Ever wonder how a photograph of food can rack up triple as many likes as you get within a matter of minutes? Or how aesthetically pleasing food Instagrams can be? Well, right before I moved down to Charleston I found myself constantly stalking people’s food accounts until I figured out it was time to make my own. I thought I would share the little hacks I have come across to create a successful food Instagram.
Audience
The first question you need to ask yourself when creating your food account is who do you want your audience to be? My biggest recommendation is to choose a theme or audience you can be consistent with all throughout your page. Think about the types of foods you eat most often, may seem obvious but if you are not a healthy person don’t try to appeal to a vegan or vegetarian crowd. Since you are most likely the one taking the pictures, be confident, don’t be ashamed to post your dessert for it’ll make your platform look more realistic and personal.
Post often & at the correct time
This is why I said it’s important to choose a theme you can constantly follow, for one of the main keys to a successful food Instagram is posting often (only if it’s a good pic though ). If you decide to post only healthy dishes you may have to wait longer to post, depending on how often you eat well… thus losing followers! Keep your audience engaged by posting both on your stories and feed to connect to a wide range. Knowing when to post is often overlooked by many users, there’s now an app called Iconosquare that tells you based off your followers when they are the most engaged giving you an accurate time frame of when to post for the most likes!
Filters & Lighting
I don’t know how else to say it, besides stay away from filters when you post photos of food!! You shouldn’t have to resort to Vsco to make your photos look more delicious, for often changing the colors of the food can be less appealing. I would highly recommend only using the brightness and contrast filter on Instagram before posting to your feed. Good lighting is an alternative for using filters, try taking pictures with a clean background, often white with bright lighting above.
Add location & tag the restaurant
Whether you are posting a photo on your story or Instagram feed, always make sure to add the location of the restaurant AND tag the restaurants Instagram. Adding the location of the restaurant allows viewers to simply click on it and view on the map where the restaurant is in relation to them. By tagging the restaurants Instagram, you are given a better chance of being reposted by the restaurant, gaining followers and sometimes other benefits !!
Hashtags
Getting exposure is critical, and one way that is often done is through the use of hashtags. Hashtags allow you to categorize your post many different ways allowing viewers to have a higher chance of coming across your feed. You want to get yourself out there as much as possible!
Clean bio
Create a personal logo stating your handle name, and use it as your profile picture, keeping your account looking professional and clean. I would recommend creating an email directed primarily towards your food Instagram itself and put it in your bio. Organizations and public relation firms often get in touch with food Instagrammers via their email, offering jobs and perks!!