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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 175 - Wedding Vendor Recap, Corrie signed us up for a Wedding Expo - and here's our tell-all - what we did right, what we did okay, and what we wouldn't do ever again. 

The event was complex, to say the least. Conceptually - it's genius. Execution - it's lacking. ✌️ The event was two days consisting of two "faux wedding receptions" - one upstairs (🪵 earthy forest theme) and one downstairs (🛼 retro theme). 

So both themes had completely different vendor groups - meaning there were two photographers, two event planners, two florists, two bakers, two couple models... you get the point. All vendors were assigned a theme - the vendors didn't decide it. 

1️⃣ Day 1 was a photo shoot. All the vendors set up the two themes and the photographers and models got to work. This is where they got the photos of the faux receptions (one upstairs in the venue and one downstairs outside).

2️⃣ Day 2 was a vendor expo, fashion runway, and after-party. This day was open to attendees - there was some ticketed component, but we never really figured out what that was exactly? More on that confusion later. But you get the idea of what this event looked like. 

1. 👰 Marketing Prep - Build the Funnel

So we needed to start the marketing prep to get Corrie's "funnel" dialed in. 🖼️ Here's what she did in the week leading up to the Wedding Expo. Keep in mind - this is a wedding expo, 🤵‍♂ so she'd want her content to be wedding-specific if we drove traffic to her socials during the event. Always think in terms of funneling people to a desired action (aka purchasing for their weddings).

• 💒 Getting socials ready (reposted / pin for new timestamp)
• 💒 Posting wedding sets daily leading up to the event
• 💒 All comments / reviews responded to
• 💒 Matched energy on Instagram
• 💒 Updated forms / website 

We decided we'd take Eddie - the edible direct-to-food printer from Primera (also a podcast sponsor). 🤔 I asked myself, "What would get someone to stop at a cookie booth" and 🖨 the answer was "print them on a cookie - live - as they watch." So this meant we needed some specific supplies to make Eddie work.

2. 👰 Source Your Supplies

We haven't done a vendor expo for Corrie's company before, so I had to order all the custom printed things - which meant the start-up costs for this were high (ideally you'd repeat these events and bring the cost-per-use down considerably). 🪑 I needed a custom Tablecloth (TableCoversNow for $216.60), a Step and Repeat as a photo backdrop (VistaPrint for $338.14), and an A-frame sign (Best of Signs for $128.43). We borrowed a 6'x2.5' table from my mom. I had a Sony A7C mirrorless camera with a 24mm lens. Corrie brought her Dell XPS computer, and then we had Eddie (all already purchased a few years ago). 

• 💒 Ordered custom tablecloth, custom circle a-frame sign, custom step & repeat
• 💒 Purchased add-on carrying cases for easier transport
• 💒 Pre-baked 45 Eddie blank cookies + 1 sleeve of Mom Pop pre-dipped cookies (for backup)
• 💒 50 QR Code printed cookies + business cards

3. 👰 Do a Setup Dry Run

I'm a planner - so a dry run for setup and workflow was a must if I wanted to get any sleep the night before. I build out the dimensions in an app called Whimsical. We were limited to a 6x6 event space, so lemme just say - it was gonna be tight. 

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📧 Know Newsletters - What to send to who and how often.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 174 - Know Newsletters, we talk everything you need to know about newsletters. These powerhouses in digital marketing are some of the most untouched real estate in the cottage world - and why? We're not sure - but if you capitalize on it now, you'll be cookin' (baking?) with fire come the busy season.

Jumping straight into it - in the Onesday Wednesday newsletter, I included the 90-day line chart of our weekly newsletter (this is a Sendgrid report). It's sent on Wednesdays, and you can see I missed a Wednesday a few months ago (the dead zone where there's no peak) and again last week (fam stuff). 

The big takeaway in this chart isn't the number of people receiving our emails. It's the consistency at which the newsletters are sent, how many emails reach an inbox (deliverability), how many get opened (open rate), and what gets clicked on (click-through rate).

So let's break down the making of solid bones for a newsletter. Before we jump into the content, we gotta actually have a list. So let's start there and build.

📨 1. Creating an Email List

You've got to generate a list. Review the CAN-SPAM laws, but my take - you can email people who have purchased cookies from you in the past as long as you follow all the other rules. Ideally, your list is compromised of opt-in emails (people who intentionally signed up for your list). Newsletter senders often include free landing pages and sign-up forms to grow your list as well. Giveaways are a great incentive for quick sign-ups.

📨  2. Selecting a Sender.

You won't want to use your personal email to send out newsletters (CAN-SPAM laws require an unsubscribe button and an address), so selecting a newsletter sender is integral to a healthy newsletter campaign. Big names in the biz are Mailchimp, Flodesk, Square, Sendgrid, Constant Contact - there's about a million to choose from so find one that fits your needs, your budget, and your workflow.

📨 3. Preview Content

When you go to write your email - the preview content (the "from," the subject line, the preview text) will help you get that ever-coveted opened email. In the preview content, I like to attract attention with the subject line then draw them in with the supporting preview text. Imagine my Halloween email's subject line reading: "👻 I've Got Something SCARY To Tell You" and the preview line is "🎃The 10 closest pumpkin patches to Fairfax".  Preview text isn't available in all inboxes, but always think about drawing folks to the "email open." That subject line is a lot more eye-catching than "September Offerings." 

📨 4. Body-yody-yody-yody

The body of your newsletter - the meat and potatoes - is the content your readers are clicking to read. Corrie came up with a cute poem to guide you, "something for me, something for you, but no more than two." Basically - keep it short, sweet, and skim-able. Header tags, bolded fonts, and bulleted lists are your buddies here. Pictures are worth the thousand words you don't have to type out. An example of the "something for me, something for you" is a list of local cideries in your area + your back-to-school offerings. Another example is your January "Build a Snowman" cookie class + a list of local sledding hills the kids love. You get the point. Don't jam-pack a newsletter with a million different offerings, 4 CTAs (call-to-actions), and a billion photos - you're making that poor newsletter do too many things and thus it does nothing really. FOCUS on one initiative per email. 

We cover more tips in this week's podcast like templates, how nested header tags work, an ideal schedule for someone getting

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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 165 - Stab at Collabs, Corrie took one for the team and signed up for a local vendor collab on Monday so she can give us the bake-down this week. And I think you'll like what she has to share with the classroom.

Okay, so what's a local collab? If you're familiar with our cookie collabs on Instagram - it's not that exactly. Our digitally-based SCM collabs get a bunch of bakers together and engaging with each other on a single day for 1 hour to help boost the alg'rims. 

👉 1. What's a Local Collab?

Similarly, a local collab gathers local vendors together and helps them create a referral network + content generation. The collab that Corrie' participated in was spearheaded by a local picnic planner (these are all the rage in our area now) who sourced a florist, her own picnic setup, a baker, a photographer, and 5 models to create a staged bridal shower.

We'll break down the pros and cons of these local collabs based on Corrie's "on the ground" experience this week + how to plan your own in the event you don't have your own local dreamy picnic planner.

👉 2. Pros and Cons

Rarely in marketing is anything a 100% free and clear win - there's always the give and take (we just hope the give exceeds the take, amiright?!). Same with these local collabs - they're front-loaded effort followed by repurcussion results - thus it's hard to track the value proposition until after services have already been rendered. 

• ❌ Con: free work (you're likely not getting paid for this)
• ✅ Pro: Referral network + connections
• ❌ Con: No guarantees of leads
• ✅ Pro: Passive long-term lead gen (referral list)
• ❌ Con: It's only as good as the camera equipment 
• ✅ Pro: Social Content + social sharing with other vendors
• ❌ Con: Lots of moving parts and people
• ✅ Pro: Most versatile baker wins

👉 3. Setting up / Joining a Collab

Corrie got lucky and caught a community group "call for vendors" posted by the picnic lady. I know in our area, there are dedicated Facebook groups for local area vendor calls. In the event that you don't have an event planner creating these collabs, you can set one up yourself. Sure, more footwork, but also - more power (muhahaha). What I mean is people tend to respect the hostest with the mostest, so use that to your advantage. 

• ️🎈 If you want more wedding work, partner with the picnic / event planners
• ️🎈 If you want more birthday work, partner with the balloon garland people / face painters
• ️🎈 Joining a collab is harder to find - search community groups for leads

👉 4. Breakdown of This Collab 

I'm not going to type this out - but in this week's podcast, Corrie does a verbal walkthrough of how it started, how it went down, what she expected vs what happened, and how she'd approach creating your own if this sounds like a lead generator you want in on. Regardless - it's a great way to get good content.

👉 5. Recap: Things You Wish You Knew

Rare in life do things go off without a hitch - and this local collab with so many moving pieces and people was not exempt. Being a baker, you'd have to be flexible with events that are outside or involve a lot of folks with ever-changing plans.

• 💧 "I wish I knew that there was potential for this to get rescheduled multiple times - rain dates."
• 💧 "I wish I could have known the color palette beforehand and frozen my set so I was more flexible for the rain potential."
• 💧"I wish I knew that the distance is very far from my home and thus my target audience since we can't ship in Virginia." 

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What?! Two podcasts in one week?! 

Well - sorta. This is an audio-outtake from a Facebook Live I taught in The Cookie College yesterday launching the 3x3x3(x3) Challenge for Instagram! And to celebrate a year of the Cookie College, I'm inviting you podcasters to get it on this challenge - by listening to it!

If you like what you hear - jump in! This challenge is a fun one and really works! If you'd like to learn more about The Cookie College, you can check it out here: https://www.thecookiecollege.com/

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🏠  It All Starts at the Foundation

Ever built a house? Well - probably most of us would say no, but we've all probably lived in a house - and what's under your feet? A foundation. Now - how good that foundation depends on who laid it. A sandy foundation is going to lead to future cracks and a headache in repairs. A strong foundation could have that house standing for a century. 

It depends on the foundation. The foundation is everything when it comes to building a strong house that'll stand the test of time and weather.

Your marketing? No different. 

I can nearly guarantee that when someone runs to the group and says "Marketing on Instagram doesn't work!" that it actually does, but this person is missing some of their foundation. 

You may have tried something, but you didn't try everything. How do I speak so confidently? Because I'm able to monitor a group of 36,000 bakers makin' what you just said doesn't work, work. 

And that is awesome news. Why? Because that means you can make it work - you just need to spend a little time repairing your foundation.  

1️⃣ Get on Facebook and Instagram.

😭 "Yeah, Heather, but I don't use Instagram." 

Okay cool - then acknowledge you're leaving leads on the table over on Instagram. Why? Because a lot of people are making sales on Instagram. So it works. And whether you choose to use it or not is up to you - but as such, not using it means you don't want Instagram leads. 

There's your leads. 

2️⃣ Join Local Community Groups or NextDoor Neighborhoods.

😭 "But my local groups don't allow sales posts." 

Cool. Then figure out how to sell without selling. Add enough value to this group that people stalk your group profile and see that, guess what, you sell baked goods. And if you sell baked goods that are half as good as that play-by-play you gave of that over-crowded pumpkin patch, people will order from you.

There's your leads. 

3️⃣ Create an Email List.

😭 "But I don't have an email list." 

Yeah, you do - everyone you've ever sold anything to. Gather their emails. Put them in a list, and make a free Mailchimp account. Then get to sendin' because goodness knows emails convert, and even more, goodness knows a warm lead is a great lead. 

There's your leads. 

4️⃣ Utilize a GMB / GBP Listing.

😭 "But I don't know how."

Join the Cookie College for a month. I'll teach you how. And then you'll start seeing more cold audience leads (people who haven't ordered from you before). Can't join the College yet? Just Google "how to create a GBP" and get to gettin'.

There's your leads.

5️⃣ Get a Website.

Websites convert more leads. 

😭  "But I don't have a website, and I get leads." 

Yeah - but could you imagine how many more leads you could get? Websites provide buyer confidence. Nothing screams "you're safe here" like amazing product photography, a return policy easy to find, product descriptions that answer questions, and a beautiful baker bio that makes you seem like a bestie to each client who reads it. Get a website. Get a website optimized. Get a website with great photography. Get a website with e-comm integration. Get a website that sells why you sleep. 

There's your leads. 

Getting the foundations dialed in will result in more leads, better leads, and higher margins = which all added up together means a better business. Stop falling into marketing fad traps until you get that foundation built and those cracks filled. With the right foundation, your bakery buildin' will stand for years to come.

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1️⃣ Treat yourself like an employee.

Remember back to that last job you had in retail -  🤔 when the clock hit quittin' time, you were outta there. You should have the same boundary with your "boss self" - when it's time to close up shop, do it. Tell your boss, "Hey, sorry! You only had me scheduled until 5 o'clock! I'm out. But see ya tomorrow." If employee-you didn't feel the need to work overtime, why are you doing it now? Remember - there will always be work to do - and even if you do all of it, there will still be more. 

Work will eat whatever you feed it. So put it on a "work-life" diet and only give it what you're willing and wanting to. 🤤 Stop feeding an insatiable beast.

2️⃣ Protect your Fridays.

Now this is a new one I've been trying out. No, it's not the whole "4-day work week," but instead an overage day - a day I allocate for any work that wasn't done the four working days prior. I don't schedule anything on Friday, but I reserve it for those inevitable tasks that have a nasty way of sneaking into an already packed schedule.  

If you don't work a Monday - Friday schedule like I do, guess what! You can choose your weekends. If you do pick-ups on Saturday, make your weekends Sunday and Monday, then your overage day could be Monday. It's your schedule, boss, and you get to set it.

3️⃣ Smart-ify your Work Schedule. 

I found these smart plugs on Amazon that work with Alexa and Google. Basically, any device you plug into these suddenly becomes "smart" meaning I can now control it from an app. I use these to help me stay on balance by:

• Having my office lights turn off at closing time.
• Having my bedroom lights turn on a bedtime. 
• Schedule to turn my 3-D printer off after the print is finished.
• Turn my crock-pot on in the morning.
• Turn my pet's lights on and off depending on the day.

These small hacks can help you stick to your work-life regimen of closing down at a certain time (trust me - working by computer light in the pitch dark makes you wanna run for the covers!). 

4️⃣ Budget for a Solid Sleep Schedule. 

I'll take this one to my comforter-lined grave - get a good sleep schedule and stick to it. EIGHT HOURS - you read that right. Don't believe me? Snag the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (PhD). If you're operating at a sleep deficit, your mind is operating in a fog.  

5️⃣ Batch Your Week.

Reverse calendaring (thanks Jessica Gensel for that Facebook Live), weekend pre-planning, and batch baking can all save you work time leading to a better work-life balance. 

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🌄  Death-Ground Strategy in Business

Yeah, so that title is violent - but the concept behind Robert Greene's 33 Strategies of War is actually pretty solid, and it's the focus of our Baking it Down Podcast this week.

You see - when there's a mountain behind an army blocking their only way of retreat, and their only option is to "do or die," they'll fight 3x harder to win.

Why? Because failure isn't an option. And when you can't afford to lose, you'll do just about anything to win. The same could apply to your business goals. If you had to sell 10 custom orders - because not selling them meant you were on the streets tomorrow, what would you do to make it happen?? I'd wager you'd do an awful lot to ensure you had a roof over your head.

🤔  "but Heather, I'm not a violent person."

Me either. Think of it this way...

If I paid you $1,000,000 to teach a cookie class, what would you do to make it happen?
Well, you better believe I'll be knocking on every door from here to Timbucktu to fill a seat, come heck or high water.

👣 Warning - this newsletter may cause some feet injuries because I might step on a few toes. But I have good reason. 👣  

🛌 But oftentimes in our businesses, we put a pillow fort behind us ready to catch us and all of our glorious excuses. 

• 🛌  I couldn't teach the class because the only venue I reached out to didn't reply.
• 🛌 I couldn't sell watercolor cookies because the one time I tried to learn it, it didn't look very good.
• 🛌 I didn't sign up for The Cookie College because I'm too busy to take a class. 
• 🛌 I can't post Reels, I don't know how to find trending music.

Those excuses look comfy, don't they? Definitely not a mountain behind your back forcing your hand of excuses and making you "do or die" try, I'd say.

They say spending 100 hours practicing something will allow you to be considered "very good" at that thing. One hundred hours sounds like an insanely long amount of time (unless you're scrolling on TikTok, then I think it translates to about 1.5 earth hours). 

But lemme break this down for you:

• 10 Minutes a Day for 600 Days = 100 Hours
• 20 Minutes a Day for 300 Days = 100 Hours
• 30 Minutes a Day for 200 Days = 100 Hours
• 40 Minutes a Day for 150 Days = 100 Hours
• 50 Minutes a Day for 120 Days = 100 Hours
• 60 Minutes a Day for 100 Days = 100 Hours 

If you sleep the recommended 8 hours a day, spend another 8 hours a day working, that leaves you eight hours to spend how you want to. Can you take one of those hours and allocate it to a new decorating skill? Planning a cookie class? Taking a Cookie College course?

You're not on a Death-Ground strategy and the only person who stands to lose here is you. I don't care. I mean, don't get me wrong - I love you, your ideas, and your business. But if you don't reach your goals - I don't care. You care. It's your life. It's your future. Not mine. 

So act like you're on a Death-Ground to reach your goals. Or at least acknowledge that your pillow fort has the finest Egyptian-sourced cotton you could spend your 10-minutes a day finding.

🌄 Find your mountain and put it behind you, then fight like heck for your future. 

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🎯 What are Target Audiences?

If you thought this newsletter was about the Dollar Section at Target, you're probably not alone *trembles in plastic apple containers* - but much like beloved Target, we need to target our audience. And unlike Target, we can't appeal to everybody.

🤔 "Heather, you're off here. Listen - if I appeal to everyone = more people will buy from me. I ain't no Einstein, but the more people I reach, the more sales I can make."

You're not wrong - in theory. The more people who do know about you, yes, can order from you. But what you can't see is how many people who know about you still don't order from you because your brand messaging is fuzzy.

🤔  "Fuzzy? What mean you?" 

Let's say I wanted to start a group to talk about marketing and selling sugar cookies. But - sugar cookies. That's so limiting! Let's instead create a group that talks about selling all baked goods. 😬 Yeah, that'll get us access to a much larger audience! 

But just baked goods? 😬 What about hot sauce people and kombucha bros?! Okay - you're right. Let's create a group that features tips to sell things you create under cottage laws. Wonderful idea! 

Hold up - why limit ourselves to cottage laws? Maybe throw in brick-and-mortar bakeries, bottling companies, and breweries too. 😬  Good idea. Storefront audiences - they're pining for tips to make more sales to cover leases.

Waaaaidaminute. You know what - the same concepts we use to sell edible goods, we could actually use to sell candles and other products as well. 😬 Awesome - let's call the group, "Selling Things You Make (Group)," wide open to a huge target audience who will love to learn from us.

But what about importers and resellers? 😬 There's a huge market for those people too - and if we add them to our audience - well, heck! The Cookie College will be bursting with new signups! But we won't be able to call it The Cookie College anymore, huh? We'll call it "How to Sell Absolutely Anything Ever!" 

My point is a bit long in the tooth, but it can be summarized in this quote:

"When your messaging speaks to everyone, it speaks to no one."

🎯 Okay - I see your point. So who is my target audience?

Think of your target audience as a really tight-knit group of people. We want to keep our targets small - the smaller the better. A great way to start off determining who your current target is is by taking an average of who purchased from you in the past 1 year. 

Think narrow thoughts - speak almost about a single individual. What's that person's age? Male or female? Kids or child-free? Empty nesters or elementary school? Dinks or single-income? Home schooled or public schooled? Be specific. 

🎯 Okay - I've got the person narrowed down. Now what?

Now begin crafting your messaging to speak to that person. If that person has kids, talk to people with kids. "But what if some people don't have kids." They're not your target - remember, you just came up with your target person in the step above. "But won't they feel left out?" No - they'll find someone whose targeting they fall into. You need to focus on people who fall within your target audience.

🎯  Hey - what's the worst that could happen? 🎯 

Odds are if you haven't determined your brand voice, your messaging is already pretty generic and slightly fuzzy. The worst that could happen? You find a true tribe of customers who are more loyal to you than Corrie to a Target parking lot. 

Go forth. Find your target. And laser focus on what they want, like, and hate. Then speak to them about those topics. You're going to find that customers can connect with you on a deeper level (and end up reaching deeper into their pockets).

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🏃 Run, Forest, Run!

You always hear us refer to marketing in terms of "run-times" - but what are we saying when we sub in track days for calendar weeks? Don't worry - no gym routines here. 

Run times refer to the number of days / weeks / months designated for a marketing campaign.

So - let's apply it to BTS (for some reason, I thought people were making Korean boy band cookies this whole time, but I digress). How can we use a marketing lifecycle to prep our audience for the upcoming back-to-school offerings?

Quick poll before we do - in a poll of about 300 SCM group members, the results on BTS offerings and run-times is interesting:

• 🏃 6 Weeks Out - 0%
• 🏃 5 Weeks Out - 1%
• 🏃 4 Weeks Out - 12%
• 🏃 3 Weeks Out - 32%
• 🏃 2 Weeks Out - 18%
• 🏃 1 Week Out - 3%
• 🏃 Not Offering BTS - 31%

Three weeks is the most popular run-time for back-to-school sets.

*  I would make a disclaimer that BTS is unlike any "cookie holiday" in that it typically sneaks up on our target audience at a time when a majority of bakers have taken the summer off. I'd assume Halloween will be a bit different.

🏃 So how can we build out a "marketing lifecycle" for back to school?

Your run-times will be different than my run-times depending on your location, back-to-school date, target audience, and how prepared you are. There's no wrong answer, but if you're looking for an answer of some sort - here's mine: we start with a 6-week marketing cycle. So if your BTS date is August 29th, guess what - you're getting your BTS cycle going this week.

🏃  1. Awareness - getting your audience prepped

First stage in this 6-stage / 6-week cycle is awareness. You're not expecting to make any sales now, but your form is probably ready just in case. You're basically introducing your audience to your offerings. Kinda like the "Hey girl heeeey" posts. This is the top of your back-to-school funnel.

🏃  2. Engagement - getting your audience to react / post / like

This is the fun stage. Asking for your audience's opinions on your offerings, posting their kiddos' last first-day-of-school photos, or hosting a contest for last year's report card grades. You're still not asking for the sale here, but you are getting people excited!

🏃  3. Evaluation - getting your audience to pick you

This is where you set yourself up as the "best in the business" - whether in cute packaging, customer support (more on that later), and featuring great past client reviews. You're also telling them your pricing options, informing them of pick-up dates, and last calls. Make it *easy* to pick you, or they'll pick someone else.

🏃  4. Purchase - getting your audience to give you money

And BOOM goes the dynamite. At this stage, you ask for the sale. Make buying *so* easy. Communicate effectively. How to order. Ease of ordering. Confirmation of order. What to expect after the order. Do NOT make it hard for people to give you their money. (ps - you could also up-sell add-ons here)

🏃 5. Support - getting your audience to trust that they made the right decision

Listen - once money exchanges hands, you can't ghost to the kitchen for 2 weeks. You can have these emails already written and ready to go - even before you made the first sale. Email clients the minute they order (auto-responder), then use a mailmerge app or bcc your list to follow up a week out from pick-up, the day before pick-up, day-of pick-up, and heck, even after pick-up! Make these clients your clients for life.

🏃  6. Loyalty - getting your audience to shout you from the mountain tops

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🎄 Squeezin' the Most out of a Collab

We're Havin' a Cookie Collab on July 29th. You're invited. But here's how to squeeze the most "marketing" juice from said collab.

🎅 First off - what are collabs? 

Collabs aren't unique to the cookie world - but they are just as fun across the board. The concept is pretty simple. A group gets together, works to create a concept using a theme, and on a set day and time, they post up the completed work on social media.

🎅 But like - why do it?

Great question. Different collabs have different goals. For example - here are some of our past collabs and their goals:

• 📆 June 2021 - Logo Cookies Cookie Collab - to turn your cookie into a logo to push your skills
• 📆 July 2021 - Then ‘n Now Cookie Collab with Sugar Cookie Marketing - to demonstrate to your audience how much you've advanced
• 📆 Oct 2021 - Main Street Cookie Collab with Sugar Cookie Marketing - to feature a business as a cookie and get corporate leads
• 📆 Dec 2021 - Meaning of Christmas Collab - to give back to the community 
• 📆 May 2022 - Susan Reed Cookie Collab with Sugar Cookie Marketing - to raise awareness of an industry scam
• 📆 July 2022 - Christmas in July Cookie Collab with Sugar Cookie Marketing - to work ahead on Christmas offerings

So yeah, different collabs can have different goals. And that's the benefit of them. Whether working ahead or helping your community, these collabs give you a great excuse to put yourself out there and try something new. The goal of the Christmas in July collab is to work ahead so, come Christmas, you're not runnin' around with all the baking pans, none of the time, and none of your Christmas offerings to post.

🎅 So that's it? It's just "because"?

Close - but there's a bit more marketing to a collab. When everyone posts up on social media, they not only agree to participate but also to engage with others who participated. This is a form of manufactured engagement, and while social media companies dislike the practice, it still works, so we're still doin' it until reported otherwise. 

🎅 How does that work??

When you make a post, that post is "shopped around" to users on a social platform. The more users that engage with the content, the more the algorithm thinks, "Wow, this content is keeping users on our platform! We should show it to even more users!" This is the beauty of collabs. While the goal is not to follow other bakers, other bakers will comment on your posts allowing your post to reach more of your audience. A win-win. Not only can you involve yourself in a fun industry event, it also benefits your social reach. 

🎅 Okay - I'm in. What do I have to do?

I knew I liked you! It's pretty easy. Here are the steps:

1. Before July 29th, bake, decorate, and photograph something you plan on selling this Christmas / Holiday. It's got to be Christmas or Holiday themed - that's the key.
2. On July 29th, at 11 AM Eastern (time zones - they're important here) you'll post your photo + caption to Instagram.
3. This is Instagram-only. Facebook doesn't work well with hashtags yet unfortunately. 
4. Use the hashtag #sugarcookiemarketingcollab in your copy. This is probably the most important step. 
5. Once you post, go engage with any content posted on that date at that time using the group collab hashtag. 

🎅 Easy as Pie - er... cookies? 

Yep! And if you want some additional tips - listen to this week's podcast about Cookie Collabs! We threw in a few more tips to really squeeze the most

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🙊 Working with the End in Mind

"Help! A client said my cookies were too dry!" 

❌ "Block them."

❌ "Tell them to bring you the cookies back."

❌ "Tell them all sales final."

❌ "Tell them to kick rocks." (or cookies that are hard as rocks 😂

It's no doubt that in an open forum like Facebook Cookie Groups, you're going to get a biased response in dealing with client issues. Heck - we've all been on the receiving end of a less than savory client email. 

But what if you worked with the end in mind?

Lemme explain - in every confrontation, there are typically three optional ends:

• Win / Lose - one person wins 100%, the other walks away with 0%
• Lose / Lose - neither party walks away with any %
• Win / Win - both parties walk away with a portion of 100% - this is a compromise situation 

Your goal should be the win / win. Contrary to popular belief, your clients don't want to deal with messy refund situations either. In a 2021 poll collecting 1,654 comments from Sugar Cookie Marketing Group Members, most bakers don't have to refund - even when it's offered.

• 0 Order Refunds - 71%
• .5 Order Refunds - 4% (less than a whole order)
• 1 Order Refund - 16%
• 2 Order Refunds - 3%
• 3 Order Refunds - 1%

It's not you against your client. It's you and your client against a problem. Being on the same side of "resolution finding" puts you together as a team finding the best possible outcome for two parties vs. you against them - in which case, it's a fight to the proverbial death - winner takes all, loser loses. 

✅ Pro-tip: Losers don't take losing very well. Rather they take it to review profiles

Here are a few tips to help you "work with the end in mind" and make the best decision for your business: 

1. Give Yourself 24 Hours. You can use this in your personal relationships too - giving yourself some distance from an issue right off the bat gives your brain a chance to process and your emotions some time to simmer down. Brash decisions and emails rarely result in the most calculated course of action.
2. Find a Bounce Buddy. Bounce ideas off of a third party who isn't invested in the outcome and isn't a yes man (or woman). Third parties can provide unbiased perspectives. Bonus if it's someone with a business / customer relations background.
3. Make a List of Compromise Options. I love a list. Make a list of all the possible outcomes and then find that "win-win" one that gives both people a little bit of a win.
4. Create an Oopsie Budget. Refunds hurt because they hit your pocket. But what if I told you they didn't have to - not when you have a budget for mistakes funded by other client orders. Creating an "oopsie budget" allows you to run to the refund without gettin' that hit in the wallet.
5. Consider the Confirmation Bias. In a group of like-minded people, we often seek out the answers that resonate with our beliefs. This is dangerous because counter-opinions, even if they may be the best approach, are dismissed since they're immediately seen as "that's not what I think the answer should be - so thus you're wrong." Confirmation biases blind us to better options and different experiences. 
6. Read without Emotion. I make Corrie do this with texts from her ex. Don't insinuate emotion- anger, spite, frustration, annoyance - it's easy to infer these from text-based communication. But it may set you off in the wrong direction - defensiveness. Attempt to read correspondences with the least emotional inflection possible. It'll help you sift through the words to find the meaning - one that may be less attacking than you initially expected. 

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🍗 Loss Leaders - How losing can help you win.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 164 - Loss Leaders, we covered, well, what a loss leader is and how to implement it as a marketing strategy in your baking business. 

💰 If you've been to Costco (formerly Price Club) anytime in the last 2 decades, you've seen (or smelled) their rotisserie chickens priced at $4.99 - a staggeringly affordable price that hasn't changed since 2000 (💸 save one price bump in 2008 which was reverted a year later in 2009). 

Costco loses money on each of these birds. 🤑 Why? It's their loss leader. These underpriced prepped chickens get people into Costco stores, where, according to the CEO in 2015, these rotisserie chickens bring in $30 - $40 million dollars of additional product sales.

🤔 How? By pricing something like these chickens ridiculously low, they get people into Costco stores. They position these loss leaders deeper into the store near things you'd typically grab when you make a grocery run. The more you grab on your "I'm just picking up a rotisserie chicken" fueled grocery run, the more money Costco makes - by you buying other non-bird related things.

So - cool for Costco, but how can we take this "loss leader" strategy into baking? ✌️ Full confession - we use it in our memberships. Our "loss leader" tier is the $2 Transfer Club. Priced at, you guessed it, $2/mo, this membership gets you an instant download of over 180 digital transfer sheets. That makes each sheet less than $.01. But on Etsy, a similar royal icing transfer sheet can cost around $3 - $4. 

🤔 "Why undercharge so much, twins?" 

Because with such a low buy-in of $2, you've made an account on our membership platform. Switching to a membership like The Class Kits or The Cookie College is as simple as two clicks now. Plus - 🤝 we're able to build trust with you since I promise members 1 transfer a month but I deliver members around 4 - 8 transfers a month. If you like how you spent your $2 with me, imagine how much you'd love The Cookie College.

Okay - let's bring it back to baking. How can we implement the Loss Leader strategy for home-based bakers?

1. Car Cookies.

I like this one - 🚗 car cookies as your bakery's loss leader. I like it mostly because it means you've already made money before losing it. A car cookie (also known as a "thank you cookie") is a cookie affixed to an order going out. It's intended to give the purchaser a taste test of their order which is often intended to be a gift they'll never get a bite of.  🤤 Now they'll be hooked on that delish sugar cookie recipe you've got and come back for more.

2. Free Samples + Taste Testers.

🍴🛑 Put down your pitchforks. I know "free" and "cookie" aren't words we readily use in the marketing group, but we're talkin' loss leaders here. Free samples (heyo - another Costco strategy) get folks in the door for events like markets and pop-ups. The odds of them buying are higher post-sample.

Another take on this approach is asking local community groups (while abiding by the no-selling rules) for taste testers to give you feedback on a new product. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This accomplishes two things: new people trying your products (and giving you feedback which is a bonus) + you're able to sell without selling when you make the post. 

3. G-i-v-e-a-w-a-y-s.

When used sparingly, g-i-v-e-a-w-a-y-s can be a decent loss leader. 🧠 Keep in mind the disclaimer: how you get them is how you keep them, though. Too much f-r-e-e and you'll get folks who only jump on these types of promos. 

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"No." - Mark Zuckerberg

🤔 What would happen if you lost access to Facebook for 90 days?

Not sure? Well, consider it. ❌ Facebook's new "enforcement technology" AI ain't takin' prisoners, and there's not much you can do about it - except this one thing.

Backstory - Corrie woke up this morning to find her primary account (Corrie Miracle) suspended for a meme she posted 1 year ago in The Cookie College Facebook group. The meme? Here ya go... [RSVP to our newsletter to see this - I don't wanna get in trouble]. This is the offending meme.

Facebook admits that its software is still learning and tends to err on the sides of "too strict" and "too loose" as it learns from human reviewers if it hit or missed the mark on content violations. 

🤖 "Our technology proactively detects and removes the vast majority of violating content before anyone reports it." 

"Our human review teams use their expertise in certain policy areas and locales to make difficult, often nuanced judgment calls. Every time reviewers make a decision, we use that information to train our technology. Over time, across millions of decisions, our technology gets better, allowing us to remove more violating content. " (read more here)

Okay - but how does this affect you? Here's the thing - Corrie didn't just get a post deleted. She also got a slap on the wrist - a big one at that.

• ❌ No Facebook Lives for 90 Days (hosting or attending)
• ❌ No Facebook Ads for 90 Days
• ❌ No Facebook Page Posts / Management for 90 Days
• ❌ Posts in groups will appear lower in feeds (no expiration) 

And this isn't it. Last week, the SCM Instagram Account got a wrist slap from a meme of a person choking their own shadow with the caption "When you finally figure out who's been ordering all those cookie cutters." 

But get this - the meme was posted in an Instagram story that had expired over a year ago. And yet Facebook still deleted the content even though it was no longer publically accessible.

So what do you do? I doubt you'll love my recs but here they are:

• ➡️ Go back into your post history - business, Instagram, and person profiles - and delete any content that skirts the line of appropriate and "could be slightly offensive." 
• ➡️ Add a second admin to your business pages. 
• ➡️ Stop posting controversial content - politics and other hot-button topics - to any accounts associated with your business pages. 

Hey - I don't make the rules. I just get in trouble with them, and I'm trying to save you from a similar fate.  I (Heather here) got a ban last year from saying that 🏡 homes with 🕷️ in them should be 🔥 to the ground. (I've since publically apologized to all spiders who were offended). But the ban happened instantly - in fact, it was a comment I made on a Facebook Live on storefronts. As soon as I had made the comment, in less than 60 seconds, my account was flagged and suspended from interacting on Facebook Lives for 30 days. 

👀 Like - yeah, I couldn't even watch them let alone engage. 

Is this ideal? No. Is it fair? Probably not. But are you a business owner with leads coming in from Meta-owned properties? Yes. And I think this is important enough to stir some action to mitigate the further loss of your content and profiles.

🕷️  Long live the spiders.

Have you experienced issues with the AI enforcement tech? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group).  

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Why Why Why Why Why.

🤔 Never thought we could learn how to run a root cause analysis from the kid in the back seat of your car, did ya? 

I'm working through a college-level textbook on Operations Management - and the book referenced root cause analysis - to figure out what the true problem is. 

🤕 Oftentimes, we grab a box of bandaids and run around patching the symptoms of bigger issues, shocked when - you guessed it - the bandaid fails and you're stuck grabbin' more bandaids and spending more time well, band-aiding.

😀 But here's the good news.

❌ You're doing it wrong. 

Hear me out. You're diagnosing the wrong problem. You're diagnosing the symptom of an underlying issue. And unless you figure out how to find that deeper issue, you won't see any long-term results from your short-term fix. 

🕵️ So how do we find the root cause? Welcome the 5-Whys. No - I didn't make this up, it was actually in the 400-level textbook. You ask why five times - at the fifth "why," you've probably found the real issue, and now you can get started on fixing it.

Let's play this out:

Issue: 🤕 My USPS shipped cookies arrived broken to their destination. 😭

1️⃣ Why? USPS handles packages roughly.

2️⃣ Why was USPS able to break them? I didn't package the cookies with bubble wrap.

3️⃣ Why didn't you use bubble wrap? I didn't want to spend more money on packaging or insurance.

4️⃣ Why did you want to spend more on packaging and insurance? I didn't charge enough for this order to account for that additional cost.

5️⃣ Why didn't you charge enough for the order? I don't know my costs, so my pricing didn't reflect the additional packaging required.

✅ Ah - so the root cause is inappropriate price points for shipped cookies. 

So - challenge: Why your business. 

Ask why - and keep asking. "Why are my clients showing up late?" "Why is no one leaving me reviews?" "Why are my classes not filling up?" Ask why - and then keep on asking. You'll be surprised (and delighted) with where ya end up.

Did ya oot cause analyze your biz? Tell us where your 5-whys landed ya. Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group). 

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😳 Marketing Overwhelm.

😖 Feeling like you're drowning in marketing tips and tricks? Here's a three-step life jacket.

Hey - the Baking it Down Podcast has 65 episodes - most of those episodes chock full of Corrie's annoying elephant noises, Phoebe scrambling to run out the door, and a handful of marketing ideas in each episode. On top of that - if you're in the SCM group, you're seeing about 50+ posts a day. Sprinkle in other Facebook groups, resources, and podcasts on marketing and sales - and yeah, we're reaching "marketing level overload" and fast. 

It's easy to read headlines, podcasts, and emails with the "5 things you have to do to grow on Instagram" or "If you're not churnin' out Reels, what are you even doing with your life?!" and think you're standing still while every other baker around you is moving at marketing lightning speed. 

😳 What it feels like is that you're standing still while business opportunities whiz by. That paralysis can make you feel like you're not doin' it right - or not doing enough - or not really doing anything at all. 😩 And it can be depressing to think you're not fast enough to get out your D-A-D DIY kits or jump on the profitable "bronut" train or... oh yeah, weren't you supposed to start teaching decorating classes, do that last cookie collab, add a pre-sale option to that website you haven't build yet? 😵

The list goes on - and your marketing feels like it isn't. 

😓 Sheeeesh. Talk about overwhelming. 

But guess what - ✈ none of us here are Marketing Mavericks, and we're not on the flight deck of social media takin' off at supersonic speed (had to get my Tom Cruise reference in). 

The key it marketing success is this: 🕵️ ONLY focus on the marketing information that supports your goals. Yes - I'm literally telling you to tune us out. If you want more tips on how to tune Corrie out, let me know - I have many methods.

But seriously. If you're focused on business finances, ❌ skip the Gingerbread Live. If you're focused on Fourth of July pre-sales, ❌ skip the YNAB-finance Live (on June 9th at 1:30 btw). If you're heck bent on moving, snag last week's podcast (Movin' and Shakin') and use the one on Cookie Classes as background noise you don't intend to take notes on, then turn off the group's notifications until that last box is unpacked. 

🚫 Overwhelm is an indication of unfocused goals. 🚫

If you don't know where you wanna head, heading everywhere will get you nowhere fast. Figuring out what your goals are is the first step in determining what needs listening to and what needs tuning out. And in the fast-paced world of marketing - the "tuning out" will be a lot.

In this week's podcast, we cover three tips to stop overwhelm. You can listen on your favorite players - Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Alexa, Audible and more. Click here to get a handle on overwhelming marketing mayhem. 

Got any more ideas to help with overwhelm in the business of business? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group). 

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🏡 Movin' and a Shakin'.

🏡 Tips we suggest implementing when you plan to move your bakery (and your home).  

Okay - yeah. We're mostly home-based bakeries. But what happens when the "home" part of a home-based bakery needs to move? Whether a military family, cashin' in on the housing market's cash cowness (interest rates, say whaaaaa?!), or simply relating just because - it can wreak havoc on the marketing you've worked so hard for. 

🤔 So what do then? 😶 Start over? 😯 Delete everything? 🤐 Don't Tell Anyone? 😬 Tell Everyone? 😭 Cry? 

Well - yes, always cry first. But then - strategize. Here are 5 tips Corrie suggests when moving - something she's experienced up close and personal over the last 2 weeks.

1. Right now - Join the local groups where you're relocating to. There are many awesome reasons to get involved in local groups - from actually using them as a resource when you're trying to get the lay of the land to assisting you in finding new clients on weekly and monthly sales threads. Warm up your audience - you'll get a nifty "I'm new here" waving hand next to your name for 2 weeks after your joining date. Ask questions! Add value to the group, make a spreadsheet with links to sales dates and posts, and help the mods by adding more value to their group. 
2. After you find your new home, stalk the neighbors. Okay - not stalk, but get to know the lay of the land. Minivans? Kids. More than three cars? Possibly high school kids. Work van? Commercial cookie orders. New kids? Birthdays. And when your new "neighbs" do somethin' nice for you - thank them in cookie currency. People love having a cookie dealer nearby.
3.  As soon as you move in, join Nextdoor.com. This one will require you to be able to receive mail under your name to your new location, so this is a post-move-in-date marketing task. Nextdoor is a networking app based on your zip code. You can only join your Nextdoor neighborhood if you live nearby. You can also create a business profile that allows 2 free posts each month within a 2-mile radius of our business's location - which just so happens to be your new crib. 
4. Dress the part in a branded / funny cookie shirt. Corrie has a shirt that says "COOKIE DEALER" and always gets someone to ask "what the heck is that?!" Take that logic to the streets - well, the walking path. Whenever you walk the doggo, snag a funny, well-branded cookie tee (Bakery Tee Co has an awesome selection) and start marketing. Nosey Nancy (like me) will eventually just have to ask you - and guess what? You've got a new potential client who just loves to talk. 
5. If you can stomach it, join your HOA. Being involved in your community puts you as a natural POC for other community members. Plus - hey, maybe you can help make the neighborhood a more enjoyable place for everyone. And guess what the HOA board will think of come holiday gifting time? Chet-you-betcha. 
6. Curb and Cookie-a-peal. Get your curb appeal dialed in as a cookie baker. Cute, clean, and inviting. Nice signage - heck, even a flag or yard flag that subtly suggests you're the place to get great goodies. 

Hope this helps. Would Corrie delete her page and start over with each move? 🤔  No, she says. She'd let current fans know their support really helps her and ask that they continue engaging with her cookie posts. Offering a "hard end date" for pre-move orders will keep people in the loop and may snag a few of those FOMO sales. And always, before you depart - thank those who have supported you in your old stomping grounds. 

Got any more ideas to help with relocation hesitation? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group

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🧠 Playin' the Imposter.

🚧 What is imposter syndrome?  

Here's the textbook definition: the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills. 

I mean - let's face it - there's someone out there better than us. 😒 They bake better than us. 🙁 They ice better than us. ☹️ Their house is prettier than ours for photos. 😞 They probably have a better customer service experience. They teach better than us. 😖 They...

... well, that's what our imposter syndrome brains would like us to think. 🧠

But guess what - your client? Yeah - they called you to bake their custom dozen. Not anyone else. 

So why are you doubting their decision with self-doubt fueled by imposter syndrome? 

We end up letting our imposter syndrome help us design and build the self-made roadblocks keeping us from trying new things. On the Happiness Lab Podcast, one of the guest psychologists says that people who attempt something and fail are actually happier than people who don't attempt anything and never fail.

🤔 Why?

Because we get the "but." Yeah - I didn't fill a cookie class, but I met 4 new potential clients! Yeah - I didn't sell out in a farmer's market, but I know what to bring next time! I didn't nail that custom set, but I had a refund policy in place and we all ended up winning.

🚧  People who never try? Yeah - they also never get the but - and that makes you more unhappy than if you tried and missed the mark a bit. 😩

🚧 🚧 🚧 🚧  How to deconstruct your self-made roadblocks? 🚧 🚧 🚧 🚧 

That's going to take work - hard work - in fact, as much work as you spent building those roadblocks. It starts by learning everything you can - watching the free Facebook Lives, joining The Cookie College, or asking a question in the group to get more information.

And then it 👏 requires 👏 actually 👏  doing 👏 the 👏 thing. 

Movement is best when it's forward - not side to side. "I'll do a cookie class... in a few months." Dude - do it now! Figure it out now! Make the mistakes now! We'll figure it out as we go along. 

This podcast has been listened to over 240,837 times as of the writing of this email.

🚧  What if we'd let imposter syndrome talk us down from starting it a year ago? 🤔

Got any more ideas to counter imposter syndrome? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group). 

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🍪 Anatomy of a Cookie Class.

🤑 Simply put - cookie classes are high margin offerings - and we love 'em. 

Plus - let's be honest, if you're okay with talking in front of groups, cookie classes can be really fun. You get the date nighters, the girls-day-outters, the mom and her kiddos, the mom trying to get away from her kiddos, the bakers looking to expand their offerings, the bakers looking to hate royal icing consistencies - and just about everything in between. 

💸 And at $75/ticket here in the nation's capital, it's not a bad way to spend 1.5 hours on a Saturday! 

So let's bake down... I mean, breakdown, the anatomy of what one of our cookie classes looks like. Now - if you teach a cookie class, it could (and probably will) look different, but if you're new to cookie classes or it's been on your list of things to try - then you might learn a few things from our mistakes and the pro-tips list below!

• 🎟️ We use Eventbrite for tickets. It's not free, but it saves a lot of admin work. You can pass the fees along, but we absorb those. 
• 📬 We send 2 reminder emails before class (in addition to Eventbrite's reminders), and one email after class with tips, shopping lists, recipes, and a link to social review sites. 
• 💵 We have a full-refund policy that ends 7 days prior to class. After that, it's a class credit. No refunds on the day of class if you're a no-show.
• ⏰ Baking day starts the day before typically. We build out a spreadsheet to do the cookie math. 
• 🍪 Each class has 6 - 7 cookies, 4 icings bags, and 1 sprinkle condiment cup.
• 👀 We create a PPT (PowerPoint) presentation before class to walk people through the steps.
• 🕐 Show up an hour early to set up. Worst case, someone shows up early and you're ready to go. Best case - they show up on time leaving you ample time to generate some marketing content (heyo Reels!).
• 📺 Corrie brings a 32 inch cheapy-cheap tv and HDMI connector for her computer so we can project the PPT for attendees.
• 👥 Use nametags and place groups towards the back and singles towards the front - it'll help with noise control.  
• ️🎶 Snag a Google Home or a Bluetooth speaker for some ambient music (think: piano tracks). It'll help with the silence.
• 📍 We don't let them take the scribes home. 
• 📃 Add a piping practice sheet! It eats up a ton of time and lets people practice a bit. We laminated them so we can reuse them each class. 
• 📦 We do provide a take-home box + a ziplock baggy for them to snag their icing bags. Hey - less cleanup for us!
• 🗯️ We don't decorate live in front of them. Corrie walks around while I narrate (annoyingly), but people seem to like it!
• 📸 Bring a DSLR for photos - but tell everyone they have to check your Facebook Page to find them - heyo growth strategy! 
• ❌ We only cancel classes that have 4 or fewer attendees. We offer them to be rolled into the next class or a full refund. 
• 🗓 We call a class cancelation 5-days prior to class. 
• 💰 We offer discounts for seats we can't fill or for last-minute class credits requests - these are offered to past attendees or Corrie's client list.
• 🎄 Holiday classes are the easiest to fill. Summer seems to be the slowest time for us.

Hope that helps some of you considering teaching classes. It's a blast. In fact, we give you everything we use in class in The Cookie College (a membership plan we offer as an addendum to everything you get for free in the Sugar Cookie Marketing Group. You can find out more about that here. 

Got any more ideas to add to

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👍 Rule of thumb - two clicks to purchase. 👎

You see - when someone clicks to your website, they're, on average, about one or two additional 🖱 mouse clicks away from quitting the entire buying process out of frustration. In our distracted world, there's a lot fighting for the eyes and ears of our audience - and we need to get them from "interested" to "invoiced" in the shortest amount of time possible.

The more clicks we separate our clients from separating from their money, the higher the odds that they'll fall out of our funnel. 👣 Each step we add into our purchase process increases our funnel. The more funnel steps, the more people we're losing - and we may not even know it. 

Imagine if you went to purchase a cookie-cutter. 

1. 1️⃣ You go to the website only to read that if you want that cookie cutter, you'll need to go to a second website. 
2. 2️⃣ Okaaay, you click over. Except that specific cookie cutter is actually a collab cutter and you'll need to order it from a third website. 
3. 3️⃣  When you get to the third website, you see that on the product listing, it's sold out, but you can sign up for an email to get notified when it will be restocked. 
4. 4️⃣ You begrudgingly hand over your email digits only to get a form error and 
5. 5️⃣ a pop-up saying that you'll need to email the website owner to be manually added, except when you send that email - 
6. 6️⃣ you get a mailer-daemon response from GMAIL that the email address hasn't been correctly configured.

❌ You tell me - at what point would you have given up on the cookie-cutter?

3️⃣ If you're like most humans, it would have been when you needed to click to the third website. You wouldn't have clicked at all, but rather returned to Etsy to find a similar cutter from a seller who is more reliable. And that's because the funnel was simply way too long.

How about your business? Where do you have phantom funnels growing slowly and secretly eating at your bottom line? 🤳 A great way to identify funnel faux pas is by getting a self-proclaim tech-illiterate friend or relative to attempt to buy from you. 👀 Watch their every move (and try not to show your frustration) as they click here, there, and yonder further and further from your "buy now" button. 

Then optimize your funnel. Delete, reword, tweak, and move around - whatever it is that is throwin' your audience - help make it REALLY clear and REALLY easy to click any button that ends with dollars in your pocket. 

🚫 So long, long funnels! 🚫

Got any more ideas to add to this list? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group). 

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You've been there. You have an idea. A great idea. You're going to start selling macarons and that'll translate into insane smack-a-roons (money). It's easy. You'll buy the mac baking sheet. You'll snag the almond flour. You'll watch a Maradee Martin Live on the topic. Oh - don't forget the windowpane packaging. Bows - bows always look nice. Well, gonna need that Munbyn erry'body is talking about - you know, for stickers and branding. Ah - don't forget photography - aeCore backers launched that new Rose Marble too - that'll really make these macs pop off the page. Oh yeah and... and... and...

📋 Welcome to your secret to-do list. 

A secret to-do list comes from a simple idea hiding behind it a multitude of tasks, costs, mental processing power, and even storage space. It's what takes a good idea and makes it a terrible experience. It's everything attached to an idea that we forgot to account for. 

Secret to-do lists are hiding everywhere. 

🌱 Look at my (Heather here) venus fly-trap experience. What started as a Wegman's impulse buy (my entire buying experience at Wegmans is summed up as an impulse purchase) turned into a planting pot, potting soil, a mister, gardening tools, and time... so much more time than I considered whilst standing in the self check-out. 

Consider that each purchase or idea comes with the following strings attached:

• The time needed to execute and implement
• Physical storage of the supplies needed to create
• The mental power needed to conceptualize and learn
• The financial investment to acquire the necessary tools 

That's... well, that's a lot more than the good idea we started off with. And that's why we always must consider the secret to-do lists attached to ideas and purchases in our business (and frankly, in our lives (ahem - corrie's closet)).

It's not to say that you should never have an idea or purchase something for a new hobby or product offering. No no - I'd never encourage that. Frankly, I love buying things. But consider what else comes attached to that idea or hobby - and make a list. See your secret to-do list before you buy into that hobby.

🤏 Then come up with your MVP - the minimum viable product you can invest in (time, money, and mental) to get the idea out the door. It'll be a trimmed-up to-do list that will let you taste the concept before you're too knee-deep in the thick of secret to-do-list-ness. 

Or better yet - budget for it. Spend time watching a Facebook Live about the idea before you invest anything further. Ask questions in a group dedicated to the idea and see what others' feedback is on the 'secret to-do list' associated with the idea, product, or purchase. 

And if you tried something and it didn't make the cut? Cut it out.

Secret to-do lists have an even more hidden string attached - 😔 the guilt trip of not having completed the idea, hobby, or product. That box you have sitting with never-used cookie cutters. Those Amerigel food colorings you have more than you'll be able to use before they expire. That label printer you just never found a true use for? Yeah - get your tickets ready - we're on a guilt trip. 

Let that stuff go. ♻️ Donate, sell, or trash. If you're not going to use it, don't let it continue using your mental mind space. Donate your cutters to cookie class attendees, sell that label printer and roll the proceeds into your business (or an experience), and trash (and recycle) boxes you don't have space for.

🚫 Take the power back from the secret to-do lists! 🚫

Got any more ideas to add to this list? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar

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There's a marketing buzzword that I really love when it comes to content management and creation.

It's 🌳 evergreen content. 🌳

Much like the name insinuates - it's referring to "evergreen trees" which last all year round - no matter the season. The same goes for that type of evergreen content. It refers to content that can be posted whenever without seeming out of context.

😍 Why do I love it? 

It makes marketing that much easier. Building a content bucket full of evergreen posts, pictures, blogs, etc. means that, even when you're too busy, you can have evergreen content scheduled to go up regardless. 

Types of evergreen content ideas for bakers:

• A blog post with your favorite brownie recipe
• A meme that's baking-related or location-related
• An email about things to bring / expect at an all-year farmers market
• A link to an article on local places to take the kids in your area
• A blog post on the five best dog parks for locals in your area
• A Facebook post tutorial on how to get gooey drop cookies
• An Instagram Story (saved to highlights) on your favorite local markets
• Throwback to a story about a favorite bake along with a picture
• Content featuring great reviews left by past clients

Evergreen content is not only awesome because it lasts forever, it can also be very value-added content too. Yeah, sure - maybe reviews aren't as valued-added as a list of local restaurants that are perfect for date nights, but it does provide additional social proof. That "hey, other people like me - you might like me too" proof. 

Using evergreen content to pad your social calendar means that, even if you get busy, your profiles don't get abandoned. I love scheduling out evergreen content to go up once or twice a week, then jumping back in when I have time to add more current content, that way my feed is a mix of old, new, value-added, funny, and interesting = which all equals reach. 

Got any more ideas to add to this list? Feel free to start a thread in the Sugar Cookie Marketing (Group). 

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We've been working on getting Corrie a new website 🕸 - and we got the barebones bits together - so we thought it'd be fun to audit an unfinished website on today's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 163. 

The big takeaway is this: there are many website hosts + templates + themes + plugins. 💻 Find what works best for you and don't be afraid to change and shift as your business grows and pivots. 

⚠️ Now - this podcast focuses less on the mechanics behind the website, and more on the layout of the website along with the copy, imagery, and buttons. We explained why we used it, what we still need to edit, and things we'd like to move around a bit. That's the beauty of a website audit - it helps you know what you need to tweak!

Here's the basic layout of the website - heavy on the brand colors, big CTAs (call-to-actions), she wanted to elongate her funnel to add a form so she can further vet leads - see, it's about what works for you even if it doesn't make sense to someone else (because - you know we say to keep that funnel shorter for high converting website leads, not longer).

So what do we want to focus on when we talk website layout. 📑 Here's a starting list (note - this will be different for different bakers).

1. Find a website platform that's right for YOU.

🔗 But for Corrie's website, I went back to ol' faithful - Shopify. Why? Well - I've used it before, and I wanted to see if it changed much (hint: it changed a lot). Do I think everyone needs to use Shopify? 💻 Not at all - but for what Corrie wanted and what I had experience with, it's what we went for. 

There are so m-a-n-y hosts, so don't be afraid to try them out (most have trial periods for free) to see which feels right. 💵 You may have the budget to hire someone to build your website for ya (or were born a twin), or you may want to "DIY" it and figure it all out (along with some new curse worse). Some website platforms give you tons of freedom (💔 which can break the site) and some keep it very structured (which is less customized, but also - 💢 a not broken website). 

2. Keep the top CTA-centric.

Towards the top of the website - called the top bar, menu, and banner ribbons - 📣 keep them CTA-focused meaning constantly call your web traffic to take an action. ➡️ Order here, ➡️ get started here, etc. We don't want to make our most primate website real estate about the dog we had when we were 3 years old that we named our bakery after. No, no - we want their money. So make it easy for them to give it to us.

3. Add in some content that adds validity.

If they scroll past our prime web real estate, they may be looking for more trust-building. 💯 A great way to do that is through various segments of your home page that add validity to your bakery. Yeah - the very same stuff we told you to not put in the top section. Hey - they didn't buy, we need to convince them more. ✅ About me, ✅ about my process, ✅ FAQs - these can help answer questions (and address objections before they come).

4. Your branding matters.

🎨 Find your brand colors (coolors is a cool website to help you do that) and make that home page match. 🟪 The more "wow, this all matches their logo and brand identity" your website gives, the higher the trust factor from your audience. 

Websites are a compromise - what works well for the bots vs the humans. What looks pretty versus what the client needs to see. What the page should say that's enough words without being too many words. You give and take until you find a design that works for both you and your clients!

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I mean, Families. It's the Baking it Down Podcast with Sugar Cookie Marketing, and we're talkin' communication - but not just client communication - family communication.

• Intro - Pinned Post
• Business of Baking - Relationships and Baking Businesses
• The Cookie College - Spring Bake is April 21!
• Voicemails - Conversions, Comment Spam, and Upcoming Moves
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives
• Twinterests - Fitbits
• Sponsors!

The Business with Baking - Relationships and Baking

It's no lie - working for yourself is a full-time job, and sometimes that "full-time" can be closer to 24-7 rather than 9-5. 👀 That's why keeping an eye on the health of your business as it relates to those most important in your life is simply - good business.

Hey - business ownership is hard, and it can also feel lonely. But we don't think it has to. Using effective communication strategies, time management tools, and business boundaries is a recipe for relationship success - or at least put you on the path in that direction. 

Voicemails: 

• Voicemail 1 (Text) - "While not official, it's likely that I will be moving my business within the next year once my husband finishes up PT school. I still want to keep growing my business here and invest in the community for as long as we stay, but I know this town isn't our long-term home. I'd love to start a group, but am worried about all the people that are local to me now becoming that dead weight you talked about once we move. Would you recommend starting a group now? Or would it be better to start in our new place where I will be starting to build a client base all over again? I'd love your input on the best strategy to make this effective! Thanks for all you guys do."
• Voicemail 2 (Call): - Missy in NW Ohio - No conversions on her new website. What gives?!
• Voicemail 3 (Call): Marjie - Handling spam comments on Instagram. To delete or not delete?

Group Stuff: 

Past Lives: Facebook > Sugar Cookie Marketing Group > Events > Past Events

• Mar 24 - Turning a No into a Yes with Gina Marie Burke
• Mar 10 - Live Facebook Page Audit + The Cookie College
• Mar 6 - No-Plan Oreo Cinnamon Roll Photoshoot with Toth

Upcoming Events: Facebook > Sugar Cookie Marketing Group > Events

• 04-07-22 | Tour of a Cookie Trailer + Room with Christina Cernera
• 04-18-22 | Brick and Mortar Tour and Q&A in DC with Elisa Frost
• 04-21-22 | Buttercream 101 (for cookies) with Ashley Gonzales
• 04-21-22 | Cottage business to Brick and Mortar with Lauren Hammond
• 04-28-22 | How to Smooth Buttercream on Sugar Cookies with Katie Holtz
• 04-30-22 | Cake Decorating with Buttercream Flowers with Sarah Reyes
• 05-01-22 | Procreate Design Sketching with Marja Beltrami
• 05-06-22 | Recipe Costing with Mara Buckle
• 05-09-22 | Cookie Contracts: FAQs about the Legal Side of Selling Cookies
• 07-25-22 | Christmas in July! Gingerbread Houses with Heather Brookshire

Twinterests:

• Totally digging FitBits right now!

Sponsors: 

• Eddie the Edible Food Printer
• BaketyBake -  save 10% with the code TWINS at checkout 
• CastIron - Websites for Foodpreneurs

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It's finally Tuesday and we're operating ON SCHEDULE for the weekly Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast! We talked a little longer in this episode - but for good reason - lots of content to cover! 

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Cookie Class Personalities
• Business of Baking - SWOT Analysis
• The Course Recap - Facebook Live Audits
• Voicemails - How to keep the "C" in CRM from standing for "Creepy"
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives
• Twinterests - Dunkaroos
• Sponsors
• Mailbag

In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie covers personality conflicts in a cookie class. It's hard enough to stand in front of 10 strangers to tell them how to decorate with RI, but add in a loud, overpowering voice, and it's monumental. So - how do we handle it? Here are some tips (and then more tips, and then more tips). 

In the Business of Baking, SWOT analysis is a great way to get in front of problems before they become problems. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats - analyze these and you'll stay ahead of your problems (and the competition). SWOT analysis templates can be found for free online!

Course Recap: THREE FREE March promo - Corrie's let me go March Madness with www.thecookiecollege.com/membership yearly membership plans. While you've always been able to buy the year upfront and get two months free, we'll be adding an additional free month for March. So - purchase the year, expect a $68 refund as soon as ya join! We've had over 15 College members upgrade their membership - so we must be doin' somethin' right.

Voicemails - How to keep the "C" in CRM from standing for "Creepy." Thanks, Ginger for a Cookie College shoutout, and Toth (toe-eth) for admonishing Corrie to start checkin' the Mailbag for promises of brownies.

Group Stuff:

• How to Turn a No into a Yes with Gina Marie Burke

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me NO FEES MARCH - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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Welcome to Archer's intro for the Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast! We're runnin' on a skeleton crew (aka Corrie needs to ditch), so welcome to a slightly abridged version of "The Pod." 

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Popcorn Tints
• Business of Baking - Positive Shelly Boundaries
• The Course Recap
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie is ridin' illegally not in a fishbowl like the rest of us legal commuters. So - why did she buy the mid-grade tint? Popcorn pricing would be the reason. We chit-chat about the benefits of popcorn pricing and where the buzzword came from - the crazy pricing from popcorn buckets at theaters (hello FAKE butter). 

In the Business of Baking, the power of positivity will shrink or grow your business - and when you get to the point that you disdain your clients, you're already in pre-close-up-shop territory. Our clients are our business's lifeblood and we need to treat them like that - no matter how many times Shelly reschedules.

THREE FREE March promo - Corrie's let me go March Madness with www.thecookiecollege.com/membership yearly membership plans. While you've always been able to buy the year upfront and get two months free, we'll be adding an additional free month for March. So - purchase the year, expect a $68 refund as soon as ya join!

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me NO FEES MARCH - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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The Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast has reached its 50th episode! Which means... the same thing as usual - weird noises from Corrie.

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Water Water, Everywhere
• Business of Baking - Targeted Targets
• The Course Recap - Copy 101
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Twinterests 
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie's been watering the SCM Instagram (have you followed us yet? No?? well, we can't have that now... https://www.instagram.com/sugarcookiemarketing_/) and "where you water it, it will grow." Wanna grow on the grams? You're going to need a strategy that works while you put in the work. 

In the Business of Baking, Diane with Balance of Nature teaches us a lesson on matching our messaging with our targets. When you're message is broad, your shotgun approach to marketing doesn't directly resonate with any single target audience meaning everyone can kinda just shrug and walk on. But when your hyper-targeted messaging reaches the target audience - sweet money music begins to play softly in the background. 

If you'd like to learn more about The Cookie College, tune into the Facebook Live this Thursday on writing cra- wait, great copy. It'll be at 6PM EST. Or read more about the college at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership.

In Voicemails - we have three awesome texts from three awesome people (one from Illinoissssss) covering weddin' attire, promotion schedules, and boundaries!

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Twinterest:

• Corrie: snagged a new car this weekend! It's newish and blueish. 
• Heather: Is dedicated to her war on stress and is taking a stress test kit. More later.

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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Take two - we sounded lame in the first version of this podcast, so we filmed it twice - as nice.
The Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast is back for a post-Valentine's Day breakdown!

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Call me Colonoscopy 
• Business of Baking - Pre-Planning Easter
• The Course Recap - Enrollment is OPEN
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Twinterests 
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie - or should we say - Jane - recounts the harrowing experience she had with Columbus clouds and a colonoscopy appointment thus drawing further attention to the need to make each customer feel like a million bucks.

In the Business of Baking, I wanted to break down what pre-planning a holiday looks like for bakers. Gettin' ahead of the marketing curve gives you more elbow room for promotion, discounts, and lack of stress - a win win win really. Start from the holiday date and work back 6 weeks. That's your promotional schedule. Prior to that, is your pre-planning: cutters, cookie countess, and cute beads.

For course coverage, we dropped a course last week on copy and Corrie's givin' away St. Patty's Day and Mardi Gras DIY kit photos to college students. If you'd like to pick up what she's puttin' down, check it out at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership.

In Voicemails - we need ya'll to call in! Otherwise, you're going to hear Heather answer weird questions about squatters.

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Twinterest:

• Corrie: a make-shift glaze when ya Bakety-Bakes runs out and you're waiting for a new fix.
• Heather: Burton Step-On bindings for when you don't wanna wet butt on the mountain.

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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This week we cover a topic that can get some bakers into trouble - hiding in the bushes of their exes. Kidding - that was our mom, but the concept still applies when it comes to stalkin' our clients.

The issue arises when we feel we're owed more than just the money we made for an order. As someone who loves to peek over the fence of past lovers myself, it can be tempting to sneak a peek at a client's Facebook page or business page to see if they've posted pics of their party... and then to turn a lil' sour when you realize they did and just conveniently happened to forget tagging your and your bakery business. 

😣 "Well, twins - referrals are the lifeblood of my lead sources! I need tags and shoutouts to earn more income. And you said you're business-centric, right?! It's okay if I comment, "So nice baking for this event - I'm the cookie baker, @[tags business passive aggressively]." 

I hate to say it boo-bear, but your "praise" was piles o' cash and anything beyond that just ain't owed to you. While yeah - the tags are awesome, the posts full of praise about you amazing, and the emails fawning over your fantastic flood can make your toes curl... it is not owed to you.

📚 In the book, No More Mr. Nice Guy - a book written for men, but still some great takeaways - 🤫 Robert Glover talks about "covert contracts" - these are contracts made not in writing. And that's what's happening with this whole bein' owed beyond the bread (ahem - casheesh). 

I see this happen in the Marketing Group - 😣 bakers who feel as if they're owed more than just the money they were paid. It's a quick recipe for resentment, and we're here to break up with the bad mojo.

1. Your money is your motivation.

💵 Fall in love with money (within reason). What we mean is: your only job was to bake cookies. In exchange for those amazing cookies, someone gave you the life energy they exchanged with their employer in the form of money - they gave you some of their life - 🤑 and the money was the physical representation of that. That was the contract. Nothing more. 🍰 Anything additional is icing on the cake (that they proverbially paid for so - again - not required). 

2. Stop stalking.

🙈 Blinders are the best way to tune out the torture of wondering if you were tagged. You can't know what you can't see, right? Stop stalking your clients (and while we're at it, your exes... right mom?). If you can't stop from looking or party pics are showing up in your feed, Facebook has a "mute friend" option - use it. 

3. Create review-generating assets.

😩 "But twins! I need tags to get leads!" Sure - leads do come from tags, but they also come from good reviews - so instead of stalkin' your client, send a follow-up email asking them if they wouldn't mind leaving you a review on your Facebook Page or your Google Business Profile. 📑 If you think you should be allowed to market to their party attendees, use a Munbyn thermal printer to throw a cheap printed sticker on the back of each cookie (adding the ingredients can help it look less like "PLEASE HIRE ME" and more like "hey - allergies include, but also... hire me, maybe?"

4. Incentives for reviews.

🎁 Not my favorite approach - but when it works, and if you work it right, it produces great results. The thing about thinking you're owed tags is likely because you're too dependent on word-of-mouth for your lead gen. By building up other lead sources, you can grow... well... other lead sources. 

5. Learn to let it gooo.

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Corrie forgot to pick up her kid so enjoy this extremely intense episode of the  Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast. Warning: elephant noises.

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Facebook Posting - When and Why
• Business of Baking - Podcast Giveaway (finally)
• The Course Recap - Facebook Planner App
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Twinterests - Stratia Liquid Gold and Michaels Chocolates
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie yells at us for the reasons why we post at certain times vs other times. There's a theory behind it and it's important to know why it makes sense to post at various times - plus, why that then makes more sense.

In the Business of Baking, Corrie FINALLY announces the #podcastgiveaway winners and their biggest takeaways from the 2021 podcast year. For those who won - congrats! Email corrie[at]sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com with your email - and, if you're out of the US, let her know and she'll give ya the monies instead.

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. I'm hosting a bi-monthly series teaching you a class we teach in the cookie college and answering all of your questions about the college as well. This week: Facebook's Planner. Check out "The College" here:  www.thecookiecollege.com/membership.

In Voicemails - we talk about "what to post when you post the same things," how to reach out to a past client, and what to do when you've got more than enough work to do.

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Twinterest - I purchased that Stratia Liquid Gold stuff because Kim Fink told me to and Corrie bought something from Michaels, but I kinda checked out while she was talking.

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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Listen as Corrie doesn't listen to me talking about small business ethics in this Week's  Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast!

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Effective Frequency
• Business of Baking - Billboard Principle
• The Course Recap - Facebook Business Planner
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Twinterests - Texture Spray and Miro
• Sponsors
• Mailbag

In the Marketing Minutes, I wanted to talk about the "effective frequency" principle - the number of times a person must be exposed to an advertising message before a response is made and before exposure is considered wasteful - it details how often an ad needs to be seen before someone takes action. So often, we love being consumers of products who follow this principle while at the same time, falling short on effectively repetitively marketing our cookies to our clients wondering "why isn't anyone buying from me?!" Hint: you haven't reached them enough.

In the Business of Baking, we covered two business ethics principles: If everyone could see what happened in this situation, would I be okay with everyone I know, love, and trust seeing that? Would I be proud of the action that I took? That's called the Billboard Principle. Another awesome ethics concept is universalism - "What if everyone did what I want to do in this situation? What kind of world would it be?" So next time you tell a client they'll need to pass a lie detector test in order to qualify for a refund, think "would I like to live in a world with no refunds?" Food for thought. 

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. I'm hosting a bi-monthly series teaching you a class we teach in the cookie college and answering all of your questions about the college as well. Check out "The College" here:  www.thecookiecollege.com/membership.

In Voicemails - we talk "domains, workspace, and hosting," and get a pretty cool quote on horn tootin'

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Twinterest - I'm all about Miro.com and Corrie is into Kristen Ness hair texture spray (you can snag it at Target but be ye warned - a little goes a loooong way).

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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There's a podcast?! WHEW it's been a minute - but we're back with a new jazzy intro and the same old interruptions.

The Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast is here for the tail end of 2021 talkin' about goal settin' and roadblock gettin'. 

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - We vs Me
• Business of Baking - VoIP 
• The Course Recap - Enrollment is OPEN
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Twinterests 
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie wanted to cover the concept of referring to your business on social media as "I sell cookies" vs "we sell cookies." What's the benefit to both, how can you use either in your business and what we see bigger brands doing online these days - specifically on social. Do you talk about your business as a we or a me?

In the Business of Baking, I wanted to cover (ah I guess I'm an "I") using a phone but not publishing your personal cell number for just anyone to call. The options are a few, but I wanted to talk about your VoIP options - specifically Callfire.com (which we use for this podcast) and Google Voice (which was free but now is a monthly subscription). If you want people to be able to call you and place an order, I can't recommend VoIP numbers enough!

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. We cover the concepts and ideas we talk about here in the podcast - but we actually implement them with our students! Learn more or get a preview at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership.

In Voicemails - what does "pic for tax" mean, how to handle Cloud storage for photos, and pop-ups in a neighborhood with an HOA that hates people having fun. 

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Twinterest - Heather has her CharaChorder and Corrie learns what a Qwerty keyboard is.

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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Hey - are you role-playing as a roadblock in the path of your own success?

The Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group podcast is here for the tail end of 2021 talkin' about goal settin' and roadblock gettin'. 

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Frogs
• Business of Baking - Roadblocks
• The Course Recap - Enrollment is OPEN
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Twinterests 
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Heather gives us a rundown on the book "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy where each morning starts with eating that frog. But which frog do you start with? The frog that supports your most effective goal for 2022. One really firm, hard-hitting goal that would make the biggest impact on your life - that's where you start. Then you work the goal backward - if I need to make $15,000 by July 2022, I need to make $2,500 over the next 6 months. What services or products can I sell to meet that weekly goal of $625?

In the Business of Baking, roadblocks. How many of us are playing construction workers building our own roadblocks until those turn into reasons why we can't succeed? Oftentimes, you just really didn't want it enough - and you let a roadblock (ahem - TikTok) get in the way of that goal. Owning your roadblocks and understanding why you didn't really want that goal can help us form better goals that work with our mindsets.

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. We cover the concepts and ideas we talk about here in the podcast - but we actually implement them with our students! Learn more or get a preview at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership.

In Voicemails - how to approach a business to use their space for classes (or end up stalking their kitchens), Tammy and the podcast and the burgers, and Susan Reed.

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Twinterest - Corrie used The Cookie Countess windowpane boxes for an order and they were a huge hit. I'll post about them on the SCM TikTok. 

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

Send us a text

The Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group here - well, mostly - Corrie is still somewhat in the Facebook prison, but we're here audibly. Anyways - we're a day early and a dollar extra with the Tuesday podcast goin' up on a Monday!

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Meetings
• Business of Baking - Fear of Failure
• The Course Recap - Enrollment is OPEN
• Group Stuff - The Christmas Collab!
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Twinterests 
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, meetings - meetings that you actually want to attend. The EOS L10 meeting framework (sounds complex - isn't) is a great way to sit down each week and determine if you're on track for your business goals this year, quarter, month, and week!

In the Business of Baking, the fear of failure shouldn't be a fear at all - failure means you're doing something - and it means you now have the data to retool it and do it even better the next time. Failure isn't an option, it's an opportunity. And the more we can fall in love with failure, the more we can accomplish. 

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. We cover the concepts and ideas we talk about here in the podcast - but we actually implement them with our students! Learn more or get a preview at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership.

In Voicemails - Biscotti Babe is "retiring" and content buckets - what do you put in an empty bucket?!

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Twinterest - Heather's been working on time management and tracking with the timeular device and app - so if you're wondering where all your time goes... hint: it's TikTok.

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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The Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group "pod" is back and Corrie's in the Facebook clinker - and all's right with the world. 

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Mission Statements
• Business of Baking - SMART
• The Course Recap - Cookie Classes
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Twinterests 
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Heather covers Mission Statements. What they are and why they're so important to your marketing messaging. If you do anything this month - try nailing down a mission statement. It'll make your brand message much more clear.

In the Business of Baking, Corrie is working on developing SMART goals while she's in Facebook lockup (gardening tools, anyone?!). Building specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals can help you support your mission statement event better.

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. For a $68/mo membership you can access over 40 courses about baking and marketing at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership. 

In Voicemails - we cover Facebook friend's groups, Facebook ads for Christmas sales, and a hilarious challenge to guess which twin is twin LoL. More on that soon.

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Twinterest - Heather's been working on time management and tracking with the timeular device and app - so if you're wondering where all your time goes... hint: it's TikTok.

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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The Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group duo is finally back (Corrie actually decided to work), but I'm off tomorrow, so you get this a day early and a dollar extra (?). It's the Baking it Down Podcast with Sugar Cookie Marketing! 

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - A/B/C/D Testing
• Business of Baking - Mindfulness
• The Course Recap - Flodesk
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Twinterests
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Heather chit chats about Facebook's Business Creator Suite overhaul - with - get this, A/B testing for posts - yes, you heard it hear first. Facebook now allows you to use their FREE scheduler to let your post duke it out for the highest engagement in feeds - the winner takes all... of the space on your feed wall.

In the Business of Baking, Corrie covers mindfulness with her new hobby - mindful lettering. Setting aside 10 minutes a day to be truly focused on the present task, phone away - kid away - husband away, she's managed to markedly increase her ability to write calligraphy! So - do the same for your marketing - we'll call it "mindful marketing." 

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. For a $68/mo membership you can access over 40 courses about baking and marketing at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership. We've got 20 seats opening this month for those of you who would like to learn more about Flodesk - an email sender I'll give you a 50% off coupon for (hey - saving you money already).

In Voicemails - how to spot your "unideal client." 

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Twinterest - Corrie got a Nuface for her birthday (not a new face - she got an electrical face contraption that zaps you into yesteryear apparently). Heather is working on minimizing visual noise starting with her office desk.

And our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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That jingle is gettin' me in the MOOD. Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group Baking it Down podcast here with some knowledge and more laughing directly into your ear canal. 

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Toot Tooting your Own Horn
• Business of Baking - Sunk Costs and Advents
• The Course Recap - A Fav Gmail Tip
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives and such.
• Twinterests
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie sells us on the benefits of tooting our own horns. Hey - if we don't who will? Lettin' clients know you've "gone the extra mile" gives them a chance to appreciate you and respect the little extras we tend to give out unnoticed. So - don't be a baker's dozen, be a dozen plus one.

In the Business of Baking, I wanted to give ya'll dating advice (kidding but also not kidding). When is it the better business decision to walk away from an investment versus pushing through to the end? When we take past cost and emotion out of it, we can begin to correctly see when the sunk cost fallacy alters our perspective. 

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. For a $68/mo membership you can access over 40 courses about baking and marketing at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership. My favorite tip from the course on Gmail I just taught is using your email signature to work for you more than just your name and contact info!

In Voicemails, we talk about social media giveaways - spam or a good idea? We also cover that Heather is Heather's favorite, and how to find free photography tips in the group (search "photography tip")

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Group Stuff, we have a few fun things past and coming up:

• Past: Caramel Making with Mary Garcia
• Past: How to Use Metallics with Samantha Baughman
• Past: Bake Along: Making Dulce de Leche with Michele Handal-Werner
• Coming: Writing on Cookies with Tina Bricking
• Coming: Everything Isomalt with Brooke Taylor
• Coming: Understanding Website Analytics 101 with Mara Buckle

Our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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About two years ago, Corrie and I started meeting (well, 😭 she was kicking and screaming) each Monday for what later became known as the 📅 Monday Morning Marketing Meeting with the Miracles. The MMMMM for short. 

😕 Meetings can feel pointless unless they, well, have a point. And that's where meeting frameworks come in clutch. A framework is a meeting structure - and there are so many you can choose from. The MMMMM is built from the EOS Level 10 Meeting Agenda (not mine, just what we use), 📌 and it's been really solid in helping us get a grip on where we're goin' and how we plan to get there.

🔑 Now the key to this meeting is consistency - same time, same day, each week - take notes. 

 Meeting Details:

• 🤝 Duration: Not to exceed 90 minutes
• 🤝 Time / Date: Exact same each week
• 🤝 Frequency: Once per week
• 🤝 Meeting Notes: Required (I just keep a running Google Doc each week for notes)

I recommend finding a study buddy (aka accountability partner) who is a baker that is similar to you. Meaning if you bake cakes, find a cake bakin' buddy. If you're doing this only part-time, find a like-minded part-time hustler. Introverted? You can do this on your own! Just make sure you are holdin' yourself a-c-c-o-u-n-t-a-b-l-e.

Now here's the framework - we've tweaked this a bit to fit our own needs, so feel free to build from this base yourself. 

• 🤝 Check-in (5 minutes) - this is where you start off with a positive mindset. We like to do a "one good personal / one good business" check-in from both of us to kick it off. 🧠 Puts everyone in a positive mindset and it's fun to hear good things about each other.
• 🤝 Scorecard Update (5 minutes) - This is simple - only report on the key metrics. Don't assess them - just state them. For example: I made 4 posts this week. 💯 Total Facebook reach was 1,230 users. I brought in 6 leads this week. I converted 2 of those leads. My average sale this week was $78 dollars. My total revenue this week was... you get the point. Find the key metrics for your business and record them here.
• 🤝 Rock Update (5 minutes) - Rocks are quarterly goals. You set up a quarterly "Rock" and then you give an update on it. For example, a Rock can be "teaching cookie classes in Q2." 🪨 Since we're in Q2, this will be a Rock we're working towards. An update would be, "I secured a location to teach classes" or "I signed up for the Cookie Class Kits to use the materials to teach my first class." (shameless plug)
• 🤝 Customer/Employee Headlines (5 minutes) - These are any major company updates or any wins you've received from customers. You can announce you're discontinuing a product, adding a new product, or a 🥂 5-star review your client left ya on Google. 
• 🤝 Action Item Review List (5 minutes) - This is where you review you last week's "to-do" list. What did ya get done, how it went, what it produced, etc. This is not where you add to your to-do list nor where you asses why things didn't get done - that's the next step. ✅ This is just a "what did you do last week" point.
• 🤝 Issues: Identify / Discuss / Resolve (60 minutes) - The meat and potatoes of this meeting (meat-ing?), the IDS portion is where you talk about roadblocks, where they're coming from, and what you can do to work past them. This is a good place to break down bigger, more overwhelming tasks. 🚧 For example, "teach a cookie class" is too big. What do you need to do first before you can teach a class? Secure a venue. Add "reach out to venues to find a free location" to your to-do list for this week. 

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First - the chair fiasco. Please listen. My bum hiney depends on it. Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group Baking it Down podcast is back to spread some holiday cheer (chair) with some holiday jingle.

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Replying with the End in Mind
• Business of Baking - Investing in your Busines
• The Course Recap - Upcoming Courses
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives and such.
• Twinterests
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Heather replies with the end result in mind. "What do I want from this interaction?" Then reply in a way that gets you to that result. Leave ego and hurt feelings to the side, because you're a business person now making decisions that benefit you long term at the cost of the short term emotions.

In the Business of Baking, we wanted to talk investments. Will an Eddie give you your weekends back? Will a Bosch mixer free up a Sunday to take more orders? Will a class on florals allow you to charge more for wedding sets? Here's our approach to investing back into the biz.

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. We have ten seats opening up, so feel free to preview what you'd get with your $68/mo membership at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership. I have a course coming up on Gmail tips and tricks that is MY FAVORITE course thus far.

In Voicemails, we talk about my jealousy for AMG G-Wagons.

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Group Stuff, we have a few fun things past and coming up:

• Past: Bake Along: Creme Brûlée & Lemon Curd with James Martin
• Past: Time and Organization using Asana with Alondra Mercado
• Past: Bakery Cleaning & Organization with Bev Hansen
• Coming: Creating Cookie Designs in Procreate
• Coming: Graphic Design / Print Marketing with Sabrina Mead
• Coming: Bake Along: Making Dulce de Leche with Michele

Our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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We're recording the Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group Baking it Down podcast from jail because my speeding ticket didn't go as planned. KIDDING. 

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Groups vs Pages and Why
• Business of Baking - Training your Clients
• The Course Recap - November Digital Downloads
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives and such.
• Twinterests
• Sponsors

In the Marketing Minutes, Corrie answers the question again - should I have a page or a group? There are benefits to both - as long as you can be present on them. Our take - have a page for sure. Have a group if you have the time to create meaningful engagement. 

In the Business of Baking, Heather road off into the sunset on horses only to learn how horses and clients are more alike than we think. Train your horse that bad habits get them what they want? Welcome to having a dangerous horse. The same can be said for difficult clients who get what they want time and time again. Give incentives to the actions you want to encourage, don't give attention to the actions you want to dissuade.

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. We have ten seats opening up, so feel free to preview what you'd get with your $68/mo membership at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership. Tomorrow we drop the November Digital Downloads - theme is thanksfulness!

In Voicemails, we cover the benefits of Pinterest marketing as well as what to do before you jump in on engagement-focused collabs.

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Group Stuff, we have a few fun things past and coming up:

• Bake Along: Creme Brûlée & Lemon Curd with James Martin
• Time and Organization using Asana with Alondra Mercado
• Bakery Cleaning & Organization with Bev Hansen

Our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

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Hey, it's the Sugar Cookie Marketing Facebook Group Baking it Down podcast! If you're new here (hey mom), welcome! 

Here's what we're covering this week:

• Intro
• Marketing Minutes - Main Street Marketing
• Business of Baking - Validation Station
• The Course Recap - Hawaiian Bake-Along
• Voicemails / Texts / Emails (571) 556-5644
• Group Stuff - Upcoming Lives and such.
• Twinterests
• Sponsors
• MailBag!

In the Marketing Minutes, Heather recaps poor Raj the Lawyer's communication and how, being on the receiving end of communication, the follow-up is the key to earning your client's trust. Sending an email 2 weeks before their order is due confirming order detail, pickup dates, and everything else? *chef's kiss*

In the Business of Baking, Corrie recaps our recent DIY Kit pick-up shenanigans and what worked so that we had a 100% (knocks on wood) pick-up rate within the allotted time frame. The key? You guessed it - communication. 

We launched the SCM Course called The Cookie College. We have ten seats opening up, so feel free to preview what you'd get with your $68/mo membership at www.thecookiecollege.com/membership. This week Corrie delved in deeper to those DIY kits we talked about earlier. The College covers everything we do - including our drip campaign emails members are free to s-t-e-a-l.

In Voicemails, we covered how you'd handle delivery charges and what you could do to market yourself to a business form (never forgetting Sarah Marshall).

• Call / Text: (571) 556-5644
• Email: hello@sugarcookiemarketing[dot]com

In Group Stuff, we have a few fun things past and coming up:

• Lawyer Baker AMA with Tammy Browning-Smith
•  Macaron Making - Swiss Method (no kid interruptions) Pt 2 with the Martins
• Coming: Last Minute Online Flash Sales with Vida Carroll
• Coming: Bake Along: Creme Brûlée & Lemon Curd with James Martin
• Coming: Time and Organization using Asana with Alondra Mercado
• Coming: Bakery Cleaning & Organization with Bev Hansen

Our Podcast Sponsors are:

• Eddie the Printer - https://www.primera.com/edible-ink-printer.html
• CastIron.me - https://www.castiron.me/
• BaketyBakes - 10% off with promo code TWINS - https://baketybakeidaho.com

And lastly - the MAILBAG which was awesome. Caitlin Armstrong sent us a Christmas ornament honoring Corrie's never-ending stint in Facebook jail, and Heather sent us Bucee's Nuggets!