7 content ideas for food-related brands
Plus a few tips to help you stand out on Instagram!
By Jessica Alex
Do you own a conscious, healthy food brand? Are you feeling lost in the sea of food brand content floating around on Instagram? The truth is, you’re not alone and there’s a way out! Grab your lifesaver swimming tube 🛟 by creating content that your audience will stop scrolling for.
Whether you own a product-based food brand or service-based food brand, here are a few ideas to get your Instagram content going!
Product-based Food brandS
1. Highlight healthy benefits of key ingredients
2. Share a recipe using your products
3. Share snack ideas
4. Share behind-the-scenes of production
Service-based Food BrandS
(e.g. nutritionist, personal chef)
5. Share quick and easy meal ideas
6. Share your grocery run picking up your favourite ingredients
7. Share your favourite recipe with 10 ingredients or less
Now that you have a few content ideas for your healthy food brand, you may be looking for tips to navigate the choppy waters on Instagram.
Here's a few tips to help your healthy food brand stand out on Instagram!
1. Make it visually-appealing.
Your photos and graphics should be bright and inviting. For instance, food photos with grey tones will make your food look bland and may not grab the intention of your ideal target audience. Show your food product in the best light! The more appetizing and mouth-watering the better!
2. Show it in action.
It’s no secret that the popularity of videos have sky-rocketed. Show your product in action! For example, share the step-by-step process of using your product in a recipe.
3. Share social proof.
This tip is no different than any other brand. Share social proof! Let your audience know what people think of your product (or service) with reviews and testimonials.
Learn more about sharing user-generated content in The Ultimate Guide to User-Generated Content (for free)!
4. Share the benefits and results.
Linked to the tip above, share the benefits of using your product. Does your product have a high source of protein or calcium? Does your service help your clients save time, or lose weight healthily?
5. Show up consistently.
Part of what will help you have success on Instagram is showing up consistently. Your fans want to see you (or your brand). At a minimum try to post at least 3 times a week on your feed and mix up photos and Reels. Post daily in your Stories to keep your audience engaged. Not every Story needs to be about selling your product, for instance you can ask your audience questions (related to your brand or industry) and you can share updates and more behind-the-scenes type videos. You can also share user-generated content.
6. Show your brand personality.
Is your brand cheeky? Playful? Sophisticated? Let your brand personality shine through. The more consistently you share your brand personality, the more you’ll attract your ideal audience and create a community. Share content that allows your brand personality to shine. For example, a cheeky or playful food brand may do well with sharing memes from time-to-time that are relatable to your product and target audience.
7. Be engaging
When people comment or DM you about your product, respond! With Instagram engagement rates going down over the years [1], coupled with the fact that food and beverage brands are known for having the lowest Instagram Engagement Rate [2], it’s even a bigger deal that someone took enough interest to comment or send you a direct message. To build relationships and encourage continued engagement, reply to your audience.
8. Collaborate with others
Collaboration is the name of the game! Partner with the right influencers (that are authentic and relatable to your audience) to help boost your brand. For example, you can run a giveaway to help increase your brand’s awareness, and this is especially important to have the right influencers to partner with because it increases the probability that their audience will be interested in your product to.
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Footnotes:
1. In Rival IQ’s 2022 Social Media Industry Benchmark Report, it uncovered that Instagram engagement rates fell by about 30%. The study involved 2,100 brands across 14 industries, including Food & Beverage.
2. In Bazaar Voice’s 2021 Instagram benchmarks report, they “found that food and beverage brands have the lowest Instagram Engagement Rate out of 19 different industries.”
