Episode 208: Baking it Down - Multi-Holiday Showdown
Release Date: April 22, 2025

In this engaging episode of Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing 🍪, hosts Heather and Corrie Miracle delve into the complexities of managing and marketing multiple holidays within the bakery business. Recorded on Easter Sunday and released the following Tuesday, the episode offers a blend of strategic insights, personal anecdotes, and practical advice tailored for bakers aiming to maximize sales during diverse holiday periods.

1. Recording Amidst Easter Chaos

The episode kicks off with Heather and Corrie humorously addressing the challenges of recording a podcast on a busy Easter Sunday. Corrie shares her plans for upcoming medical procedures, adding a personal touch to the discussion.

Heather [00:01]: "It is a podcast being recorded on Easter Sunday, but posted on the Tuesday after Easter Sunday. I know."

Corrie [00:20]: "I'm pretty sure you don't. Going through these surgeries thing, they're gonna be like, you're great."

2. Navigating the Holiday Marketing Maze

As Easter leads into a slew of other holidays such as Teacher Appreciation, Nurse Appreciation, Mother's Day, and Father's Day, Heather and Corrie explore the dilemma bakers face in selecting which holidays to prioritize for marketing their products.

Corrie [02:01]: "If you want to pad your pockets, you got to be strategic in what you decide that you're going to offer."

Heather [07:02]: "What we don't want to do is Sunday. So I'm going to change the date to Tuesday, 22nd of prompt. Okay, go on."

3. Selecting High-Performing Holidays

The twins emphasize the importance of focusing on holidays that have historically performed well for individual businesses. They caution against spreading efforts too thin across numerous minor holidays, which can dilute marketing effectiveness.

Heather [09:04]: "If you have a primary holiday, you're going to post mostly about that. And you're going to post just almost as much as that secondary holiday."

Corrie [11:18]: "Here's the thing. Whatever audience you cultivated last year, odds are you've cultivated them throughout the year."

4. Implementing Content Buckets and Promotion Timelines

Heather and Corrie introduce the concept of content buckets—specific categories of content that align with marketing strategies. They advocate for organizing promotions within a structured timeline to ensure adequate "runway" for marketing efforts, typically recommending a six-week planning phase followed by four weeks of heavy promotion leading up to the holiday.

Heather [16:11]: "So while those threads are awesome and you can glean some ideas off of it, it shouldn't be your guide."

Corrie [24:27]: "So me and Heather typically say that we have a Runway time and this is just a rough estimate of six weeks when we're doing an event."

5. Leveraging CRM for Targeted Outreach

The discussion shifts to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, highlighting their role in nurturing past clients and facilitating repeat business. By effectively using CRM, bakers can streamline their marketing processes and focus on warm leads from previous holiday sales.

Heather [28:35]: "The best lead is the warmest lead. Because the warmest lead is the cheapest lead."

Corrie [30:41]: "If you launched your kit and sold out to past clients before you have to post to social, you would be the highest margin, lowest cost."

6. Enhancing Engagement Through Cookie Classes and the Cookie College

Heather and Corrie elaborate on their Cookie College membership, which offers comprehensive resources for teaching and managing cookie decorating classes. They discuss the benefits of bundled classes, DIY kits, and the value of having structured programs to engage customers and generate additional revenue streams.

Heather [36:24]: "The cookie College gives you options of different memberships that cater to various aspects of your baking business."

Corrie [38:28]: "The Cookie College makes it so easy to teach cookie decorating classes."

7. Spotlight on Sponsors: Maximizing Business Tools

The hosts take a moment to acknowledge their sponsors, discussing products that can aid bakers in enhancing their business operations. Highlights include RFID chips for efficient inventory management, meringue powders from Royal Batch, and high-quality backdrops from The Backers Company. They provide discount codes and personal endorsements, emphasizing how these tools can streamline bakery workflows.

Heather [61:59]: "Royal Batch meringue powder works like a dream in our classes. Use code twins to save 10%."

Corrie [63:24]: "Royal batch is the one that I use and I still like it. It worked terribly in class yesterday."

8. Listener Interaction and Personal Stories

In the latter part of the episode, Heather and Corrie engage with listener questions and share amusing family anecdotes, adding a relatable and entertaining layer to the discussion. They reflect on the importance of maintaining personal connections and the humorous side of running a baking business.

Heather [71:00]: "The problem is you have to almost log into them weekly and clean them up."

Corrie [67:56]: "What we did was craft the perfect text and send it out, but my mom was making faces at Summer, which we can't see."

9. Closing Thoughts and Future Plans

Wrapping up, Heather and Corrie reiterate the significance of strategic holiday marketing, effective use of CRM systems, and leveraging educational resources like the Cookie College. They express gratitude to their listeners and sponsors, promising continued support and valuable content in future episodes.

Corrie [65:05]: "You guys listening is support. The podcast we can do is show up. Absolutely. Even if it's chaos."

Heather [59:02]: "If you want to sign up for what's popping Con, check it out at what'sPoppingCon.com use code twins to save 25%."

Notable Quotes:

• Heather [02:24]: "Introspectively. That was a very good word for me on a Sunday that I worked seven straight days."

• Corrie [09:22]: "With the DIY kit, you have to think about marketing strategy, not just posting a product."

• Heather [16:27]: "I'm a lister. It's how my brain works."

• Corrie [30:53]: "That would be the most efficient form of marketing because you spent less time, which means you made more money."

Conclusion

Episode 208 of Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing 🍪 offers a comprehensive guide for bakers grappling with the multitude of holiday marketing opportunities. Through strategic selection of high-performing holidays, effective use of content buckets, leveraging CRM systems, and enhancing customer engagement via educational resources, Heather and Corrie provide actionable insights to help bakery owners optimize their sales and streamline their business operations. The episode blends professional advice with personal humor, making it both informative and highly relatable for its audience.