151. Baking it Down - Hobby vs. Have To

Baking it Down with Sugar Cookie Marketing 🍪

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🎨 Hobby vs. Have To - And what Bob Ross has to say about it

Okay okay - Corrie and I couldn't agree on the ✨definition✨ of "hobby baker" since most of us are technically a hobby baker - but in reality - I don't consider filing business taxes, updating your LLC yearly registration, and tappin' a lawyer to check for a trademark anything remotely close to "hobbyist."

So for this Onesday Wednesday newsletter, we'll consider the "hobbyists" folks who don't have to make money but want to create stunning cookies, and the "have to's" the folks who base their mortgage payment off of this month's dough dough (play on words there - cookie money, get it?).

Here's the crux: as bakers, we often make our "idols" other bakers. Makes sense, right? We see what we wanna be. But... but... sometimes our favorite bakers and our top-selling money-makers don't align. Therein lies the issue: we pattern our goals around the influencer who reaches a hundred thousand likes and not around the goal to beat last year's February sales.

But as a baker (listening to a local business baking podcast), you'll see us focus on the bottom line - not the likes. It's been said, "The twins remove the art out of "edible art."

And that's fair - because you're right - I'm not going to tell you to spend 4 hours on a single painted cookie you can only barely charge $10 for when I can tell you to take a page outta Corrie's Nintendo customs playbook and pipe ⭐ a gold star with 2 ⚫⚫ sprinkle eyes for $3. She can pump out those stars at two dozen an hour (they're that simplistic) - even at $3/cookie, that'd monetarily compare to $288 in 4 hours. (now finding someone to buy 96 basic star cookies is a whole 'other challenge).

Why? Because our business model applies to teaching local bakers how to optimize for a local bakery business - and not a TikTok content-generating machine (although TikTok does have its place in the local market). And you'll see the goals we talk about and the courses we teach specifically leave out content creator content if it doesn't support making local sales.

All that to say this: your wishes must align with your goals. And that might mean the less complex, "definitely won't get any likes on Instagram" set - yeah, that's what you're going to bake.

🍪 For example - 🏈 here's the Cookie Class Kits set for 2024 February. It ain't gonna win you any baking awards. But we don't care about awards - our awards are people signing up for your local in-person beginner class. And 👏 that's 👏 okay.

📏 Your yardstick is class ticket sales. Not likes. Not followers.

We came up with a short list to compare the two types of goals. ⬅️ On the left side is the influencer. ➡️ On the right are folks who plan to pay for Disney on cookie money alone.

(🤑 Note - influencers make a ton too when their strategies are dialed in - but good luck trying to be a full-time influence and a baker - there just ain't enough hours in the day).

• ⏰ Time Difference: Hours per cookie vs. Cute and Quick
• 🔢 Product Options: All the Options vs. Only the Best Bets
• 💖 Free Fame: Open for Compliments vs. Open for Business
• 👍 Notifications: Likes and Looks vs. Sales and Strategy
• 🧮 Complexity: Difficult Techniques vs. Streamline Production (cookie tools)
• 💵 Marketing Metrics: Views vs. Very Much Money
• ⭐ Simplicity: Show Off vs. Simple Designs