You might think that Instagram marketing is only for restaurants and clothing shops, but bakeries can use it just as easily. Instagram is the perfect place to share photos of your finished products, host contests, and show off the behind-the-scenes action at your bakery. In this post we’ll take a look at nine different strategies you can use to grow your following on Instagram and increase sales.
Post a picture of your finished products
When you’re posting pictures of your products, it’s important to show them in their final form. This means that your picture should show the product as it will be consumed. It might be tempting to create a photo that shows the product in its raw form—for example, a loaf of bread out of its bag or roll before it’s sliced and served. However, this is not always ideal because most people want to see their food as they expect it to look when they buy it; they may not be so interested in how things were made behind closed doors.
For instance, some bakers post photos of rolls fresh from the oven with steam billowing up around them; while this may make for an aesthetically pleasing image (and a great way to advertise), many people aren’t looking for images like these on social media sites like Instagram—they’re looking for products completed with minimal effort required on their part! So instead of posting photos like these when promoting your bakery business online, consider taking advantage of another one: showing off finished goods that have already been photographed using natural light instead!
Build a Strong Brand Identity
In order for your bakery to stand out in the Instagram community, you need a strong branding strategy. To make sure that your bakeries find success on Instagram, you’ll want to implement these strategies:
- Create a unique logo that stands out from competitors
- Stay consistent with your font and color scheme (avoid using too many colors)
- Use your logo in the header of your website and social media profiles
- Use your logo on all marketing materials
Host an Instagram contest
Hosting an Instagram contest is another great way to get people excited about your shop. Use a hashtag that’s relevant to your bakery and ask followers to share photos of themselves with their favorite items from the menu. Make sure you have clear instructions on how they can enter, including what they need to do and when they need to do it by. Make sure you have rules (for example, no more than one entry per person). Also make sure there’s a prize at stake—something small like a free cupcake will do the trick!
Post at different times of the day
It’s important to post photos of your bakery at different times of the day. This can help you show off the different options on your menu, and it will also help Instagram users see what it’s like in your bakery at different times of day. For example, a photo taken at lunchtime might have more people in it than one taken at breakfast time or right before closing.
You can use these posts to make sure that you cover all aspects of what goes on inside your business: from how crowded it gets during peak hours (and whether there are long lines) to how quiet things get toward the end of the day when everyone is getting ready for closing time (or stocking up on supplies).
Respond to comments on Instagram
A great way to show your customers that you care is by responding to comments and feedback on Instagram.
Respond to negative comments in a positive way, and use the comment section to engage with your followers.
If someone has a question about your bakery or product, answer it!
Create behind-the-scenes content
To give your followers a behind-the-scenes peek at how you operate, consider using Instagram Stories. Your bakeries’ followers will love getting a view into the daily workings of their favourite bakery, and they might even be intrigued enough to come out in person and see what they can expect when they visit.
You can use Instagram Stories to show how you make your products or what goes on behind the scenes; for instance, you could post a video showing where all of the ingredients come together before being combined into something delicious by hand. You could also showcase some of your employees hard at work making everything from scratch in order to create these delectable treats—and this is something that many potential customers would find interesting!
Use relevant hashtags
Instagram is a visual platform, so the more you can use the hashtags that are relevant to your bakery, the better. For example, if you’re selling cookies and cake pops, a hashtag like #cookies or #freshlybaked would work well.
If your bakery is located in an area where lots of people live, then using location-specific hashtags such as #boston or #atlanta will help boost engagement rates because people will be searching for them and seeing your posts when they do.
You should also consider using industry-specific hashtags as well—for instance, if you sell donuts then using a hashtag like #donut might be good for you.
Include customer reviews in your stories
If you want to grow your business and get customer reviews, Instagram Stories is the place to do it. In fact, stories are a great way to share your business with others and get those valuable customer reviews.
Let’s talk about why you should be asking for customer reviews in the first place:
- Customers love feeling heard by their favorite brands. Asking them for feedback can help improve your products or services and make customers feel valued.
- Customers who leave good ratings are more likely to become repeat customers than those who don’t—and they’re more likely to recommend your brand on social media as well!
Collaborate with other businesses in your area.
Businesses like bakeries can benefit from partnerships, whether that means collaborating on a special event or sharing resources. Collaboration is not only beneficial for the business but also for its customers, who are likely to be impressed by the extra effort that went into creating something together.
If you do decide to collaborate with another business, make sure that it’s a company whose products/services are complementary to yours—a bakery could partner with an ice cream parlor or coffee shop, for example.
By using these strategies, you’ll be able to create an engaging and informative Instagram feed that will entice customers to stop by your bakery, whether they live nearby or not!
Instagram is by far the most popular social media platform for businesses. According to a study conducted by Instagram in 2018, more than two billion people use it every day, which means there are plenty of prospective customers for your bakery!