Marketing Your New Cookie Business: 5 Ways to Get Started
Marketing Your New Cookie Business: 5 Ways to Get Started
Hooray—you started your own cookie business!
I remember how exciting it was when I turned cookie decorating from a hobby to a hustle back in 2019 before I launched Miss Cookie Packaging.
Since then, I've gained a whole new appreciation for everything that drives success for cookiers.
Beautifully decorated cookies are a must, of course.
And irresistibly cute, carefully constructed packaging boosts sales for sure.
But there’s more to it than that. To get the most out of your cookies (and your packaging), you need to learn how to spread more than icing. You need to spread the word about your business!
Marketing can feel overwhelming, especially at the start. There are so many different things you could be doing, and there is so much advice out there. I've learned that focusing on just a few marketing strategies can make a big impact—if you choose the right ones.
In this post, I’m sharing my best tips for the five marketing activities that can make the most difference for a new cookier:
- Brand Identity
- Networking
- Website
- Social Media
- Email Marketing
Brand Identity
Your brand identity is made up of the things you choose for your business such as your business name, your logo, the colors and elements you use in your marketing, signage, labeling, and includes your social media handles and the aesthetics of your photography.
When considering new people who may find out about you online- do they immediately know what you do? Can they tell by your name, logo, and content that you make and sell cookies? Try asking some people unfamiliar with your business, what it is they think you do. If it’s not apparent at all to them, then maybe a name change could help. First impressions are everything. If someone mistakenly sees your branding and thinks you make soap for example, but they aren’t interested in soaps, they may just scroll on by without a second look and you’ve lost that possible customer.
Our CookieCon Booth (2024)
Product Offerings
Are you offering seasonal and relevant products? Are you offering so many different items that customers are overwhelmed? Are you differentiating at all from your competition? Take a look at your product offerings and evaluate them periodically to see if there’s something new and trendy you can offer, or something that no one else is doing at the time.
I love this Cookie Holiday Calendar that LilaLoa puts together every year, you can check that out HERE. You don’t need to offer something for every single holiday listed. Pick and choose the ones that fit into your schedule and the ones you think will resonate best with your customers.
Networking
You can start networking the moment you start your business because it costs little to nothing and requires no fancy equipment. Networking doesn't need to be scary or mysterious—it's just building relationships. As you learn about others, you can share what you do. And the more people who know you sell beautifully decorated cookies, the better!
Join your local Chamber of Commerce
Find your local Chamber of Commerce and get involved. You'll meet many of the major players in the small business community, learn, and network as you build your brand. My local CoC is run by wonderful people who were far too excited to spread the word about my business, and put me in contact with some really helpful people when I first started!
Drop off samples at local businesses
Who doesn’t love a new friend who brings cookies, amiright?
Stop into local businesses to drop off samples of your cookies and introduce yourself. Make sure you leave behind contact information with your samples so they can find you later. Also be sure to follow up with an email afterward and think of opportunities to keep the connection going. Remember, the more business owners who know you and what you offer, the better.
Look for partnership opportunities
Cookies don’t just go well with a cold glass of milk—they pair well with lots of other things, too!
Consider other local businesses that may want to collaborate. A realtor might send buyers orders of decorated cookies as a closing gift. An event planner could put you on their preferred vendors list for desserts or favors. Or you could offer a decorating class at a local winery or brewery.
These partnerships are often a win-win, supporting the immediate earnings of both businesses and introducing a broader market to each of your services and products.
Spread the word in Facebook Moms’ groups
This tip’s for the moms—figure out the rules for posting in your community’s moms’ group on Facebook. Of course, you don’t want to overpromote, but if there’s a chance to post once in a while, you’re likely to find many potential customers within the local parent communities on Facebook. And moms are some of the most wonderful word-of-mouth supporters!
Local Events
Have you signed up for local farmers markets, and other local events at schools, churches, and other town events? Getting out there in your local community, offering samples of your product, and talking to people is the best way to spread word locally about your business. Make sure to have your products labeled with your name and website so they can find you again later!
Consider hosting a porch pop-up at your house. Make a few different items, and let your social media followers and email list know that you’re having a pop-up at a specific date and time. Make it feel exclusive, and urgent (“get here before all the goodies are gone!”)
One of my very first vendor events selling my donut cookies (June 2019).
Website
You don’t need to go for all the bells and whistles of a fancy custom site at the beginning, but having at least a basic website can help catapult your business to success. A website will help your business look more professional. Plus, you can take advantage of all the SEO benefits of having a website and making a Google Business Profile.
Decide if you want to use a more traditional web platform like Square or Shopify or something specially designed for bakers. If you want something more tailored to cookie businesses, be sure to check out My Custom Bakes. There’s a free and paid option. I encourage you to check them out!
Once you have chosen your platform, make sure your website tells potential customers who you are, where you are, what you offer, and how to order! A site with built-in payment processing and forms can streamline your process while helping you market your business more effectively.
Google Business Profile: Do you have one? Is it fully set up?
Google Business Profile is a free listing tool that helps you manage how your business appears in Google Search and Maps results. A verified Google Business Profile is crucial for local searches, because it helps people find your business when they search for services or products “in your area”. And you’re building trust by showing up with that professional profile when they search for you. You can set this up yourself it’s easy!
If you don’t have a GBP: you need to create one. You can do that HERE
If Google created an unverified GBP listing for your business then you need to CLAIM IT HERE
Can customers find you when they search locally?
Try running a Google Ad targeting Local customers. You don’t have to put a ton of money behind it, but Search Ads with keywords like “custom cookies near me” might be a good place to start. I watched YouTube videos about running Google Ads before I got started and found that to be extremely helpful with setting up my Ad campaigns. On YouTube try this search: “run a local google ad campaign” and watch a few videos before you get started.
Reviews
Are you following up after a sale or event asking for reviews to be left on your Google Business profile, website or both? This is another way to build up trust and your reputation with future customers.
Miss Cookie Packaging Instagram Page
Social Media
One great thing about the cookies you make is that they look as good as they taste!
Social media is a highly visual medium, so market your cookies on one or two platforms where you feel comfortable, and your ideal customers seem to spend their time.
Show up consistently by planning a posting schedule and sticking to it. Beyond that, engage with your followers by replying to comments and interacting with their content.
Are you posting “sold” sets to entice FOMO? Even if you didn’t sell that set, no one will know but you! Hype up your business, and be your own cheerleader until others learn about you and start doing it for you!
Most important of all when it comes to social media? Take really great photos and videos!
Are you posting high-quality, mouth-watering, can’t resist photos/videos of your products? If your photos/videos aren’t high-quality, well-lit and beautifully staged, customers will scroll on by.
To ensure you are taking high-quality photos, you’ll need to think carefully about:
Lighting
When photographing your cookies, natural, indirect light is ideal. Set up your shot near a window so the light is coming from the side if you can. You don't want to have shadows on your creations. You also want to avoid direct sunlight, which can wash out the image. If you want to experiment with artificial light, invest in a basic softbox lighting kit (this is the one I use). Consider using a photo-processing app like Snapseed or Foodie to make your photograph extra appetizing.
Backdrops
Use a variety of backdrops to complement your products and enhance their appeal. I love the Replica Surfaces and V-flat World ones but don't worry if their products aren't within your budget yet. You can get creative with the surfaces in your own space and with inexpensive options like contact paper, textured fabrics, serving trays, or wooden cutting boards.
Props
Adding simple props to your photography setup can increase the polish and make your cookies look extra appealing. Some of my favorite places to shop for props are The Dollar Store, Target, HomeGoods, and Michael's. Look for things like seasonal décor, cute baking and measuring supplies, textured baskets and containers, flat plates, plants, or ingredients that complement your design scheme.
Ready for one more #protip for social media success? Explore automation tools like Manychat, which allow you to set up DM discount codes, links, and autoresponders to simplify connecting with your followers.
Email Marketing
While there are lots of things to love about social media, there’s one major challenge to be aware of: your content is at the mercy of the algorithm. That’s why I suggest starting to build your email list as soon as you can. Some web platforms have built-in email marketing. In other cases, you can explore tools like MailChimp, ConvertKit, or Flodesk.
Include an encouragement to sign up for emails on your website and in your social media profiles. It's helpful to offer people an incentive to subscribe. This could be as simple as "email subscribers get first access to preorders" or "take $5 off your first purchase when you subscribe."
Create a simple email welcome sequence of a few messages that are automatically sent to new subscribers over a set period of time. In each email, share a little more about your story and your cookies to build a stronger connection with your subscribers.
Remember to email your list regularly to announce cookie preorders, share your market schedule, tell them about any special events you're hosting, or offer tips or ideas that your target audience will be excited to receive.
Miss Cookie Packaging Spring Email (2025)
Growing your cookie business doesn’t have to be complicated!
Strategic marketing, beautiful and delicious products, and polished packaging are the three core components of building your brand and finding success with your business.