Digital Marketing Strategy Tips for Food Businesses
If you want to utilise digital marketing for your food business, your small food business can gain exposure to market to huge audiences. Follow this guide to learn how to do it the right way.
Success with digital marketing depends on understanding consumer needs and the process of how they shop. That means…
- Know how individuals plan.
- Understand the expectations.
- Deliver the goods and services.
The food business industry faces many challenges across all sectors. For example, over 1,400 UK restaurants failed in 2018-2019, bringing down top performers like Jamie Oliver.
It’s essential to claim your niche and define your brand.
An excellent starting point for ensuring your business’s solvency is identifying and promoting your business effectively using common sense and a focused marketing strategy.
Start With Your Online Billboard
Most consumers visit a business’s website before going to it. It provides that all-important first impression. Use it to your advantage.
That means high-quality photos and video.
As a food business, you have an incredible advantage with pictures to showcase your offerings. If you’re running a promotion, make it front-page news. Keep the content current with pricing and other information to help consumers make informed choices.
We recommend updating the content often to create buzz.
Tell Your Story
People relate to businesses better if they can relate to them. It builds trust and loyalty to see the human side of things. Don’t feel ashamed of your humble beginnings in the industry.
Share it.
Individuals also trust others for reviews, both good and bad. Leverage customer reviews. Put testimonials on your home page, preferably above the fold to spark interest and keep them on your site.
You have only seconds to convince a potential customer to buy from you—literally.
Claim Your Yelp.com and Google My Business Pages
Potential customers don’t stop at your website to learn more about your business. They look for the opinions and experiences of others.
It’s imperative to claim it on sites like Yelp.com and GoogleMyBusiness.com. Look at the benefits.
Put your website on any site that lists food businesses.
Visualise It
Use social media with visual stories on Pinterest and Instagram. If appropriate for your food business, use infographics and of course, video, both indoor and outdoor.
What You See Is What You Get
The most important thing you can do as a food business owner is…
Deliver the good as pictured and described.
Your website sets the bar and expectations. Consumers have decided to patronise your business because of what you have promised.
Don’t disappoint.
Build Loyalty
Engaging consumers for a one-time buying experience is one thing. The best digital marketing strategy also focuses on loyalty and repeat sales.
Coupons offer some opportunities. However, saying it with freebies or cash takes it to the next level. It is gamifying buying in a big way.
The promise of a reward is a powerful marketing tool.
Tap the Influencers in Your Niche
People believe others if they feel their opinions are unbiased. That’s why we read reviews. You can capitalise on this concept by finding the influencers.
Think food bloggers and vbloggers.
These individuals hold sway because their followers trust them.
There are several ways you can harness this marketing strategy. You can solicit a review of your products. If you sell spice mixes or sauces, hire the blogger to make something and write about it. Invite them to an event at your shop.
An influencer can bring traffic to your business without investing in additional advertising.
Go Mobile
To succeed in the food business, you must embrace mobile advertising. Worldwide, spending through 2022 is expected to grow by nearly 50 per cent. The figure jumps to over 67 per cent in the United States, alone.
The potential—and the competition—is obvious…
You must grab your ticket and get on board.
This strategy lends itself well to the food business. Think of taking photos of the foods you get at a restaurant or the dishes you prepare at home with that killer BBQ sauce you bought.
It’s all good.
Make It Convenient
People like convenience. Whether you sell takeaway meals or kitchenware, consider contracting a delivery service. It’s an excellent way to make those impulse purchases translate into sales. Consider the numbers.
In 2018, consumers made almost 40 per cent of food orders online. Jamie Oliver blamed this spin-off industry for the demise of his businesses. Don’t make his mistake.
Embrace delivery and make it as easy as possible for your consumers to give you money.
Final Thoughts
A sound digital marketing strategy gives you an edge in the competitive environment of the food industry. Your goal is to make your business stand out from the crowd. Getting your unique character out for the masses is an ideal way to reach your target audience.
Who knows? Your food business might be the next viral marketing advertisement.