What’s The Dish On Foodie Influencers?

There’s a certain appeal for food and beverage brands to work with influencers. And that makes sense, because they’re everywhere—and when utilized properly, they work! Influencers generated an incredible $4.8 billion in estimated media value in 2023, just one of many fun facts in this piece in Nation’s Restaurant News. But there’s also quite a bit of uncertainty.

Where do I find influencers? How do I start a conversation for a collaboration? What do we offer an influencer and do they expect a fee? How much do influencers make? What are the best influencers for food brands? What kinds of posts do we want? How do we measure success?

There’s a lot to sift through. But we’ve found it’s worth it. Come see how.

Which One?

There is a smorgasbord of influencers who fit into the food and beverage category. Finding the right one can seem daunting. For brands looking for an amuse-bouche into the world of influencer marketing, consider these factors:

• Local influencer marketing. Find influencers with a “small” following. As an example, a content creator on Instagram with 10,000 or so followers who regularly receives 100s of likes and several comments per post. Begin searching with the geotag of the city and using apt hashtags like #food and #eatlocal among others.
• Aesthetic pages and photos. The creator’s page should look vibrant and inviting, while the images and videos they take should have some level of professionalism and sophistication. People don’t want sloppy food and you don’t have to settle for sloppy photography.
• Meaningful and well-written captions. This goes hand-in-hand with the visuals. Look for creators who use descriptive language to describe what they’re eating or drinking, not generic “good” or “yummy” phrasing.
• Brands alignment. This is unique to your restaurant, food truck, product, or organization. Someone who loves eating cheeseburgers probably shouldn’t visit a vegan restaurant, unless you’ve got a surprising twist! The important thing to consider is that your brand and the influencer’s brand match up in a way that appears natural.

How to Approach Influencers for Collaborations

Now that you’ve identified a few influencers who appear to be a fit, the next step is to reach out. This can be done through the social media platform using direct messages or through an email or website if the content creator shares that information publicly. When approaching a content creator, keep these talking points in mind:

• What you like about them. Yes, it’s good to pump their ego, but it can also set up why you want to collaborate.
• Why you’re a fit. Talk about how their content and your food/beverage/experience are made for each other. Get them thinking about why this brand partnership is good for them.
• Give them an idea of what you’re hoping to get from them. Do you want a single static image or a carousel of specials? Or maybe you’re thinking a 30-second video that shows off the ambiance of your restaurant and the generous portions. These don’t have to be set immediately, but a taste of what’s to come is always a good idea.

Fees, Comps, and Trades

Many content creators have their own menus, which describe packages of deliverables or rates for standalone content. Nearly all content creators will expect their experience to be fully comped, whether that’s a free meal and valet parking or a six-pack of your latest beverage. Many will have fees for their services, but some will consider a trade (especially if it’s an expensive restaurant experience).

There’s no hard and fast rule for influencer compensation. Each brand has to move forward with whatever they feel comfortable providing.

Partnership Possibilities

Partnering with a content creator might be a one-time transaction: Visit the restaurant, post a carousel of images, and move on. Or it could be a relationship: Drink a beverage for 3 months and publish an image or video each month. It might even include discount codes or links to your website, both of which can help track ROI. Most creators will offer images and video for you to use too, but make sure they’re talented photographers or videographers first! Don’t put yourself into a box when it comes to ways you work with influencers. In fact, asking the influencer directly what they think is a great way to build trust and achieve the best outcome.

What’s Next?

Give it a try! But before you dive into researching and identifying content creators you’d like to partner with, make a plan. Like all good marketing efforts, influencer marketing should start with a sound strategy and budget. You’ll also want to devote someone on your team to handle the program, likely whoever runs your social media and has a strong background there.

Sure, getting an influencer marketing program started can be hard and messy. But cracking those eggs is the only way to make an omelet. And if you’d rather hire a sous chef who has the top-of-the-line cookware (with access to influencer marketing tools), we’re here to help.