To help small catering businesses make the most of social media for promotion, we’ve gathered eight insightful tips from industry leaders, including Founders, CEOs, and Heads of Growth. From emphasizing visual appeal in content to captivating audiences with behind-the-scenes videos, discover how these experts have successfully leveraged social media in their businesses.
- Emphasize Visual Appeal in Content
- Implement Diverse Social Media Strategies
- Engage Followers With Special Offers
- Boost Reputation With Customer Testimonials
- Adopt Comprehensive Promotion Strategies
- Promote Engagement With Recipe Challenges
- Leverage User-Generated Content
- Captivate Audiences With Behind-The-Scenes Videos
1. Emphasize Visual Appeal in Content
The most important point for a small catering business to succeed on social media is consistently creating and sharing visually appealing, high-quality content. Here’s why this is crucial and how we implemented it successfully for one of our clients:
Visual Appeal: Food is a highly visual product; people eat with their eyes first. Therefore, it’s imperative to post high-resolution images and videos of your dishes. The more mouthwatering and appetizing your content looks, the more engagement and interest it will generate.
For example, we worked with a small catering business specializing in gourmet cupcakes. To boost their social media presence, we created a content calendar that included regular posts showcasing their cupcakes in various settings, such as elegant weddings, birthday parties, and even simple office celebrations. We used professional photography and video equipment to capture the intricate details of their cupcakes—a strategy often guided by expert advice from a digital marketing agency to ensure maximum impact.
Bruno Gavino, Founder and CEO, CodeDesign
2. Implement Diverse Social Media Strategies
A small catering business can maximize social media for promotion by:
1. Consistent Posting: Regularly share enticing food photos, event highlights, and behind-the-scenes glimpses to keep followers engaged.
2. Engaging Content: Interact with followers by responding to comments and messages promptly.
3. Hashtags: Utilize relevant and trending hashtags to expand reach.
4. Collaborations: Partner with local influencers or complementary businesses for cross-promotion.
5. Giveaways: Conduct contests or giveaways to boost engagement and attract new followers.
Example: In my catering business, we ran a “Taste of Summer” giveaway where followers could win a free summer-themed catering package by tagging friends and sharing our post. This led to a significant increase in followers and bookings, showcasing the power of social media promotions in driving business growth.
Adil Advani, Digital PR and Marketing Director, AnySoftwareTools
3. Engage Followers With Special Offers
Offering special deals, discounts, or giveaways to people who follow you on social media is a fun way to keep their attention and encourage them to spread the word about your catering business.
This approach makes the most of the ability of social media to build a sense of community and exclusivity. Running events and promotions on social media pages regularly has proven successful.
Through these programs, not only are loyal fans thanked, but they are also encouraged to take part and share content, which helps reach more people. By limiting these deals to people in the online community, customers feel like they belong and are valued.
Customers will be more likely to interact, stay loyal, and tell their friends about the business, and the online profile and business growth will also improve.
Carl Panepinto, Marketing Manager, Easy Allied Health
4. Boost Reputation With Customer Testimonials
Sharing testimonials and positive reviews from happy customers is a powerful way to boost the reputation of your catering business and give potential customers faith in the quality of your services.
Through my own experiences, I’ve learned that these recommendations are helpful social proof that shows you can provide remarkable culinary experiences. Within our business, we often share the genuine feedback we get from happy customers on our social media pages.
These reviews are real endorsements of our skills and dependability, letting potential clients know they can expect nothing less than the best service.
Using other people’s good experiences, we craft a compelling story that sticks with our audience and makes them confident about choosing our catering services. This practice brings in new customers and builds trust in our image, two essential things for long-term success in the catering business.
Matthew Appleton, E-Commerce Manager, Appleton Sweets
5. Adopt Comprehensive Promotion Strategies
Social media can be an effective tool for small catering businesses to promote themselves. Some strategies they can use include:
1. Sharing high-quality images and videos of dishes, preparations, and testimonials.
2. Maintaining a regular posting schedule and responding promptly to comments and messages.
3. Partnering with local food influencers to expand reach.
4. Encouraging customers to share their experiences using a unique hashtag.
5. Organizing contests and giveaways to boost engagement.
6. Investing in targeted social-media ads.
7. Sharing valuable content like cooking tips and recipes.
8. Using ephemeral content like Instagram Stories and Facebook Live for real-time engagement.
For instance, “Delightful Eats Catering” ran a successful “Taste of the Season” promotion. They posted festive images and encouraged followers to share their favorite holiday recipes using the hashtag #DelightfulTastes. This campaign increased engagement and boosted bookings for holiday catering events.
Faizan Khan, PR and Content Marketing Specialist, Ubuy UK
6. Promote Engagement With Recipe Challenges
A small catering company can utilize social media effectively by displaying mouth-watering food images, interacting with its audience, and conducting interactive promotions. One successful promotion a catering business executed was a “Weekly Recipe Challenge.”
Followers were encouraged to submit their favorite recipes or suggestions for menu items. Participants were required to use a specific hashtag and mention the company in their entries. A winning recipe suggestion was chosen and promoted each week as the “Dish of the Week” on social media. The victor received a catering discount on their next order.
The audience was engaged, and fresh menu ideas were crowd-sourced based on client preferences with this offer. It built brand community and excitement. User-generated content (UGC) was seen as legitimate endorsements. This technique can increase engagement, attract new clients, and engage a catering audience on social media.
Dr. Jennifer Silver, CEO, Owner, and Dentist, Macleod Trail Dental
7. Leverage User-Generated Content
In my small catering business, social media has been a game-changer for promotion. One strategy that worked exceptionally well for us was leveraging user-generated content. We encouraged satisfied clients to post pictures of our catering spreads on social media, tagging our business.
In return, we offered them a small discount on their next booking. This provided us with authentic testimonials and expanded our reach to potential customers within our clients’ networks. The posts acted as word-of-mouth endorsements, bringing in new business without requiring a hefty investment in advertising.
Michael Chen, Head of Growth, Notta
8. Captivate the Audience With Behind-The-Scenes Videos
Leveraging the allure of reality shows, our catering business excelled on social media by sharing intriguing “behind-the-scenes” videos. We showcased the raw reality—the stress, unexpected challenges, and genuine efforts behind every glamorous event.
These candid glimpses into our world captivated the audience and humanized our brand. By revealing the dedication it takes to handle unforeseen events, we connected with viewers on a deeper level, evoking empathy and understanding.
This unique approach engaged our audience and translated into increased inquiries and bookings, proving the power of genuine, unscripted content in social media promotions.
Sarah Politi, Founder and Managing Director, Jade & Sterling
Quick-Start Guide: Bringing Expert Tips to Life in Your Catering Business
Alright, you’ve soaked up some fantastic expert advice. Ready to take action? Here’s how to turn those words of wisdom into social media magic without breaking a sweat.
- Visual Content: Start by snapping some drool-worthy photos of your dishes. No professional camera? No worries. Good lighting and a smartphone can also do the trick.
- Content Calendar: Plan out a month’s worth of posts. Include pictures, special offers, and maybe even a customer testimonial. Use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule your posts.
- Interact: Aim to respond to comments and messages within 24 hours. Your followers will love the attention.
- Hashtag Game: Create a unique hashtag for your catering business. But don’t stop there; hop on trending food-related hashtags too.
- Collaborate: Reach out to local influencers for a potential partnership. A post from a food blogger can bring in more eyes and ears than you might think.
- Special Offers: Got a new dish? Offer a small discount for the first ten customers who order it and share their experience online.
- Testimonials: Use apps like Canva to turn customer reviews into eye-catching social media posts.
- Behind-the-Scenes: A simple timelapse video of your kitchen can be captivating and easy to produce.
Our Two Cents: Tailoring Your Social Media Approach
Okay, you’ve got the industry insiders’ tips. But there’s always room for a personal touch, right? Here are some bonus strategies that can add extra sparkle to your social media promotion.
- Seasonal Themes: Deck out your social media with seasonal dishes and décor. A pumpkin spice cupcake for fall, anyone?
- Local Features: Feature some local produce or dishes inspired by your community. Makes for great conversation starters online.
- Interactive Polls: Use polls to let your audience vote on a new menu item or the theme for the next event you cater. It’s a win-win; you get insights, and they get engaged.
- Employee Spotlights: Introduce your team members with quick bio posts. It adds a personal touch that people love.
- Time-Limited Promotions: Scarcity works. Run flash sales or limited-time menu items and announce them only on social media to keep your audience on their toes.
- Unveil the Process: Share your journey in sourcing the best ingredients or the art of setting a catering table. It’s enlightening and enriches your brand story.
- “Did You Know?” Facts: Sprinkle in some interesting food facts or catering trivia. It’s not just promotional, it’s educational!
- Celebrate Milestones: Did you cater your 100th event? Celebrate it online with a special offer or giveaway.
Combining industry-proven tactics with our tailored strategies allows your small catering business to flourish on social media. Now, go forth and share your culinary creations with the world! ️
