How to Stop Struggling with Social Media and Start Growing Your Bakery Business

If you’re a bakery owner or small business owner in the food industry, you probably know that social media is a powerful tool for attracting customers—but let’s be real… it can also feel like a full-time job. (Makes sense WHY people hire social media managers, cause WHO has time for this! 😆)

❌ You know you should post more… but you never know what to say.

❌ You want to market your business… but you don’t have time to create content.

❌ You try to be consistent… but life (and orders!) always get in the way.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

Many bakery owners struggle to keep up with social media, and as a result, they miss out on potential sales, brand awareness, and loyal customers who would love to support them—if only they knew about them!

So, how do you ditch the overwhelm and start using social media as a tool to grow your business instead of something that drains your time and energy?

Let’s break it down! 

The 3 Biggest Social Media Struggles for Bakery Owners (And How to Fix Them)

1. "I Never Know What to Post"

One of the biggest challenges bakery owners face is not knowing what to say in their social media posts.

You sit down, open Instagram, and suddenly your brain goes blank.

🔹 Should you post a picture of your latest cake? There you go, resulting to the same old photo of a cake with the caption, “Happy 1st Birthday Jackson! Dm me to order yours”

🔹 Do people even care about behind-the-scenes content? So much work to set up a camera and constantly record. 😩

🔹 What if your captions sound awkward or forced?

📌 The Fix: Use a content plan that tells you exactly what to post.

Instead of winging it, create a simple content plan that includes different types of posts, like:

✔️ Behind-the-scenes moments

✔️ Customer testimonials and reviews

✔️ Special promotions or holiday-themed offers

✔️ Storytelling posts about your journey as a baker

When you take time to map out your posts in advance, you’ll feel more confident and less stressed when it’s time to show up online.

2. "I Don’t Have Time to Create Content"

Between baking, managing orders, and running your business, who has time to sit down and plan social media posts every day? NOT ME… 🙋🏼

Most small business owners spend way too much time trying to figure out what to post—only to get frustrated and give up, or fall into a wormhole of scrolling for hours a day. We ain’t got time for that! And when you’re inconsistent on social media, your audience forgets about you… which means fewer sales.

📌 The Fix: Batch your content & use done-for-you resources.

Instead of scrambling for content daily, set aside one hour per week to batch your posts. Take photos and videos while you're baking, packaging orders, or setting up for an event—this way, you’ll always have content ready to go.

Also, don’t be afraid to reuse content. That post from six months ago? Your new followers haven’t seen it yet! Repurpose your best-performing posts and save time. (One new strategy, I’ve seen recently, is sharing your top-performing posts as a “trial reel” because it only shows it to non-followers. So you’re essentially sharing your BEST performing content to people who have never been introduced to you before. This is what I call putting your best foot forward!)

3. "I’m Posting, But It’s Not Leading to Sales"

Ever feel like you're posting consistently, but your followers aren’t turning into customers? You’re not alone.

Here’s the truth: It’s not just about what you’re posting—it’s also about who’s actually seeing it. A recent study shows that only about 2% of your Instagram followers see your posts. 😳 That means if you’re not consistently showing up and speaking directly to your ideal clients, your content is getting lost in the noise.

📌 The Fix: Post with a purpose & maximize visibility.

To make your content work for you, be intentional about your messaging. Don’t just throw up a photo of a recent cake you’ve done over the weekend just to cross that off your to-do list. Some key strategies include:

✅ Encouraging engagement – Ask questions, run polls, and start conversations in your DMs.

✅ Educating your audience – Share tips on cake care, dessert pairings, event planning, and WHY people should care about your products and WHY they need to work with you. What sets you apart?

✅ Using clear calls to action – Guide your audience on what to do next (order now, visit your website, DM for pricing, link in bio, etc.).

Your content should not just entertain but also inform and inspire your audience to take action. Once you’re clear on the INTENTION of each post, then

Making Social Media Work for Your Bakery

You don’t have to spend hours each day on social media to make it work for your business. With a little planning, batch content creation, and intentional engagement, you can start showing up consistently, attracting more customers, and growing your bakery.

I know just what it’s like trying to run a business while making the time in my busy schedule to create content and keep my business on top of mind for my customers. As small business owners, we already have SO MUCH on our plates so I knew I needed to put a process in place that would allow me to flourish on social media but not take up hours of my day. That’s why I created The Social Celebrator! It’s packed with 365 days of post ideas, caption prompts, and holiday content, so you’ll never have to wonder what to post again. It takes the guesswork out of what to say and what to post and helps you PLAN AHEAD weeks at a time for ways you can engage with your audience online.

If you wanna spend less time stressing over social media and more time doing what you love—baking! Grab The Social Celebrator here and start showing up online with confidence!

What’s been your biggest challenge with social media? Let me know by sending me a DM @thecakemamas or @janellecopeland and I’d be happy to answer any questions you have! 📱