
Delicious: This is how you should be posting on Instagram
From opening our eyes in the morning to closing them at night, we eat, sleep, breathe social media. And nothing seems to get us going more than a clean white plate and a delicious looking dish.
#FoodArt

Cooking has taken on a whole new dimension. It’s no longer just about the creating, entertaining and eating. There’s the designing and posting too. We’re thinking about the way we place our food, how we garnish it and whether it looks best against this surface or that. We’re lining up our veggies and decorating our plates, not for the pleasure of our diners but for the benefit of our social feeds. Sometimes to inspire, maybe to identify ourselves as clean and green or simply for the joy of it.

Brands like @deliciouslyella (with a cool 984k Instagram following) and @rawveganblonde (with an impressive 103k following) are feeding into this new wave culture of food as art. Their social feeds tell the story of the ever-growing importance that our food not only tastes good but looks great too.
Who’s doing it well
So far this year, we’ve seen some impressive social campaigns from restaurants big and small. Although there’s a lot to be learnt from the Instagram professionals who have made posting part of their full-time job, we can’t all attract thousands of followers and likes.There are some really simple things we can do to connect with our customers and create a dedicated online following.
1. Create a buzz around your venue

New launch? Lunch offer?
Whether you’re fresh on the block or looking to fill the lunchtime trade gap, social media is a great way to create a buzz around your venue. Posting sneak peaks of your dishes and enticing customers with special offers worked wonders for Picture when their second location open in Marylebone this July.
2. Think creatively about competitions

Daisy Green know exactly how to run an Instagram competition. And it works so well, it’s become a regular feature. To get their customers talking about them online, each month, they encourage them to tag their images for the chance to win a bottomless brunch for two.
3. Build brand awareness with dedicated hashtags

Unique hashtags are a great way to engage with your customers and up your followers. Oliver Maki used hashtags like #MakiMyDay and #OliverMakiMenu this summer to give customers the chance to win a complimentary dinner and drinks for two.
4. Let your customers create the content for you

By using an Instagram app like Regram or Repost, you can make the most of your customer generated images. Not only will this boost your online content and increase the reach of the original picture, but it’s also a great way to give credit to your customers and their camera skills.
5. Be bold with your brand

What makes your business different from the rest? What makes your brand interesting?
Developing a distinctive style is a great way to create a name for your business online, just like the Andina restaurants (Andina London, Casita Andina & Andina Shoreditch) do with their bright Peruvian colours. Think about always using the same filter or sticking to a certain colour pallet. The setting, background and lighting of your posts are what will elevate your brand online.
READ MORE: Bring your brand to life with original video content