8 Effective Ways to Promote Brownies
How to Promote Brownies
1. Go seasonal
Just making and selling ordinary brownies may not be enough, especially when plenty of other people are doing the same. Think of ways to stand out. Promoting the brownies will then be easier.
One thing you can do is tap into seasonal trends. During Halloween, decorate brownies with frosted drawings of pumpkins, scarecrows, and other fun stuff. During Christmas, use decorations of Christmas trees. You can even make brownies shaped like Christmas trees!
By using the holidays to your advantage, you will be creating brownies that people want. Promoting and selling them will then be less challenging.
2. Niche down
Besides going seasonal, you can think of other ways to stand out. For example, you can cater to the health-conscious crowd by making brownies that are vegan, gluten-free, or low-sugar.
You can also make brownies with a cultural twist. Make Japanese matcha brownies by infusing brownie batter with matcha powder. Make Mexican-inspired brownies by using chili powder, cinnamon, or other spices.
Not everyone will enjoy these kinds of brownies. That’s the whole point of niching down.
You are no longer trying to please everybody. Instead, you are trying to service a specific customer base.
3. Use social media
Posting about your brownies on social media can be a fun and effective way to attract customers.
First and foremost, use high-quality visuals. Invest in good camera equipment and take pictures that portray how delicious your brownies are. Take some close-up shots to highlight every small detail.
Besides posting about the finished product, you can also let your audience go behind the scenes by sharing recipes and talking about your favorite kitchen appliances. This will add some pizzazz to your social media page.
Constantly uploading images of brownies can quickly get boring. Therefore, think of ways to make your content more versatile. This will keep your followers engaged.
4. Set up a website
Creating a website is another great way to promote your brownies because it allows customers to get to know you in depth.
Let’s face it: social media is filled with short-form content. This is beneficial if people want to know more about you in bite-sized chunks.
However, what if they want to “follow” you more intensely? Then, they should visit your website.
Create a webpage that elaborates on your background and your passion for brownies. This page is crucial for your brand. Frankly, people can buy brownies from a bunch of places. Why should they buy your brownies in particular? This is your chance to explain.
With Shopify's drag-and-drop website builder, you don't need to be a tech guru to design a beautiful, functional online store. The platform is designed with you in mind, simplifying the process of setting up your website. Customize layouts, add products, and tweak your site to perfection without touching a line of code.
5. Launch paid advertisements
Promoting brownies online by using free resources can take a long time, especially if you’ve never built an online following. What you can do instead is pay for advertisements on various social media platforms.
Keep in mind, however, that running profitable paid marketing campaigns is a complex skill that can only be learned gradually over time. You have to immerse yourself in the world of copywriting and landing pages.
Begin by launching a marketing campaign with a small daily budget. Learn how everything works before spending more money. For example, you have to learn about lookalike audiences and split tests.
Once you understand the nuances of paid advertising, you can launch one marketing campaign after another and get a return on your ad dollars.
6. Contact friends and family
Approaching friends and family is a smart strategy for promoting brownies. Firstly, they can provide emotional support as you overcome the obstacles of entrepreneurship. They adore you and will root for you as you build your brownie empire.
Also, friends and family can give you honest feedback about your brownies and ensure that they are worthy of promotion. When that happens, they will not only be some of your most loyal customers, but also voluntary ambassadors.
They will tell other people about your brownies because they’re just that good. These efforts will help get your brownie business off the ground.
7. Do giveaways
Hosting a giveaway is one more way to promote brownies. In exchange for free treats, people can follow you on social media, share one of your posts, or complete another action that you want them to complete.
Giving away some brownies for free is no big deal if the collective excitement generated by the marketing campaign makes your brownies go viral. Be prepared to ramp up production if this happens.
If the folks who win the giveaway like the brownies, then they will come back for more. They will become paying customers. Even people who didn’t win the giveaway might make a purchase, after getting excited by all the social media buzz.
Therefore, make sure a lot of people know about the giveaway. The more people who participate, the better.
Initially, make announcement posts on all social media platforms. However, organic outreach might not be enough. You may want to throw in a few sponsored posts into the mix.
Tell people about the giveaway using in-person communication methods as well. Maybe you can even contact the media and get on television.
Overall, maximize the number of people who know about the giveaway. It’s a marketing tool after all.
8. Upgrade your packaging
Many brownie sellers do not give packaging much thought. This is a missed opportunity.
Have you seen brownies simply packaged using Saran wrap? Maybe you are guilty of doing this yourself. This makes the brownies look cheap and low quality. And when brownies look inferior, they are treated as such.
What you can do instead is put your brownies in high-quality boxes, similar to the way chocolate truffles are packaged.
You can purchase plain boxes and add labels to each of them yourself. Or you can work with a supplier to design a box that you can be proud of.
The point is this: the way you present your brownies matters. If the finished products look spectacular, then you will have an easier time promoting them. You can even charge premium prices if that’s the path you want to take.