Public relations (PR) have many benefits that can create buzz around your bakery. At OrderNova, we want to help you understand the techniques and strategies surrounding how your bakery should promote itself to your local audience.
Keeping your bakery in front of potential and existing customers is never a bad thing! And building brand awareness will do a lot to spark people’s interest—keeping your bakery top of mind when they’re craving a baked good. It’s easier than you might think, and you don’t need a degree to promote your bakery. Here’s what you can do:
Know Your Local News Sources
With some perseverance, your bakery has a pretty solid chance of being featured on local or regional news sources. While you may really want to get on that national level, we always suggest trying to reach an audience that’s in close proximity to your bakery. This way, you can actually get business from your feature!
With local sources, you have the opportunity to establish a working relationship. Follow local food reporters or community engagement editors on social media. Comment on their stories or direct message them introducing yourself—practice putting yourself and your bakery out there. You can start by focusing on these types of local channels:
- TV stations
- Radio stations
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Websites
- Podcasts
Personalize Your Pitches
If you’re ready to begin pitching to your sources, make sure you take the time to get the angle right. Your pitch to the community engagement editor shouldn’t be the same as the one to the food reporter. Whatever your angle, make it “news-worthy.” PR is not an excuse to disguise a promotional piece as news. You need to have a reason to pitch.
Say there’s a national study that was just aired about the advantages of a gluten-free diet, and you just so happen to be a gluten-free-specialized pastry chef. That’s a national story with a local angle—something a reporter may be interested in covering.
Get Your Press Kit Together
If you want to be featured in the media, you’ll need to be prepared for all that comes with it. Make sure you put together a comprehensive press kit. This will have all the information a reporter needs to develop a story about your bakery. It should include elements such as:
- Bakery background
- Brief management biographies
- Previous press coverage
- Industry accolades and awards
- Contact information
Create a PR Calendar
You can make it a habit to look ahead to popular events or important dates and leverage them in your bakery’s PR plan. Maybe it’s as simple as promoting that you’re offering free donuts for National Donut Day, or you think outside of the box and bake the biggest King Cake you can during Mardi Gras to try and break or set a local record.
Here are some additional ideas to consider:
- Are there any local festivals that are looking for vendors?
- Can you set up a wedding cake booth at a bridal expo?
- Are there any local charities that you could partner with?
The possibilities are endless! Great PR can heighten your bakery’s credibility, boost your reputation, and drive people back to your store. With more traffic, you may need help streamlining your bakery. Learn more about what OrderNova can do for you.
