One of the oldest and most popular influencer niches on social media is food and cooking. These food micro influencers are generating awareness for the latest cuisine trends, as well as encouraging fans to try different types of food and recommending quality brands.
The evolution of foodie influencers
When Instagram was brand new, one of the most popular posts was a snapped picture of food. It became a trend that stuck and is now a foodie tradition.
At first, people simply wanted to capture the beauty of a well-presented meal from their favorite restaurant. Or, they wanted to show off their dining experience to friends and family.
Today, foodie creators hone their craft to not just snap a shot of their entree, but to also tell a story behind their food photos and videos. Similarly, cooking creators use various online platforms to show fans special flavors and techniques. Food influencers encompass both restaurateurs and cooks with varying skill levels but each with their own authentic perspective.
What is the connection between food influencers and the food industry?
Most food creators specialize in content in one of three areas:
- Cooks
- Foodies
- Travelers
All three have a particular effect on the greater food and beverage industry. From local restaurants to cookware and hospitality, brands are leveraging food creators to promote their products and services to their ideal target audience.
Cooking creators
Cooking creators include professional chefs and hobbyists alike. These creators might make videos of their process, snap images, or post full recipes for followers on social media or on their personal blog.
As influencers, they might partner with cookware, food (ingredients), or appliance brands to help followers make more informed purchases. These influencers might also promote their own products, including seasonings or published cookbooks.
Foodie creators
Foodie creators love to eat out and try different types of food. Many foodies overlap into the travel industry to experience cuisine from other cultures.
These influencers often review restaurants and grab flattering images of the food that they eat. When it comes to promoting brands, they typically shoutout a restaurant that exceeds their expectations and encourage fans to visit the location for themselves.
Travel influencers
Travel influencers are also perfect fits as foodie influencers, because local dining is one of the most common aspects of a great trip. Their impact extends across different types of hospitality brands, including:
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Wineries
- Bars
- Amusement parks
- Festivals
- Cruises
Best performing content of foodie creators
Food social media is a highly visual category. As such, platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok are full of some of the finest foodie and cook creators online today.
Images
A beautiful, detailed image of food resonates well with most audiences. Creators may choose to publish their posts in studio or IRL (in real life) quality. The best food image posts include vibrant colors and relatable post captions.
Recipes
Creators use social media and personal blogs to post their favorite recipes. When sharing a recipe, readers love to hear compelling stories behind what inspired the recipe.
Most bloggers or recipe influencers also post images or videos to accompany their written content.
Videos
Videos allow followers to see personality, motion, and story in a more engaging format. Food creators exist within short-form video platforms (like Instagram and TikTok) and long-form video platforms (like YouTube and Twitch).
Top 5 food micro influencers on Instagram
1. Sancheir Austin
Sancheir is a talented home chef on a mission to inspire folks to live a well-rounded life. You can check out her account for delicious and (mostly) simple recipes you can test out for dinner with your family.
2. Olga Shulpina
Olga’s account has a next-level aesthetic that truly drives home the artistry at play in her recipes. Her food looks almost as if it should be in a picture frame rather than on a plate.
3. Tai Clark
Tai is a culinary arts teacher dedicated to cooking with love. Her page is full of helpful tips for the at-home chef, with plenty of lifestyle content sprinkled on top.
4. Pierre Chirac
Pierre is a talented French pastry chef. I don’t speak French, so it would probably be kind of hard to follow along with his recipes but I sure do want to eat everything I see.
5. Te Dong
Te Dong is an LA-based sushi chef. He loves booze, too. Want to know what pairs best with a hamachi nigiri? Visit his page to find out that and plenty more!
Top 5 food micro influencers on TikTok
1. Julianna Forster
Jules is a Chicago real estate agent. And like any good real estate agent, she knows all the best places in the city to eat. IF you’re from Chicago or planning to visit, stop by her page for some insider info.
2. Adventures of a Fat Guy
They say never to trust a skinny chef and I don’t think our man here would argue with you. Come for some top-notch recipes and be sure to bring your appetite.
3. Magri Alberto
Do you have a sweet tooth? Then you’re going to love Magri. This pastry chef is always in the kitchen playing with a bunch of dough and turning it into something so sweet enough to melt your heart.
4. Sixpackpiggy
Sixpackpiggy is jacked and hungry. Follow him for some workout tips during the week, and on the weekend, learn how to have your cheat day in style.
5. Cooking Food
She’s cooking food, folks! And she’s doing it in a big ‘ol wok, too. You never know what she’s going to put in there but it always comes out looking delicious.
Top 5 micro influencer food bloggers
1. Joshua Weissman
Joshua Weissman is a professional chef who learned to cook as a way to cope with being bullied at school. Since both his parents were competent cooks, he learned many basic cooking skills from an early age. After achieving success in fine dining venues, he launched his blog to share tips, recipes, and connect with fans.
2. Lindsey Baruch
Lindsey Baruch is a food and travel blogger with professional photography skills. Readers enjoy her unique combination of all three niches. She features her own recipes throughout her blog, as well as dining tips in various parts of the world.
3. Shivesh Bhatia
Shivesh Bhatia learned to write in college where he majored in political science. Almost immediately, he found his calling as a baking influencer on Instagram and eventually launched his blog to maintain a collection of his fans’ favorite dessert recipes.
4. Hugh Harper
Hugh Harper is a creator on the side. In his blog, he chronicles his international travels. His favorite things to blog about are local cuisine and fine dining everywhere he goes.
5. Rina, Nofussvegan
Rina is a vegan food cook and creator. Years ago, she decided that vegan food was the best approach for her and her family, and she embraced the learning curve of shopping and preparing meals differently. Today, she offers recipes, tips, and tricks for those interested in a vegan lifestyle.
Conclusion
Food influencers exercise their unique skills to bring tasty meals to life. Not only does their content look delicious, but it also tells an endearing story that connects with their audience. Food, beverage, and hospitality brands that partner with food creators can forge more meaningful relationships with their audience.
Learn more about influencer marketing: Influencer Marketing 101
