To help food bloggers multiply their followers on social media, we sought advice from seven industry professionals, including directors and CEOs. They shared various techniques, from hosting collaborative Instagram takeovers to launching a recipe challenge. Dive into these seven insightful tips to boost your social media presence.
- Host Collaborative Instagram Takeovers
- Implement Social-Media Sharing Widgets
- Organize Monthly Cook-Along Sessions
- Enhance Photos and Follower Interactions
- Collaborate with Complementary Bloggers
- Curate Niche-Related Content
- Launch a Recipe Challenge
1. Host Collaborative Instagram Takeovers
Hosting collaborative “Instagram takeovers” with fellow bloggers or local food businesses is instrumental. Sharing content on each other’s platforms for a day introduces brands to a broader yet relevant audience.
This mutual promotion brings fresh, engaging content to followers and exposes the blog to potential new followers from the collaborator’s community. It’s a win-win that effectively multiplies reach.
Farhan Advani, Director Marketing, PhotoshopBuzz
2. Implement Social-Media Sharing Widgets
Enable visitors to your food blog to share recipe posts on their social networks to increase your brand’s social reach. Their followers will notice your recipes and be intrigued enough to visit your site, restarting the social-sharing cycle.
Besides increasing social traffic to your food blog, placing social-media widgets on each post’s page will improve your site’s search engine results. “Share This,” “Add This,” and “Sumo Me” are frequently used by bloggers to quickly add share buttons to their websites and expand their social-media reach.
Axel Hernborg, Founder and CEO, Tripplo
3. Organize Monthly Cook-Along Sessions
Hosting monthly “cook-along” sessions on Instagram or TikTok Live has been a game-changer for me. I announce a recipe in advance, giving followers time to gather ingredients. Then, we cook together in real time.
This interactive approach provides value and fosters a sense of community among my followers. As a result, many participants share their dishes, tagging me, which naturally attracts more followers to my account.
Ranee Zhang, VP of Growth, Airgram
4. Enhance Photos and Follower Interactions
There are lots of opinions about what food bloggers in particular, should do to up their social media game. There are a handful of tried-and-true methods that I subscribe to. Some vary from platform to platform, but let’s focus on Instagram. It’s the most popular social media platform for food bloggers.
Taking better photos seems like a given, but many food pics posted to IG are not that great. Experiment with the settings on your camera or phone. Try to feature photos with some human component, such as glasses clinking or a hand holding a burger. If the picture isn’t great, no one will click on it.
Good photos will help you engage with your audience, too. Don’t just post Reels, Stories, and photos to your grid; call it a day. You need to interact with as many followers who comment as possible, then expand to their followers, and so on.
Alex Mastin, CEO and Founder, Home Grounds
5. Collaborate with Complementary Bloggers
In food blogging, one of the most effective strategies for growth I’ve observed is collaboration with bloggers in complementary niches. Such partnerships allow tap into a new yet relevant audience that may have yet to discover your content.
For instance, a vegan food blogger might collaborate with a dessert-focused blogger to feature vegan desserts. Ideally, both parties would encourage their respective audiences to explore the other’s content.
However, balancing audience size and engagement is essential when seeking collaborations. A blogger with a following of 10,000 might find it challenging to collaborate with someone whose audience is tenfold because of the disparity in value each brings.
Chris Stott, Director, Seven Marketing
6. Curate Niche-Related Content
Being original and innovative with your content is great, but if you want to add more mileage to your social media efforts, experimenting with curated content works wonders—especially if you’re looking to multiply followers.
Take the example of food and culinary brands associated with your niche. Many share specific dishes or recommendations or discuss particular products or ingredients. Whatever they post could serve as inspiration for your post. Whether you discuss these posts or share them on your feed, you are sharing content that may not be original but is closely associated with your niche.
The great thing is, that there are hundreds of posts you can choose from, thanks to content from food manufacturers to restaurateurs. As long as you can connect these posts to your food blog, you can share them on social media.
Gabriele Asaro, SEO Executive, Clash.gg
7. Launch a Recipe Challenge
Consider asking your followers to try out a new dish you’ve created and to tag one friend they’d love to make it with. You can offer a prize to the pair with the best photo of them trying out the cooked dish.
Not only does this generate more engagement for your challenge post, but it also expands the number of accounts you reach through tags. Making a dish is a fun experience, so these people will likely follow your account if they enjoy the challenge.
Nancy Mitchell, Registered Nurse and Contributing Writer, Assisted Living Center
From Morsels to Mouthfuls: Our Savory Take on Boosting Social Media Presence for Food Bloggers
So you’ve heard from the pros, but let’s dish out some of our home-cooked advice, shall we? Pull up a chair and dig in!
Sprinkle Some Hashtags: The Spice of Social Media
- Tip: Use 5-10 relevant hashtags in each post to extend your reach, but don’t overdo it. Less can often be more flavorful!
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Yums: Master Food Photography
- Technique: Invest in a good camera and learn basic food styling. A visually stunning dish can make people stop scrolling and start following.
The Comment Cocktail Party: Stirring the Pot
- Strategy: Spend a few minutes each day responding to comments on your posts and stories. It not only fosters community but also boosts your post’s visibility.
Your Content Calendar: A Well-Set Table
- Tip: Plan your posts for the week, keeping variety in mind. Like any well-balanced meal, your content should offer a mix of recipes, tips, and personal insights.
Building Partnerships: The Potluck Approach
- Strategy: Partner with local restaurants or food brands for giveaways. It’s a win-win: they get exposure, and your followers can taste something new.
Analytics: The Kitchen Timer for Social Media
- Technique: Track engagement and follower growth metrics weekly to understand what’s cooking and what’s not. Adjust your recipe accordingly.
In the social media kitchen, ingredients are important, but the chef’s unique flair creates a memorable dish. Use these tips as your spice rack to concoct your delicious brand online. Whether it’s a sprinkle of engagement or a dash of collaboration, find your secret sauce and watch your follower count soar!
