Now Trending: Social Media
What’s in a trend?
In the fast-paced world of social media, fleeting fads often dominate our feeds, but some viral foodie trends manage to transcend the screen, finding their way onto menus and tables alike. With 95% of consumers using at least one social media platform (Datassential™, Social Media Sensations, February 2024), it’s clear that social media isn’t just a passing trend. Millennials, lovers of both food and tech, are passing on that love to their Gen Alpha kids, while Gen Z, already digital natives, are now entering the workforce and increasing their buying power – which means that mastering the art of social media trends has become, and will remain, essential for effective marketing strategies. So, let’s dig into who exactly is using social media, how it’s informing their decisions, and how you can make those viral social media moments work for you.
Social media is a multi-purpose tool
Data shows that operators are actively using social media in multiple ways. They are actively working to get themselves on consumers’ recommended videos (AKA For You Pages) and content feeds, with the percentage of operators using social media advertising to attract customers growing by +14% between 2022 and 2023 (Datassential/IFMA, CPP 2023: The Big Report, October 2023). But they’re also using social media as an innovation resource, with 61% sourcing inspiration from some form of social media (Datassential/IFMA, CPP 2023: The Big Report, October 2023).
Harness the power of social media videos
It’s not just operators who are being inspired by social media – it’s driving consumer behaviors and decisions, too. More than half of consumers have been inspired to purchase a food, beverage, or ingredient because it showed up on their feeds – and that number rises to 62% among Gen Z consumers (Datassential, Social Media Sensations, February 2024). And putting this knowledge to use is easier than you think! A video or image of others enjoying a new menu item can validate its desirability for consumers or leverage the power of #FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and convince customers to come to you.
Facebook is both the social media platform that users most actively upload content to (Datassential, Social Media Sensations, November 2023) and the platform consumers spend the most time on (Datassential, Social Media Sensations, February 2024). But YouTube is where social media users are looking when they want food and beverage inspiration. Whether it’s food reviews, restaurant experiences, or following along as a blogger tries a new recipe (or demonstrates an old favorite), YouTube’s ability to host long-form video content makes it a favorite for food-focused consumers.
Digitally meet consumers where they are
While YouTube is the go-to for food-related content, it's important to also utilize Instagram and Facebook. For starters, they are Gen Z and Millennial consumers' second most-used platforms, respectively. But both platforms also offer longer video length limits, making them great options for posting in-depth food-focused content. It's also worth noting Facebook is the social media platform users most actively upload content to, with 57% uploading content of some sort (Datassential, Social Media Sensations, January 2024).
Work with the trends
The currently-trending hashbrown avocado toast presents an easy opportunity for matching viral trends with potato offerings, like in this Waffled Hash Brown Avocado Toast recipe. But other sensations also present opportunities to capture consumers’ attention with a little creativity. For example, not only are fries the top side featured in burger combos, but they have also grown +13% in taco combos in the last four years (Datassential, MenuTrends, YE December 2023), making them a potentially perfect pairing with smashburger tacos.
Let your brand personality shine
In 2024, leveraging social media is not an option, it’s a requirement. Consumers want to buy from brands that they connect with on a personal level, which means giving your brand a big personality. So go ahead! Share that weird meme, respond to a tweet where you’re the butt of the joke, make an ASMR video (like Lamb Weston’s crispy crunchy fry comparison TikTok video). All of these things will endear you to consumers and grab their attention – and give you the perfect opportunity to showcase your own innovative spin on the current trend. For example, offer the same viral flavor in a slightly different format, as with the birria quesadilla below. Or, if you’re really feeling innovative, look to chains making waves on social media, like the QSR taco-focused chain that held a tech-style conference to tee up the release of a wave of new products, including its debut of chicken nuggets with a unique tortilla breading.
Social media strategies to try
Put it all together
Show consumers how your brand and your menu items can be slotted into – or paired with! – the social media trends they currently love. First, get their attention by letting your brand’s personality shine through. And then? Hit them with their options. Show them how to take your menu and eat it creatively. Or, even better, issue a challenge and see what they can come up with that uses your menu in unique ways. Create hashtags, leverage location tagging, and encourage customers to tag you in their posts to maximize your exposure. And then share their posts to your Stories or on your pages to help them feel like you’re maximizing their exposure.
And with National French Fry Day coming up on July 12th, you’ve got the perfect opportunity to try putting this into action. Try issuing a social media challenge asking consumers to come up with their most creative dish featuring French fries and other items on your menu. You can create a hashtag for them to use and have them tag your account and the location they visit in order to qualify, and then have your followers vote on their favorite creation by liking and sharing the one that most appeals to them in order to drive traffic and views.
Make consumers your partners in social media to excite them, drive traffic, and maybe give everyone a shot at achieving that coveted #viral status.
