Cooking is a tricky business. Food Network makes it look easy, but remember, they’ve got the perfect everything. Top of the line cookware sets, best lighting and the world’s finest chefs; what could go wrong? Luckily for the rest of us, there’re ways to make your food look not just good, but so delectable it’ll go viral on Instagram. After all, a little fame never hurt anyone, right? Well, maybe anyone except Kim Kardashian. In any case, on to the tips:
Invest in a Cookware Set
Girls have heard their mothers say a zillion times, “A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Since we’re in the 21st century and we’re working towards a 50-50 ratio when it comes to men and women splitting household chores, food can still look great for your insta, not for him.
The first step in having great-looking cuisine is to invest in superior quality tools of the trade. High-quality cookware prevents food from sticking to the pan, making the cooking process more manageable, and your food look delicious. Furthermore, food also cooks more evenly on better pots and pans since there’s better heat transfer, allowing you to use lower heat and gain better control over the cooking process.
Always be Curious
Let’s face it. You’re busy. Whether you’re single, married, kids, no kids; the time of the 9-5 workweek is dead. Since time is at a premium, how do you create food that becomes instafamous while still making it to Friday night happy hour? The answer: always be curious. Consider investing in a food prep delivery service that gives you interesting, simple meals to whip up in under 30 minutes or buying the latest celebrity chef’s new cookbook. Expanding your horizons and challenging yourself to become a better cook will also make your food look extra tasty and attract those followers you’re after.
Know Your Audience
Once you’ve got your recipes in hand, it’s time to find your audience. A common misconception is that you must target everyone and their mother to go viral. This is actually not the case – it can actually hurt you. Targeting everyone is targeting no one. Considering your audience’s personas, demographics, likes and dislikes, buying habits and core values will enable you to create hashtags that hone in on specific cohorts and create buzz. You can also tag food accounts that have legions of followers to help get you noticed.
Show, Don’t Tell
It’s one thing to tell everyone your food is the best thing since sliced bread, but when it comes to becoming instafamous, always show how good it looks rather than just talking about it. A great way to do this is to create engaging video content of your food. You can shoot snippets of your cooking process leading up to the final dish. In fact, 52 percent of marketers report that video content has the best ROI. Creating a story around your dishes will entice people to watch it rather than keep scrolling through their feed.
Make it Worth Sharing
Like it or not, in today’s tech-savvy world, how shareable your food is can make or break it from going viral. Create content that’s worth sharing by putting yourself in the mind of who you’re targeting. What would appeal most to them? The more people connect with your content on an emotional level, the more likely they’re going to share it with their followers. So having a decadent food presentation in natural light, a witty caption, a popular hashtag or all of the above can enable you to have the best shot at making a lasting impression online–at least until there’s an adorable puppy, but who doesn’t love puppies?
If you’re looking for your moment of social fame, focusing on the culinary details is the surest way to achieve success and spread your love of cooking far and wide.
