Food Influencers

I’ve had always had a passion for food, even wanting to become a professional chef for most of my childhood. When I was really young, I watched endless hours of the early Food Network great chefs, Ready Set Cook, and Julia Child on television, hoping I could gain a little insight into their genius. I would host my own nightly cooking shows in my kitchen to an audience of teddy bears, making nonsensical “treats” in the microwave and freezer because I was too young to operate the stove alone. Though I decided to pursue science instead of going to culinary school, my love of food never left me. So, I started a food blog in 2012. At the time, I was a few years out of college and enjoying experimenting with new recipes. I thought this was a great opportunity to both document my creations and share them with my friends and over the years, this has evolved into a fun hobby, side hustle, and creative outlet.

Food is one of the most popular categories of content on instagram and influencers play a huge role in promoting new restaurants, cookbooks, recipes, and food content. That’s why it’s not surprising that the highest paid influencers can make ~$1 Million dollars a post! Insane, right?!?  I frequently get asked in my DM’s about food influencer culture and particularly why it is important, how influencers can help grow a business, and how to attract partnerships as a small-reach or ‘micro influencer’. This post summarizes a few key takeaways from these questions.

Why do social influencers matter for the food industry?

First of all, take a look at this article summarizing the important of social influence. Social media influencers play a huge role in driving trends and food related content. In fact, whether it’s dalgona coffee (see my early foray into Tik Tok) or spiralized vegetables, new food trends are often propelled through social media. Because of this, a new restaurant or food brand can really gain traction by engaging influencers to drive traffic to their brand.

What resources are available to engage influencers?

A great option is to use organized influencer groups to find the right people to promote your brand. Sure, your brand could DM individual influencers you like, but this is both effortful and often inefficient. Instead, using a company like intellifluence is a great alternative. Here you can read how they will support your food or beverage brand. They will help you team up with influencers to promote your business and pair you with like-minded people that fit your style, brand, and audience. What more could you ask for? I absolutely love working with them to find interesting partnerships that fit my vibe and style.

Whether you are a large brand looking to launch a new product or a small food or beverage brand trying to get more name recognition, social media has to be part of your marketing strategy. Luckily, there are great companies ready to help you out with the process and make it as seamless as possible. Hope this answers some of your questions and can’t wait to see all that you guys create! Feel free to reach out with questions/

References:

• https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/food-drink/these-are-the-highest-paid-food-influencers-in-the-world-55ebca48-efbb-4553-9ac6-465c2c4df53d
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2020/02/18/why-social-influence-matters-for-food-and-beverage-brands/#2276efc93e61
• https://intellifluence.com/food-drink (post sponsored by intellifluence)