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The Industry-Specific Approach to Influencer Marketing
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.
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.
Most food creators specialize in content in one of three areas:
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 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 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 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:
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.
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.
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 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).
Betul is both a recipe creator and professional food photographer. Her favorite cuisines include ethnic foods, such as recipe inventions from Europe, Asia, and South America. When sharing a recipe, she uses post captions to list ingredients and instructions so that fans can follow the recipe right inside the app.
Peppa is a food blogger from India. American audiences favor his Instagram page where all descriptions and instructions are written in English. In addition to reviewing local food vendors, Peppa shows off Indian cooking skills of his own.
Bello is one of the most prolific video creators on Instagram. He features Italian dishes in both short-form (Reels) and long-form (IGTV) posts. He is also a published cookbook author.
Master Chef Abinas Nayak left his career in IT to become a professional cook. Among his favorite dishes are appetizers, main courses, and cocktails. In addition to curating his Instagram community, he runs cooking workshops for aspiring chefs.
Tim Cheung does some cooking, but he mostly loves reviewing local dining in the greater Bay Area of California and around the world. He is a partner for Open Table and an avid traveler.
@maxlamanna the perfect EASY weeknight meal #food #recipes #easyrecipes #vegan #pasta #macandgreens ♬ Baby Work It – Your Favourite Garçon
Max La Manna is a BBC Earth host on several cooking shows. He is an advocate for “low-waste cooking,” and before becoming a TikTok sensation, he was known as the author for the popular cookbook, More Plants Less Waste.
@rootedinspice felt like a scientist👩🏽🔬 #chai #masalachai #tandoorichai ad- @kolkatachaico
♬ You – Petit Biscuit
Another Bay Area foodie is CB, otherwise known as Rootedinspice. Her social name comes from her love of South Asian cuisine and uses videos to demonstrate her unique recipes and cooking style.
@betweenspoonfuls Make rainbow boba shots with me 🌈🧋 #boba #homecafe #fypシ #foryoupage
♬ Roxanne – Instrumental – Califa Azul
Michael loves all sweet foods, including cocktails and espressos. He is also a fan of artistic color while creating amazing treats for fans on TikTok and YouTube.
@ocfoodandview Loaded Cali Quesarito! #bussin #quesarito #sauce #foodhack #foryou
♬ original sound – Amir David Cuevas
Christine manages the brand OC Foodie, a creative portfolio of blogs, images, and videos showing off some of the best restaurants and attractions in Orange County, California. While she does recommend all food types, her favorite meal is breakfast.
@foodfool Flamin’ Hot Cheese Pickle 🔥🥒 Did You Hear The Pop At The End? 😂 #food #foodie #fried #cheese #foryoupage #foodtiktok
♬ Patata – Drill Remix – PsychoBeat
Colin Wingerter is an amateur cook and brand ambassador for Dan-O Seasoning. And if he can fry it or cook it on a stick, he will try the recipe and review it on TikTok for fans and followers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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