Although I’m no marketing expert, I do know a thing or two about baking.
Baking is like a science. When you’re first starting out, it can be overwhelming, but if you follow the recipe and use the right ingredients, the results will be delicious. Once you understand the science behind baking, you can alter the process and add your own twist to it.
While working with Stratos, I’ve learned that marketing and baking have several similarities.
Learn the Guidelines.
In baking, the recipe serves as your guidelines. But there are a lot of different recipes out there—a quick Google search for “chocolate chip cookie recipe” returns 73 million results! As you try different recipes, you’ll find the similarities between them. Pretty much every type of cookie has the same base ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and milk. Using different recipes will help you understand how each ingredient affects the finished product.
When you’re learning a new marketing strategy and you don’t know where to start, there are a lot of great resources out there. A great place to start is Stratos’ 101 Social Media Prompts, for business owners that are feeling overwhelmed with their social media marketing efforts. This is a list of thought-starters to guide you in creating valuable posts that will engage and connect with your audience. As you use resources like this one to inspire and create content for your marketing, you’ll get more and more comfortable with the process until you’re able to write your own marketing recipe.
There’s Always Room for Substitutions!
Whether you’re baking or marketing, there is always room for substitutions. For example, I am lactose intolerant and cannot use buttermilk in my cake recipes. Instead, I can take lactose-free whole milk and add a teaspoon of lemon juice, then wait for it to curdle. This has the same effect as buttermilk for my baking.
When you notice that something doesn’t work well for you, think about how you can refine your marketing formula for your brand. If your company doesn’t have the type of vibe that allows for emojis in your posts, substitute in sleek graphics, testimonials, or emphatic stories.
Results Take Time.
When you bake a cake, you have to preheat the oven, mix together the ingredients, bake the cake, let it cool, and decorate it… only then can you serve up a slice and enjoy the finished product.
Similarly, one great Instagram post isn’t going to completely change your business. Results will take time, consistency, and a healthy dose of trial and error. As with baking a cake, trust the process, be patient, and put in the work. That first bite is going to be worth the wait!
Ready to build your business but not sure where to start? Check out Stratos’ 101 Social Media Prompts.
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