Is your food business ready to get ahead of the competition in 2022? From tailored content and personalisation to influencer marketing, there are so many different ways to hit the ground running to connect with your consumers and satisfy their cravings.
To help, we’ve put together a list of food content marketing trends that will help you cook up a winning recipe in 2022.
Create short video content
Short video content is the food content marketing trend that has swept the industry in the last 18 months. Creating bite-sized, short-form content on social platforms with video features such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels can really engage users, making it easier for them to discover your brand and foodie offering.
What’s more, there is significant audience growth potential with short video content as it often leaves consumers hungry for more. Therefore, this creative content can encourage users to return to your profile, therefore strengthening the connection between your brand and audience.
Conducting research to discover what type of content is most effective in the industry is a great way to get creative with trending reel and video content. Typically within the food industry, consumers enjoy seeing behind-the-scenes content such as the process of preparing a certain menu item, showing your team hard at work, or even focusing on your seasonal restaurant decor.
Consumers can absorb small bursts of information through a creative lens in videos that range between 30 seconds and a minute. Adding some music or voiceover on top will enhance this even more, and you'll end up with content that generates a buzz around your brand. Not only this, but if you’re doing something your competitors are failing to do, you're already ahead of the game and stand a better chance of retaining new customers.
Tailor and personalise your content to your customer
While it's important to optimise your content for search engines, it's equally important to personalise it to your target audience. Personalisation has always been a big hit with businesses, so there’s no surprise it’s a key food content marketing trend.
You boost your chances of obtaining business by speaking directly to your customers. For example, addressing their pain points, speaking on their level, and anticipating their wants and needs by providing them with related content, are all great ways to communicate with your target market.
The fact is, consumers are more likely to place their truth in people, not companies. To retain this trust, your brand can generate personalised and targeted content that humanises your brand and makes your customers feel recognised.
Sending emails to your loyal customers with exclusive promotions and discounts is a great way to achieve this. Presenting them with a reward will make them feel valued and appreciated, and they will be more likely to take you up on your offer as a result.
Place emphasis on user experience
Placing emphasis on your user experience is another example of an effective food content marketing trend that can help to increase your audience engagement.
The secret to keeping your customers happy is by having a user-friendly website. There’s nothing worse than your customers being unable to navigate your website. To avoid this, ensure it loads quickly so they’re not left waiting, make sure it’s mobile-friendly, and ensure your brand identity is consistent throughout.
In terms of the content you publish, having written content that is in small paragraphs and easy to read is vital. If your consumers are faced with too much text, they won’t spend any time on your site. Be sure to add plenty of visuals whether that’s photography, illustration, or video content, as this helps to break up walls of text and ultimately creates a better user experience.
Optimise content for voice search
Another food content marketing trend worth incorporating this year is optimising your content for voice search. With over one billion voice searches each month, your food brand can't afford to ignore voice search optimisation.
Today, so many consumers are using voice search engines such as Alexa, Siri, and Google to retrieve quick answers to their questions.
The best method of optimising your content is to use short and concise copy so your content is easy to find. For example, questions could include, “Where is the nearest fish and chip shop to me?” or “Is there gluten in XYZ?” If your content isn’t optimised for voice search, chances are you’ll miss out on this valuable traffic.
If your food business is optimised for voice search, the more chances you have of appearing in search engines, therefore helping you establish your brand’s online presence, and encouraging customers to buy your products.
Get on board with influencer marketing
It's hard to imagine a world where we don’t take pictures of our food before eating it, however, with the rise of influencer marketing, this is the one sure way to promote your food business.
A food content marketing trend that’s set to stick around for a while is influencer marketing. Simply put, these influencers are essentially another branch of user-generated content working as digital creators to reach and engage with their followers on social media platforms. Whether it is delicious images, cooking tips, or food inspiration, an effective marketing content strategy utilises the content of its audience to further promote itself.
Essentially, these are considered a valuable resource for marketers aiming to attract a certain audience, as promoting the food on their social channels can springboard brand awareness and increase sales.
In this digital age, foodie influencers have become essential components of restaurant marketing. With a blend of strategy, innovation, common sense, and social media tracking, these collaborations can elevate your brand.
With many consumers conducting research online before they choose to purchase from a takeaway or restaurant, this kind of content is especially useful.
Understand the importance of brand transparency
With 86 percent of consumers saying that authenticity is a key factor when deciding what brands they like, it’s never been more important to get on board with brand transparency.
Brand transparency has always been important, however, in recent years the demand for authenticity and honesty has reached new heights. Today, customers want to get under the skin of your brand and learn everything they can about it, from your suppliers right down to the material of your packaging.
Going forward into the new year, the best course of action for your food brand is to thoroughly understand and shout about your products and supply chains. With the increase in conscious shoppers and diners, many are seeking honesty when it comes to the sourcing of your ingredients. If the process is ethical and sustainable, then let your customers know. They will admire you for being honest about your processes and in turn, you will gain their respect and support.
If you’re looking to add any of these marketing trends into your mix but aren’t sure where to start, get in touch with Eat Marketing. Whether you need some expert advice, a thorough strategy, or social media support, we have the winning formula to help you stay ahead of the competition in the new year.
