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  • You know what time it is? It's Q&A Tuesday time!

  • Q: Beth, the owner of TasteSelects cupcakes in Virginia writes...

  • "Marie, I am exhausted, frustrated, and finished with my cupcake store. I have owned this business

  • for 6 years, and of course I have the most incredible cupcakes EVER. All caps. But the

  • problem is, I have no idea how to market my local business. I am the ONLY cupcakery in

  • my whole areaÉ WHAT...Yes...Only. I am a 39 year mother who juggles life very well....but

  • marketing who and what we are......I SUCK at. She really wrote that, I suck at. One

  • day I would love to have stores across the country....but not if I can't even convince

  • my peeps in my small town. Any ideas?

  • A: First up Beth, I want to congratulate you for running your cupcake business for six

  • whole years - especially since you kind of suck at marketing, as you say.

  • But Guuuurrrl! You betta come correct - cause you AIN'T the only person selling cupcakes

  • in little ol' Lynchburg Virginia.

  • Mama did some research and there is a bakery called "Sweet Stella" that's coming on the

  • scene.

  • That means you need to STEP TO cause the cupcake competition is heating up. If you don't get

  • your marketing game on, your business is gonna get BAKED!

  • I've checked out your website and there's a TON you could be doing to spread the cupcake

  • love.

  • Strategy #1 is Build Your List.

  • First thing, when I went to your website I noticed you have no opt-in. That means you're

  • not collecting email addresses and you're leaving THOUSANDS of dollars on the table!!!

  • I could shake the sh*t out of you woman!! Have you not been watching MarieTV?

  • Every business needs a way to stay in touch with prospects and customers. And since every

  • person you're gonna do business with has an email address - building an email list is

  • one of the cheapest and easiest ways to do that!

  • I recommend you start collecting email addresses AND birthdays both on your website and in

  • your shop.

  • You can set up your email management system to send emails out on your customer's birthdays

  • that tells them to come in and get a free cupcake.

  • You can also send promotional emails that tell them about new flavors, about holidays,

  • or any other promotions that you want to offer..

  • There's SO much you can do with email marketing that will dramatically increase your business.

  • Strategy #2 is Find local partners and butter them up!

  • Make a list of strategic partners in your area and get your hustle on.

  • Seriously - you should be setting appointments EVERY damn day to meet these people, and form

  • genuine relationships because they're gonna order BOATLOADS of your cupcakes on the regular.

  • Want some ideas?

  • First up: Businesses - everyone has office parties, and birthdays and going away celebrations.

  • You could make a list of all the local businesses in your area, make an appointment, drop by,

  • give them some samples, and then let them know you'd be happy to deliver dozen or two

  • dozen or three dozen cupcakes whenever they have a celebration. And don't forget: GET

  • THEM ON YOUR LIST.

  • Next, think about Wedding Planners and Event Planners. Make a list of everybody in your

  • area, set the appointments, go and drop off some samples and remember, GET THEM ON YOUR

  • LIST.

  • Last but not the least PTA, b*tches! Go around to local schools, find out who heads up the

  • PTA, and give them some cupcakes for their next meeting. And don't forget to GET THEM

  • ON YOUR LIST.

  • Strategy #3: Advertise

  • Once you get that opt-in up, consider testing some Facebook Ads to attract local business.

  • Offer a free cupcake on your birthday for newsletters subscribers only.

  • Strategy #4: Use Social Proof

  • You need to add some great little customer reviews on your website like this hot one

  • liner I found about you on Yelp.

  • Strategy #5: Highlight What Makes You DIFFERENT.

  • Here's what I mean, you need to shout about those special flavors you have like Salted

  • Caramelâ Cookies and Creme and you also got some Smores - they are SO far beyond basic

  • vanilla and yet they're totally hidden on your site.

  • You want to make them front and center. You can even do a flavor of the day promotion.

  • Remember, a little flavor porn goes a long way!

  • So there you have it Beth, over a half dozen ways you can market your cupcake business

  • so you don't get BAKED (and frosted!) by the competition.

  • Now I'd love to hear from YOU. If you have more marketing ideas that you want to share

  • with Beth OR everybody else, please leave a comment below. Or if you want to let me

  • know if any of these ideas can be implemented in your business, tell me all about it.

  • ================

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  • Thank you so much for watching and I'll catch you next time!

You know what time it is? It's Q&A Tuesday time!

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