plugs on Amazon that work with Alexa and Google. Basically, any device you plug into these suddenly becomes "smart" meaning I can now control it from an app. I use these to help me stay on balance by:
These small hacks can help you stick to your work-life regimen of closing down at a certain time (trust me - working by computer light in the pitch dark makes you wanna run for the covers!). 4ïžâŁ Budget for a Solid Sleep Schedule. I'll take this one to my comforter-lined grave - get a good sleep schedule and stick to it. EIGHT HOURS - you read that right. Don't believe me? Snag the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (PhD). If you're operating at a sleep deficit, your mind is operating in a fog.  5ïžâŁ Batch Your Week. | |||
| 25 Aug 2022 | 75. Baking it Down - "It's just business!" | 01:03:28 | |
| 30 Aug 2022 | 76. Baking it Down - Strong Foundations | 01:06:56 | |
đ  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. 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.  1ïžâŁ Get on Facebook and Instagram. đ "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. 2ïžâŁ Join Local Community Groups or NextDoor Neighborhoods. đ "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. 3ïžâŁ Create an Email List. đ "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. 4ïžâŁ Utilize a GMB / GBP Listing. đ "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. 5ïžâŁ Get a Website. Websites convert more leads. đ "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. | |||
| 02 Sep 2022 | 76.5. Baking it Down - 3x3x3x3 Challenge - Cookie College Edition | 00:30:45 | |
What?! Two podcasts in one week?! | |||
| 06 Sep 2022 | 77. Baking it Down - Bakers and Bikers | 01:11:15 | |
đ 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. đ 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. 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. đ 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). | |||
| 13 Sep 2022 | 78. Baking it Down - Friction and Floooow | 01:03:35 | |
đ« Friction and Flow â 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. đ« Friction and Flow. â đ« 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:
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. â Sounds good to me! đ« đ« đ«Â 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:
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. â  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:
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. | |||
| 20 Sep 2022 | 79. Baking it Down - Posting Strategies | 01:00:50 | |
| 22 Sep 2022 | 79.5 Baking it Down - My Response to the Update | 00:36:30 | |
| 27 Sep 2022 | 80. Baking it Down - It's All a Numbers Game | 00:57:16 | |
đąIt's all a Numbers Gameđą 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. 1ïžâŁ 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. 2ïžâŁ 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. 3ïžâŁ 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 -Â
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? Â "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:
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. | |||
| 04 Oct 2022 | 81. Baking it Down - Reels Really Explained for Real | 01:07:30 | |
đ„ 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). đ 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. đ° 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? đ€ 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:Â
Once you sign up, though - đ€ 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. | |||
| 11 Oct 2022 | 82. Baking it Down - 5 Things We Can Learn from Susan Reed | 00:55:32 | |
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! đ And đ the đ woman đ still đ doesn't đ 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. đ 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. đ 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. đ 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. đ 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. đ 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. đ 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 r | |||
| 18 Oct 2022 | 83. Baking it Down - Quote "Quote" Unquote | 01:10:04 | |
đ Quote "Quote" Unquote This week, Heather reads off her favorite (absolutely random) quotes. Here goes:
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| 25 Oct 2022 | 84. Baking it Down - The Winner Is + Crazy Christmas Cookie Schedules | 01:09:28 | |
đ Chrazy Christmas Cookie Schedules First - let's announce the winner of the SCM Second Boo-thday Bash! Thanks to all who entered - you guys are awesome, and I can't believe we get to work with you in growing our businesses by makin' dough making dough! ïžđ Congrats to Daniell Bartolo! ïžđ So awesome, awesome, awesome. Thanks to all who participated and each and every one of ya who make this group what it is. And if you're bummed you didn't snag you an Eddie, you still can along with some STELLAR Black Friday deals in the 2022 Vendy Blendy! And now - let's talk Advent Calendars LoL. Here's the #podcastpoll results from over 1,000 members on whether or not they'll be selling Advent Calendars this year:
More marketing nuggets (also, I'd like to apologize about the podcast this week - we were a bit all over the place đ ). The holidays are upon us! Halloween is less than a week away, Thanksgiving is in just over three weeks, and then the cookie Super Bowl - Christmas - isn't far behind. So what do? Here's our hot take: plan ahead - like as in, right now. You're going to want to plan ahead so you're not "standing by the oven by Christmas lights" later this month. You know I love me some quotes. "Failing to plan is planning to fail." So - let's plan. Here's where we'd start:
You got this - stay hyped, follow these tips, and stick the seasonal landing this holiday rush! You know the SCM group has your back - so let's get this holiday bread! | |||
| 01 Nov 2022 | 85. Baking it Down - Vendy Blendy 101 | 01:13:19 | |
Tasty TinÂ
Sweet Frosted KC *Â
Cheerful Cutters *
Sweet Cutter Co *
Vanilla and Confetti *Â
The Sugar Pod *
Mulberry Treats *
Brighton Cutters
Cookie Artist Directory
Cute Cookie Kits *
Mollie Rae's *
Bakery Tee Co
Home Sweet Bakery by Sol *
Cutterly *
Morr Decor *
Sweet Details GR *
Busy Bakers *
Sweet Pink Olive *
The Cookie Box Club *
Sugar Dot Cookies *
Samâs Cookie Company
Beeâs Baked Art Supplies - Jennifer Harris
SugarDashCo *
Minted Prints *
aeCore Backers *
The Cookie College *
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| 08 Nov 2022 | 86. Baking it Down - Compare Aware | 00:57:22 | |
đ§ Comparison Awareness 101 đ
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| 15 Nov 2022 | 87. Baking it Down - Like Know Trust Sell | 01:13:51 | |
There's a recipe that helps increase sales without decreasing dollars - but it may require some deconstruction of self-made roadblocks. đ€ "Heather - are you gonna make me get in front of a camera?" You know me so well. But yes - yes, I'm going to encourage you to step your adorable little buns in front of an iPhone, smile, and let the world know just how likable you really are. First Up - đ Likability The first step in this three-part sales funnel - being likable. But how, you ask? It requires being relatable - and a cheat code for being relatable is letting people see you - đ€ł yep, stepping into the limelight. Your cookies are awesome - but I don't know a cookie - however, I can know you - I can know that you're local, that you have kiddos, that you struggle with finding entertainment for said kiddos, that you're military or that you're workin' a side hustle! Listen - humans love to see other humans. Check out this heatmap on a Dolce and Gabbana ad - the eyes tracked Scarlett's face, not the product.Â
Next Up - 𧠠Know Okay - we like you. We love your face, your brand, your brand photoshoot, and your relatable posts - now we need to know about what you sell, how you sell it, and how I can get ahold of it (we retooled this one a bit). Answer the questions Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.Â
You can be the most likable person in the world, but if you make it too hard to give you my money, I'm going to be lookin' for another less relatable but easier-to-pay baker. Pairing likability with spend-ability makes a match made in moolah heaven. Keep the funnel short here and you'll see a much larger bank account. Last up - â€ïž Trust Ah - trust. It'll make or break you and you won't even see it coming. When your customer makes a purchase, they wanna know that if things go south, you won't gho-st. Or that you're on their side vs on the opposite side of the boxing ring. Maintaining a trust-first brand above all else will make clients feel safer when parting with their hard-earned cash. How to present a trustworthy brand? Here are a few tips of the trust trade:
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| 17 Nov 2022 | 88. Baking it Down - Yay or Nay | 01:06:20 | |
| 22 Nov 2022 | 89. Baking it Down - A Numbers Game | 01:12:03 | |
| 06 Dec 2022 | 90. Baking it Down - Santa's Top 20 List of Gifts for Bakers | 01:16:37 | |
đ Santa's Top 20 Gifts for Bakers đ đ€¶ Call the twin Mr. and Mrs. Clause cause here's our hot take on the hottest gifts for the hottest oven-lovin' baker in your life (and if you are the baker in your life, forward this email to your Santa - I'll include links to make shoppin' and shippin' a breeze). 1ïžâŁ $70 - $180 - An Airbrush Machine First up - an airbrush machine. đš There are many options, but the ones that twin2 is digging are the Sweet Pink Olive airbrush ($160), the Cookie Countess Airbrushes - the original model ($125), and the newer model - the Royale Max ($179.95). 2ïžâŁ $800 - $900 - iPad + Apple Pencil + Procreate Not for the faint of budget - an iPad with Procreate and an Apple Pencil makes for the ultimate gift for the sketch-artist-turned-baker. If you want Heather's rec - shoot for the iPad Pro model 11'' (there are some variants and refurbed options that should trim the price down a bit) đ and the Apple Pencil second gen ($129) (not to be confused with the Pencil first gen) + a Procreate app purchase ($10 - one time). 3ïžâŁ $124 - $173 - Americolor Corp's Gel Paste Kits Corrie swears by these - and I, frankly, love the name. The Americolor gels are a fan favorite - and their kits allow a baker to create just about every color under the sun (or oven light??). ïžđš Their Heavenly 70 ($173) or their Nifty 50 ($124) are going to make any baker squeal like a kid on Christmas morn, and if you're on a budget - the 12 Color Student Kit doesn't break the bank at just $28. 4ïžâŁ $100 - $200 - 3D Printer - Ender3 Pro V2 Takin' cutter production in-house is a great way to save time, money, and open a world of possibilities to the creative process for the cookier in your life. đš I'm going to recommend the cheaper Ender 3Pro ($189) but the Prusa Mini ($429) is self-leveling (and will likely pay for itself with the money you save not buying Advil). 5ïžâŁ $20 - $25 - Cutter of the Month Club Subscription For the baker you just don't know what to buy for - let the cutter shops do the pickin' and choosin' with a Cutter of the Month Club. đŠ These subscriptions send the baker in your kitchen a set of cookie cutters every month for as long as the subscription is active - and they're already preppin' for Valentine's Day! Two Corrie is diggin' is the SheyB Designs ($25) and JH Cookie Co. ($25) subscription boxes. 6ïžâŁ $99/yr - YNAB - You Need a Budget Boring, I know. But listen - there's actually two ways to make money - đ€ either sell more or spend less - and with YNAB's budgeting app ($99/yr or $14.99/mo), you can know when and where your money's going - perfect for the baker who is looking to streamline costs in 2023. This is Heather's pick for the financial fanatic this holiday season (bonus - new family plans are included in that price! the whole fam can saaave). 7ïžâŁ $112 - $172 - Canvas Lamps Okay - if you're thinkin' about jumpin' into the wild world of Reels in 2023, come prepared and in style with one of the prettiest desktop lamp / phone stands this side of... well, the North Pole. đĄ Canvas's Lamps ($112 - $172) are beautiful desktop light rings with a built-in phone holder (some say it can even hold a projector - but we've not yet tested that). Two thumbs and one tripod up for this one. 8ïžâŁ $119 - Canva Pro Membership Uh - yikes. Totally misquoted this price on the podcast - but the Canva graphic design software's Pro plan is still worth the steeper-than-quoted price point ($119/year paid annually). đŒ This software packs a punch when it comes to all things graphics - social | |||
| 13 Dec 2022 | 91. Baking it Down - Word of the Year | 01:19:03 | |
đ Your Word of the Year At the end of each year, Heather likes to (annoyingly) force both family members and extended family (and heck - even strangers) what their "Word of the Year" is. The Word of the Year is pretty simple - one word that you plan to interlace into your life for the next 365 days. đ What are the rules about the word of the year? No rules, really. It just has to be a word that you plan to keep top-of-mind throughout 2023. It's not a "set it and forget it" type deal like most new year's resolutions, but rather your theme summed up in a single word - one that you will use to guide your direction in the next calendar year. đ Can you give me some examples? Well, lucky you - we put our family in the spotlight on Sunday, and here's what some of the "Words of the Year" were:
đDo I have to make a to-do list with my word? No - it's your word. You can get it as a tramp stamp tattoo, make a to-do list (which may include tattoo-gettin' - we're not judging), think of the word during mindfulness practice, or make a to-do list about ways you plan to implement your word throughout your life and work. The goal of the Word of Your Year is to let it be your "return to center" word where you refocus on your yearly theme. So for me, "slow" will mean I schedule fewer tasks each day, I spend more time on walks and less time working, and maybe I'll trade in my lead feet for Ugg boots (the jury's still out on that). đ Okay - I have a few words chosen - can I have more than one? I'd challenge you to pair it down to just one - just like "new year's resolutions," when too many tasks clog up our goals list, we tend to get worn out. Focusing on the biggest word will make your decision pathway much clearer. Per Brian Tracy's Eat That Frog mentality, which word would have the biggest impact on you right now? It's likely that whatever word you thought of first will likely be the front-runner for your Word of the Year. đ Okay! I've got my word. Can I tell you what it is? Yes! I'd love to know what your Word is! Comment on Facebook (I'll post this on the SCM Facebook Page and in the SCM Group (check the pinned post). I'd love to know your word and the reasoning behind choosing it! Heck - you might even inspire someone else's Word of the Year. | |||
| 20 Dec 2022 | 92. Baking it Down - Year End Closeout | 01:22:09 | |
đ Buh-Bye, 2022. Towards the last few weeks of the year (ahem - btw, what the heck happened to 2022 and where did it go!?), I like to come up with a list of closeout tasks to set me up on the right foot come the first of the year. These aren't resolutions, but rather that proverbial closing of the book when you reach that last chapter, gather your thoughts, snag your bookmark, and find a great place to tuck the novel away. You clear the path for the future growth that the new year may bring. And here's my list (note - your list is unique to you, but heck - maybe you can snag some inspo from mine).Â
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by just how many emails are in your inbox likely never to be open or read, consider inbox zero. Now - I keep on top of this most of the year, but towards the end, a few escape my filters and deletes, and I'm likely subscribed to all too many newsletters I'm no longer interested in. For this task, I like to audit my subscriptions, unsub from just about everything, and file / delete / respond to any outstanding emails. It's a great way to start the year off on a clean slate.Â
I love my computer (a Dell XPS tower if you're curious), and I want to make sure my computer is runnin' in tip-top content-generatin' shape come January 1. To do that, we need to clear off files - delete old files you'll likely never use, file away docs in cloud storage where you can, and - my personal goal - get everything onto an external hard drive.
Now - a CPA may be cursin' the ground on which I walk to my paper shredder, but I don't like paper clutter - it takes up space, it's prone to destruction (water or file loss damage), and it's impossible to search through. But do you know what is searchable? Cloud storage. In fact, I use the free cloud storage included with Gmail (if you're worried about hackers - Google stores Drive files with encryption. The key to curin' the paper clutter bug? "Only touch it once."Â
Heck - I'd be lyin' if I didn't admit to signing up for stuff and not capitalizing on the included resources - and Sam's Cookie University wasn't an exception - but for "year-end closeout tasks," printing all of the cutters she includes in her paid membership (I think she's opening the doors again in spring 2023) was deffo on my list.
Hard to know what you're makin' if you don't know where you're spending. And such was what the accountant relayed in the last meeting (more like gettin' sent to the corner - but like, as an adult, but also with tears). YNAB has been my favorite tool for keeping track of my personal expenses, income, and financial goals. Okay - I'll stop makin' your eyes water with closeout boredom, but the podcast features the rest of my list (6 more tasks) along with some closeout tasks for cookiers which include:
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| 27 Dec 2022 | 93. Baking it Down - The Cookie College Breakdown | 01:17:20 | |
đ The Best Cookie College Courses
Class is in session and we're learning about PROFIT margins! Cookie classes have been a really fun way to make money with cookies while also removing the stress of customs. We sell tickets for $75 for a 1.5 hour class and include all of that material in The Cookie College (you can preview the course materials here). Heck, we even recorded a live class for y'all.Â
My favorite topic - password managers. As you grow your business, you'll find yourself makin' more profiles and passwords than a five-year-old playin' a spy game. So what do? What you don't do is use the same password over and over again. You know who you are. đ You use a password manager to manage, store, diversify, and protect your passwords. Here's the course work preview for that class.
Corrie's baby-child of a course, she takes us through e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g in this class. From prop shoppin' to lighting to staging to editing (both Lightroom desktop and mobile). This is likely one of the most comprehensive courses in our lineup since it covers just so much of this rather expansive topic - but hey, pictures move product and getting a good foundation on your product photography will pay in dividends! Here's that course breakdown.
I love Gmail - in fact, I use Workspace (Google's professional Gmail platform - I teach a few classes on this too) for all businesses I both run or work with. But Gmail - paid or free - can get out of control fast. If you wince when looking at your email notificat | |||
| 03 Jan 2023 | 94. Baking it Down - Leaving 2022 in 2022 | 01:10:44 | |
| 10 Jan 2023 | 95. Baking it Down - Consistency is Key in 2023 - Sponsored by the Bakers Business Basics | 01:16:17 | |
| 17 Jan 2023 | 96. Baking it Down - Reely Good Podcast Episode | 01:16:03 | |
| 24 Jan 2023 | 97. Baking it Down - The Toe Episode | 01:07:27 | |
| 31 Jan 2023 | 98. Baking it Down - 8 Social Media Baker Faux Pas | 01:08:25 | |
đ§ 8 Social Media Baker Faux PasÂIt's easy to get bogged down with orders and forget your social media - but not with twin2 lurkin' behind a phone screen! As she goes to engage weekly with the group hashtag, #sugarcookiemarketing, I asked her to come up with a list of the top 8 offenses she sees bakers makin' on social media that's likely robbin' from their bottom lines. Here goes: đ 1. Not Putting your Location in the Instagram Bio Check out Corrie's Instagram below (and give her a follow here) - see that? You can have your name and your location in your Instagram name - which is searchable (shout out to Kimberly for this tip) - that means not only will your handle be searchable, but any information provided in the name section of the profile as well. In this example, Corrie mentions location twice: once in the name, and again in the bio - in two differentways - her city and then the general area (Northern Virginia) to snag the attention of both her hyperlocal and broader, local audience. It's easy to set and forget a pinned post - and with Facebook's New Page Experience rolling out (with its fancy featured section), it's all the more important to keep this section updated. Recreate your pinned posts so the date reflects the current year - 2023 - even if it's the same exact content. It'll make your page look up-to-date (which reminds me - I need to do this myself đ). đ 3. Just Posting Photos on TikTok - no video content, no catch, no hook Tiktokkers want one thing - video content filmed vertically - and they won't settle for less. Late 2022, TikTok gave us the (unfortunate) option to upload pictures as a slide show instead of video files. It's... well... boring, and not what the platform is intended for. So while - yes, awesome that you're getting content out there - đ it's a better use of time to get content that gets eyes out there. Remember, time = money! Oh yeah - and don't forget that reach-giving hook. Hooks like, "This is the best thing I've ever heard in my entire life," "I just had the WORST experience," and "Here's something cookiers will never tell you..." are all great ways to get views (just be sure to follow up with content that matches the hype). đ 4. No Email Capture What if Facebook and Instagram disappeared? Where would your business be? If you're thinkin' "up a creek sans paddle," consider creating an email capture. It's easy to do - even if you're not ready to send out emails just yet. Mailchimp allows for free account creation AND a free signup form - so you can start building that list now should Meta ever go the way of the DoDo. đ 5. Cross-Posting with Hashtags Facebook just can't seem to make #hashtags work, and we shouldn't try either. With apps like Facebook's free Planner (or Hootsuite, OneUp App, and Planoly), you can create content designed for the platform you are posting to. In two clicks, you can create a unique caption for the same content piece for both Instagram (a hashtag reach treasure trove) and Facebook (hashtag Sahara desert) that'll have your audience feelin' center stage and not like a posting afterthought.Â
Your audience ain't got the time to play hide and go seek with your website links. Making links hard to find (like putting links in Instagram captions where they're not clickable) means less money in your pocket. Telling people from a comment to go click on your website (rather than just linking to your website in that comment) is another game of "go fetch | |||
| 07 Feb 2023 | 99. Baking it Down - Refund Chaos | 01:12:17 | |
đ„€ Refund ChaosÂTwin2 (Corrie) is weirdly obsessed with TikTok drama - and not just any TikTok drama - no, specifically Tumbler TikTok drama - you know, the cups? Yeah - that Tumbler. So imagine my surprise when Business Insider posts an article about the very Tumbler drama she's been popcorning about since last week. đł It's regarding all the good stuff - refunds, screenshots, screenshots of screenshots, Etsy reviews, mudsliggin' retorts - you know, the internet drama that gets you under a warm blanket for hours as you play judge-jury-executioner via your pocket computer. So I said - let's make a list of ways we can stay outta Business Insider articles and learn through other's experiences. Now - bless all the parties in this convoluted tail of chalice-themed cheap entertainment - I'm not pickin' sides. But grab a glass and let's work through this. Pictured: Big Debrah (from Business Insider > from TikTok) đ 1. Have it in your policies. Let the policy be the bad guy - it's you and the customer against the big bad small print. Consider everything you'll need to cover your butt (and in this case, your bottle). Refunds, response times, really-close-but-not-perfect color matching? Yeah - that stuff. And that way - when things go left, you can point at the right policy and see if you can work from there. At the beginning of this đ„€ Tumbler tumble, it seemed like the policies weren't clear on refunds when the shop made a boo-boo leaving things up to interpretation - ya know, like who pays return shipping, repairing damaged merchandise, etc. đ„¶ 2. Give it a minute - cool off! To date - no one has died by not receiving an immediate reply to a cookie complaint. It's easy to get emotional when all we see is blood, sweat, and tears of work being complained about - so give yourself a break. In the đ„€ #tumblergate drama, the responses were goin' up faster than Corrie could place an Amazon order! No time to think out a response that makes you look good and the other party feel good. C-o-o-l o-f-f. đ€Ź 3. Keep it private and professional. Stay outta the limelight on handling sticky issues. This isn't the time to get the courage to go Live on Instagram. Keep it private and professional - and a great way to do this is to imagine your response being read in a court of law. If it raises a judge's eyebrow - you probably need to take it back to the drawing board. Things escalated here faster than goin' to the second floor at Tysons Mall when there's a clearance sale at Nordy. Blaming, accusing, and cursin' that would make your Gramma call up your Momma and have a few words herself - that's where this went - and unfortunately, lead to doxxing the buyer's address (revealing identifiable information). Yikes! đ 4. Take accountability. Last I checked, none of us were perfect (except Phoebe-Woebe-Lemon-Squeeze đș), so don't have shame in accepting your part in a problem. It's okay! Accountability allows the other side to also take some accountability as well. Taking zero accountability leaves the other party fighting 100% accountability. There's a world in which you can be at-fault 40% and that doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you a human. đ€ 5. Work towards a mutual resolution. | |||
| 14 Feb 2023 | 100. Baking it Down - Leggo my Ego | 01:29:00 | |
đ§ Leggo my Ego | |||
| 21 Feb 2023 | 101. Baking it Down - Cookie Classes - 101 | 01:39:45 | |
đ« Cookie Class 101 đȘSchool's in sesh - and we ain't gatekeeping anything. Here's how we run a cookie class (note - we're lazy - so understand that whatever we tell ya is preceded by the question đ€ "how can we accomplish the most with the least amount of effort and still create a fantastic time for our audience?")  1ïžâŁ Marketing a Cookie Class Apps we use:
So - we use Eventbrite - it has fees. Why do we use it? It does a lot of the heavy lifting for even management for us, and it drives some traffic to our event as well. Could you use your own website? Sure! You'll be able to pocket more money in exchange for the additional management work on your end - a great trade. đ€ "But how can you post a picture of your sets so early?" We don't - I just use a placeholder image with the caption, "Class set photos coming soon!" To date, no one - like as in zero humans - has ever cared. Get the classes posted now - optimize them later! We like ending every class with a CTA (call-to-action) to sign up for a Christmas class even six months out. Since those classes sell out due to the nature of the seasonality of cookies at Christmas, our attendees like to feel that they snagged a class ahead of time. 2ïžâŁ Class Prep Corrie comes up with the class set and steps - which is awesome because it means it'll easy enough for beginners (and heeeyo - those steps are included in our new membership - Cookie Class Kits - if you don't wanna do the hard part yaself). The Bake-down:
Goin' in with a "too advanced" set is going to get your audience frustrated. You may be an expert cookier, but these folks are likely just looking for a good time and not to enter the next Food Network Cookie Challenge, so go easy on 'em. We bake one to two days before class. We may bring an extra set just incase things go south and a bag bursts or someone drops a cookie - but I like to keep that a hidden secret, and if all goes well, Corrie will package it into a kit a sell it later. Supplies we bring to class:
If you want the exact supplies we use - I link to those in each Cookie Class Kits course - but legit, this stuff is easy to find on Amazon. 3ïžâŁ Class Schedule Here's our schedule on the day of class:
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| 28 Feb 2023 | 102. Baking it Down - Whisk-y Business | 00:58:47 | |
đł Whisk-y Business đȘ
đž And if you do realize it and accept the risk - that's okay! It's your business and your risk awareness. An assessed risk is one you're willing to take on - and willingly face the potential consequences if the worst happens.  1ïžâŁ Copyright can be oh so wrong. We've all been there - a client willing to throw cash money our way if only we could do this one Pooh set. It's tempting - and it's even cuter than it is tempting. And why shouldn't you take it on? Everyone else is violatin' the Big D's copyright (Big D = Disney). đ Will you get caught? Maybe not. Could you get caught? Maybe. But as long as you're willing to account for the risk involved with copyright infringement (a favorite topic of speculative arguments in the cookie groups btw). Take for instance this seller who didn't heed the Disney law teams' cease and desist on selling the Mickey and Minnie ear-themed headbands. "But everyone else was doin' it!" đđđź Yeah - I tried tellin' that line to the last officer who pulled me over - he didn't agree. 2ïžâŁ Allergy-Free ain't Risk-Free đ€§ When it comes to allergy-friendly or allergy-free requests, it can be risky business to promise somethin' you're not. And, if you're like me and don't suffer from severe food allergies, I doubt we truly understand how dangerous a food allergen can be to folks who are severely allergic. Which is why you won't find Corrie and I makin' promise we can't deliver when it comes to allergy requests. And who likes telling a customer no? đ No one - but I'd rather tell a customer no than tell a customer where they can send their lawsuit paperwork. 3ïžâŁ Ensuring You're Insured In the world of "whisk management," insurance is the plan. Insurance is the biggest racket, that is until you need it. FLIP insurance is a fan favorite in the bakery groups, and for around $25 bucks a month, you can rest easy with mitigated liability. It can also cover farmer's markets and events with its add-on dashboard. Why take the whisk when you can ensure the whe-ward (okay - the pun falls apart there) 4ïžâŁ Put it In Your Policies Policies were written in blood - or well, for us - burned cookies. Most policies come after the fact which is synonymous with "too late." But you don't have to create a policy forged in blood sweat, and many tears because we crowd-sourced one in the Sugar Cookie Marketing Group! Click here to snag it. 5ïžâŁ Breaks Breaking Up Your Bottom Line Hey, I love a good vacay - heck, I love a good, long vacay. But in the world of business, most customers don't accept "long" being any longer than about 2 weeks. Long breaks put the brakes on your bottom line. I'm not talkin' the weekend off here, or the week off there - I'm talkin' about "burnout breaks" where the baker plays Houdini for months at a time. đđđ Imagine being a local gas station and taking off like bakers do. ✠"Hey - no gas today. Actually no gas this month. But next month maybe. I'll let you know. Check on my Facebook page for details on my fuel-filled comeback. I'm not closing - but I'm not sure when I'll turn the pumps back on." 6ïžâŁ Emergency No Fun-D Nothing causes more stress like operating with a bare-bones bank account. This often happens when we have more bills left at the end of the month than we have dollar bills. | |||
| 07 Mar 2023 | 103. Baking it Down - Good Enough is Good Enough | 01:22:52 | |
đGood Enough is Good EnoughI made peace with myself a long time ago that I would have to learn everything I wanted to be "pretty okay" at, I wasn't naturally gifted at anything. And I also learned that the likelihood of me being an expert at anything was a pipe dream. And that being good enough is often good enough. And just being good enough? It's often good enough. Most of what you want lies at the end of "being good enough" for long enough that people end up giving you their money over and over again, while, each time - you get just a little better than you were the last time. Very little of the life we want lies at the "perfect" finish line. Perfectionism is a beautiful, delusional lie - but it's such a delicious lie, because "being perfect" sounds noble. But in the same vein, "being perfect" also sounds impossible - and that's because it likely is. Waiting to be perfect is the perfect excuse for not executing right now - right when execution probably matters most. Instead, we kick the proverbial "cookie can" down the road to a future date when we hope everything will be perfect - ready for launch. But that date never comes. Why? We ain't perfect. And we shouldn't pretend that we're trying to be or that we even need to be perfect to accomplish our goals. đł "So, you twins are sayin' we should put out a subpar product?!" No - I'm sayin' put out a good enough product. Likely that's all your client wants anyways. It's you who thinks you need to star in three seasons of the Food Network Holiday Cookie Challenge before you can bake mermaid cookies for a 6-year-old's birthday party. The six-year-old? They just wanted mermaids. Not a famous tv star turned baker. But boy - does not havin' to launch 'til it's perfect sound so darn good. You get to sit in the pipe dream phase - the planning phase - the ideas phase. And that's fun - because you don't have any problems if you don't do anything. But you also don't have any business if you don't do anything. This week's podcast is more subjective than objective - but once you realize that no one required perfection - heck, they never did - you set yourself free to be the best at bein' good enough. And good enough is good enough to get you most places. | |||
| 21 Mar 2023 | 104. Baking it Down - Squeezing the Most from the Meet the Baker Collab | 01:12:24 | |
Meet the Baker Collab is this Friday, March 24th, 2023 at 11:00 AM est - 12:00 PM est. And we want you to participate! Here's how to squeeze the most out of the Meet the Baker Cookie Collab.
If you're not familiar with cookie collabs, no sweat - we're here to help. Nothin' builds trust (and engagement) like your purdy lil' face in front of a lil' camera (horrifying, I know - my selfies are abysmal).
1ïžâŁ The Type of Photo to Post Okay - let's start with the star of the show - the photo you're going to post. These are guidelines - not requirements - to get the most out of this collab. The better the quality of the photo - the more people are going to react to it (and since this is an engagement collab, reactions = better results).
Copy (the text below an image often used to sell products) or caption is going to allow people and collab participants to better connect with you. Making the copy compelling means makin' it worth reading - so be on the lookout for Corrie's copy template in this group later this week!Â
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| 28 Mar 2023 | 105. Baking it Down - Farmer's Markets Marketing | 01:10:20 | |
| 04 Apr 2023 | 106. Baking it Down - A Refreshing Rebrand | 01:31:21 | |
đA Refreshing RebrandWhen you likely got started in your cookie biz, "this will be something I'm still doin' in 2 years" wasn't probably top of mind. If you're like us, this was a random idea > turned hobby > turned money pit > turned "I need to make money or my SO will have my head" - fast forward to today, it's a business - but it wasn't an intentional business. So likely - again, if you're like us - "branding" wasn't as much the focus as "juggling 17 hats while baking" was đđ©đâïž. Which lands us two years later with a poorly chosen brand identity and business name. So what do? đ *rebranding enters stage right* Ideally, no business would have to rebrand - but, like in the case of Corrie, there are times when it makes long-term sense for short-term growing pains. Such was Corrie's plight - and here are 4 tips and 4 rebranding snafus we've seen while marketing (and rebranding ourselves). â€ïž Tip 1 - Check What's Available Rule of thumb - don't fall in love with someone that's unavailable. Rule of thumb in branding - don't fall in love with a name that's unavailable. So - before you start planning your billion-dollar baking biz, check what's free - social media handles, domains, etc. Here are two websites I like to use that help with the research:
đ« Snafu 1 - Overcomplicating It I love the thought and care some y'all put into your brand name - but I don't always love how that reflects your user's experience when typing your name, searching for you, etc. Overcomplicated branding will mean uphill marketing for you. Examples of overcomplication can look like:
â€ïž Tip 2 - Including Brand + Keyword In "SEO" best practices, including a brand name (who you are) + keyword (what you're selling) can help you get ahead in search results (Google). This is because you're not keyword stuffing (Cookies Cookies by Cookie Lady Cary - too many keywords in this one), but you're also not too vague (Art for your Plate by Cary - no keyword at all in this one). Examples of brand + keyword can be:
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| 11 Apr 2023 | 107. Baking it Down - Battle of the Business Partners | 00:51:47 | |
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How to work with business partners. 2:33
The four horsemen of a dead relationship. 5:07
Whatâs underneath the ego is ego. 8:19
If youâre in a business partnership and you feel like you are carrying the majority of the load, thereâs two things that 13:00
What part of this business do you want to be the point of contact for? 16:13
How to deal with conflict in business. 19:53
If you see that conflict is introduced because of time together, separate the time apart. 27:05
How do you make business decisions if you both like different ideas? 30:36
If you can go in that the person youâre working with is not you, itâs not you. 33:56
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| 18 Apr 2023 | 108. Baking it Down - Economies of Scale | 01:22:46 | |
â Economies of ScaleBuzzword incoming: scalability. The ability of your business to increase output to lower costs of production and increase profits. Sounds enviable, right? But how do you go about it as an often one-man (or woman)-band? Here are 5 tips we've thought of that may help you scale to higher margins and less work: đ„¶ 1. Freezing Cookies / Icings Brrrr - coolin' down your cookies can heat up production. Freezing dough and cookies can allow you to produce when orders are low and when incoming orders pick up, you're teed up for the big thaw. You can thaw cookies with no risk of loss of freshness for up to 4 months - including already iced cookies. đ§ Cool-down pro-tip: store them in sealed cello bags in an air-tight container. When ready to thaw, allow the entire unopened container to completely thaw before opening - this will let the condensation form on the outside of the container and not the cellophane wrapping. This means that you can increase production for Christmas cookies in September and allow the economics of scale to pad your fleece-lined pockets come the holidays.  2. Get the Gear When it comes to scalability, increasing production by decreasing production times = more money. A great way to do that? Don't fight your gear. Find tools that help you increase output and decrease time investment. This will let you make more money while making more cookies = a win-win, and you may even be able to binge a Netflix show without being hunched over the countertop decorating late at night (ayo - posture correctors!). Examples of tools that increase scale are:
âŹïž If it can increase production or âŹïž decrease time spent producing, it'll support the economies of cookie scalability. đ€ 3. Let the Robots Take Over I don't know if you're worried about the robot overlord takeover, but for now - letting the internet handle mundane tasks will allow you to increase production while the "always on" internet handles data input, task management, and client outreach. Zapier is one of our favorite "scalability" tools because it lets two apps that can't shake hands, now shake hands. đ€ Ways we use webhooks to streamline time costs are:
đšâđ» 4. All Praise the VA! VAs or "virtual assistants" are like contracted employees without the employee costs because they work on a task basis and not an hourly basis (depending on your contract). Finding a VA who can handle data input, client reminders, email marketing or social media is a great way to scale your business because you're behind the computer less but more is getting done. So start your VA-dating now so you're ready to hire come the hurried holidays. đ 5. Ads aren't all Bad.  I love the 24-7-365 salesman that Facebook ads can be - optimized for views, link clicks, or messages, dialing in a solid ad campaign can help you move product without having to make community group posts = you increase production and decrease time (a recipe for a double-dollar win). Using Ads Manager, you can create ad campaign parameters that stretch your ad dollar to the furthest. | |||
| 25 Apr 2023 | 109. Baking it Down - Watch Your Receipts | 01:14:19 | |
| 03 May 2023 | 110. Baking it Down - The Cookie Car Lot | 01:07:25 | |
đ Pricing the Cookie Car Lot đWanna buy a... car? Today's podcast topic (which is a day late due to CookieCon - no, it's not Wednesday, sorry about that) is about the "cookie car lot" - comparing how automotive brands use pricing tiers to sell more cars... and we'll use it to sell more cookies. đ Showing off the Flagship Every major auto manufacturer has a flagship vehicle - that one car so fast, so cool, and so very, very expensive.Â
Why sell a vehicle way too expensive for most of your target market? đȘ It's a flex for the brand. Essentially, the automotive company is sayin', đ "Yo - look at what we can do - and all this skill and talent you can't afford? It's incorporated into the vehicle you can afford." In your cookie sales - you can flex with your best set. But just like the auto-manufacturers, don't make it your 100% marketing focus. Your "flex set" is a signal to your capabilities incorporated into your work-horse sets - your big sellers. And while your flex-set may be a net loss, đ it'll help prop you up to sell those forever-favorites like unicorns and mermaids. đ§ââ đ Have an Economy Offering Many automakers know that if they can just get you to try the brand, they'll have a car client for life. This is where manufacturers have their economy lines - these aren't the cars in the commercials, but they are cars they keep on the lot.Â
These are the budget-friendly options for folks who want to enter a brand but can't afford the top-of-the-line or even the mid-range. đž But these auto companies don't want you walkin' away without a key in hand, so they keep the budget-friendly vehicles ready to package up for the price-conscious. Same with your cookies. While you have your flex set ($$$), and your workhorse sets ($$), keeping an economically friendly option in your back pocket can get people "into your brand" while also making the sale. đ€ Just like car companies, drop out the "extras" until you find a price point that is a win-win for both you and your potential client. Fewer colors? Fewer designs? Smaller sizes? All of these are ways to keep people on your "cookie car lot." Market your Work Horse Mid-Range LineUp You know each car company's mid-range big sellers - why? You see them marketed the most often, and thus likely most seen on the road.Â
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| 09 May 2023 | 111. Baking it Down - Refund Recap | 01:31:34 | |
| 16 May 2023 | 112. Baking it Down - Dry July | 01:13:23 | |
Okay fam - here's what separates the marketers from the panic-ers. (is that a word??). We're entering a period Corrie Mira and I like to refer to as đ "Dry July" âïž - but it encompasses the entire summer months from June - August. It's in these months (as reflected by this Google search report for "sugar cookies" - image below) that your orders will likely slow. đ This is expected for our industry. Things you can do during this time:
đ€ So lemme throw it back to your side of the court: What do you plan to use the next three "dry" months doing? | |||
| 23 May 2023 | 113. Baking it Down - S-E-Oh My | 01:23:35 | |
đ”ïž S-E-Oh MyWe've talked "SEO" on previous podcasts, but it's always great to revisit the cold audience maker by touching on four points we think will help you reach more search engine traffic. (Search engines = placed where you can look up words and find results. Google is currently the biggest search engine in the world.) What is SEO?
Places to Consider SEOÂ
Rebranding SEO Considerations
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| 30 May 2023 | 114. Baking it Down - We Would Like to Formally Apologize | 01:04:30 | |
đ We're SorryOkay - I'm not really sorry - but I'm sorry you think you can't be sorry, and I'm here to help you learn how to be sorry as a business owner - sorry if you were hoping for a sorry. We see it posted often in the groups: NEVER APOLOGIZE - it shows WEAKNESS. It also makes you 100% RESPONSIBLE and AT FAULT. And those comments are not wrong. There are types of apologies that do more harm than good for the apologizer - and that's what I think they're talking about. Apologies that break down your own boundaries and signal to folks that you're a doormat waiting to be walked on are the types of apologies we do want to irradicate from our vocabularies. Examples of "poor apology form" in business look like this:
Now - these are general, so put ya pitchforks down - there are times and places where these apologies may be a valid response - but we're talkin' broad strokes for this podcast. But never apologizing? Imagine being in a relationship with a spouse who never apologized. Yeah - that'd be... tough. Every time they felt wronged or offended, they never got the emotional release that an apology gives. đ Here's what a therapist told me once: "Every emotion is valid even if you don't agree with it." So - when our clients have an experience we don't necessarily agree with - that emotion they're feeling is valid. We're not apologizing for "messing up," but rather we are apologizing for their unfortunate experience. It's the intention of the apology that makes all the difference. Are you apologizing because it's a trauma response from a childhood wound? Or are you apologizing to empathize with the client and work towards a resolution? We want to get to the latter and work on abandoning the prior. Examples of "poor apology form" in business look like this:
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| 06 Jun 2023 | 115. Baking it Down - Sugar my State Collab 101 | 01:23:34 | |
đ Sugar my State Collab 101It's the upcoming Sugar My State Cookie Collab and we want YOU to participate (and get the most out of your participation). So here's a brief breakdown of what Cookie Collabs are and how to get the most bang for your bakin' buck from them! Listen to this episode on your favorite podcast player! đȘ What is a Collab Before we jump into the why, let's cover the what. Cookie Collabs aren't unique to Sugar Cookie Marketing Group - but they've likely only been around as long as Instagram has been due to how they work using hashtags. The concept is pretty simple:
That's the gist of it! Pretty simple right? It's mostly management that's time-consuming - and then, depending on the size of the collab (some can be as small as 5 participants or as large as hundreds of participants), the engagement with posts can take some time. đȘ How do they Work? They work on forced engagement - by requiring that all participants pay back into the collab by engaging with other participants' posts, the posts then get more engagement which, if we understand how the algorithms work, breeds more engagement and reach - and most of the time that reach is to our target, local audience - the ones who can actually pay us. đ€ When Meta (ahem - Instagram in this case) sees that people on its platform are engaging with a piece of content, Meta (er - Instagram) then turns around and shows that content to more people = thus is the engagement increased through collab participation. | |||
| 13 Jun 2023 | 116. Baking it Down - Check the Check Lists | 01:19:41 | |
đ Checking the Checklistđ€ Heather: "I feel like we're forgetting something." đ Corrie: "Yeah - I'm getting that vibe too." đ€ Heather: "Whatever it is, it's big." đŹ Corrie: "Oh most definitely." So - full confession: Corrie and I completely forgot the icing (and one tub of PME sprinkle eyeballs) at this weekend's đ Under the Sea đ sugar cookie decorating class. đš Imagine my horror as we enter the venue, 30+ minutes from the "icing fridge" only to realize my frosting aphasia. đđ With the power of Acura, Corrie managed to snag the icing and valiantly return right before class started (and to fix the "eye" issue, we turned the seahorse into the not-so-seeing-horse to source some PME sprinkles). Needless to say, this weekend was not our A-Game. So what gives? How could we have taught this many cookie classes and forgotten the most important thing (next to my award-winning one-liners)?! We technically had a process in place, but blame laziness (or Heather's unreliable car), we didn't follow protocol, and we paid the price. đ So - we figure we'd review our Cookie Class Kits checklist now so we don't have a repeat of Saturday (my Botox bill can't handle that stress level again anytime soon). Every good class starts with a promotional schedule. People can't buy what they don't know is for sale - so we want to start with a promo checklist. I'd likely recommend repeating this entire list three times total depending on how registration and run-times look (we shoot for a 6-week promotional schedule for classes). Class Promo Checklist
Next up - the Class Prep list - this is the list you'll likely want to start around the same time you start promotions - so for us (when we check our checklists), that'd be again around the 6-week-out mark. Think: class supplies. Class Prep Checklist
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| 20 Jun 2023 | 117. Baking it Down - Olive Garden No More | 01:07:09 | |
đ« Olive Garden No Mo' â
Kidding - I am absolutely going back - every Tuesday before the podcast actually. BUT... we noticed something crazy at the "OG" that we don't often witness at other restaurants - the sheer entitlement. But what causes the OG crowd to feel like they're owed more than bottomless bread baskets and endless salads? Here's our theory: pricing, freebies, and exclusivity. Weird parallel incoming: Hermes bags are the opposite of Olive Garden. The lowest prices Hermes bag is $10,000. Yeah - no, that wasn't a typo surprisingly. And when Hermes calls you to buy a bag you hate? You say "absolutely - let me just take an entire day off of work and a second mortgage." So why does Olive Garden get crazy clients and screaming kids when they don't charge an arm, leg, and left kidney in exchange for leather? Well - let's dive into the endless breadsticks and talk about it. đ€ Highest End of a Low Budget vs Lowest End of a Higher Budget Darden Restaurant Group owns both Olive Garden and Seasons 52 (think: OG's cooler, older cousin who doesn't visit often because they're living in Europe building an art studio). Seasons 52 is on average $15 higher per plate than Olive Garden. For those with more well-rounded wallets, Seasons 52 is on the cheaper side compared to the likes of Ruth Chris Steakhouse, Mortons, and Fogo de Chao (shoe? chow?). But the Garden Olives appeals to a more budget-conscious buyer (ahem - the twins) and thus likely falls at the top of that person's budget. Meaning - they have high expectations for our bread basket bastion. And why wouldn't they - these folks want the royal treatment for this budget buster and only endless bread, buckets of salad, free butter, and bottomless diet cokes will suffice!
đ "If I give my client more for free they'll likely love me forever!" Helloooo recipe for codependency! Listen - giving something for free once may build good vibes. But giving something free three times builds expectations. Giving something for free 5 times? Builds dependence. And then charging the sixth time? Recipe for resentment. đĄ Because the OG gives so much for free, folks would suddenly be APPALLED if we were charged for the breadsticks. Why? We don't think "Wow Olive Garden, you're so nice for giving us so much for nothing" but rather, đ "How rude - you're charging for something that you have for FREE before!? I'M MAD!" Â
You can't sustain free unless you work off of scale â - something a global chain of 893 Olive Gardens can accomplish - one baker in their home kitchen? Not so much. Giving things for free or competing on price = the quick end to any cottage home business. We only have 24 hours in the day. Might as well spend those hours getting the highest ticket sales rather than budget-busting tire kickers. đđ Cookies are a luxury - they're the Hermes of the boutique food world. Folks aren't trying to give people food to live on - no, they want to impress their friends with a fancy edible gift that embodies how much they love and cherish that person. đŠ Why else would you get a purple dinosaur iris flower set?! đ· | |||
| 27 Jun 2023 | 118. Baking it Down - Tomorrow Me | 01:01:48 | |
đ Tomorrow Me đMy dad used to make us stay after church and help clean up the nursery rooms, classrooms - whatever needed cleaning. When he'd change out the wastebins, he'd throw in an extra liner. I asked him why. "Because today I know I have enough liners, but next week, I might not." This is the concept behind "Tomorrow Me" - taking very small actions today when you know you have the time that'll save you potential future stress. Tomorrow Me isn't a big concept - in fact, "tomorrow me-ing" is a culmination very small things that don't make a huge difference, but over time lead to lower stress and a better overall experience - for both you and your clients. Examples of "Tomorrow Me-ing" your Life: đïž Having your cutters set out at the beginning of the week. Likely, you know what orders you gotta tackle this week. Take an hour to set them aside. Bonus if it's in the bins where you'll store the baked cookies - that'll make for easy access come fulfillment time. đïž Scheduling 2 more posts than usual. "Tomorrow Me-ing" doesn't have to batch schedule 2 months of post. You can just sprinkle an extra one or two at the end of your weekly posting schedule - lookin' out juuust in case somethin' pops up and Tomorrow You can't make it to a keyboard. đïž Batch making and freezing dough when you're bored. Got some time to slay? Throw some dough into the Kitchen-Aid (or batch in a Bosch) and mix up some future time space for Tomorrow Me. Batch-making dough means future you may be pressed for time, but doesn't have to worry about turnin' on a thing! đïž Creating email templates whenever you write a good generic response. You can create email templates in Google Workspace - I mean you already had to write that generic email - why not save it for a quick click reuse for Tomorrow You? One very small action can mean hundreds of saved minutes over the course of the year. đïž Ordering supplies in twos. Like those piping bags you're about to run out of? Order then add one. Ordering supplies in doubles means future you ain't gotta sweat a thang. Know you really like those boxes on Amazon? Snag them now - who knows if they'll be outta stock when you need 'em most. đïž Scheduling a reminder email. In both paid and free Gmail, you can schedule emails - I love to do this when an order is finalized - send the confirmation and right after, use your scheduling abilities to write up the reminder and have it ready to send - so Tomorrow you can completely absolve themselves of having to remember to remind. You see - "Tomorrow Me" is a chill approach to "Today Me" doin' just a little summin' summin' extra to relieve the pressure tomorrow. It's a simply delicious concept and easy to implement. Listen to the rest of our list (and I'm so sorry - there's WAY too much giggling on this podcast episode) on Episode 118 - Tomorrow Me. | |||
| 04 Jul 2023 | 119. Baking it Down - A-B-C | 00:51:52 | |
| 11 Jul 2023 | 120. Baking it Down - Primed for Prime Day | 01:05:40 | |
đ Primed for Prime Day đđïž We may not be Bezos Billionaires, but we can learn a thing or two from the e-comm king. Jeffy has us in a headlock with his annual Prime Day Deals - and as we sit here refreshing the feed to lightning deals, đŻ the twins wax old on both how to melt candle wax and how to implement some of the FOMO magic into our cookie businesses. đł Nine Ways to Prime Your Audience to Spend đ€ 1. Prime Day is annual = you know it's coming! đŠ Amazon Prime Day started in 2015 and has continued each year on dates in July since - it's consistent. đ And in marketing, consistency helps maintain your primed audience's expectations on how, where, and when to spend their money. In some cases, even if you're not as advanced as your competition, you can beat them simply by being consistent - it's âšthatâš important.Â
Amazon already has our money - Prime Day deals are for Prime members. So why water where the grass is already green? Because people who âšalreadyâš trusted us with their money are likely to trust us with more of their money. By Prime giving Prime members exclusive deals, we feel like we're extra special - that we got something no one else did (*ahem* 300 million products were sold on Prime Day last year, but we can pretend we're super special).Â
Speaking of exclusivity - peer pressure is real. And watching all the cookie groups post up their Prime packages makes you feel FOMO. FOMO = fear of missing out on some great (perceived) deals, so it means we're more likely to join Prime âšduringâš Prime Day than any other day of the year. Prime Day is a great lead gen (generation) tool for Prime's program.Â
Prime's use of third-party sellers means their entire network of online entrepreneurs can push this big Prime Day collection of deals. Just like Amazon, you can harness your network to cross-promote. đ· Teaching a cookie class at a winery? Send the winery a graphic to post. đ Use a local t-shirt printing company? Ask them to hand out your business cards.Â
FOMO = back to the good ol' fear of missing out. Did you know humans are more loss averse than they are gain driven? It means we'd rather not lose what we have over getting more of what we don't. Hearing "Prime Day is ONLY July 11 - 12" keeps our fingies on the refresh button. âïžđ± When you're hosting your next pre-sale, instead of thinking "more days to buy = more days to sell," think "fewer days to buy = more reason to buy more." đ€ Prime Day has us in a chokehold (and my credit cards aren't exempt). While we snag some lightning deals, don't forget to tune into this week's podcast Episode 120 - Primed for Prime to hear the four additional ways to Prime your Audience! | |||
| 17 Jul 2023 | 121. Baking it Down - Good Fast Cheap | 00:54:05 | |
âïž Good. Fast. Cheap âïž Choose Two.Heather - still carless - has been bumming rides, but "get a pre-purchase inspection" isn't the only lesson learned here. Her derelict car had the option to go to a shop up north or another shop down south - both highly recommended.
đłđłđł Yiiiiikes. Obviously Corrie's "free rides" have a punch card limit, so the world-renown mechanic lost a sale because the man's good and cheap - but he ain't fast. âïž Cheap and Fast (not Good) This is my "Panera" baker - they know that their clients are forgetful and ballin' on a budget - and they âšthriveâš here. Hey, it may not win any design awards, but it'll be fast enough to make it to your party in two days and cheap enough so that you can still afford the bubbly. đ„ These bakers work on economies of scale - they need many orders to operate at their below-market margins, but they can still produce a profit and invest less than other bakers to keep their pockets lined. đ€
Like my macho mechanic from the intro story, good and cheap bakers are âšbookedâš bakers. They'll never run out of work, but you'll likely never be able to book them either. I find that most of these bakers are true hobbyist spending time leisurely taking orders as they see fit. đ They're able to make a profit because they spend very little time and effort on marketing (an indirect cost factored into your price point).Â
This baker is likely listening to this week's podcast and reading this Onesday Wednesday newsletter. Bakers who want to make âšmoneyâš need to be good and fast, but they'll not be cheap. They invest in tools to increase production - an Eddie, airbrushes, stencils, and 3D printers - and they're definitely going to pass those costs right along to the consumer. These bakers are aggressive in marketing and reinvest that in even more marketing - because each sale equals a paid-for Disney vacation. There are no wrong "pick twos" - but you cannot pick three without being burnt out faster than Panera sells out of those lemon-flavored flip-flops. đ©Ž Listen to this week's (rather giggly) Episode 121 - Good. Fast. Cheap. | |||
| 25 Jul 2023 | 122. Baking it Down - A$$et A$$umptions | 01:08:30 | |
đČ Asset Assumption đČ"A$$uming makes a butt outta you and me" - words have been changed to protect the innocent, but the stance stands true. Assuming client expectations rather than communicating them steals your business a$$ets and leaves you with an empty bank account and an angry customer. But I get it - communication is hard, we're busy, the clients are vague, there's more dough than hours in a day. But assuming our clients âšshould just knowâš is leaving a lot up to interpretation - and that includes our profit margin. đ Rule of thumb - if you don't communicate effectively, you better have a well-funded "Oopsie" budget for refunds. đ But why refund when you can just recall an email that spelled the entire client quote out - down to delivery date, set details, invoice total, and pick-up location? We're not sayin' over-communicate - but oftentimes, what we think is too much communication is actually probably the right amount of communication. Examples of places where we can firm up the vocabulary include:
Communication makes the world go 'round and your bottom line go up. Snag more tips and tricks and learn which beige flags Heather and Corrie are waiving in this week's Podcast - Episode 122 - Asset Assumptions. | |||
| 02 Aug 2023 | 123. Baking it Down - The Gold Ratio | 01:05:12 | |
đȘ The Gold Ratio đȘI know some of you are screaming at your computer screen right now sayin' "IT'S GOLDEN RATIO!" But hold up, now ya hear! It's a play on words (but trust that 99.9% of other times it's a typo - but this time it isn't... surprisingly). In marketing, it's easy to fall prey to numbers. Numerical evaluations are THROWN at us daily. Just consider all the math problems we see as marketers turned business owners turned back into marketers.Â
Hey - I thought we promised ourselves we'd never take a math class again, right?! đł Well = welcome, class is in session, get your bottom in a seat like your bottom line depends on it, because it does. But not in the way you think it does. I'd be lying if I didn't say math wasn't important in business. It is. I live and die by my spreadsheets (which are essentially my digital children at this point). Math lets us predict, decide, and determine which direction we need to head towards. But addition and subtraction (outside of the business bank account) ain't the move. ïžđ„ We want... drum roll... ratios đ±*screams in Algebra 2* Ratios are comparisons. One number, related to another number, knocked up against each other to give us a percentage. The numbers we're comparing? ïž ïžUs today ïžđ„ vs. đ„ Us yesterday. You see - comparing how many followers a baker-influencer has to your hyper-local bakery in rural America ain't doin' your mental state any favors. And it's not a good barometer for effective marketing progress either. But you know what is? ïžđŻ You today compared to how many accounts you were reaching in your target local audience this time last year. So - here are other "gold" ratios (still destroyin' some of ya with that play on words, huh?) đ
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| 09 Aug 2023 | 124. Baking it Down - TOMA | 01:16:28 | |
đ§ T-O-M-A đ§đ Thought I typoed "tomato" didn't ya? I wouldn't put it past me at this point. But alas - no. It's an acronym this time. "What other weird acronym are the twins talkin' about today?!" đŁïž Yeah - agreed, but this marketing jargon may make you sales without selling! âŹïžđ§ T-O-M-A: Top of Mind Awareness. Think of "TOMA" marketing as a way to stay in front of a client without directly saying "hey - yo, yeah you - don't forget to buy from me." If a client only needs to place an order with you once a year when it's Mother's Day or when their kid as a birthday, pummeling them will sales post does not for the ideal experience make. đ€ "But how can I sell to people if they're annoyed by my selling to people?" Great question, Mr. Miagi. Let's brainstorm some of the best ways to sell without selling using the T-O-M-A method.Â
đ Snag this podcast and hear the breakdown on the last two T-O-M-A ideas on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or your desktop) by clickin' here - Episode 124 - TOMA. | |||
| 15 Aug 2023 | 125. Baking it Down - Vendy Blendy Reggy | 01:06:34 | |
đ The Vendy de Blendy Is Open for Vendor RegistrationAnd we need your help - to bug the shops you wanna see Vendying the most! Okay - before I tell ya the who-what-where-when-why of the Vendy Blendy, lemme tell ya why we're talking about the un-talk-about-able. đ§ We thought finally taking our own advice and working ahead this year would let us have a longer run-time promoting the vendors (đ win) and let us not stay up so late at the last minute (đŽ win) and let y'all bug the shops you wanna see for longer (đ win - for us, maybe not for the shops). So if you already know what the VB is about and wanna sign your shop up or wanna bug a shop you love, here's the link: âĄïž https://sugarcookiemarketing.com/vendy/ âŹ ïž The VB is first-shop-come-first-shop-promoted-for-the-next-3-months, đŠ so the early bird gets the promotional worm. đȘ± Now let's get into the dirty deets of the Vendy de Blendy! đ The WHO of the Vendy Blendy The Vendy Blendy is for bakers who want to shop from bakery supply shops. The goal is a day of fun window shoppin' online (more on that later). đ€ It costs nothing for you to shop the Vendy Blendy. Instead, Vendies pay into a Vendy pool and we use their registration money to giveaway TWO Bambu Babies (also known as Carbon X1C 3D printers)! No purchase necessary - just be in the group to win! Back to the vendies - we're lookin' for:
The Vendy Blendy is in its third year - and y'all LOVE it. It's a single-day digital event held on Black Friday each year in a Facebook Group that only exists for 24 hours. The epitome of FOMO, the Vendy Blendy connects buyers and sellers and disconnects said buyers from their holiday profits all in the name of a solid sale! đ The WHERE of the Vendy Blendy  It's on Facebook. In a group specifically - the group doesn't exist yet - I'll set it up around the beginning of October - but that doesn't matter either. You won't be able to join the group until November 24th at 12:00AM est. And then you'll be forcefully (lol kidding-ish) removed from the group 24 hours later at 12:00AM est the next day. Within the 24 hours, you'll get a list of ALL the Vendys and their discount codes, shop lists, best products, and - if they opt-in - a chance to snag their door prizes too! đ The WHEN of the Vendy Blendy  The Vendy blends every Black Friday. It's for 24 hours only. So - you'll be made aware of when the group opens for pending members (remember - you only get in for a 24-hour period).Â
For fun, really. I wish we had a deeper purpose, but who doesn't like shoppin' with friends - even if those friends are thousands of miles away joined by Zucky's website?! âĄïž https://sugarcookiemarketing.com/vendy/ âŹ
ïžÂ đ Snag this podcast and hear the breakdown of the Vendy Blendy on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon M | |||
| 23 Aug 2023 | 126. Baking it Down - Narcissistic Conversations | 01:20:08 | |
 đŁïž Narcissistic Conversations - how chatty cathy is costing you cashOkay - this isn't exactly what you think - I mean, we're not talkin' about your Narc ex. That's between you and a therapist. BUT we are talking about narcissistic conversationalists - of which many of us at times have been guilty. đ€ And it's costing you cash. The term, coined by Charles Deber, a sociologist, is called Conversational Narcissism and it sounds more innocent than you think. đ Since we all are constantly involved in daily conversations - whether it be with the hubs or wife, the boss, clients, or the Starb barista - we have a tendency towards squandering potential connection (and thus potential sales) when we turn from car salesman to Chatty Cathy. Mr. Derber says there are two types of responses when it comes to any conversion:
đŁïž You see - people want to be âšlistened toâš. But both speakers can't be listened to at the same time, right? So when both people in a conversation attempt to speak about themselves instead of listening, we have a communication breakdown. And when you're trying to sell, you don't want a communication breakdown. That's the figurative opposite of selling. Unless you're selling them on why they shouldn't talk to you again anytime soon. In which case, you're sticking the "leave me alone" landing.Â
â©ïžÂ In a shift-response, we shift the conversation back to ourselves - our favorite topic. đ And who doesn't love a lil' bit of a dish of muah? My bank account - that's who. The more we shift the conversation back to you-truly, the less we gain the trust (and wants and needs) of the person we're talking to. đ„ "But Heather - I'm trying to validate them by saying I have had a similar experience!" Cool - they don't want to talk about you - they wanted to talk about them. So let them - and then let them pay you. Because the more they talk about they - the more you'll know how to sell to them. Let's see a support-response in action:
âȘïž See how Mary redirected her question back to John? That's a support-response. đ It gets John to reveal more about himself while he also feels listened to. Mary is going to talk about herself less - that's for sure, but learning more about Mary isn't Mary's goal here - the goal is getting John to tell us more information about himself. The more you can introduce support-responses into your conversations, the more people will be drawn to talking to you. And if you're selling something - guess who will be more likely to buy from you? Yeah - it's âšthatâš powerful. đ Snag this podcast and hear the one book that made the biggest impact on our businesses on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or your desktop) by clickin' here - Episode 126 - Narcissistic Conversations. | |||
| 05 Sep 2023 | 127. Baking it Down - The Nuclear Option | 01:22:00 | |
đŁ The Nuclear Option đ”
Here's all you need to know about this week's podcast:
đ„ Okay - a lil' more context before you send me your life's savings. I really like David from the Raptitude Blog - and one of his more recent emails talked about "atomic accountability" in the form of the nuclear option. đ€Ż It's putting your money where your goals are. Here's how he words it - basically, there are things you âšneedâš to do and you don't âšwantâš to do. So you, instead, do a bunch of other less important things but feel like you accomplished something. Sure - you did, kinda. But you didn't accomplish the one thing you knew you needed to do. đ° This we've all experienced. But how David goes about conquering this dilemma is either a financial risk or a productive reward. You see - he puts his money where his goals are by giving his best friend $300 on the caveat that she can keep the money should he not accomplish the goal within the designated timeframe. He set the goal and the time constraints, so it's not like it's unfair - but đŁ he's holding his financial feet to the đ„ fire by putting his money where his goals are. His reasoning (per his website) is this:Â
đ” Let's up the financial ante - let's say you wanna teach a cookie class, but you've been putting it off all year. Knowing that the holidays are the proverbial "license to print class money," you think "I should teach classes." Okay - you know you should. You have all the tools to teach a class (ahem - shameless plug for the Cookie Class Kits), and you have the time now to plan it. Paypal hello@sugarcookiemarketing.com $500. Put the following information in your payment description:
đŽ If you don't meet your goal, I'll keep your money and think of you the entire time I order off the Olive Garden menu on your dime. đšâđł And I will not refund you for any sob stories. Consider me your banking bestie. đ If you do meet your goal, email me a photo of the goal completion proof, and I'll refund you your money (begrudgingly, but also proud of you). You see - we know we have to do the thing. But we also know how best to deceive ourselves in believing that putting it off is a good idea. So let's remove the "me" and replace it with "money" - because money tells no tails. But boy does it hurt to lose it. So Corrie and I will take our own challenge, but I'll add a lil' more fun to it:
I'll let ya'll know what I bought with her money as my Twinterest on the podcast. đ€Ł đ Snag this podcast and listen to Corrie's ideas on "nuclear options" for your goals on any ma | |||
| 12 Sep 2023 | 128. Baking it Down - the Pricing Dance | 01:29:06 | |
đ The Pricing DanceWhen's the perfect time to introduce price into the "cookie conversation"? Is it message one, đ "Hello, my name is $68 dollars a dozen?" Or is it after 50 messages when you've spent days (maybe even a week?) mocking up, designing, ordering cutters, and checking gel colors you've got, only for the client to turn "tire kicker" and say it's a bit out of their budget? đ Yikes to both scenarios. That's the topic of today's podcast - the delicate pricing dance. You know, that perfect time when both value proposition meets budget, and the client has zero price objections as you two run off into the sunset to lead a happy, long, icing-filled life together as baker and buyer. The last thing we want is to scare the client away with sticker shock, but we also don't want the client to turn into a "convince me why I should" pen pal as you waste time trying to make a sale that was dead in the water before it even started. Imagine the sales funnel like dating - and the marriage is when the client makes a purchase. đ You'd call someone crazy if they were dating for 40 years hoping for a marriage proposal, right? đ° "Maybe next year they'll propose." Or um - more likely they won't. They didn't for the last 40 years. In those 40 years, you could have been dating viable partners who did have marriage as their ultimate goal. Those were the ideal partners worth spending time on (just not 40 years). đ It's the same concept when it comes to "dating" a potential client for too long. You could be woo-ing a client willing to give you their checkbook for the perfect set, but instead, you're trying to convince this commitment-shy Facebook lead that your half dozen, simple designs, waived rush-fee order is worth $25. đ đ€ Okay bet, I'll go with "Hello, my name is 'out of your budget likely,' how are you?" Hilarious - but not the solution either. 1ïžâŁ As my therapist says, the right answer usually lies between "on and off," "black and white," and "1 and 0." 0ïžâŁ There's feeling out the client, understanding what their "okay I'll buy" trigger is, adding enough value, but also keeping the emergency parachute within arms reach for easy deployment to fly onto the next more likely sale. đȘ đ The key is adding value up-front. You can do this by:
â What you want to do is move every pricing chess piece before you budget on price. The key to making sales is NOT lowering your price. Yes - there is an argument for discount strategies - but not long-term (check out the JP Penney story if you doubt me). đ Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or your desktop) by clickin' here - Episode 128 - The Pricing Dance. | |||
| 19 Sep 2023 | 129. Baking it Down - How You get Them is How You Keep Them | 01:26:44 | |
đż How Ya Get 'em is How Ya Keep 'emThings we want when we market:
đ Let me break it down for ya with a marketing case study as big as your local mall: JC Penney and the discount disaster. JCPenney rose to fashion fame in the 70s when couponing was a common practice for 65% of US households. đ« Coupons are not like sales - because a sale is the equivalent to "no promo code required" versus a glorious coupon - this hard-to-find code or cut-out paper that grants the holder something âšno oneâš else gets - a discount. đ§ Talk about hittin' the centers of the brain that casinos take advantage of. đ But in 2012, the JCP CEO Ron Johnson didn't follow the principle of "how you get them," and decided to move from couponing to a fair pricing model. No longer would customers have to hunt and peck through papers and internet deal sites to find the best discount - đ now the entire store would be just priced fairly - low prices throughout - no promo code necessary. đ JCP's sales tanked 25% that year. Ron was fired after 17 months, and the coupons were added back to the store's business model. Ron was quoted saying, "coupons were a drug." And their customers were addicts. đ How you get them is how you keep them. JCP built a business bankin' on budget busters discounted with coupons. So it had to keep them by sticking with the coupon cutters. đ„ Same with your business. If you drum up business by doin' fire sales - guess what your audience will be built on expecting? You guessed it - last-minute discounts. Want to be a controversial baker? đż Go post controversial topics on your page. Guess what your audience will be expecting? Popcorn-poppable drama dripping in butter and bad words. Sure - you'll get engagement, reach, comments, and reactions - but what good are they if they don't convert into sales. đ€ Money. đ€ Dollars. đ€ Income. đ How you get them is how you keep them.  đ You can't pay your bills with gossip (trust me, I'd have a private island if you could). đđđđ Same with follow trains - what good is an international audience of 1,000 bakers when you can only ship locally to people who don't like baking so much they'll pay you to do it for them? Choo-choo, followers boarding, profits gettin' off at the next stop! Build the audience you want to keep - đ because how you get them is how you keep them.  | |||
| 26 Sep 2023 | 130. Baking it Down - Make Mistakes. | 01:18:30 | |
đ©č Make Mistakes.I watched (see: was addicted to) a TikTok the other day where an insanely successful older man was interviewed on a podcast. đ€ The interviewer said, "How did you know it was time to expand your business? Which metric were you tracking that helped you make the jump into expansion?" đ§ "Metric? We weren't following a metric. I knew we needed to grow because we weren't making any mistakes. When your business is growing, you're making mistakes because you're trying new things, and we weren't making any mistakes which means we weren't growing." â€âđ©č Such is the topic of this week's Baking it Down podcast - learning to love making mistakes. Corrie wanted to get into cake balls recently (heyo, cake ball Gina Wade). Anyways - đ« to say the take-off was bumpy was an understatement. âȘ The first round of cake balls were more like cake blobs (hey, I'm not hating - I still ate them). The next round got interesting - in an effort to get a "birthday cake" color, Corrie added in jimmies (đŠ ya know, your typical colored ice cream sprinkles). All was well and good until we bit into them and realized the jimmies had been proverbially "rustled" and their color had bled into the baked dough giving the interior of each cake ball a disconcerting greenish hue (đ€ą and not a fun green either - more of a sad "could this be E.Coli?" green). đ€ "Well, it's okay - you're family, right?! They don't mind!" Well - yeah, except for half the order Corrie sold to a customer who later sent the awkward đł "uh, am I gonna die if I eat these??" email. Corrie fully refunded of course, and it made for a hilarious retelling at the Olive Garden. But she was ABLE TO MAKE A MISTAKE because she was trying something new! Learning requires losing. đ©č And losing, as long as we learn, means we grow. đ đ€ And guess what? Hallmark (yes - let's get our Christmas ornaments - I'm totally in the mood!) just placed an order for 3 dozen (less green) cake pops. The point of the podcast is to learn to love making mistakes - because that means you're trying new stuff, learning new skills, and putting yourself out there. What's the boat quote? đ€ "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships were made for." đ Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or your desktop) by searching for - Episode 130 - Make Mistakes. | |||
| 03 Oct 2023 | 131. Baking it Down - Consistent Crows | 01:17:12 | |
đŠ Consistent Crows Ruth Ann (twin grandmother - my middle name is Ruth, Corrie's is Ann... you see what they did there, don't ya?) has a habit of being consistent. Not just any type of consistency - she's radically consistent. I mean - you could set the atomic clock to her ability to wake up at 6AM on the nose.Â
Oftentimes, in the directing world of "what's everyone doing to market their business" that is the SCM group, đ we head off in a thousand directions never letting the marketing we just planted have any time to germinate and produce results. đ Our audience is being jerked around from new idea to new product, and our messaging is a muddled mix of marketing campaigns never reaching completion before the next one, the next one, and the next one are launched. As a result, đ ââ we're left thinking marketing doesn't work and the twins were lying, and that person in the Wednesday Wins thread was just making up their success, and that other person who taught the pop-up Live must have been selling snake oil because đ« marketing doesn't work. đ« Marketing - in the way you implemented it - doesn't work. But that doesn't mean it doesn't work. It means you've learned how to tweak and retest is for better results in the next round. đĄ Just call you Edison. đ Breadison? Get it... because baking. Anyways. ⰠExtend your marketing campaign's run time - then stick with it to the end. Let's get enough data points to be able to better forecast our results. Let's give our audience time to adjust to new products. Let's spend that time finding our target audience for this new product - one's willing to throw their hard-earned cash at you and your cookies, classes, cutters - whatever. Marketing takes time. đïž Good marketing takes more time. Set a goal to give a new marketing campaign - classes or DIY kits or drop cookies - đȘŠ at least a month of consistent marketing before you call the time o' death on that option. Heck - I'd prefer 2+ months. Corrie and I marketed our first cookie classes for 3 months before it started seeing movement. Consistent marketing includes consistency in posting schedules, newsletters, follow-up, and photography. It's the whole gamut of consistency that will consistently bring you in more dollars. đ Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or your desktop) by clickin' here - Episode 131 - Consistent Crows. | |||
| 09 Oct 2023 | 132. Baking it Down - The 1 Percenters | 01:14:03 | |
1ïžâŁ The One PercentersAs admins of a group of niche cottage home bakers, we get to see a lot of questions about getting sales - and even more people thinking they can compete on price to gain traction in the marketplace. But competing on price is a literal race to the bottom - the bottom of your bank account. Ya see, if I lower my price by $1, and you lower yours by $2, and then I counter by lowering my price by $4... well, let's just say pretty soon we'll be able to duke it out standing in the unemployment line. You cannot compete on price. So how do we get more sales in a somewhat saturated market if we can't use discounts and deals as incentives? Increase everything else. And I'm not saying get your boxes lined with gold leaflets - but rather increase everything but just one percent. One percent is pretty easy. I mean - what can you do just a single percentage better than you're already doing? Let's start of with an example - emails. Are you using a custom domain? Do you have a quick response time? Do your emails include pertinent information about the client's order confirming their details in each correspondence? Does your email signature look nice? Changing any of these is an example of increasing by 1%. And that is huge. đ Other ways you can increase by 1%:
You don't need to be the best baker with the best packaging with the best ingredients with the best turnaround times. But you can be the baker who is 1% better at replying to emails. The bakers who as a curb appeal that looks 1% nicer than the next. And a customer refund policy that's 1% more appealing than another's. It adds up. đ€Â The small things can make big differences in your bottom line. đ Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or your desktop) by clickin' here - Episode 132 - The One Percenters. | |||
| 17 Oct 2023 | 133. Baking it Down - Corporate Girly Era | 01:43:09 | |
đŒ Corporate Girly EraCorrie was on a mission this year to enter her âšcorporate girly eraâš - đšâđŒ a time in her life (and business) where she gets most of her leads from small to medium-sized businesses (and heck - at this point, international businesses). Why? 𧊠Because corporate clients rock baker's socks - that's why. Here's the magic of corporate orders:
đŁ In the world of lots of detailed custom orders with clients breathing down your neck, fighting you on pricing, and showing up late for pickups while asking for discounts - corporate orders can be a breath of fresh air. And a really great way to diversify your income streams. đ That way when the summer vacay season comes, your lead sources don't dry up as they head for the waterfront with the kiddos. SO - you're in, and you want a slice of this corporate cake. đ° But how? Here's our 6-step workflow to getting into your âšcorporate girly eraâš. đŒ 1. Your content has to shift. To attract corporate, you must become corporate - well, at least your content has to feature it. Don't have a corporate order to feature? Make one up! Find a business you can feature and then surprise the business with a logo cookie. When we say corporate, we mean quick - and often to a larger scale than customs. We ain't bakin' for baby turnin' 1 no more, we're baking for large events where the "corp client" likely wants to hand 200 folks a cookie with their logo on it. How can you work at scale? Invest in the tools to do so. Here's what we've got:
This stuff ain't cheap. Eddie alone is $3,000. A Bambu Carbon (which we happen to be giving away TWO at this year's 2023 Vendy Blendy) runs $1500. BUT - with these large-scale corporate orders, we are pulling in large-scale corporate checks which is a great way to cover the investment costs of these machines and then some. đŒ 3. Nail down the corporate tech. đ° Nothing says "small beans and risky at best" than a baker telling a corporate client to pay them PayPal "friends and family" so the baker can skip out on taxes. If we want corporate money, we gotta look corporate ourselves. đ§ Get that custom domain - it's $12 bucks and that custom email while you're at it - it's only $6 and makes a đworldđ of difference when it comes to looking legit.Â
đŒ 4. Start a corporate outreach campaign. Well, if stuff sold itself, I'd be out of a job. Fortunately for me, it doesn't - but that means we need to design a marketing campaign to reach our business buddies. Email lists - yes, BUT - segment them out. Make a list for just corporate clients. It'll make a lot more sense to send them team-building packages. Not so much to the baby who just turned 2 who you baked for. đ Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or your desktop) by clickin' here - Episode 133 - Corporate Girly Era. | |||
| 24 Oct 2023 | 134. Baking it Down - Squeezing the Most outta the Vendy Blendy Berry | 01:20:20 | |
đVendy Blendy Berry (and how to squeeze the most from it)
Get into the holiday spirit by treatinâ YOSELF to some cookie cutters, stencils, tees, and icing tips â oh my! Everything youâll want to know to squeeze the most from your cookie dough is listed below. But donât forget to join the Vendy Blendy Facebook Group â thatâs where all the money-savinâ magic happens! đ« Here's how to squeeze the most juice from the Vendy Blendy berry. đ 1. Inventory what you're missing. We need to know where we're at before we know where to go. So let's start by spending the next few weeks taking inventory of what you have - supplies, bags, ingredients, tees, classes. We don't want to waste our hard-earned cash buying things we already bought, so start by making a list of "do have" and "do need." đ€ Ask "what's running low, what's about to break, and what do I already have?" That'll be a great jump point to plan out the Vendy Blendy spendy. đ 2. Create a Blendy Spendy budget. We don't want the Vendy Blendy to be a relationship endy, so come up with a budget and stick to it! As with any solid budget, you'll want to fund your "things I need" line items first. Those are the necessities we were gonna buy anyway - but might as well buy at 20% off. Once that's funded with the fun-ds, budget for the wants - the things you don't need, but it'd be nice to have. Once that's funded, add a max spend limit - a hard line in the "sales sand" where you won't cross. That way the Vendy Blendy won't end in buyer's remorse. We've got 47 confirmed Vendys right now - 3 more that have told me yes, and 2 more that are getting their shops together. That's a LOT of Vendys - so pre-shop them now. I prefer an Excel spreadsheet to track purchase links, but Corrie likes throwing things in her Etsy carts' "save for later" feature. Whatever you do - save time by pre-shopping. I've added the current Vendy's list to the group description.Â
Remember - Vendys are running 20% off or more - so your cart's total $ amount will drop by quite a bit come November 24th! đ 4. Set Expectations with Your Family. đ€ł The Vendy Blendy is all of the 24 hours on the 24th, and while I don't expect you guys to be glued to a computer like me and the Vendys are, you will wanna check in throughout the day. â° The best way to be guaranteed some "alone time" with your phone is by letting the family (in their đŠ turkey comas đŽ) know that you'll be checking your phone throughout the day to enter some fun door prizes and get a few deals and steals. đ 5. Treat Yoself! There are a lot of new vendors this year, so that means a lot of GREAT baker gift ideas! đ°đŒ We absolutely do not mind you inviting your spouse to join the Vendy, tagging them in the products you'd like đ đ» Santa to bring you, and then crossing your fingers that one of ya wins a door prize. If anything, đ§ it's a genius idea, you smart baker, you! đ 6. "During Vendy Blendy" Best Practices. ïžđ Try snagging your favorites right at midnight so you're not left with an empty stocking when/if a Vendy sells out of their fan favorites. Check back throughout the day since door prize posts can be posted whenever! đȘ Support the Vendys! Even if you're not shoppin' from them, leave a co | |||
| 31 Oct 2023 | 135. Baking it Down - Audit of a Cake Class | 01:26:32 | |
đ° Audit of a Cake Classand the lessons we're implementing.
đ 1. Remind - Remind - Remind! "Eventbrite reminds attendees of the basics of their event, but go out of your way to email a personal reminder. Nail down some extraneous details - like to confirm the class has met the minimum attendee requirement. It'll go a long way in establishing a relationship with your students before they get there too. Plus it's nice to cover your butt by emailing your "no show" policies before class start time."Â đ 2. Start on Time. "We were in a second class following a prior class that had run over a bit. Since the first class ran over, it put the teacher in "rush mode" and didn't give her or her assistants much time to breathe. A great tip we'll be taking back to our classes is letting the first class know that they have to be out by X time. Also - I'd like Heather to build in a little extra time in between our first and second classes - 30 minutes just isn't enough time if we have students leaving 10 minutes late and new students arriving 15 minutes early."Â đ 3. Bright Eyed / Bushy Tailed. "We gotta keep our energy up for all classes - even if our stomachs are growling louder than our Spotify playlist. Folks paid for "bright-eyed" twins, folks better get what they paid for. I think we should bring a snack in between classes - and throw in a few diet cokes to keep us awake and engaged." đ 4. Imperfection is Perfect. "I feel like I'm trying too hard to impress attendees with my skills that I forget that they're trying to learn, not be wow-ed. I gotta introduce more "Here's a common issue and how to address it" rather than "Look, I've been doing this for years and you haven't - be amazed as you try to keep up." I think it'll make the class more relatable if I come down to their level versus them coming up to mine."Â đ 5. Reference Materials. "During the cake class, I never really knew what the "end goal" design was, so I felt like we were flying blind a bit. I know that in our cookie classes, we have the PowerPoint but at no point do they really get to see the "end result." I'd like to print out and laminate some pictures of the final product and have them in front of each attendee to look at during the decorating process."Â đ 6. Drop Zones. "Mom put her purse so close to the buttercream, she almost had a tasty tote - and I think we don't tell people when they show up where they're allowed to drop their stuff. Moving forward, we should tell them where they can hang their jackets, drop their bags, and let them know more about what to expect. That way they don't feel like they are fumbling with their belongings and can just enjoy the learning process."Â đ 7. Supplies on Supplies on Supplies. "I know we learned from this during a few Christmas classes a couple of years ago, but having fresh supplies for each class really cuts down on wait times. We had to wait for clean bowls from the class before us which really slowed the progression of the class. I think having supplies dedicated to each class would really move things along. It may take a cut out of the bottom line initially, but in the long run, it'll really shorten class times and make for an overall more enjoyable experience I think."Â đ 8. Say Cheese. "Take pictures and wh | |||
| 07 Nov 2023 | 136. Baking it Down - The Last Rule Bender | 01:02:15 | |
â€Žïž The Last Rule Bender - bending the rules for the bottom lineYou know we preach policies. đ Protect your boundaries. đ Charge your worth. đ Guard your peace. But you may be surprised to know we also say "bend the rules." You see - the policies are the "big bad monsters" we use as our fall guy.Â
 đ© The key to effective rule-bending is knowing when there's a win for the baker and the client. A win-lose rule bend is a loss for someone, so might as well just stick with the policies. Let's look at some examples. đïž Rule Bender Example 1: It's a Pick-Up Date. Let's say you have a set pick-up date on Saturdays, but the client wants to move it to Friday. What do you do? 𩹠Tell them "ain't no way, honey bun - rules are rules and your hiney better be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed come Saturday at 8AM!"? I mean - you could. It's in your policies. BUT - could you snag a sale by bending just a little? â€Žïž For example, a rule bender would say this:
Corrie doesn't offer delivery - ‎ïžÂ that is until she bends the rules a bit. When she got an order from a large department store in our local city center, đ§ you butter believe she jumped in her car. Why? By bending the delivery rules, she snagged a HUGE sale - and another, and another - from the same store. So when a big account asks for front-door delivery, it may be a good time to do some old-fashioned rule-bending. đïž Rule Bender Example 3: Class Credit. Corrie and I have some pretty strict class cancelation policies - unless we bend them a bit. Here's the thing - đł Eventbrite doesn't tell you this, but if someone does a chargeback, they'll 100% refund them (and not ask you). đŠ So - if I bend my "no refunds" policy and turn it into a future class credit, I may be able to snag an additional sale for the now-empty seat AND get that future class money from the credited sale. One of those "win-win" scenarios.
đ« Corrie does not offer copyright cookies. But she bends the rules with likenesses. (Where that legal line in the sand is between you, your liability policy, and Disney lawyers and is a bit too deep to swim in in today's podcast but I digress). đ But the likeness of a copyrighted character can be just enough rule-bending to snag a sale. Most rules aren't meant to be broken. But many rules are meant to be bent. Knowing which ones and how far to bend them comes with practice - and keep in mind, bending the rules may be makin' the sale, but it also leads to a bit more liability exposure. So weigh your options and make sure you have a fully funded oopsie budget to stave off bad reviews for bent rules. â "No" is only a complete sentence for a bad salesperson. Find the common double-green-flag ground for you and your clients to both win-win while you laugh all the way to the bank. | |||
| 14 Nov 2023 | 137. Baking it Down - Surviving Q4 | 01:02:47 | |
đ”âđ« Surviving Q4 - the fight for the newsfeedIt's the time of yeeeear... when the reach is low and the engagement is even lower. What gives?! I'll tell ya what - the deep pockets of big corporations capitalizing on the "year-end consumer" who is primed to pay. It's a fight to the feed death in Q4, and we've got some tips and tricks to help you gain some ground. đ„ Reset Expectations. We're in a battle of the business and the newsfeed is the fighting ring. Bigger companies with bigger pockets are paying bigger bills to win Facebook bids. Lots of đ ±ïž Bs, but the đŻ A+ will be earned by the page that understands this and uses it to create compelling content to fight through the feed clutter. đââ Listen - it's going to be harder to reach your audience. Your engagement will be lower. And that's okay - because knowing this will help us to create a better campaign to adjust to the deeper pocket punches. đ„ Be Annoying. Corrie is very adept at this (lol). But seriously - no one is being annoyed by your posts because no one is seeing your posts. So đ be đ annoying! And don't just post the same thing 10 times - yeah, that's not âšqualityâš annoyance. We need to be âšcreativelyâš annoying.Â
All of these are features to sneak into the feed and annoy your audience in a way they don't think is annoying - but it's everywhere all the time. đ„ Be Consistent. Be consistent! It's so easy to get all those holiday orders in, tuck your head between your legs, and head off to the kitchen only to reappear in January wondering if all the sales followed the groundhog back into his burrow. We may get busy - but we can't be too busy to market - unless we're willing to leave the sales to our competition who is willing to be present on their pages. đ„ Test. Test. Restest. Your audience shifts into đ§ "year-end consumer brain" in Q4, and adjusting your content will be a necessary step in making sure we're still resonating with that audience. How are we gonna do that? Test and retest! Long-form content (example below), short-form content, different creative (aka pictures), videos, Lives, emojis (Corrie thinks I use too many... đđđđ đđ€Łđđ). Test it - see how they respond. Then retest it again - see how they respond âš again âš. Wash, rinse, and repeat until your audience is primed to react, respond, and reach for their wallets. What works in 1ïžâŁ Q1 isn't likely going to work the same in 2ïžâŁ Q4. Adjust accordingly. đ„ Learn to Pivot. đ Sometimes you hoped your audience would like Advent Calendars and sometimes your audience just happens to đ« not like Advent Calendars. đ We can't cry over spilled meringue powder - but we can pivot! đ If advents don't sell, swing back by pivoting to DIY kits - test, test, and retest and see if that hits your audience's sweet spot. Test PYOs, test cookie classes, test DIYs, test customs - and keep pivoting until you find the product your target audience flips for. đ„ Admin Day. Set aside an admin day - this is a day you are NOT allowed to touch a Bosch, Kitchen-Aid, or oven. On this day, you realign yourself each week to stay on top of posting, follow-up, invoicing, and customer relations. â This day SHALL NOT BE A BAKING DAY â - đ€ no matter how tempting the rush fee charge may be. | |||
| 21 Nov 2023 | 138. Baking it Down - If I Gave You a Million Dollars | 01:00:36 | |
đ€What if I Gave You A Million Dollars...Would you do it? đ€ "Do what? But also - yes," you might ask - and that's exactly the point of this week's podcast. If you knew you were going to get a million dollars for taking a benign action, most of us wouldn't think twice before we did it. Full confession - đ I was cleaning out my closet, đ donating what I hadn't clearly worn in over a year to the VVA nonprofit to resell in their thrift stores. đ As I'm perusing this jam-full closet, my brain is jumping through hoops to make excuses as to why I suddenly may need to wear that shirt tomorrow that I haven't looked at in 2.5 years. đ«Ł đ§ Wild the mental gymnastics our brains can flip through. Also wild to think at one time I thought I could pull off a crop top. But I digress... So - I thought to myself, đ€ "How many shirts would I throw into that donation pile if I was offered a million dollars to only leave hanging what I actually wore?" I can guarantee you that I wouldn't think twice before another half of my closet found the donation bag. đ€ I'd do a lot of things for a million bucks - and purging my fashion faux-pas would be an easy one to add to the list of "can do's." đ€ But why is it so easy for me to purge my ponchos when there's a million bucks on the line, but take away the green stuff, and I suddenly think I can make Mary Janes work at 35!? Incentive - đ”đ”đ” specifically, incentive we can see. đ The issue with running a business is that the incentive is often hidden behind time and tasks. đ„ž We aren't sure there's a million bucks on the other side of making that post or going Live on Facebook, so we think up excuses - much like me with the đ€Â "Well, maybe I do need that shirt that's 2 sizes too small." But how do you know that there isn't a million dollars? đ„§ There's a giant proverbial pie out there - and there's enough slices of said pie to go around. But the catch is - only you can cut your own slice. đ° And the way small business owners cut their own slice? Put the work in. Put the excuses to bed. Show up. Repeat. Until that million dollars - or that paid-off mortgage, or the kid's college tuition, or the... or whatever that hidden incentive is? Work until you get that. đł Work as if you knew someone would give you a million dollars if you did the thing. Whether posting to social consistently, entering your corporate girly era, joining a local chamber meeting, teaching cookie classes, hosting a pop-up - đ° do it as if you had a million-dollar check waiting for you on the other side - because who knows, there just might be. Listen to this podcast on all major podcast players (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pandora...) or by clicking here to listen to Episode 138 - If I Gave You a Million Dollars. | |||
| 28 Nov 2023 | 139. Baking it Down - 2023 Best Baker Gift List | 01:27:30 | |
đ Best Baker Gifts 2023 (feel free to forward this email)Âđ đ» Corrie had a genius idea (they come around to her once a decade) to ask bakers what they think other bakers would want should they find their names scrawled on Santa's nice list this year. đ Ho-Ho-Hold your credit cards, because some of these are really creative! We've come up with an "actually affordable," mid-grade, and budget-buster list for you... to forward to your... ahem... in-home Santa. đ§âđ So if you find your friends and fam askin', "What the elf does this baker want?!", here may be a decent shopping start line. Heads up - none of these are affiliate links, so click away unimpeded, my friend! đ 1. Actually Affordable
đ Mid-Grade
đ Budget Busters
đ Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or your desktop) by clickin' here - Episode 139 - 2023 Best Baker Gifts List. | |||
| 05 Dec 2023 | 140. Baking it Down - Vendy Blendy Marketing-Endy | 01:17:56 | |
đ Vendy Blendy Marketing-endyand what you can learn from our blendy blunders. We may not be allowed to talk about "the event that shall not be named," but that doesn't mean we can't learn from it! A lot of marketing goes into the yearly Vendy Blendy, and it seems like each year we learn a little more from both the Vendys and the Pendys (turned Spendys). So let's take a look under the hood on how the Vendy Blendy can help your bakery market better in 2024. đ 1. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat 3ïžâŁ We marketed this event over THREE months to over a hundred thousand collective followers across our socials. I'd wager we made over 150 posts dedicated to this event across all the accounts. We dedicated podcasts to it (20,000 monthly listens), newsletters (6,000 subs per email), and the SCM family of groups (over 50,000 members). It was a lot of marketing. And yet 2 hours before the event, I still had folks asking me "What a Vendy Blender is?" Your marketing isn't being seen - so you gotta repeat it. And repeat it. And repeat it again. Your audience just isn't seeing as many of your posts as you think they are. đ  2. Chicken and the Egg. đ The Vendy Blendy requires both Vendors to sell and Penders to spend. đ„ But Vendys won't sign up unless the Pendy numbers are high. And no one wants to pend if there are no shops to Vendy. đŁ What do? We had to market both - back and forth - until we got both numbers high enough. Much like marketing a cookie class, you'll have a chicken / egg scenario. đą You need a free venue to make your margins so you tell the host you'll bring people to their shop, but đšâđ©âđŠ you need people wanting to take a class to be able to secure the free venue. Market to both. Ask your audience if they want to take a cookie class. Then tell the venue, "Look, I've got 20 people interested in walking through the door a business that lets me host." Then turn back to the audience and tell them you've secured the venue - you just need to sign up. đ 3. Two Separate Campaigns. đ„ Corrie was assigned "Vendy Aquisition" and đ„ I was assigned "Pendy Aquisition." âïž These were two completely different marketing strategies running congruently, but completely separately. The messaging to one audience (get some great marketing and make some solid sales numbers) was completely different than the other audience (hey get some great deals!). You're going to need to do the same things - đ a campaign for classes, đ a campaign for your farmer's market event, đ a campaign for customs. They'll be posted to the same page, sure - but they'll be completely separate campaigns when it comes to marketing (targeting, messaging, CTAs, etc.) đ 4. Diversity in Marketing Channels. đ "I'm worried I'll annoy my audience." No - because you'll diversify your outreach. You can post to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Nextdoor, email list, Google Business Profile, TikTok, FB Groups (Community and VIP). Sure - you may annoy yourself, but diversification in your outreach strategy will allow you to hit more targets across more websites. Just like the Vendy Blendy - đ we have people that listen to the podcast, đ but don't use Facebook. đŒ People that use Facebook, but aren't on Instagram. đ Some folks just want the freebie transfers in our emails and don't need the group content! D-V-E-R-S-I-F-Y. | |||
| 12 Dec 2023 | 141. Baking it Down - The Cookie Class Kits Explained | 00:52:27 | |
đ« The Cookie Class Kits Explained and how you can get all 13 kits for $4.84 each
Since I had to podcast a la solo, I figured I'd walk you through why the Cookie Class Kits are a great deal right now. And I'll break down what ya get, for how much, and when you need to get it by. đ 1. What are the Cookie Class Kits. The Cookie Class Kits are everything you need to teach a cookie class - the class curriculum, the promotional materials, the copy, the supplies list, the decorating videos, the class PowerPoint, the math - yeah it's a lot.. All you need to do is add you (the instructor), the dough and cutters (also linked in the supplies list), and a venue. We wanted to take the "overwhelming" out of teaching classes - and thus the Class Kits were born from years of teaching classes, learning from mistakes, and adjusting - and here's what we're left with - everything that'll make a successful cookie class experience! đ 2. Why You Need to Sign Up Now for the Deal. Every year, we archive old courses and classes. The Class Kits Membership is no different. All of the 2023 classes are archived on December 31, 2023, to make room for the 2024 class content.  But right now - you can get both the old 2023 classes AND the 2024 classes (class kits drop a month early to give folks more time to promote the class and sell class tickets) for the price of 1 month's membership. đ€ "Why would anyone not have waited until December to sign up then if you get EVERY class for the price of just one class?" I like how you do baker math. The reason folks signed up all year long (and didn't wait until now) is because they wanted to teach the classes âšthroughoutâš 2023 as we dropped them. They paid a premium to access them as soon as they dropped (first week of each month). But you, you procrastibaker, you - you get to benefit from laziness and snag them now to teach in 2024. đŽ as the sayin' goes - you snooze, you win. Wait... đ 3. When the Deal Ends. Okay - technically it's not really a deal - it's just good timing on your part. But that timing ends on â ïž December 31, 2023, when the 2023 classes disappear (you can still snag them in The Cookie College level membership), and you're left with the 2024 classes (â we already have January's Build your Own Snowman Class and ïžđ February's Superbowl-themed Class is in the works). đ 4. How much it Costs. So - each month you're a member of the Cookie Class Kits, it's $63. đ” Meaning you can sign up for one month, download everything (all 13 classes), then hit the cancel button and that'll mean that you'd get all the courses for $63 - which comes out to $4.84 per class! đ€ Hey - I ain't no genius, but I know a good deal when I see one (I am also biased - but it's a good deal - trust me - these courses take forever to make). đ« Cancel and never be rebilled again - ooor - đ stick around for the 2024 classes (ïžđ February's will drop in the first week of January to give people over a month to promote the class to attendees). đ 5. What's the Catch? The catch is that this deal expires in less than a month - đ so this won't be nearly as good a deal on January 1, 2024, as it is on December 31, 2023. đ€ Hey - why not download them now - even if you don't teach c | |||
| 19 Dec 2023 | 142. Baking it Down - Burnout Boundaries | 01:02:56 | |
đ Burnout Boundary - How to ward off the Spirit of Grinch-Mas.
So - here's Corrie's list of burnout boundaries to save ya from your sleighin' self this holiday season. đ 1. Raise Them Prices. A lot of you are leaving money on the table you're bent over to make that last batch you undercharged on. Does raising your prices lower your sales? You betcha! But does raising your prices also mean that those fewer sales go a longer way? Yes. đ Let's say I have a classroom for 10 students and I charge $20/ticket. If I sell all the tickets, I make $200. đ But if I raise the price to $50/ticket. Let's say 60% of people no longer attend the class (fair, it's out of their budget), and I only sell 4 tickets. But guess what - I still make $200, but now I only have to render services for 4 people - saving me time, ingredients, and headaches. đ 2. Focus on Your Favorites. Let's face it - some of us hate customs - they're time eaters, they're complex, they require a ton of work. So why are the last 23 posts you made to your page featuring customs? Market what you want to move! If you want to sell class tickets, I should see a heavier presence of class-related posts. If you want DIY kits to do the heavy lifting on that bottom line, I better so some DIY kit photos - packed, unpacked, finished, kiddo with icing bag in hand - you get the point. đ 3. Don't Disappear. It's easy to take off especially when cookies aren't bringing in your primary household income and you have some flexibility (ïžđ Heyo to my trophy sisters and brothers! Take me with you!). But imagine going to a mechanic's shop for an oil change for years only to roll up and find they've closed temporarily. đ You check back next month. Nope. đ You check back month 2. Nothin'. đ Your car needs oil - so you find another shop. BUT WAIT! They reopened! đ« They want ya back! But you've moved on. Same with your clients. Take fewer orders - heck, reject 90% of them. But the big disappearing act is killin' your holiday sales. đ 4. Make Those Money Menu Makers. Some products just have bigger margins - and they're a great way to buy back more time and less burnout. For us - it's classes. I can sell 10 class tickets at $75 a ticket to make $750 bucks. At the same time, it'll take me thirty DIY kits at $25/kit to generate the same amount of money. If you're willin' to stand in front of folks for 1.5 hours, then the classes will generate far more income for a lot less work. đȘ (have I mentioned we do even more of that work for you in the class kits memberships?) đ 5. Website Bouncers. đ Make your website be the bad guy. Corrie loves to let Jotform break the bad news that the date the client wanted is sold out (or maybe she's meeting me at the mall) so the client can't get to it and bog down your boundaries. This is a great option for those of us (hey - you are my people) who have weak "nos" and strong people-pleasing tendencies - đ remove the weakest link: YOURSELF. đ 6. Get Tunnel Vision. Listen to this week's pod to learn why all the best options is actually the worst option when it comes to boundaries | |||
| 26 Dec 2023 | 143. Baking it Down - EYO (End of Year) Tasks | 01:11:43 | |
đ A list of EOY Tasks to set you up for sales in 2024
During this lull of a week in between 2023 and 2024, here are some easy wins you can knock out to set yourself up for some sales in 2024 (hey - businesses don't get a break, amiright? The salesman never sleeps!). đ 1. Update your cover photo. Some of you beautiful humans be rockin' a cover photo longer than my last relationship - brush off the cobwebs and give that photo-heavy real estate some TLC. Lean into the day of Loooove if you want to signal to your audience that you'll be offering Valentine's Day cookies, or - if you're just not ready to acknowledge 2023 is over, upload something generic that'll tie you over until you're caught up (on Netflix or heart-shaped cutters, we won't judge). đ 2. Repost your pinned photo(s). Even though your pinned content is still valid, Facebook does us dirty by timestamping posts - so that pinned post you made in 2021? It's the first thing your potential clients see when they click to your page. And not all Facebook users are upto-date on how the New Page Experience works in regards to pinned posts - so we recommend reposting and repinning - just for the sake of the timestamp. đ 3. Update your email vacation message. I get to read a lot of your vacation (aka auto responder) messages when I send out the Onesday Wednesday newsletter every week - and heads up, some of them will be out-of-date come the new year. Give your auto-responder a once over and update any mentions of 2023, Christmas, Booked, or Holidays to reflect the new year's information. đ 4. Update your email signature. Corrie said to leave this one out, but if you're like me and see your email sig and sell-able real estate too, don't forget to update it to reflect 2024 data (some of you have "booked until X" in your signatures). Also - high five for makin' even our names work for us! đ 5. Update your FB auto-responses. This one is one I always forget. Your auto-responses on your business page likely has some old information. And even if it doesn't, Facebook's newer Merge Tags are pretty neat and something I'd incorporate in 2024 to increase open rates and responses in Messenger. People are much more likely to open a message that starts with "Hey Sarah" rather than a message that says "Hello customer." (that is, if your name is Sarah). đ 6. Update your bios (FB and Insta). A lot of you smarties use your Instagram bio and Facebook (super way-too-short) bio to sell - so don't forget to update that with 2024 data. If your bio says you're booked until December, you're gonna want to update that lest your audience think you're some superhuman baker who's booked out until 2025. đ 7. Edit your Instagram Highlights. I forget this one - Instagram highlights. If you're not familiar with highlights, it's the row of circles below an Instagram bio, but above the feed grid. These allow the account owner to take stories (that expire after 24 hours) out of archive and permanently attach them to a profile. Make sure you update these. Sometimes the content is just old (like who wants to see a class you taught 3 years ago), and sometimes the content includes your pre-sales for a Nov 2023 pop-up. You'll want to clear that out and update it for 2024 offerings. | |||
| 02 Jan 2024 | 144. Baking it Down - Community Groups 101 | 01:30:56 | |
đ Community Groups 101 - Creating Your Greatest Lead SourceCommunity groups - you love them, you hate them, you love to hate them, you hate to love them - but they are a lead source powerhouse, and we're not ones to sit on the sidelines when it comes to making that dough (baking and monetary types). So what happens when you get banned from a community group? Or when your community group doesn't allow sales? Or if your community group is a dead group plagued by mobile detailing duct cleaners? Well - you make your own community group. And that's easier said (on the podcast) than done, but here's some tips to get you started in crafting a value-added community group from scratch. đ 1. Branding đ Group Name should be Brand + Location + State You'll want your community group to include both your city and state (this will vary depending on the population of your locality), but we need to optimize for Facebook Search (a version of SEO) - so include the city and state (unlike Corrie who has now found how just how many "Lake Ridges" there are in the US). Create a corresponding business page - yes, you'll have to run another page, but pages allow for more flexibility in ads and you can also set the page as the group owner, cross-link the page and the group, and run ads as the page (group ads are slowly rolling out). Regarding branding - update the group's cover to match the page's cover - pro-tip: find a photo (or go out and take a photo) of a recognizable fixture in your community - it'll resonate with your audience when they see it and think "hey, I live there! I'll join this group!" Write a few paragraphs as your About Section. About sections are SEO real estate but they also help your audience know what the group is about. Answer "who, what, where, when, why" to cover all your "about section" basics. Your group is discoverable, but we don't want a free-for-all. Set your group to private (this will force people to answer the entry questions - more on that later), visible (hidden groups are invite only and not our goal), and discoverable (Facebook will recommend your group to others). Facebook groups no longer allow admins to boot primary admins (awesome), so add one as a back-up (make sure it's someone you trust with strong passwords). You can also set your page as an admin. Any content managers should be set as mods. đ 2. Content Strategy is a Growth Strategy đ Create Value-Added Content The hard part of making a valuable group is coming up with the valuable content. It's work - and it's hard work, consistently, over a long period of time, with very little thanks. Trust the process. Build it and they will come... to find out where the local splash pads are. For a bit, you're going to be talking to yourself, and it'll feel weird. Get a family member to start a dialogue in the comments (this helps with the group's engagement and the post's reach). Hit the pavement and record local about-town videos! Again - no one will watch them at first. Trust đ the đ process. | |||
| 09 Jan 2024 | 145. Baking it Down - Not All Leads are Created Equal | 01:24:55 | |
âïž Not All Leads Are Created Equal
đ€ So how do we qualify leads? Ideally, before they even see the lead in our inbox. That's where lead qualification comes into play - doing things to ensure that the lead that hits our Facebook messenger is one that's ready to reach into their wallet and pay our price. If you find that your leads often turn into Casper, đ» you probably need to qualify them better before they reach your inbox. đ Lead Qualification: To qualify a lead before they ask how much then play the "let me ask my husband" card, let your marketing do the heavy lifting. How? đž Great question - high-quality photography is a perfect jump-off point along with these other tips to get ya cut out to qualify leads: đ Higher end, better photography đ Allow me to demonstrate my point on why photography makes a world of difference. Here's a Mercedes AMG-GLE. I don't own this car, but boy would I love to. It's the same car in two different photos. The top photo - is in an insurance claims lot. The bottom photo? A photo taken from Mercedes' website. đđ It's the same car in both photos - but one makes you think, "Wow - that's a $$$ car," and one makes you think, "Hm, maybe I can actually afford this - I'll just need to teach one cookie class every day for the entire year. Easy, right?" đ° Another great way to qualify your leads is by having your base price posted everywhere. đ© "But twins - what if that drives them off?!" Perfect - that's the goal. đž When you're just too far apart on price, you've got a recipe for a tire kicker on your hands. If I think you're going to tell me the cookie quote is $20, but you tell me it's $120 - there's very little salesmanship you can say to help me make that monetary jump. By posting your "my prices start at" disclaimer, you help people qualify themselves. đ§Œ Just like Car Wash Steve, had he said, "Car detailing starts at $100," I wouldn't have been emotionally side-swiped thinking it was a $40 service. đČ A great way to implement these base price notices is through your Facebook and Google auto-responses. Here's where you can access your auto-response messages through Business Manager (on desktop). Go to business.facebook.com > click on the Inbox icon on the left > click on "Automations" button on the top right.
Once the qualified lead hits the inbox, it's time to turn into a salesman. Listen - they already know what your base is. They're even ready to reach into their wallets. How deep they reach is up to you selling them. | |||