11 Successful Strategies To Promote Your Cooking Classes

The dietary habits of modern society have dramatically changed over the past couple of decades and this affects many related industries. From Instagram, which is the main source of inspiration, to cooking shows, celebrating highest-ever ratings, one thing is for sure – engagement with food is significantly rising and becoming the next big thing.

In this latest article, we share some simple ways to boost your cooking class success by using popular online tools and social media channels. Have a read through to discover the approach that suits your business best! Whether you host workshops and events or offer cooking classes, we promise using our tips will make a positive difference!

Know your brand; inspire your audience

First and foremost, be aware of your unique cooking style. Are you into traditional food or gourmet? Would you focus on deserts and pastry, or baking and dining recipes? What are the techniques you are planning to teach and incorporate in your course? Answering these questions will help you define your brand and sell the unique classes to the right people!

Keep in mind that some food lovers are obsessed with various trends like Pacific Rim flavors, faux-meat, guilt-free frozen treats, liquid nitrogen gastronomy, marine greens, organic food, and many, many others. If your class includes a special method of preparing food or will be using some exciting and innovative food ingredients, don’t forget to mention them.

Get a Booking System

For every entertainment business it is essential to be able to receive bookings online and automate incoming requests, notifications and reminders. If you haven’t set up a booking system, try Regiondo – one of the best booking solutions for your cooking classes. With Regiondo, your visitors will be able to book classes online from your website and view your availability in real time. Book a live demo to learn how you can leverage online bookings.

Establish your social media presence

Social media makes a great impact on potential customers and also helps to build brand awareness both locally and globally. Look into the food trends everyone is talking about and create engaging content around them. Short tutorials and tasty cooking videos are a great beginning. As food has become one of the most intrinsic aspects of our social media lives, you will definitely have no struggle building up your audience.

Remember not to use social media as a selling platform but rather as an instrument to establish a legitimate business. It will do wonders for those who aim to find loyal brand followers and increase the number of cooking class attendants. For even higher chances to achieve your business goals, share behind-the-scenes photos/videos or a short bio of previous participants.

Instagram: work closely with food bloggers and influencers

Although we’ve been through social media channels, one of them deserves its own attention. Instagram is social media’s rising star for business. It is the place gathering professionals from all backgrounds. So if you’re not working within a tight advertising budget, offering a paid partnership to a popular influencer would lead to a massive boost in sales.

Begin with a post devoted to how engaging and useful your classes are. Call out a special offer for signing up with your referral link shared underneath the same post. Another great idea is to host a contest through their accounts and giveaway a limited number of free spaces. Influencers and bloggers will help you with brand awareness too, especially if they are involved in the food industry and create relevant content.

Find out who are the most popular food influencers on Instagram in this article The Ultimate List of Instagram Influencers in Every Industry

Promote on Pinterest

Pinterest is the place for beautiful visual imagery that inspires us to follow a particular trend or style. This applies to food as well. When we see a picture of a recipe that looks delicious, it instantly makes us hungry and curious about the taste. The perfect moment for you to step in and advertise your classes as a place where anyone could learn to cook like a chef. Include a link to your website and discount code for extra savings.

We found some great ideas on how to advertise cooking courses on Pinterest! To find them out check this piece How to Promote Cooking Classes on Pinterest

Advertise on Blueprint and other DIY websites

Those websites are especially created to help people just like you. They are the perfect platform to post a proper advert about your cooking classes and write a detailed course description. Specify all the things that make you unique and worthwhile. Include relevant images and offers. Make sure to provide sufficient information about your location, fees, subscription plans, etc.

Groupon

Groupon is a great place to advertise using discounts and even free classes. For example, a 2-week trial before customers need to subscribe to your cooking course. Use this marketplace to address niche buyer personas, establish authority, and increase your sales. The website is proven to make a great impact, especially on small businesses. So do your research and make it work for yourself!

Optimize your website accordingly

We’ are mentioning this in many of our posts as it is of great importance. Your website must be spot on! It is the first point of contact with many prospective customers, and the face of your business. Back yourself up with a responsive website that creates a great first impression. Get and share feedback and use surveys to collect more testimonials. Offer class discounts for email subscribers and other free gifts like downloadable books etc.

If you are planning to sell cooking class spaces on your website, having a functional online booking system for cooking classes is crucial. It will not only ensure a smooth customer experience but also properly track the available spaces by taking into account any sales that happened offline or through an external system. You can check if your website is optimized using this free SEO Grader tool.

Google Ads

Talking about websites immediately brings up a conversation about Google Ads. As we all know Google is the world’s largest and most popular search engine. Being top-ranked ultimately increases your chances for success, especially when it comes to local sales. Use the seasons, holidays, and any special occasion to promote your cooking class.

Don’t forget that your ads can be shown on the Google Display Network and Youtube. So why not create a short video promoting the best features of your class – it will cost you just as much as any other click!

Start a Blog

This would be the place to promote while sharing some great ideas with your readers. Write posts about each type of class you are offering to address niche markets. Capture the attention of your readers by choosing intriguing names. We loved these ideas we found in an online discussion.

• I can’t cook – Toast 101: How not to suck at cooking.
• I want to impress my girlfriend – Linguine for Lovers 101
• Intermediate cooks – 5 go-to sauces for supper: Upgrade your quiver
• Raw Vegetarians – OK, why bother

Another great suggestion for your blog is to challenge/partner with popular local chefs. Take an interview and share their tips and advice with your readers. You can even invite them to teach part of your cooking class – promotion is always easier when you mention recognizable names as part of the campaign.

Get Creative

Produce various print materials like brochures, flyers, posters, etc. Below are a few great examples we found in case you need some inspiration.

• 2,220+ Customizable Design Templates for ‘Cooking Classes’
• Cooking poster ideas
• Cooking class advertising poster

To distribute them, collaborate with local grocery stores and let the word of mouth spread. Make sure to include the relevant contact information for those who want to enquire. Note that this strategy would mainly work locally. If you are trying to target a wider audience, go for any of the other strategies we covered in this piece!

Wrapping Up

Cooking classes open up a broad field of ‘advertising action’ for many reasons. They are fun, relaxing, inspiring, artistic but still teaching us useful skills for life. The intriguing nature of cooking itself allows you to target every gender, age, and ethnicity. You are not restricted to people who are into cooking but rather can also challenge those who love decorating, growing veggies, exercising, or even socializing. Оur strategies are the final ingredient you need to get your classes off to a great start. Good luck!