How To Become a Foodie Influencer

Do you dream of becoming a foodie influencer? It’s not as easy as it looks, and it certainly takes time and effort. But with dedication and the right skills, you can build a food account that catches the attention of an extensive audience. Check out the tips below to get started!

Demonstrate a Unique Point-of-View

A unique perspective is why people are interested in following you! Many influencers create great content, but the problem is it’s too similar to content that’s already been published. What makes people gravitate toward specific posts is a distinct perspective, and if executed correctly, the content will receive high engagement. Introduce your followers to new ideas and create content that fits only on your Instagram feed. Some unique options include:

·  A vegan diet

·  A gluten free diet

·  15-minute recipes

·  Religiosity: Kosher or Halal-focused

·  Best cocktails in town

It’s important to confidently create an account that stands out from the rest. Perhaps, researching similar accounts to stray away from what’s already been implemented can help you differentiate your page. Once you define your brand, make sure to stick to it, and don’t get distracted by the content that others are producing. Intertwine your personality and creativity with your photography to produce high-quality, engaging, and exceptional content!

Interact with Other Foodies in the Community

Follow other foodies and reach out to them to engage in larger conversations surrounding the food and beverage and influencer marketing industries. Interact with their posts by liking, commenting, engaging, and sharing – It’s all about spreading the love on social media! Meeting up with people who have similar interests as you, attending foodie events, signing up for speaker series, and building a support system is key. There’s nothing better than making a friend virtually and being able to meet up with him/her in the real world!

Interact with Brands You Love

It’s also important to engage with brands you genuinely love and care about. As an influencer, you should only be promoting products that you’re knowledgeable about and use on a regular basis. The most important factor to abide by when promoting products is transparency and authenticity so that you’ll be able to form a trustworthy relationship with your followers. By following your favorite brands that are meaningful to you and commenting on their posts, you’ll learn about new product releases and get a feel for the type of posts their followers are interested in seeing. Once you become familiar with the brand identity, content type, target market, and overall aesthetic, it’ll motivate and prepare you to work toward collaborating with the brand in the future.  

Promote Your Brand

Put yourself out there to form relationships! Many marketers prefer quality over quantity when it comes to your content and followers. If you’re based in a smaller city, don’t see it as a setback. Use it as an opportunity to become a popular influencer in your local area. Even with a small following, you can post quality content with entertaining captions that receive high engagement and allows you to build a tight-knit, loyal, and active following. From there, you can begin reaching out to local restaurants and marketing agencies to let them know you’re creating posts that feature them on your account. The hope is that you’ll receive invitations to events or free food tastings initially, and then you’ll be able set your own rate once you get the hang of it! It’s also important to create a brand for yourself, as well as an online persona. Rather than solely creating an Instagram account, develop a website, Facebook page, YouTube account (if applicable), and TikTok as well to produce an all-encompassing brand identity. Don’t be afraid to share your own posts on your Stories to expose them to a greater audience or pitch yourself to the marketing team at a restaurant to advertise that you can promote their products.

Improve Your Photography Skills

You know what they say… Practice makes perfect! Watch YouTube tutorials, read online articles, and dedicate time to practicing your photography skills. Online classes are another great option! And they don’t even need to be expensive — you can find affordable beginner classes on the Internet. Whether it’s with an iPhone or a professional camera, you’ll notice that the more photos you take, the better they’ll turn out. Read our past blog posts here and here for more food photography tips.

Start with Lower Content Rates

Again, when you first start your account, you may have to accept products or goods instead of money for your services. But there’s nothing wrong with that! As you continue to gain followers and share quality content, you can negotiate your earnings depending on what you’re producing. Eventually, you’ll be able to set your own rate for influencer campaigns — whether that’s a set rate or one that fluctuates depending on what the client requests. 

Once you hit 5k followers, we’d love for you to apply to join our Tribe so we can connect you with quality food + beverage brands for influencer campaigns. Apply by filling out the form on our website!