In 30 seconds:
- Need to nail your food TikTok campaigns? Here are the 7 easiest ways to get your strategy on point.
- Teen preferences drive 30% of parents’ weekly grocery bills. How do you get in front of Gen Z on TikTok and make an impact?
- How do you start a food TikTok? We have a few tips to make sure your content is scrummy.
“Food TikTok” has exploded. The app is full of flavour sensations and food brands getting it right, with users lapping up short-form tasty content. Why? Because for food brands, TikTok is a principal ingredient in the recipe for Gen Z marketing success.
TikTok is visual. Food is also visual. Put the two together, and you get results. 36% of TikTok users have visited or ordered food from a restaurant after seeing the restaurant on the social media platform. As CNN reports, TikTok is also actually changing the way young people eat, encouraging them to try new recipes and introducing them to lesser-known cultural dishes.
It’s not just that TikTokers are foodies: there are also a lot of TikTokers – and they’re majority Gen Z. There are over 1 billion monthly active users on the platform, so it’s a prime opportunity for food brand growth through killer marketing campaigns.
So, let’s dive in and find out how to make your food TikToks mouth-wateringly appealing.
Zoomers are hungry
Gen Z (zoomers) want to hear from food brands. Teens spend a whopping 1,000 hours a year thinking about food. Since 75% of Gen Zers use their smartphone more than computers or any other devices, social media is the perfect place to whet their appetites.
Instagram and YouTube have long been popular among foodies, with recipes, popular food trends and food reviews consistently popular. But Generation Z has spoken: there’s a new favourite food social media outlet on the block.
TikTok has overtaken Instagram in popularity among Gen Z. It’s become their favourite social platform, and if your food brand is looking to access this powerful generation, you need to start showing off the goods.
How? We’ve got insider knowledge.
Food brands getting ahead of the HFSS ad ban
Before we get any further, it’s time to address the elephant in the room. The TikTok food landscape is changing rapidly, with the UK government introducing a total online advertising restriction for products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) by the end of 2022.
How do you grow your TikTok presence now and get prepared for the future? Join us as we share our know-how in our virtual event: 6 Months to Grow Your Food Brand’s TikTok Account.
The webinar is taking place on Tuesday 24th May. You can sign up via the button below.
Food TikTok: how to propel your brand into Gen Z’s heart (and stomach)
Want to know how to start a food TikTok account? There are a few principles at play for knowing how to make a TikTok food video that hits the right note, and creating viral Tiktok food content that stokes interest in your food brand. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Cook up a food trend
TikTok is the home of viral food trends. Remember cloud bread? Dalgona coffee (i.e. Korean whipped coffee)? Baked feta pasta? These homecooking food trends are vital for “foodtok” viral marketing for food brands. But how can you find out what food is trending on TikTok now? Keeping an eye on what’s happening on the app ensures you don’t miss out. Here’s how to do it:
Consistently check your “For You Page” (FYP)
If you’re wondering how to make TikTok cooking videos or other TikTok food content ideas, checking your FYP is an excellent place to start. This will inspire you and clue you up on the latest food trends.
Start by following some food influencers. Engaging with video food bloggers and homecooking heroes will tell the TikTok algorithm about your content and niche. Once you are following a few content creators, check your FYP. If you do this regularly, you’ll start to notice food trends show up. Assess what they have in common and how your brand can bring its own spin on the trend.
Get help staying up to date
Knowing what’s on trend can be tricky. So, many of the best food brands use other sources to help know what’s coming up. Check food blogs and online magazines to stay informed – or go straight to the TikTok experts. We might be a little biased, but our TikTok trends newsletter is pretty damn tasty.
Every week, we take the latest TikTok trends and compile them in a smoking hot email for you to add a bit of fire to your campaigns. Subscribe here. Alternatively, to find trends more suited to your particular brand, get in touch with us to learn about Bytesights, our in-house social listening tool.
Create a food trend
Instead of just jumping on board a trend, cook up a new one from scratch. Easier said than done, right? The question is, how can you make a food trend on TikTok? There is no simple ‘one size fits all’ answer, but a great start would be to follow our next tips to help you make viral-worthy content that will get tons of reach.
Remember: It’s essential to understand that food trends normally stem from innovation, so think outside the box.
Need some inspiration on food trends, or just looking for TikTok food content ideas? Take a look at our article on TikTok Food Challenges: How Brands Can Get Involved.
2. Make videos short and snappy
You’ll hear it said that Gen Z has an attention span of 8 seconds. We don’t entirely agree: Gen Z can happily pay attention to you for sustained periods of time – but you have to prove yourself. You have 8 seconds to *capture their attention*.
Make sure your TikTok food content is snappy, so your audience doesn’t get switched off and continue scrolling. As we explain in our TikTok algorithm article, watch-through rates on TikTok greatly contribute to your reach on the platform.
Put simply, if you want to know how to make TikTok food videos that go viral, make sure people watch it to the end. You should consider using a video editor to create snappy videos using multiple clips with swift transitions, as this keeps up a feeling of pace. This pesto eggs recipe video is a perfect example of how to keep things short, sweet and simple on the platform:
@cookingwithayeh Pesto Eggs are definitely worth the hype 💚 #fyp #pestoeggs #lunch #easymeal #foodtiktok #foryou ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Likewise, Fanbytes Brand Partnerships Manager Lola Randles advises food brands not to over-complicate things:
“Make the recipe easy and affordable for the audience to execute. Yes, you need it to be engaging from a viewer’s perspective, but you also want to leave the viewer feeling like they can go and make it without much difficulty themselves…and then share their creation on their own channels! The fewer, and more easily sourced, affordable ingredients, the better.”
3. Remember: food should be fun
People come to Food TikTok for entertainment. Entertainment is actually the most popular category on TikTok, with over 535 billion views – so if you want your video to soar on the platform, it’s worth bearing it in mind.
When showing off your food brand, the element of fun is essential. The most popular food TikTok accounts are entertaining. Take “internet celebrity” MIT professor-turned-cook Lynn Yamada Davis @cookingwithlynja, whose unconventional cooking videos have made her a TikTok star. Her TikTok videos are funny, interesting and sometimes bizarre, but she certainly captures people’s attention. Below is her recent video for Reynolds Brands.
@cookingwithlynja #ad Thanks @ReynoldsBrands for helping me create this Sour Candy Ham for Easter! #ReynoldsPartner ♬ original sound - Lynja
If it’s inspiration you’re after, check out our list of the 10 best food brands on TikTok, and our assessment of how they’ve nailed the platform. One of the key things they all have in common is – they’re fun. You may be surprised by some of the names on the list: while big names like Chipotle and Doritos can expect to have huge social reach, TikTok is a great space for food brands of all sizes – there are plenty of independent brands mastering food Tiktok, too.
4. Show off a hack
Food Tiktok should be a space for innovation and creativity. Thinking outside the box and inventing interesting hacks for your audience will engage them and keep them coming back for more. This s’mores hack was the product of our collaboration with McVities and showed off their product in a scrumptious and innovative way. Think of your products and how you can “hack” them as TikTok recipes to get Gen Z listening and sales converting.
@thisisplanetfood Duet us with your #20secondsmore creations! @McVitie's @mallowandmarsh AD #HowDoYouSmore #BonfireNight #Chocolate ♬ animal crossing ~ new horizons lofi - Closed on Sunday
If it’s inspiration you’re after, check out our list of the 10 best food brands on TikTok, and our assessment of how they’ve nailed the platform. One of the key things they all have in common is – they’re fun. You may be surprised by some of the names on the list: while big names like Chipotle and Doritos can expect to have huge social reach, TikTok is a great space for food brands of all sizes – there are plenty of independent brands mastering food Tiktok, too.
5. Feature sound
TikTok is heavily based on sound, with sound a principal driver of many trends on the platform. This is especially true when it comes to food. ASMR food videos have become widely popular, especially among Gen Z, so using this in your videos will give you a unique edge.
Ever heard of Mukbang? This is the viral craze that took the internet by storm. It originated in South Korea and involved creators eating foods loudly (with the aid of microphones). This is an extreme version of what you may want to do for your brand awareness, but ASMR works. Just ask Chipotle (@chipotle), whose ASMR videos have raked in millions of views.
It’s not just eating food that can give users ASMR. Little Moons (@littlemoons) used it to show off satisfying sounds of their packaging being opened. The sounds of cooking are also prime for ASMR, as Lurpak famously demonstrated in this TV advert. Chop up ingredients and revel in how satisfying your food video can be. For example, this video has racked up over 24 million likes:
This is a great way for restaurants to show off their chefs’ skills, but it’s also a prime opportunity for food brands, who can work with a TikTok influencer to create a satisfying ASMR-led recipe video including their product. Take this video from TikTok influencer Eloise Head (@fitwaffle) for example.
(Psst, we featured Chipotle, Little Moons and more in an awesome article about food brands that are killing it on TikTok in 2022. Check it out to see how they became the top food brands on TikTok).
6. Show the details
If you’re trying to look appetising, it certainly helps to show your food in crisp detail.
When thinking about your lighting set up, you don’t have to go overboard: 64% of TikTok users say they can be their true selves on TikTok, and that’s what Gen Z looks for. So keep it down-to-earth and inspire TikTokers with videos they can recreate – not just in terms of the recipe, but also the video format. After all, 83% of TikTokers have created their own videos, so your most engaged fans are likely to want to replicate your videos as well as your TikTok food recipes.
Last Crumb (@lastcrumb) uses well-lit videos to illustrate why their cookies deserve their $12/cookie price tag. Note the ‘first person’ view: by showing closeups of the food, this video makes it feel as if the ingredients are right in front of you, making them even more delectable.
@lastcrumb the perfect cookie doesn't exis- #lastcrumb #lastcrumbcookies #lastcrumbtiktok #cookietok #foodie #cookie #perfect #fyp ♬ original sound - Lifestyle
You don’t need to go high-spec though. Just make sure you’re getting in nice and close. Burger King (@burgerking) does this well. The video below shows a POV (Point of view) of mastering the dipping technique for their nuggets. It’s a close-up of a specific experience that will have users wishing they could reach into the screen:
@burgerkinguk Triple dippin #burgerking #vegan #nuggets #tiktokuk ♬ original sound - Lifestyle
Want to know how else this fast-food giant has nailed TikTok? Check out the work we’ve done with them here.
7. Collaborate with food influencers
The final way to nail food on TikTok (and one of the most crucial) is collaborating with food influencers. Creators on TikTok have spent a long time honing their craft and have developed a loyal and engaged following. 70% of teens trust influencers more than traditional celebrities. Spending time on food influencer marketing to promote your business will bring better brand awareness, higher ROI and significant increases to your following.
3 easy ways to nail food influencer marketing on TikTok
#1: Quick & easy step-by-step videos
TikTok users love watching, creating, and re-creating easy food videos. On TikTok, the best food influencer marketing often centres around content that’s easy to share and recreate. The key is to break down the technique or introduce the use of a product in a way that could be easy for anyone on any platform to do themselves.
#2: Leverage trending hashtags (or create your own!)
There are several hashtags that have been trending in the food category. Examples include the #comdinewithus challenge, which has inspired families to create their own ‘come dine with me’ episodes. To learn how to use an existing hashtag to go viral, read this article.
What if you can’t find a hashtag that’s relevant to your food brand? There is no reason that you can’t create your own that utilises your product in a way that 1. Is fun or makes the users lives easier and 2. is easy to do and is something everyone can get involved in. To learn how to create a new viral hashtag, read this article.
Once you have a video idea, it’s vital to use influencers to get the ball rolling and boost it to your audience, so it’s seen and copied by more people, taking you straight to the For You Page.
#3: Utilise the right influencers
The #pancakecereal trend, which saw celebs and users across both TikTok and Instagram creating bowls of tiny pancakes, really blew up when Jason Derulo created his own version. But you don’t necessarily need a well-known celeb to make a viral hit: micro-influencers can also generate great results due to their high engagement rate.
For example, US-based TikToker Tabitha Brown (@iamtabithabrown) was not well known before she shared a recipe for “carrot bacon” (a vegan bacon recipe) on TikTok. Her video got more than 3 million views, becoming a huge new food trend worldwide.
With a fun or genuinely useful video and the help of key influencers, a product or technique can blow up quickly. The right influencer in the food category, demonstrating something that users can easily follow, is the recipe for a viral hit.
Want to know how to start a food TikTok account? There are a few principles at play for knowing how to make a TikTok food video that hits the right note, and creating viral Tiktok food content that stokes interest in your food brand. Here’s what you need to know.
Food on TikTok doesn’t have to be perfect
TikTok food is all about keeping it real. Gen Z are truth seekers, so making authentic content and staying true to your brand is crucial. Something became very clear when looking back at the trending TikTok food 2021 had to offer: The most popular content was fast, fun and fundamentally delicious. So keep this in mind for your future marketing campaigns, and you’ll soon be boosting your engagement rates, view times and nailing food on TikTok.
There’s one last thing to remember for Food TikTok: the ground is shifting. The incoming advertising restriction for products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) will affect how food brands market themselves on TikTok. This is why we’ve created our online event, 6 Months to Grow Your Food Brand’s TikTok Account. If you’d like to learn how to grow your account so that you’re prepped for the future, sign up via the button below.
Hungry for more? We’ve got some meaty articles on how to ace your food TikTok campaigns below.
