As we edge further into the 21st century, more and more things are moving online.
From businesses being based completely on the internet, to people building empires off the back of a YouTube account, it seems as though every aspect of life is now online thanks to the wonders of social media.
Whilst the majority of people seem to use their socials to share their lives with family, friends and internet acquaintances, if you learn how to utilise social media effectively you can build yourself a brand.
Paying close attention to your reputation and your business strategy online can make for lots of opportunities to be had on social media.
An essential marketing tool for most businesses in 2020, if you get your social media posts right, it can result in customer loyalty and ultimately brand growth. With close to 4 billion social media accounts on this beautiful planet, it isn’t hard to see that knowing how to engage with people on the socials could grow your business exponentially – but where to start?
Fortunately, if you have food businesses to your name, you already stand in pretty good stead as you have access to one of the most social-media’d things ever; FOOD! From menu launches to cooking in the kitchen, the material is there, you just have to know what to share.
The menu
Encourage customers to buy into the business by showing them snippets from the menu that are just too good to refuse.
Remember, ‘Food Porn’ is a hashtag on Instagram with 220 million posts so people love to love what they are looking at. Use social media as a platform to advise customers what is available on the menu, if it changes seasonally, celebrate this on social media.
Pay attention to the colours associated with the season too and try to incorporate them into the posts. Be sure to have posts that boast about the dietary requirements you cater for as well – with clean eating on the rise, it’s becoming more important to have something for all appetites.
Carlo’s Bakery shares images of delicious food!
Promotions
Why should someone follow you on social media?
People don’t just follow accounts now for satisfying pictures to look at or funny things to read. Consumers want to feel as though they stand to gain something by following you. Make their follow worth their while. If you have a pretty background or stunning view, promote it and encourage people to come and see it for themselves.
If you are famous for a dish, post it and encourage people to come and sample it. Try creating a unique hashtag for people to use in their pictures when sharing their experiences and encourage them to tag you in posts.
Run promotions that are only visible on social media so customers need to be following on socials to be aware of certain offers such as 2 for 1 promotions or something like ‘Wings Wednesdays’ if you are in the chicken business. Create a mailing list and encourage people to sign up on social media by offering them treats when they enter their email address – perhaps a special discount for signing up or a unique treat on their birthday.
A tasty promotion from Magnolia Bakery
Behind the Scenes content
With the rise in popularity in the ‘How It’s Made’ type of shows and ‘Behind Closed Doors at *shop name*’ consumers are more interested than ever in what goes on before the food actually gets to them.
Show followers what happens before the food gets to the table. If you use locally sourced ingredients, shout about it. If you are against something horrific or for a good cause, brag about it. People want to know the in’s and out’s of everything these days, especially when it comes to matters as personal as what they are putting inside their bodies.
Don’t think that these posts have to be just one picture either, film a minute or two worth of footage so it will make people stop scrolling, and want to click on your profile to find out more.
The Cookie Mill shares a behind the scenes snap.
History
Take inspiration from how the brand has developed over the years.
Post about the history and the traditions important to the company – and if there is something culturally significant to how the brand works today, tell everyone about it. Be proud of the journey you have taken. If you are a new company and perhaps not steeped in decades of history, instead make posts about how you are different to competitors and what you bring to the food scene that was missing until you came along.
Focus more on the brand you want to build and the story you want to tell with your products. Regardless of how old the company is, people are always interested in how a business got started. Think along the lines of who was the founder and what gave them the idea to start the business?
Throwbacks, like this one from National Fish & Chip Awards, are a great way to create more content for social media.
Share, share, share!
When people take the time to buy into your business and take even more time to post about it on their social media accounts, a good way to show that you respect them doing this is to reshare their content.
Repost pictures that you are tagged in, follow people that engage with your content a lot and always remember that engagement is key.
Liking, following, sharing, reposting and commenting will help to grow your social media presence. If you have a good engagement with your customers, you may also be able to promote on social media if you are looking to hire new staff.
More people will be inclined to reach out and apply if they know the business has a good reputation for liaising with customers.
Aston Marina retweets posts from satisfied diners.
When it comes to promoting food businesses on social media there are a lot more things to share than recipes and pictures of food – although they are great ideas too.
Ensure your social media accounts have a range of posts, as varied content will keep customer interest high and encourage new followers to come and see what you’re all about.
If you need a hand, reach out to the affordable social media management team at 99social.