Social Media Tips for British Bakeries

With over 3,000 bread and bakery goods production businesses in the UK and a market worth over £5 million, the sector remains highly competitive, particularly when it comes to inspiring and engaging customers.

From small craft and artisan bakeries to retail bakery chains, coffee shops and cafes, social media continues to be a key tool to engage with consumers – young and old.

But how can bakers harness the power of social media to drive brand impact and grow sales? In today’s Bakery Inspiration, we highlight five areas where social media can be of great benefit to your business.

1. Embracing a world of inspiration

Firstly, social media channels, like Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook can simply be a great source of inspiration and trend spotting.

Search for particular ingredients & baked goods to seek visual inspiration and recipes from around the world, fuelling creativity for NPD.

For example, a quick search of on-trend ‘Pistachio bakery’ flavoirs on Instagram displays a wide range of pastries, doughnuts, and other delicious recipes.

2. Using photography to tantalize the taste buds.

Having strong imagery should be considered an essential part of your bakery’s social media strategy, with good quality photos used to capture your consumer’s imagination and entice them into your bakery.

Taking regular new product photos doesn’t have to cost the world, with the latest smartphone technology, anyone can take a good photo. Try practicing with different products and different backgrounds until you have a style you like. Remember to make sure there is good lighting and be prepared to take multiple shots of each product from different angles, so you can select the best picture at the end of your shoot.

That being said, it is also a good idea to include a mix of day-to-day shots of your business; hands in the mixing bowl, buns freshly out of the oven, a smiling baker in the kitchen, happy customers (with their permission), anything that can add authenticity and trust to your brand.

3. Don’t forget about video content.

If good photography was the icing on your social strategy, video is the sprinkles!

With the rise of Tik-Tok, Facebook, Instagram and the growing influence of younger consumers, short videos of your products and bakery, can be a great way to get more consumers through the door looking to buy your tasty treats, or for you to showcase your range to local businesses or retailers.

A great example of this is Krispy Kreme, with their ‘Friends’ and Paris Olympics decorated doughnuts making huge waves on TikTok, and also share regular YouTube videos highlighting new flavours.

4. Harness the power of social community.

There is often the view that if you post good content on your channels, you will get engagement, while the reality is that you need to proactively push your content to reach new audiences.

Facebook community groups can be a great way to create local engagement and have the added benefit of reaching more traditional and older audiences.

For every city or town in the UK, there will be a community group that accepts shared content from local businesses, and this is your ticket to show your customers who you are, what you care about and how they can find you.

You may also want to consider local partnered content, perhaps with a charity you’ve supported or a local event you’ve helped cater for, to add additional credibility to your bakery brand.

5. Make it clear WHY you are posting on social media

Often as bakers, we can forget that the purpose of a social media post is not purely to get lots of likes or comments, but to entice new consumers and create new business leads. It is important that what you post is not only interesting and visual, but communicates why you are bothering to post. For example: Are you sharing that you have a range change, a limited-time special promotional offer, or maybe launching some special recipes for Hallowe’en or Valentine's Day.

Create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to be first to trial, perhaps mention free tasting samples being available on a specific day in your bakery shops. Ask those who try new ranges or products to use their social media to tell their friends about their experience and post their pictures of your delicious treats!

Visit our product section to learn how Zeelandia’s added-value ingredients can help you create on-trend and social media-worthy bakes.