Welcome to a new year! It's that magical time when we promise to eat healthier, exercise more, and definitely stop staying up until 2 AM watching Netflix... but who are we kidding? Lucky for you, the new year is also the perfect time to cash in on that “New Year, New Me” vibe—and make some dough (pun intended). It’s a fresh start, so let’s get creative with your bakery marketing strategy this year.
Here are some fun and friendly ways to market your bakery heading into this new year.
1. New Year, New Bakery Vibe (Because This Year Deserves Sparkles)
It’s a new year, so let’s shake things up! Customers are ready for fresh starts, and that means it’s a great time to give your bakery a little makeover—whether it’s a new logo, new colors, or even a new playlist in the background. People love a bakery that feels brand new, and if that bakery happens to have cupcakes with sprinkles, well, even better.
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Freshen Up Your Look: Start this year with a visual refresh. Maybe update your logo, give your social media a facelift, or redesign your packaging with a fun “New Year” vibe. Maybe even throw in some glitter (because who doesn't love a little sparkle in their life?).
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Tell Your Bakery’s Story: Share some behind-the-scenes moments on social media. Show off the magic that goes into your pastries—like how you definitely didn’t eat a whole tray of cookies while preparing them (we won’t tell anyone). People love knowing the faces behind their food!
2. Sweeten the Deal with Special Promotions (Because Who Doesn’t Love a Deal?)
Let’s face it: New Year’s resolutions are mostly about eating healthy... until someone walks into your bakery. This is your chance to offer special promotions that lure customers into breaking those resolutions early—and we fully support that.
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New Year’s Resolution Specials: Offer treats that cater to those “I’m going to be healthier this year” folks. Maybe some oat-based muffins, protein-packed pastries, or gluten-free goodies. Just make sure you remind them that they earned it by running 5 minutes on the treadmill earlier today.
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Buy More, Save More: Encourage people to kick off this year by buying everything in sight. “Buy One, Get One” deals on pastries? Yes, please. Or offer a “New Year, New You” bundle: buy a dozen cookies, get a mini cake for half-off. Just don’t tell them it’s all secretly part of your plan to become the local “cookie supplier” of the year.
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Birthday Club: Start a fun “Birthday Club” where customers get a free treat on their birthday month. If they’re trying to eat healthy, you could throw in a “one-cookie cheat day.” People love freebies, especially if it’s cake.
3. Make Your Bakery Instagram-Worthy (Because Who Doesn’t Want to Look Like a Star?)
At this point, we live for and on the ‘gram. So, let’s make sure your bakery is extra photogenic. Your customers will be snapping pics of your delicious treats, so give them something to work with!
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Create a Fun Photo Wall: Set up a cute little spot in your bakery with a New Year-themed backdrop—think gold balloons, sparkly new year numbers, and a sign that says something like “Bakers Gonna Bake.” It’ll give your customers a perfect place to pose with their cupcake and show the world just how good their life choices are.
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Behind-the-Scenes Content: Share hilarious behind-the-scenes moments, like when you’re trying to decorate a cake but end up eating the frosting before it even hits the cake. People love seeing the messiness of baking—especially when it ends in something delicious.
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Create a Hashtag Challenge: Launch a hashtag like #BakingInTheNewYear or #NewYearNewTreats and encourage customers to share photos of themselves with your baked goods. Offer a small prize for the best photo. Bonus points if you throw in a “Best Frosting Mustache” contest for extra fun.
4. Email Marketing (But Like, In a Fun Way)
Okay, we know what you’re thinking: Email marketing? Yawn. But trust us—when done right, emails can be fun, engaging, and, dare we say, hilarious. Plus, it’s a great way to stay top-of-mind without being, you know, too in-your-face.
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Monthly Newsletters with Sass: Send out a monthly newsletter that’s full of personality. Share what’s new on the menu, offer exclusive deals, and maybe include some “bakery wisdom” like, “Baking is love made edible” or “Calories don’t count on the weekends. It’s science.” You get the idea—keep it light, funny, and definitely delicious.
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Exclusive Subscriber Deals: Let your email subscribers in on some sweet (pun intended) perks, like a special “January is Too Cold for Dieting” discount, or an exclusive deal like “Buy 6 cupcakes, get a free hug from your local baker.” (Just kidding on the hug, but you could offer a free mini treat!)
5. Host Fun Events (Because Who Doesn’t Love Cake and Crafts?)
New Year’s is about new beginnings, so why not give your customers an experience they won’t forget? Let’s get creative and a little wacky with your bakery events.
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Cookie Decorating Parties: Host a “Resolution Cookie Decorating” class where people decorate cookies with motivational quotes. You can even have a “New Year’s Goals” cookie where customers can write their goals in frosting. Spoiler alert: they’re likely to eat their goals by the end of the night.
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Baking Classes: Offer baking workshops where people can learn to make their own New Year-themed pastries. Maybe teach them how to make a cake that looks like a champagne bottle, but secretly has chocolate inside. Or host a class on making donuts that are as “happy” as your customers feel on a Saturday morning.
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Pop-Up Events: Set up a pop-up shop at a local event, market, or fair. Let the crowd sample your pastries, grab a selfie at your New Year’s themed stand, and—most importantly—buy everything in sight.
6. Team Up with Local Businesses (It’s All About the Community)
The bakery community is strong, but the local community is even stronger. So why not team up with other small businesses in your area and create some marketing magic?
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Cross-Promote with Local Coffee Shops: Team up with your local coffee shop and create a “Sweet & Sip” combo deal. Your cupcakes + their coffee = a match made in heaven. Promote it on social media and tag each other for extra exposure. You’ll both benefit from the extra love.
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Corporate Gifting: Reach out to local businesses and offer special bakery gift boxes for corporate gifting. Every office loves a box of assorted pastries, and you’ll make new friends (and customers!) while doing it.
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Charity Collaborations: Partner with a local charity for a New Year’s “Give Back” event. Donate a percentage of your sales to a good cause, or create a special “giving” treat where part of the proceeds go to help those in need. You’ll feel good, and so will your customers.
7. SEO & Online Presence (Because Google is Your Friend)
In today’s world, if people can’t Google your bakery and find you, did you even really exist? It’s time to make sure you’re showing up where it counts.
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Google My Business: Make sure your Google My Business profile is up-to-date with hours, location, and photos of your delectable treats. It’s like putting up a neon sign that says, “Yes, we have cookies, and yes, they are amazing.”
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Website Refresh: If your website hasn’t seen the light of day since 2007, it’s time for a refresh. Update it with your current menu, events, and (most importantly) pictures of your delicious pastries that make people’s mouths water just by looking at them.
Final Thoughts:
The new year is a time to embrace fresh ideas, have some fun, and—let’s be honest—eat more cake. By tapping into creative marketing strategies, offering fun promotions, and bringing in your community, you’ll make this year the best (and most delicious) year yet for your bakery. So put on your apron, fire up that oven, and get ready to make this year sweeter than ever.
Cydni Mitchell Hodges
Business Blogger, Retail Bakers of America
Cyd Mitchell Hodges (aka Cyd) is a Bakery Consultant and the Sweet Business Coach behind Sweet Fest®. Based in Atlanta, GA, Sweet Fest® is an online company that supports the business needs of the Sweet Community in the areas of professional development, marketing, branding and web design.
By trade, Cyd is an accountant & financial analyst with a Masters from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the Founder of the Sugar Coin Academy, an online business academy for business owners in the baking and sweets industry, and she is also the organizer of The Ultimate Sugar Show, Georgia’s Largest Annual Baking and Sweets Expo in Atlanta. She is also the Business Blogger for the Retail Bakers of America.