Social Media Marketing Services for the Food Industry: A Comprehensive Guide

Social media is not just a networking platform anymore, but has also emerged to be one of the most reliable marketing resources. As all industries try taking their social media game a notch up to reach their target audience, the food industry is no exception. To make sure you are getting the most out of social media advertising, it is important to have a solid strategy in place. Here is everything you need to know before you start building one for your brand.

Social Media Marketing in the Food Industry – Understanding the Relevance

Social media has transformed the way the marketing industry works by making connecting with your customers easier than it has ever been. Not working on building a noticeable social media presence these days is as close as it gets to holding your business back, and you wouldn’t want to be the culprit, right?

Some of the most common but effective ways the food industry can leverage the power of social media include:

• Share high-quality images of the products you offer.
• Share the updated food menu every time it undergoes some seasonal/weekly modification.
• Pay attention to your customers’ expectations from you and plan content addressing those expectations.
• Include behind the scene photos and videos, the internet loves those.
• Introduce the world to your team by featuring the personnel every now and then.

• Even though images are the most used type of media, make interactive designs, too, a part of your social media plan.

Building a social media presence while also managing a business can be inarguably difficult, and that is where reliable social media marketing services come in handy.

In order to start and sustain a business in the food industry, social media marketing is more of a necessity than a choice. The first thing anyone looks up after they come to know of a brand in the food industry is their social media handle on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, even websites and Google search are increasingly taking the backseat.

When you take a proactive approach to building a social media presence, you open doors to:

• Your restaurant being found easily on social media and on the internet
• People taking genuine interest in your product, processes, and people
• A strengthened brand images

When working on building a social media marketing strategy, it is of utmost importance that you are targeting the right platform. Going by the most recent market trends and statistics, Instagram is the most preferred social media platform as far as the youngsters are concerned while Facebook continues to be the favorite among the older age group. In any case, paid advertising on Instagram would still require you to create a Facebook page, you know just what you need to do.

How is social media marketing different from traditional marketing of food?

Food marketing is a relatively new domain as transportation of food and manufacturing were both somewhat challenging and expensive back in the day. It was convenient and affordable to simply shop from a nearby vendor. However, with the advancement in technology, several things that seemed to be impossible at a point in time are now achievable. You could be in any corner of your city and get food delivered to your doorstep from your favorite outlet in the opposite corner. Not just that, the connectivity is such that you can even get food delivered across cities and states.

When you use traditional marketing methods such as hoardings or pamphlets to stay relevant in the food industry, you limit your reach as well as customer base. Effective social media marketing helps break the location barriers, and that is exactly why it only makes sense to advertise where your customers spend their maximum time. A recent survey suggests that more than 50% of young adults search social media for food related information, and that they are more likely to avoid dining in at a restaurant that doesn’t have an attractive social media profile. This metric would have been redundant in the olden times, however, now, it is fully capable of deciding the trajectory of your food business.

Getting the Most out of your Social Media Marketing Strategy

By now, you already understand the relevance of a well-thought social media marketing strategy in the food and services industry. Are you yet to start working on creating a social media marketing strategy for your business? Here are some statistics you might find interesting:

• More than 63% of restaurants have already started using professional social media marketing services
• At least 50% of consumers discover new food joints through Instagram
• More than 37% internet users scan social media profile of a brand before they make a purchase

Now that it has been established that a fine social media marketing strategy is essential to building a modern business in the food industry, there is no reason for you to hold yourself back. It’s time you started optimizing your online presence. There are several things you can try to identify what works the best for you – collaborate with influencers, run ads on Instagram and Facebook, engage with your audience in the DMs and comments, host contests and giveaways; whatever sails your boat!

Final Thoughts on Social Media Marketing for the Food Industry

“If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends.” – Jeff Bezos

While a good social media presence will definitely bring more business, you also need to be mindful about your behavior online as a wrong step could cost you your reputation. Learn from your peers, observe your target audience, make relevant content, speak about what matters to you, and be transparent.

Delegating the responsibility of building and handling your social media presence to a social media marketing services provider saves you a lot of time and effort, allowing you to focus on what matters the most; building your business!