05/27/2014
Social Media: The Newest Phase of Food Marketing
Picture the foundations of food marketing’s segmentation phase; it’s the 1950’s, the men wear suits and smoke ci**rs in their offices while the women sit at desks with type writes. TV and radio are the name of the game, forever changing the history of food marketing.
sm food potFlash forward to present day; some 60 years later the platforms of this industry continue to evolve, forever changing how restaurants, grocery stores and local growers can get their messages out to target audiences. Social Media is the new MVP in the food market game, with sites and apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Vine, the pulpits a food business can use to promote itself are limitless.
Things to Know:
Food marketing via social media offers a great variety of methods to show the foods you provide. Currently Instagram is the favorite, however there are volumes of other channels and applications that can be used to communicate your message. Another popular industry favorite is blogging. Chefs, farmers, and restaurant operators can use vivid, imaginative pictures of their dishes in traditional blogging, or opt for more advance video micro blogging using applications like Vivid.
Be Creative:
Don’t just take a picture of your newest dish and post it, make the image eye-catching and original! Learn how to get your smartphone’s camera out of auto mode, try different angles of photographing, be artistic, and use filters to change the original image.
If you’re blogging, keep in mind that great images are just one part of attracting hits. It’s important that the entire post engages followers: This can be achieved by creating a comprehensive blog that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also uses witty, interesting verbiage.
Utilize Multiple Sources:
There are dozens of useful social media outlets, so don’t restrict yourself to utilizing only one or two. Social media is valuable in food marketing because it provides the opportunity to reach larger audiences than ever before. Take advantage of social media’s expedience and participate in as much of it as you can! As you enter this new phase of food marketing start with well-known sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube; as you progress you can always add more!
Make a Theme:
Themed blogs can be a lot of fun and are a great tool for social media integration. Choosing a theme makes your blog unique and appealing. Choosing a theme can be as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich and the innumerable items that relate, for example other food and drink pairings. If you run a restaurant, focus on one benefit and create the theme around that.
Take Advantage of Trends:
With social media, the posts getting the most attention are those that are the current trend. Sites like Twitter show you right away what the biggest trends are, using those hashtags in the description is optimal for gaining more viewers. For example, if your theme is grilled cheese sandwiches and Taylor Swift’s new album is trending, find a way to link Taylor Swift to grilled cheese.
Jumping on the bandwagon is essential with social media marketing, including food marketing. Whether you’re a blogger, restaurant owner or food addict, you can find a way to use it in your marketing decisions.
