How do you choose the restaurant that you are going to try next Friday night? When you go to the grocery store, what makes you pick a brand over another? We know that most businesses are primarily marketed on social media, but we never fully realize the impact of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram on the food business. Today, 75 to 80% of new brands fail when they hit the grocery shelves. The problem? The companies did not use enough social media.
Even the many corporate catering services in Culver City and other cities use social media as their primary marketing tool. There are many social media platforms out there, but the big three remains: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A study found out that Facebook is the most popular platform to market a catering business, while Twitter stands as the second most popular social media platform to market a business.
On social media, you cannot be reactive. You cannot wait for other businesses such as yours to go viral and then jump in at the last minute. Your participation in engaging with customers and creating campaigns that will appeal to your audience is vital to the success of your business’ online presence.
Value Creation
A study conducted by the University of Southern California called “Thinking vs. Feeling: The Psychology of Advertising” shows that people value information and entertainment. The ads should trigger an emotional response from the audience. For example, your food business has to do with comfort dishes. If you serve mac and cheese, Southern-style fried chicken, and chicken noodle soup—some of the most popular comfort dishes—use these to connect with your audience. Your ad should associate these dishes to a childhood memory, which, in turn, will trigger a response from your market.
Influencers
Social media influencers are the new brand of celebrities today. They amassed millions of followers on social media. Some of them have a bigger impact on an ad than actual celebrities. Make sure to reach out to influencers who are true foodies because they will represent your business. Check out if they engage with their followers. You don’t want to get your business mixed with the wrong set of influencers, so be very careful in choosing who will give your business a stamp of approval.
Consistency
Being proactive in social media is not a one-day affair. Consistency is as important as creating a valuable ad campaign. You need to make a social calendar months in advance. It should contain the topics that you will post about in the coming weeks. Keep this updated when there are new trends that come up. Posting consistently well-curated content will endear you to your followers. Make sure that your posts also have relevant hashtags—the popular ones and the ones created for your brand.
When it comes to using social media and the food business, it all comes down to the time you are willing to invest. The food industry is a tough industry to be in. Every day, there’s a new trend threatening everything your business represents. Always be on the lookout for these changes. Your ability to change with these trends but remain consistently adhered to your core products will define how successful you can be.
