3 Ways to Sell Your Cakes Using Facebook
Even if you don’t have a business page set up yet, the chances are you’re already using Facebook for your private life.
This makes it a great social media platform to take advantage of for your cake business because you are already fairly comfortable using it. It won’t be much of a learning curve to sell your cakes using Facebook.
The multiple functions available on Facebook – your personal profile, groups, pages to name a few – there are many channels you can engage with to market your cake business. Just make sure you keep up to date with Facebook’s rules for business use to make sure you are compliant.
These are my 3 top tips to sell your cakes using Facebook. They each take under 5 minutes to implement, a win-win when you’re busy with orders.
Create a business Facebook page
Setting up a Facebook page for your cake business is a brilliant way to give it an online presence beyond your blog or website.
Having a dedicated Facebook page means that people can search for your business and find it easily.
Word of mouth referrals go a long way for many cake businesses, especially when you’re just starting out and building a client base. If a potential customer has heard of you from a friend, searching for your business on Facebook will likely be one of the ways they try to find you.
You then have the opportunity to seal the deal when they reach your Facebook page. Share testimonials from happy customers, photos of your finished cakes and products, and photos from your market stalls or bakery.
Each of these posts will convince a new visitor to your page that you have a thriving business, know what you’re doing, and – most importantly – have plenty of great cakes and happy customers. They will be more likely to order from you having seen your cake portfolio and social proof from other pleased customers.
It also keeps the people who have liked your page up to date with your fantastic baking, keeping you in the front of their minds for the next time they need to order a celebration cake.
To create a Facebook page for your cake business, login to Facebook and select “Create a Page” on the left-hand side, then select the options that best apply to you. Make sure you include your opening hours if applicable and your contact details so any visitors know how to get in touch and place an order.
(Here is how to start a Facebook business fan page in 9 steps.)
Bonus tip! Include a call to action in your description box inviting your visitor to get in touch or order their cake today!
Local Facebook Groups
Local Facebook groups are another great place to sell your cakes using Facebook.
In the search bar, type in your location to find Facebook groups dedicated to your local area, then ask to join them.
Once you have been added to the group, you can see what other people in your local area are posting about. If they ask for recommendations for a cake supplier, jump in there and offer your services, linking to your Facebook business page to show them more about your cake business.
This can be more effective than linking directly to your website as it doesn’t ask the reader to leave Facebook, the platform they are currently on, just to visit an alternative page.
You can also use Facebook groups to promote your business page (and therefore your biz too!). Check the group’s information section or pinned post for any rules on promotional posts as these are sometimes limited to certain days of the week. Abiding by the group rules, share your Facebook page for your cake business to spread the word locally to other potential customers.
Local groups can also be useful if you’ve returned from a market or event with leftover cakes that are unsold. Take an appealing photo and post in your local groups the same day to say that these cakes are available this afternoon at your choice of price. You can also offer local delivery.
I first saw this suggested in a Facebook group myself, and it’s a brilliant idea to make the most of all your cakes even after the main selling event is over. Just make sure you do this on the day – you want to be selling beautifully fresh cakes, after all!
Facebook Adverts
Although this option isn’t free like the other two, Facebook adverts are still a way that you can sell your cakes using Facebook.
To create an advert, visit your business page and choose whether you want to promote your page, website, or a specific post.
When you click one of these options, you’ll have the option to add some text to your promoted post. This is the place to advertise your services, availability, and contact details. You can also include a testimonial from a happy customer followed by these details for social proof that you are the cake business to go with.
Include a call to action at the end of the advert to encourage people to take action, get in touch, and order their cake with you.
Whilst Facebook Ads are a paid for service, they are relatively affordable in comparison to traditional forms of advertising.
It’s important to target your advert when setting it up to only appear for people in your area so that your audience are all people who it would be practical to sell your cakes to.
The more people who like your page, the more people who can engage with and view your posts, and the more people who can share your posts and cake creations with others.
The take-aways?
- Create a Facebook business page to make your cake business visible online and give you a place to market your cakes
- Participate in local Facebook groups to spread the word about your biz and offer last-minute sales
- Use tailored Facebook Adverts to increase the reach of your cake business and find more customers
Want extra help? Join Cake Biz Bootcamp!
I would love to hear from you.
How many cake sales do you get from leads on Facebook? Comment