Weekend Review: Getting Healthy

It is estimated that 45 million Americans go on a diet each year. Partner that with a yearly average spend of about $33 billion on weight loss products...I think we can safely say that healthy eating is a top priority for many of our customers.

I spent the better part of last week (and most of this week) buried in Keto recipes. This is one of many projects that I've taken on that appeals to the diet trends. Be it Low Carb, Whole30, Paleo or Keto...the health seekers are actively searching for creative ways to incorporate these trends into their daily meals.

It's not easy...dieting

I am sure many of you have started and promptly quit a diet. It is not easy. Those that are in it for the long haul or those looking for a more stable start, turn to the web for inspiration and motivation.

Showing customers that you or your products can be included, creatively, into their diet preference builds trust. It also attracts more diet seekers to your site and product through SEO.

But...we're not a health food 'thing'.

Shouldn't matter. I'm not on a diet but I do provide and create content that is. It's not all that I do, but I gladly explore and develop. Diversify, my good food friends.

Diet content will not automatically put you into a 'health food' category. Adding some creative pieces to your existing arsenal of content will only engage more people. Or, better yet, retain customers that are exploring diet trends- seeing that you have options that support their new food focus.

Diet-curious Content: The trends on the trend

What's attractive, buzzy or sticky to those looking for dieting inspiration?

• A taste of the familiar. Having to modify your eating habits sooo drastically is not good for early diet adopters. Giving them recipes or cooking tips that fit into the diet, while mimicking everyday grub (or even guilty pleasures), is a big bonus. Think keto friendly waffles or low-carb pizza.

• Easy Peasy. The time crunch issue, when meal planning and prepping, has not changed. Customers still need options that can be prepared quickly, easily... all while still tasting good. Think 30 minute meals, shakes and smoothies.

• Balancing Breakfast. Breakfast can be a pain point for dieting customers. Many of the quick and easy 'out the door' options (oatmeal, granola bars, cereal) are on the 'do not consume' list. Getting creative without taking up valuable morning minutes is golden.Think about 'make the night before' options-things that just need to be reheated or can be eaten asap.

If you're looking for some assistance with developing healthy, diet trending, catchy, sticky and overall delicious food content...let's connect.

How to Tell a Food Story

Every food has it’s origin story.

Was it Nonna’s cookie recipe that inspired you to start a cookie company?

Is it your family’s farm that started you selling pickles and jams online?

Were you always fascinated by the corner store butcher that made you want to create your own charcuterie?

Any external factor or internal passion can be ‘that thing’ that propels us into our given food field. And people want to hear about it…

Heck, take me for instance, I fell in LOVE with recipes as a kid. My family cooked, not really COOKED cooked, but made really tasty things and I was always inserting myself into someone’s kitchen.

No one in my family worked in restaurants, no one went to culinary school or even talked about the term culinary arts. But I was still propelled to discover it.

I remember the exact day that I knew I wanted to become a chef. I was standing outside of my high school with all the other freshmen and sophomores, waiting for the bus, when an upperclassman friend approached my huddled group.

He was wearing…a chef’s UNIFORM!!!

Now, at this point , I knew OF chefs- they were on TV… Julia, Galloping Gourmet, Yan. I had never made the connection before, that, there could be chefs among us. And here was Nick, 16 (of course not a real chef, yet), wearing the tall toque, white coat, checkered pants and shiny black shoes!

He had enrolled in the Culinary program at the vocational school, attached to the high school, and was showing off his new uniform.

Light bulb moment …………..I COULD BE A CHEF??!!! I could play with food and recipes for A LIVING?!

I enrolled in the program the following semester and the rest, as they say, is history.

That little 300+ word blurb I just provided is a perfect example of an origin story. A way for you to get to know me. A way for you to feel a little connection with me.

This connectivity, that ‘getting to know you’ feeling, is crave worthy for our customers.

It is sound marketing practice. Connectivity leads to trust and trust leads to community (more customers). Simple.

Ways to achieve connectivity through food story telling….

1.) Your food story should be nice and a little funny

Nice, as in kind, happy and up-lifting.

Your food (story) should not make people cry, that kinda thing works for shows like ‘This is Us’ not food. Find the good in the story and begin with that. Lead with nice.

Grandma Nonna Jean’s cookies were the highlight of the holidays! Every year the grandkids would jockey for position by the oven door to be the first kid to nab the prized peanut butter chocolate chip double fudge wonders. It’s a wonder that any of us still have fingerprints. Juggling was my cookie cool down method but Joe (brother and business partner) would immediately stuff his cookie into his mouth, I’m surprised THAT man has any feeling left in his face (it explains A LOT).

2.) Your food story needs characters

Name your starring characters. The customer connection lives with the people behind the food, not just the food itself.

Bobby ‘The Beef’ Wickowsky owned, operated and manned the counter at Beef’s Butcher, our family’s neighborhood butcher shop in Meattown, Tennessee. Mr. ‘The Beef' Wickowsky’s claim to fame was his smoky kielbasa……

As a little weeny, Kicking Kielbasa owner Jack Knife was given his first job mopping floors at Beef’s Butcher…

3.) Your food story must paint your food in a delicious light

As much emphasis as you put into the characters of your food story, the same courtesy should be given to the food.

There is nothing like vine ripened tomatoes picked fresh, grown bright red and juicy in the warm SoCal sun. The recipe behind our Tomato Basil Jam is as heirloom as the tomatoes on our farm. Each small batch is slow simmered with garlic, basil and olive oil before adding just a touch of local honey to draw out the natural sweetness…

4.) Your food story needs to have a home (and be shared)

It’s one thing to put in the effort of writing down your food story, it’s another thing for customers to be able to find it. These are the tricks I like to employ to help spread the story and get the message out there.

• ‘About Us’ Page: A perfect platform and location for your food story (and an easy way to backlink to your site).

• Product Descriptions: Multiple products have multiple stories, adding a little blurb in the product description section, that is unique and engaging, is a great way to increase the frequency of customers putting that item in their checkout basket.

• Email Campaigns: This goes hand in hand with the About Us page, food stories are email gold and a great way to reengage customers or create new.

• Blog or Social Posts: Food stories show the care and passion behind the product and that resonates big time with your social audience and blog subscribers.

• Thank you notes: You should always thank your customers. I like adding in a little ‘did you know’ piece in that popup thank you message or emailed receipt. A great way to keep customers engaged and encourage future visits.

If you're looking for some assistance with your food story or developing catchy, sticky and overall delicious food content...let's connect.