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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 219 - C is for Cancer, we pause our typical marketing podcast to talk about health - specifically as it relates to Corrie's cancer diagnosis and her upcoming surgery that'll have her outta commission for a few weeks (yes, you're still stuck with me, Heather).

Today's podcast was a departure from our typical marketing content. It's a way to raise awareness that cancer doesn't judge, it doesn't choose favorites, and the best way to beat it is to catch it ahead of time. Ergo, the goal of today's podcast is to raise awareness for cancer screenings.

As a self-employed baker, the thought of putting your health in front of all your orders, deadlines, payroll, website updates, social media posts, newsletters, pop-ups... You get the point. Your health can feel like it's the last thing you have time to focus on when it comes to your endless to-do list.

But you have to put "health" at the top - your life literally depends on it.

👂 Snag this podcast on any major podcast player (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube) by searching for Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 219 - C is for Cancer.

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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 218 - Mid-Summer Membership Sale, we cover this month's Mid-Summer Membership sale starting July 27 - August 2, 2025. This 7-day sale is the only one we've ever run before the Vendy Blendy (I cried just typing that - 🥲 how is this year goin' by so fast).

🤑 1. The Details

This is our first-ever Mid-Summer Membership Sale - typically, we run a Black Friday sale, but that puts bakers having to take classes right smack dab in the middle of busy season. So I (ahem, Heather... thank me later) convinced Corrie to run a similar sale, but mid-summer so bakers can work on marketing in the slower season (before our "Cookie Super Bowl" holiday season starts).

So if you've been on the fence on signing up for these memberships, now is the time to snag 'em while they're cheap. They won't go on sale again until our one-day Black Friday sale. This time, you have 7 whole days to think it over.

Mid-Summer Membership Sale Details:

• 💵 Date: July 27 - Aug 2
• 💵 Duration: 7 Days
• 💵 Discounts: 10% - 50% (even 89%)
• 💵 Location: Online at The Cookie College website

🤑 2. The Discounts

So we're runnin' a sale on e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g - that means every membership and even the now-archived Class Kits from yesteryear. There's somethin' for everyone in this sale, so fence-sitters, rejoice! Your procrastination has finally paid off for once!

The Discounts:

• 💵 The Cookie College - (was $76) $68/mo or $680/yr
• 💵 The Cookie Class Kits - (was $63) $31.50/mo or $351/yr
• 💵 The Bakers Biz Basics - (was $36) $18/mo
• 💵 The Digital Downloads - (was $10) $5/mo or $100/yr
• 💵 The Two Dollar Transfer Club - (was $2) $1/mo
• 💵 The 2023 - 2024 Class Kits - $10/each

And if you're already a current member of any of the above, you can STILL switch to the cheaper plan! Yeah - I gotta take care of my peeps. As always, all sales are offered to current members as well. You'll just log in > settings > scroll all the way down to billing > scroll even further to "change plan" > select the cheaper option.

BAM - your bill date doesn't change, and any overpayment is applied as a pro-rated discount for that first payment. Your next invoice will reflect that cheaper plan.

🤑 3. The Roast 'n Toasts

To hype up the Mid-Summer Sale, we're hosting THREE Live marketing audits. They're only 30 minutes long, and each will feature 5 bakers who signed up for 5 minutes in the hot seat. We'll burn through their profile finding recs to increase sales, reduce funnel length, or clarify communications. In exchange for sweatin' it out with us, each baker has a 1-in-5 chance to win a month FREE in The Cookie College!

• 💵 July 10 - Roast 'n Toast - Mid-Summer Marketing Audit #1 🔥🥂
• 💵 July 17 - Roast 'n Toast - Mid-Summer Marketing Audit #2 🔥🥂
• 💵 July 24 - Roast 'n Toast - Mid-Summer Marketing Audit #3 🔥🥂

In each of the Roasts, I'll cover a bit about the sale, too. Wanna get roasted then possibly toasted? Sign up here: https://form.jotform.com/SugarCookieMarketing/roast-then-toast

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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 217 - Video Marketing for Local Small Bakeries, Corrie wanted to talk about the wild world of Reels. Well, Reels, TikToks, YouTube Shorts - you know, vertical video. A topic made all the more important by Meta's announcement last week that all videos uploaded to the Facebook platform would now be categorized as Reels, thus shutting the door on horizontal videos (* Lives are still Lives, though).

It's what's in right now, and as small businesses who want to increase reach, we gotta bite the proverbial bullet and say cheese (trust me, I hate it too).

🎞️ 1. Start with the setup

The setup will make or break your quality, but pro-tip: it won't be perfect when you're just getting started. Don't let that stop you! The old adage was right when it stated, "Practice makes perfect." So yes, you may be tripping out of the gate, but the long-term benefits of Nike's "Just Do It" will make the juice worth the squeeze.

Products Recs from this Podcast:

• 🔗 Tripod - Canvas Lamp
• 🔗 Dummy Phone - iPhone 13
• 🔗 Editing App - InShot
• 🔗 Backdrop - The Backers Co in White Matte Finish
• 🔗 Teleprompter - Search Amazon for one that fits your setup

You'll want to find a natural indirect light source - this means the sun, but in a bright room where the sun isn't creating harsh shadows. If you can't get out of the sun because of the positioning of your house, using a silk curtain can diffuse the light enough to make it work.

📐 Most bakers struggle with the positioning of the tripod in relation to the cookie. Don't be afraid to position the camera at an angle - if you pay attention, you'll find most decorating videos are not directly overhead, although Corrie tells ya how to make it work with the Canvas Lamp (heads up - she does not use the lamp's light ring, just the phone mount).

🎞️ 2. Types of videos to record

Once you get your setup dialed in, you may be tempted to become a one-dimensional "cookie decorating video ASMR" content machine, but ya gotta mix it up. 🔑 This is the key point to the podcast - small, local businesses need to feature local content.

Consider who is watching your videos. ASMR-type decorating videos appeal to a wide audience - 🌎 like, "the whole world" wide. Not the goal if we want to increase our local customer base, but good for impressions (the number of eyes that watch your videos). When we feature hyper-local businesses, farmers markets, and event coverage, we appeal really just to our local demographic. That's the goal.

🪣 Here are some content buckets you could pull from to make a diverse content strategy that covers both broad and narrow targeting:

• 🎬 Read customer testimonials and give order details
• 🎬 Local event coverage - farmer's markets, new restaurant opening, town events
• 🎬 Tell a story or series - "I'm on my journey to open a brick and mortar - I'm taking you with me!"
• 🎬 Behind the scenes - "I have an order for 30 dz. Let's do it together."
• 🎬 Presale QVC-style video - "Here's what you'll find at my pop-up next week."
• 🎬 Baking Tips - "Here's how to make Royal Icing at home!"
• 🎬 ASMR-type decorating vids

🎞️ 3. Things to include for extra reach

Finally, try to include these when recording - it'll help your audience better relate and discover your content. And the more people who see your content, the more likely the algos are to show your content to more people = the endless cog in the marketing wheel.