Between a three-minute ramen and a ramen three times its price at a cafe, which do you think is more Instagram worthy for a larger audience to share on the weekend? The likely answer would be the latter (well, except maybe if you’re one of the people who falls for the ‘nonchalant’ propaganda). The act of sharing life on social media has expanded its opportunity as a marketing tool. Let’s dissect this theory together – and if you’re a restaurant owner, perhaps you can learn how to apply this in your shop too.
The new billboard
Whether or not you’re into social media, scrolling, taking food photos, and sharing what you do on the internet are all synonymous with modern day lifestyles. Putting aside how many followers you have, it is where people connect across the globe. When trying to seek information, many of us don’t look for a newspaper like they did in the old days. Instead, we go online and search for hashtags and keywords and analyse the endless opinions in the comment section.
There is a saying that Instagram is the new billboard. It is quite true – except, social media holds both the marketing tool and the market itself. You can see how this plays out by the rise of influencers or ‘key of leads’, promoting new cafes and marking them as the current ‘it-destinations’ or ‘must-visits’.
Plating as the first impression
We’ve all heard of the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover.” But the painful truth is, it’s only natural for humans to be into pretty things, especially to form a first impression. The same rule applies to the meals we eat too. Like seeing a good-looking person walking by, a good-looking dish captures attention, turns heads, and builds curiosity. Plating becomes the first impression of a customer towards a restaurant. Clean, sophisticated, and elegant – or simple, messy, and unappetising. Studies also prove that customers enjoy a dining experience more when their meals are presented well.
The secrets to Instagram-worthy dishes
Now that we understand the ‘science’ behind an Instagrammable dish, how do we apply this in everyday life, especially as restaurant or cafe owners?
Good plating: As we have discussed, good plating is a crucial step. Plating is your dish’s outfit, and a good outfit enthralls people. A bad or average outfit, on the other hand, is easily forgotten. Make sure your food looks neat, clean, and positioned nicely – plating is your top priority!
Contrasting colours: Contrasting colours in dishes are like an eye-pleasing colour combination. From analogous to tetradic, a harmonious and visually striking colour combination in food results in a pop of colour to your dishes.
Hashtag: Every social media engagement brings a customer a step closer. Try to get involved in current social trends, such as creative video cuts, taglines, or showing the behind-the-scenes in your restaurant. On the other hand, using hashtags, both general and personalised versions, can help to add visibility for your posts. With all these combined, your social media likes can quickly turn into sales.
Good taste: And of course, the most important part about any dish is the taste. It’s always frustrating when a good-looking meal is wasted on bad flavours. Make sure to refine your recipe to cater to your target market. Have your recipe right, then plate up!
For more taste reads, click here.