How to create and consume great content
Food writing is a job many people covet. Eating in all the new restaurants and then writing about it? Sounds like the nicest job in the world. Which it probably is, to food writers who have spent years honing their skill and earning the respect of restaurant owners, chefs and the public?
You see, it is one of those difficult topics that needs to be fairly specific whilst remaining impartial to your personal preferences. To offer good content to the food industry you have to approach it in the same way you would approach your signature dish.
Be deliciously unique
It’s not a signature dish if every other restaurant serves it. Dish up exactly what you would like to be served. That means content that is fresh, appetising and of course, uniquely yours. Show up the skills you have! These could be in any area of your food knowledge capacity – specialty foods, food styling or even event photography, all of which are interesting and appeal to a wide online foodie audience.
Stay fresh and local
Unless you own a chain of outlets, you will be relying on tourists during peak seasons, but in order to keep afloat, your most loyal customers will be locals. These are the people who keep coming back all year round. Make sure you know what your loyal client base wants and give it to them. That doesn’t mean that you should be predictable in any way; it means offer content that is relatable, always with a fresh twist of something unexpected.
Have fun with other people
Let’s be honest, enthusiasm is infectious and so is kindness. If a fellow foodie does something inspiring then share it on your page, interview them for your blog or at least post a congratulatory shout out. The industry may be competitive, but there should be a place at the table for everyone. Nice guys finish first (in this instance) because the likelihood of your fellow foodies reciprocating with links, pics and shout-outs to you and your craft will increase ten-fold, and people are very likely to follow, share and affiliate themselves with your content if they know you can be trusted.
Serve it up on time
Imagine you own a restaurant that serves incredible dishes, but no one knows exactly when you are going to be open, or even what your opening hours are. They will soon move on. Being unpredictable is not fun for people who rely on you. The same applies to content. Post regularly and reliably. That means if you rely on followers who love your recipes, then don’t start only posting pictures of the patrons of your new restaurant. It’s annoying and your followers will stop coming by.
Give credit where it’s due
If you do post a recipe, photo or just some good advice, then cite your sources. Otherwise it’s stealing, and while you might think no one will notice in the giant melting pot of internet content, usually someone does. After that, you’ll be spending more time trying to put the spice back into credibility than cooking up consuming great content.
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