The media landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade, with the rise of social media and the emergence of new communication mediums like YouTube. This has required food and beverage PR practices to become more strategic, creative, and engaging with their campaigns to truly connect with a consumer.
Over the past weeks, we have discussed what food and beverage PR is, why brands should explore it and what restrictions exist in the market. This week, we will touch on the importance of social media in bringing your product to life and how to get your social channels up to scratch with your PR campaign.
Why is social media important?
In June of 2021, 13 million Australians had an Instagram account, which makes up over 50 per cent of the population in Australia. The ever-growing social media platform, TikTok, has one billion active users monthly viewing and downloading content.
It can be difficult to comprehend just how many people use social channels as a way of consuming content, so if you’re overwhelmed by its magnitude, just focus on how it can grow your brand. Much like investing in a stock or an ETF, the first step is always slightly nerve-racking. However, you will find that the more you contribute and give time to your investment, you will see your social channel grow and deliver worthy returns.
You see, what makes social media such an excellent asset to brands is not the ability to communicate to generalized masses, but rather, it has the capacity for direct conversations with targeted individuals at the time and place of their choosing.
It is the ultimate inbound marketing tool because it allows for one-to-one messaging, which gives you the chance to market your product in a direct, but very personalized way.
What assets do I need to start a social channel?
So, you have decided to create a social media account for your brand to accompany your food and beverage PR campaign. What are your next steps?
Firstly, identify which platform is the right fit for what you are trying to achieve. If you want people to visually connect with your beverage or food item, Instagram and Tiktok are the best way to go.
If you want to join in on the conversation around the food and beverage industry, connect with other brands or share people using your product, Twitter is a great option.
Today, we are focusing on the assets you can develop to create a strong social media presence on Instagram or Tiktok.
Both social channels are content focused and require regular posting, so an easy way to begin building engaging content is to draw on your existing assets. Why reinvent the wheel, when it’s likely you already have great imagery on hand!
For example, if your brand has had a photo shoot in the past, utilise those images to begin building a foundation for your channel. See below, Pampelle. This image was likely designed to be used for promotional content beyond social media. However, they have tied to the summertime to make the content relevant and unique.
Always make sure you own the rights to your images or credit the photograph.
Another example of how you can keep your social channels up to par with your food and beverage PR campaign is by creating content your followers can learn from or use.
If you’re a beverage company that has different serves for your product, share cocktail recipes with your audience. You can make them themed for the time of year eg. Halloween or the season, like summer.
If you’re a food product, share recipes for dinner parties, couples or families that highlight how versatile your product is. See below a Tik Tok video for Product of the Year, highlighting the Nando’s Bag & Bake. The influencer made a video on how to use the product and what she paired it with, highlighting to her audience how easy it was to use and how much she liked the product.
How can my social channels support my PR campaign?
Now that we have an idea of how to build and reuse content for our social channels, it is worthwhile considering how we can use our platform to support our existing food and beverage PR campaign.
Social media acts as a great free medium to inform people on what your brand is up to. If you’re running a PR event with media and influencers, create a narrative through your Instagram stories that make your followers feel like they are there with you.
If your PR team has secured a TV segment on Sunrise with your CEO, create a behind the scenes reel of the interview, providing your followers with an exclusive look at what your brand is doing. Social media should act as an extension of your campaign, offering another avenue to drive engagement and amplify exposure.
A final note on using social media for your food or beverage company is that authenticity will always thrive. While social media is a highlight reel for your brand, the best content is always that which leaves the audience feeling connected. Remember to personalise your captions, respond to comments, and share team wins.
If you’d like to speak more with us about the benefits of Food and Beverage PR campaigns, please get in touch with us here.
Agent Eva
