Tip #148: Give Back

The spirit of giving is almost upon us as the holidays near. And with that we would be remiss not to include a tip on the importance of giving back. While helping with fundraisers by providing candy bars is a way of giving, we’re talking about giving when you get nothing else in return but knowing that you have helped someone in need.

Every community has non-profit organizations serving the needs of a variety of charitable causes. Take a moment to find out what’s available in your community and then figure out how you can best help them. You never know what unique need they may have that you can help to meet!

A number of ways exist to give back to your community:

• Financially – Just like your own business, organizations need money in order to operate and keep the lights on. Consider financial contributions as a means of giving back.
• Time – Volunteer time is a great way to help your local community. Perhaps you could deliver meals to shut-ins, spend time with children who need a friend, do handiwork or even sort files. The key is to be willing to do whatever is needed.
• Resources – Do you have materials that you are throwing away that may be of use to someone else? Maybe you have extra pallets that a food bank could use, or retail displays that a non-profit owned thrift store could use. You never know until you ask!
• Product – Your product could be a great way to thank the hard workers at some of your local non-profit organizations. Oftentimes, they are working for little pay because of their passion for the cause so a few amazing truffles could bring an extra smile to their day!

Give back, starting now and keep up with the spirit of giving year-round. As Winston Churchill wisely said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

Tip #147: Embrace Social Media Conversations

If you’re on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform, this week’s tip is to embrace the conversations that arise out of those avenues.

Did someone comment on your photo? Did they share a post or Tweet on your wall? Take a moment to respond to all posts that are directed at your business and do your best to do so in a timely fashion. Your customers are paying close attention to your response time and if you are responding at all. Many users view your response (or lack of) as representative of your care for them as a customer so it’s imperative that they know you appreciate their business. One study found that 42% of consumers expect a social media response within 60 minutes, while 25% were satisfied if it was more than one hour but later the same day.

Of course we understand that most candy makers aren’t able to have a staff member dedicated only to social media. Therefore, we suggest you take advantage of the alerts within the social media platforms. For example, you can receive an email alert any time you are tagged or mentioned on Facebook, Twitter, etc. so that you don’t miss out on the conversation. If a quick response means gained customer satisfaction, then those extra emails will be worth it!

P.S. Don’t forget to make a plan to promote your business on Small Business Saturday next month! Check out last year’s blog post of ideas to help with your planning.

Tip #145: Celebrate National Caramel Month

Sea salt caramels have become one of the most popular confections around. The sweet and salt combo is hard to beat. This month, in celebration of National Caramel Month, consider introducing a few new twists on caramels for your customers. We’ve scoured the internet to find you some unique flavor combos to consider:

• Chai Caramels
• Apple Cider Caramels
• Salted Bacon Honey Maple Caramels
• Peach Caramels
• Ale and Pretzel Soft Caramels
  

Do you have a unique caramel flavor that your customers love? Share it in the comments below!

Tip #144: Optimize Emails for Mobile

Do you have an email marketing strategy? This week’s tip is to be sure that going mobile is part of your strategy.

Data compiled by Constant Contact in conjunction with Chadwick Martin Bailey, found that 49 percent of consumers say they are likely to click on links in emails opened on their smartphone.  Therefore, you can’t afford not to optimize the emails you are sending to be viewed on mobile devices. How do you do that? Here a few specifics from RCI Partner Constant Contact on the practical steps to getting your emails mobile-ready:

1. Start with your email template. View your current emails on a mobile device and see how easy (or difficult) it is to read them. Make adjustments to the template to improve readability such as changing from multiple columns to one column.
2. Cut down content. When your customers are reading emails on their phones, they’re not looking for a lengthy article. They are looking for just the minimum amount of information needed to make a decision. Also consider your own goals for the email and only include information that helps to meet those goals.
3. Rethink links. Constant Contact has found that to encourage click-throughs buttons work much better than links on a mobile device. Additionally, avoid stacks of links as they’re difficult to click on with a finger – the risk of clicking on the wrong link is fairly high.
4. Review font choices. Again, it is important to view your email as your customers will see it. Is your font selection easy to read? Are there too many fonts being used?

Now, get those emails optimized before the holidays get here!

Tip #143: Use Water at Room Temperature for Chocolate Tastings

Tasting Tray from RCI's Chocolate Boot Camp

As you know, quality control requires that you taste test your products, including the chocolate ingredients you use. Therefore, today’s tip is a quick one that will help you get the most accurate flavor when doing a chocolate tasting.

The tip? Use room temperature water to cleanse your palate between tastings rather than cold water. Because cold hardens the fats in your mouth it affects tasting. However, room temperature water is one way to help ensure that you taste the full and accurate flavor of the chocolate.

P.S. Today’s tip was from RCI’s Chocolate Boot Camp education course. Registration for our 2015 session recently opened online. Visit retailconfectioners.org/bootcamp for more information.

Tip #142: Open External Website Links to New Window

Website? Check. Now, how do you keep website visitors on your site long enough to be enticed to make an order? This week’s tip will help you do just that!

If you have any links on your website that go to a page that is not on your own website (i.e. external links), be sure that you have them set to open in a new window. This means that when a visitor clicks on that external link, they won’t leave your website completely but their browser will open a new window for the link. Then, if they want to return to your page, they can easily do so.

Common external links include social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. If you have these, you want your customers to click on them so they can keep in touch with your company. Using today’s tip, you’ll ensure that just because they click to Like you on Facebook, they won’t completely leave your page where they can make an order for your sweet treats!

P.S. Next week RCI is exhibiting at AACT’s National Technical Seminar. If you’ll be there, be sure to stop by and say hi!

Tip #141: Host a Favorite Teacher Contest

World Teacher’s Day is coming up on Sunday, October 5 and this week’s tip is to help your customers celebrate teachers by holding a Favorite Teacher contest. It’s a fun avenue to recognize the great teachers in your area and also create some awareness for your company

First, create a beautiful gift basket that will go to the winning teacher and have it on display in your store. For the contest, invite your customers, Facebook fans, Twitter followers, etc. to nominate their favorite teacher and include the reason they have nominated him or her. To increase excitement for the contest, you could also give a box of your chocolates or “mini” gift basket to the nominator of the winning teacher.

Of course, you can get creative with promotion of the contest to spread the word (press releases, radio spots, school newsletters, etc.). Everyone will also want to know who wins so be sure to get a photo of the winner with his or her nominator and post it on social media and in your store!

Tip #140: Make Smash Pumpkins

Looking for a new idea for your fall product list? How about a Smash Pumpkin?

Smash Pumpkins are simple hollow pumpkin or jack o’lantern moulds that are filled with additional goodies of your choice. Customers get to ‘smash’ the pumpkin open after purchase to see what’s inside.

Package your pumpkins in cellophane with beautiful bows and they become a gift of candies within a gift of chocolate! Be sure to explain on your packaging what this new product is and what’s inside so that customers understand what they’re purchasing. Have fun with it!

P.S. Next week RCI is exhibiting at the Philadelphia Candy Gift & Gourmet Show in Atlantic City. Be sure to stop by booth #512 and say hello if you’ll be there, too!

Tip #139: Chocolate Party Spoons

This week’s tip is a quick and fun product idea that many candy stores have found to be quite popular. It is chocolate party spoons! Just take plastic or wooden spoons, dip them in chocolate a few times to create a nice, thick coating and then decorate them with embellishments, sprinkles, etc. You could also fill the inside of the spoon with chocolate instead of just dipping it. We’ve also seen these items marketed as coffee spoons, with stores encouraging customers to stir them into their coffee for an indulgent chocolate flavor. Plus, it's a fun way to flavor hot drinks by infusing the chocolate spoon with flavors such as cinnamon, peppermint, hazelnut and more.

Need a visual? We found a few photos on Pinterest to help inspire you!

P.S. This week RCI is hosting our Fall Regional Conference in Las Vegas. Check out photos from the event on the RCI Facebook page!

Tip #138: Train Employees to Use Customer Names

This week’s tip is a simple one that will help your customers feel important. And who doesn’t like feeling important?

So, here it is: train employees to use customer names. Don’t just mention it to them every now and then as a side not but make it a part of your training process and company culture to use customer names whenever possible.

If you have regular customers, employees should take the time to get to know them so that as they walk in the door they are greeted by name. Customers will notice they have been remembered and take notice of the extra level of service your store provides. Want to take it even further? Remember their favorite chocolates or candies!

Employees may say, “Well, how do I know their name if they’ve never been in before?” If the customer is paying with a credit or debit card, one idea is to have them glance at the card if you require them to check the card against an ID and then use the last name as the customer leaves. For example, “Thank you, Mr. Smith, we appreciate you coming in and hope to see you again!”

As much as is possible, use your customer’s names. They will take note and remember that your store thinks they are important.

Tip #137: Help Caramel Stick to the Apple

Caramel apple season is just around the corner and we have a quick tip for you on making this customer favorite. Do you have problems with the caramel you worked so hard to make just slipping off the apple as it sets? If you’ll take the extra step to wipe down each apple with a damp cloth prior to dipping then you’ll help to remove any of the waxy residue that rests on the apples.

Still need a little more help? One of our Chocolate Boot Camp instructors suggests adding white compound to the caramel at a 5 to 1 ratio to help it better adhere to the apple.

Do you have a tip for a solution to this common problem? Leave us a comment below! 

Tip #136: Candy Key on Your Website

Many candy makers do not print a key or legend describing the specific pieces inside their boxes of chocolates because they want the flexibility to be able to change or update what goes inside the box as demand and supply for products change. However, that leaves your customers doing a guessing game of what they’re about to bite into. That’s why this week’s tip is to post a candy key (menu, legend, etc.) on your website.

Each of your chocolates likely has a specific marking or shape which allows you and your staff to know what’s inside. But how are your customers supposed to know? Of course, your loyal customers will know which their favorites are but new customers may need a little help. Take a moment to get quality photos of each of your chocolates and then create a quick key describing the centers of each piece.

Posting it on your website allows you to update the file as needed plus you will not have any printing costs. Additionally, if you reference it on packaging, inside packaging (i.e. small paper insert inside boxes of candy) or in the store, you’ll be driving traffic to your website. It’s a win-win situation for both you and your customers!

P.S. This week RCI is hosting our Creams, Fondants & Fudges course in Dayton, Ohio. Check out photos from the course throughout the week on the RCI Facebook page!

Tip #135: Celebrate National S’mores Day

As you likely know, s’mores as a flavor and product has become quite the consumer craze. This week’s blog tip is to capitalize on the craze and celebrate National S’mores Day which is Sunday, August 10. Here are a few fun s’mores ideas we found on Pinterest to help get your creative juices flowing. Remember, if you make your own marshmallow, s’mores are a great way to showcase it!

S'mores to Go

S'mores Pops

S'mores Popcorn

S'mores Ice Cream Sandwich

Tip #134: Write a Marketing Plan

While we’re all enjoying the fun of summer, the holidays will be upon us before we know it! This means that you should be making a plan now for how you’re going to spread the word that your candy store is THE place to get chocolate and gifts for the holidays. Therefore, this week’s tip is to write a marketing plan.

Typical marketing plans include an analysis of the market and details of the marketing methods. Section headings often include:

• Executive Summary
• Situation Analysis (includes marketing, industry and competitor analysis)
• Target Market
• Marketing Methods with Completion Dates
• Results Evaluation

The great news is that you have time to complete your plan for the 2014 holiday season. View a few samples here and then set aside a few days to focus on preparing your plan. When you complete the plan, it will still be summer so you can keep enjoying the sun and fun knowing you are ready for the holidays!

This week’s tip was part of an article in a past issue of Kettle Talk, RCI’s quarterly newsletter magazine for members. Join RCI to begin receiving Kettle Talk in your mailbox!

Tip #133: Extend Truffle Shelf Life

Truffles are a consistent customer favorite but their delicious centers also have a high water activity which means the shelf life is limited. This week’s blog tip is to consider ideas to decrease water activity and therefore extend the shelf life of your truffles.

One idea is to use invertase, an enzyme derived from yeast, as an ingredient to bring down water activity in your truffle centers. Additionally, syrups such as honey will work similarly. Or you may also use potassium sorbate. Talk to your ingredients suppliers to determine the right amount to use for your specific truffle recipes.

Do note that if you claim that your products are all natural, you should pay close attention to how you choose to extend shelf life of your products. See this story on a bagel company who received a warning from the FDA for labeling their bagel as all natural because their blueberries contained potassium sorbate.

P.S. You’re invited to join RCI at our Fall Regional Conference next month! We’ll be connecting in Las Vegas August 25-27 and you can register online now at retailconfectioners.org/fall. Register by July 25 to save $100 on full registration!