With most brands taking advantage of digital marketing, it can be tough to stand out among competition. Companies, including those in the food and beverage industry, are challenged to be more creative, more innovative – more everything. This can be intimidating whether you’re new to the digital marketing world or an old-time pro, but rest assured, the experts at Hyport Digital are here to help your brand break through the digital clutter.
In addition to having social media pages (key platforms are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest), you’ll want to make sure you’re actively engaging with customers on those pages. Content strategies are an important aspect of social media – they will help your brand gain relevance among social users. Posting three to four times a week is a great place to start, and don’t worry about crafting different posts for each platform. Create a synchronized plan where you post the same content on each account. You can even schedule your posts ahead of time to lessen the burden, using a platform like Hootsuite or Sprout Social. Cast a wide net by using hashtags and tagged locations, connecting your business with social users who are browsing by topic or locale.
Now, let’s dive into the latest trends that will help your brand stand out and bond with hard-to-reach users!
Partnerships
Influencer marketing is the latest and greatest trend in the digital world. That’s because it’s increasingly effective and result-driven. According to a recent article, “94% of elite marketers now use influencer marketing because it drives 11x more ROI than traditional digital marketing channels.” When you partner with an influencer, you’re not only driving attention to your brand through a powerful source, but social users are also getting an outside perspective on a food or beverage product they might not have considered purchasing otherwise.
A great example of a food company using Instagram influencers to build their brand is Daily Harvest. Before capitalizing on influencers, Daily Harvest was a small start-up looking to grow. Working with influencers helped them gain a faithful follower base in the social community. Influencers posted honest and unscripted videos of their morning routine, showing how their days started with a Daily Harvest smoothie. The smoothie solved a problem that many people experience, which is not having enough time or resources to make breakfast. And here were coveted influencers touting Daily Harvest as the solution. Identify a common problem among your target audience to help your ideal influencer create a powerful message explaining how your business is the answer. You could even have the influencer take over your social media accounts for the day, showcasing them as a dedicated follower of your brand. Check out Daily Harvest’s Instagram highlight titled “Takeovers” to see how this was executed!
Video Tutorials
With the rise in video marketing, you’ll want to make sure your brand is using videos in unique ways. Film a series of cooking segments, demonstrations, or how-to videos. Conduct research on popular recipes or trends within your specific food niche, and maximize the interest in these by offering related video content.
A great example of a prominent brand using video marketing to showcase their business is Califia Farms, a company that sells dairy-free products, cold-brew coffee, and juices. Veganism and plant-based diets have gained popularity over the past decade, and consumers want products and recipes that are accessible, credible, and healthy. So, how does this translate online?
Take a look at Califia Farms’ YouTube and Instagram pages – their cooking videos are quick, effective, and visually-pleasing. The clips rarely are longer than a minute, which is also great for Facebook and Instagram ads (the recommended ad length is 60 seconds). These tip-focused videos address a key need among the company’s audience: the desire for quick and easy meal ideas that are also healthy and taste delicious.
Make sure you promote these videos on platforms beyond YouTube, posting them on your website, as well as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feeds, to increase exposure and reach. Consider boosting the posts as well, to gain even more traction and views.
Contests
Looking for a great way to engage your audience and spark buzz? Create social media contests. This can be something as simple as asking followers to submit their favorite recipe.
Or perhaps your brand is open to releasing a new product line. Create a contest where customers can come up with the name or flavor, or maybe even design the label. You can reward the winner with something as small as a gift card or as large as a package of your brand’s best-selling products. This will prove you value your customers, and invites them to contribute to your business in a meaningful way. Make sure you use hashtags to brand the competition, and have a content strategy planned out in advance. Consider how you will market the contest, and work with your legal team to put together the terms and conditions.
Need some inspiration? Check out La Tortilla Factory’s #BTSwithLTF competition. This “Behind the Scenes with La Tortilla Factory” contest called for followers to submit a photo of a packed lunch or after-school snack that incorporated the company’s signature tortillas. The prize for the winning snapshot was $250 in branded swag, which motivated customers to participate. The company used relevant, branded hashtags to help promote the contest on social media and increase brand awareness. This required little resources, and was an easy way to engage with fans.
