Food, glorious food.
It’s at the epicenter of our daily lives, dictating how we feel and fuelling our hectic 21st-century schedules and commitments.
It’s also only possible to avoid headlining our social media feeds and dominating a chunky proportion of apps, and that’s not to mention the bombardment of ads catapulted toward our eyeballs on any screen that can accommodate.
While the allure of fast food still reigns supreme courtesy of mega-bucks sponsorship deals and appearances from that celebrity you recognize but can’t quite put your finger on, the health-conscious generation is approaching fast in the rearview mirror.
People are now constantly looking for the latest trends, recipes and options ready to be chopped, sprinkled, grilled or air-fried, as is the norm for 2023.
Processed foods are becoming a vision of the past. The Business Research Company predicts that increasing fitness awareness among society and the ever-growing number of health-conscious consumers will drive the organic food market over the next ten years.
The report estimates the global organic food market will grow from $259 billion in 2022 to $294.5 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 13%. That’s enough for a starter, main and dessert with all the trimmings.
It’s unsurprising that foodie social media influencers and the space dominate a significant dollop of the pie.
Influencing the way we look at food
According to Tiger Menu, 38% of Instagram users look at food content, with 27% sharing content with scrumptious food on offer, highlighting the desire of consumers to salivate over freshly cooked goodness in all shapes, sizes, colors and flavors.
How often have you seen an overhead shot of a dish being cooked, the process documented at a speed that perfectly aligns with your need for quickly digestible content and appealing visuals?
You’ve likely gone on to either like or comment on that post or share it with a friend, declaring your passion to have a go yourself or find someone else to do the leg work. Food influencing works and millions of social media-savvy pioneers are capitalizing on the movement.
Brands and restaurants now religiously seek out the best fitting influencer to collaborate with and promote their food, consistently increasing customers, sales and exposure. In fact, a report shows that 93% of marketers stated they’d used influencer marketing within their overall strategy. Makes you think of the 7% who are missing out.
With the power to forge connections and strike up relationships between brands and consumers, it’s no surprise brands have realized it’s a match made in culinary heaven, further evidenced by a recent study that discovered that influencer marketing can increase purchase intent by a mouth-watering 5%.
Influencer marketing has transformed the food industry and our own concepts of eating habits. People love food. People love subjects they can relate to. People love visuals. People love recommendations.
Mix those ingredients together, sprinkle in some quirky personality and Michelin star charm, and the perfect recipe is born.
The best healthy food accounts to follow
To contextualize the sheer scale of food’s vice-like grip on social media users, the hashtag #foodstagram alone has been used over 118,000,000 times. That’s relatively high.
However, not every account, influencer or piece of food-related content is steered toward a healthy lifestyle. Unsurprisingly, consumers are more stimulated by fast food and calorie-dense foods than a bowl of spinach.
A 2021 BBC report stated that ‘scientists are becoming increasingly concerned that food-related content on social media is making us think differently about food. Social media algorithms promote content that users engage with more, so viewing more unhealthy food means seeing more of it on our social media feeds, according to Ethan Pancer, professor of marketing at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
While takeaways and sugary drinks have their glued audiences, the shift has been noticeable in recent years to a greener outlook, promises fewer clogged arteries and enhanced livelihoods.
But who do you follow in such an over-saturated and saturated fat-heavy space? Cut through the crap, sift out the sugar and sieve out the salt. Muscle and Health brings you the best healthy food accounts and influencers to follow today.
nutritiouslydelicia
@nutritiouslydelicia This is my favourite way to make a smoothie bowl. I really love the added protein and fats to make it a more filling meal!
