How to Create a Mouth-Watering Social Media Strategy for Your Food Brand
Maybe your business is fresh, maybe you’re launching a new product, or maybe you just feel like things are getting a little stale and could use a boost - creating a mouth-watering social media strategy could be one of the keys to success.
Let’s take a look at how you can do just that!
First we’re going to dig into a few of the basics you’ll need to build your strategy:
Think about where you are now
When creating or refining your strategy, knowing where you are presently is important. Here are just a few things to consider:
Know what platforms you’re on
Is your messaging and branding consistent?
What has worked in the past, what is working now, and what hasn’t worked or isn’t working?
Know your target audience
If you’re getting ready to launch your brand or a new offering on social media, you should already have a pretty good idea of your target audience, but this is a great time to refresh. Here are a few things to think about:
Demographics such as age and location
What social media platforms they spend the most time on
How they use your brand, for example, is it a quick and easy go-to treat, or maybe you offer a cozy cafe to meet with friends or do some work? Whatever the case, knowing this can offer an important (and useful) insight!
#Goals
If you’re creating a strategy one of the first things you need to do is think about your goals! Consider what your goals are on social media and how they align with your overarching goals.
When thinking about your social media goals, it’s also important to track your progress, that way you can see what’s working and what’s not.
Take a look at your competition
Once you’re in the stage of creating or refining your strategy, it’s a good idea to take a look at what your competition is doing on social media. Here are a few things to consider:
What platforms they are present and active on
What seems to be working for them vs. not working for them
Think about how you can differentiate from them
Now that we have a few of the basics down, let’s take a look at what else we can do to create a mouth-watering social strategy!
Up your content game
“Content is King” is a saying for a reason - content can help make your brand stand out and become a success. Here are some ways you can use content to boost your food brand:
Create high quality images and videos - We’re not saying you have to work with a photographer (though working with a food photographer could certainly help), but taking high quality images and videos can help make your food look delectable! If you can’t work with a photographer, you can try taking a photography class or watch some YouTube and TikTok tutorials for some helpful tips!
Use User Generated Content - Some of the best content at your fingertips might not even be made by you! Check out the content you’re tagged and mentioned in, everyday consumers (and influencers) could be creating and sharing amazing content that features your brand - which you can then share and repost. P.S. If you do share or repost user generated content, we recommend giving them credit.
Share recipes, create seasonal content (i.e. holiday hosting tips or seasonal recipes featuring your brand), etc.
Tap into current trends for content inspo: New trends are popping up all the time, especially on TikTok and Instagram, look to them for some inspiration to help shape your content. For example, the ‘girl dinner’ trend showcased easy and simple meals women and girls make for themselves to enjoy (often featuring a mix of snacky foods), while variations of the viral feta pasta were trending on TikTok a few years ago, as of recently, cucumber salad has been trending. Tap into trends like these to create some fun recipes and how-tos!
Engage, engage, engage
We say this a lot, but we cannot stress it enough, engage with your followers. Commenting, answering direct messages, and liking posts and comments are so important because they help build and strengthen your relationship with your customers. So make sure you’re carving out time to actually be social on social media.
Tap into influencers
Working with influencers can be a great way to add some hype to your brand, don’t believe us? Just check out this article about the influence of Keith Lee’s reviews of small businesses in the GTA. And back in February influencers and pasta lovers alike were going crazy for Barilla's Heart Shaped Pasta.
If you want to work with influencers, check this out: Influencer marketing on a budget
Have some fun!
Posting on Instagram Stories or hosting a contest is a great way to have some fun on social media and connect with your followers. Contests can consist of things like food and beverage products, branded merch, and more.
Here are some ideas for Instagram Stories:
Behind the scenes - I.e. In the kitchen making items
Sneak peaks at upcoming products and launches
Polls - Considering launching new items or bringing back old favs? Try a poll to learn what your followers would like to see from you
Announce sales or promotions
Want some more tips for your social media strategy? Check out our blog An updated look at the social media algorithm and what it means for your social media strategy