Food Goes Social

If I had a penny for every time I saw a picture of food on social media, I'd be a millionaire. But in reality, the real millionaires here are the businesses getting free exposure.

We live in an interesting generation. We have grown up with technology, so it's second nature to us. The digital age has changed the way people are socially connected, and people of all ages love to share. Whether it's "checking in" on Facebook, sharing photos and videos on Instagram and Snapchat, or even sharing an experience on Twitter.

Unlike some people who think that social media has negatively effected younger generations, I think it has made an incredible impact. Social media has not only connected people, but it has changed the way businesses market to and bring in consumers. Advertising can be done for free. Reaching a new audience, increasing reach, all for free.

My favorite thing to post about and see on Snapchat is mouth-watering food. And I can't even tell you how many times I have replied to peoples Snap stories asking where their food is from or what they're eating. Businesses thrive off of word-of-mouth exposure, and social media is making it so much easier.

Instagram is also a huge platform to advertise on. Some businesses pay for ads, but the big trend right now is personal "Finsta" (food Instagram) accounts. I follow a variety of different Finstas from around Atlanta, LA, NYC, and even in Athens. Instagram makes it easy for people to share good eats, tag their friends, and share its location. As of right now, if I ever traveled to LA or NYC I would need at least two weeks to hit all of the restaurants I wanted, all from being exposed to these Instagram accounts.

Some restaurants even offer incentives and discounts to customers for tagging them on social media. With Facebook, it's so easy to share your experience and "check in" to a location. People love getting recommendations from friends, and businesses benefit from this.

It amazes me how technology has evolved and is used today. Sharing on social media has completely changed the game. I mean c'mon, who can scroll past a video of a cheese pull without stopping for at least a second??

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Calling all CFA Lovers...

Image
If you live in Athens and love deals on food, follow @athens_cfa on Instagram! The Beechwood and Barnett Shoals Chick-fil-a post about deals weekly. The marketing team who runs this page does a really good job of incorporating UGA students as well as the Athens community as a whole. For example, they reach the market of UGA students by posting about College Night, late-night dinners downtown, etc. Not only do they post deals that bring in customers, they also run campaigns raising money for different philanthropies, get involved with community outreach, and also increasing their reach by using hashtags. They also do a really good job in getting their followers involved in different contests. This Instagram account hits all aspects including reach, brand awareness, customer involvement, and other necessary marketing goals which allows them to be successful. This is shown with their 4,810 followers, which continues to grow.
Read more

Snapchat Taking Advertising One Step Further

Image
Snapchat has done a really good job in becoming a useful advertising platform, mostly reaching out to younger markets. You've probably seen those facial-morphing filters on peoples pictures, which have been the most creative ad product out in the social media world. Advertisers have been taking advantage of these, although they have been complaining about not getting returns on their investment. Snapchat is now trying out new "Context Cards" for its sponsored lenses/ filters. This allows advertisers to use these filters free of charge, providing users with more information on the given advertisement. All the user has to do is swipe up on any of their friend's Snapchat that is using the filter, and it opens up a link within the app. This gives advertisers an easier way to see their ROI instead of just numbers on engagement. This is the right time for Snapchat to release something like this, by learning more from partners and finding way to help the community of use...
Read more
Image
We already know that brands are starting to integrate digitally to reach customers. This is done by integrating online shopper marketing such as offering recommended products, coupons, and even loyalty programs. Some brands can be successful and retain those customers, but they have to have the right strategy. If you've shopped at Urban Outfitters in the past year, you've probably been asked if you've downloaded their app while at the checkout counter. They increase their numbers in app downloads by offering 10% off of your first purchase with the download of the app. By creating an account within the app, customers are able to easily shop through the app while earning rewards. UO Rewards are earned by scanning the app at each purchase in store, purchasing through the app, and even scrolling through the app and sharing products. Once the user has reached 100 points, they receive a coupon towards their next purchase. This is a really good way of attracting and retaining ...
Read more