In a world where restaurants are closing and family dinners are limited, food content has never been more popular. Despite the influence of COVID-19, food blogs have been trending upward for over a decade now. As a result, amateurs, hobbyists, and professionals have all learned how to showcase their passion for food to an international community. While many use food photography to their benefit, even more have not learned food videography.
While fun, food blogs can be very competitive, especially on social media platforms. If you are looking to turn your hobby into a business, then your first step may be to upgrade your food videography.
Not familiar with filming or editing food content? Then consider adopting third-party food videography services. If you don't believe us, here are some ways food videography can elevate your online food business.
Food Videography Can Build a Strong Social Media Presence
Social media is the new TV. With millions and millions of active participants, social media has become extremely valuable. Social media channels are now must-haves for advertisers and small businesses.
Since the pandemic, the visibility of influencers and small business accounts has only grown. Internet users are now spending 43% more time on social media than before. As a result, many food bloggers have been moving their online presence to social media.
Rather than just using food videography for their websites, food bloggers are developing more social media-friendly content. These are often how-to videos that are friendly to both their website as well as their social media accounts. This means creating food video content that is short, visually engaging, and informative. After all, there is no better place to share new recipes or ideas than through community-based platforms.
Recently, short food videos have seen a massive increase in popularity on social media. Channels like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook are home for thousands of food bloggers. You can now add TikTok to that list as well.
The duration of these social media videos is only 30 to 120 seconds, which fits in line with the reduced attention span of social media users. On Facebook alone, desktop and mobile users spend an average of 2.5 and 1.7 seconds, respectively, per post.
Facebook Vice President Nicola Mendelsohn has stated that in the next year or so, Facebook could be an entirely video-populated platform. This means food videography is going to be that much more important. Increasing consumer engagement through video will become the new normal. Customer acquisition like this is imperative for blogs that want to become a business.
In 2011, the University of Sheffield conducted a series of interviews amongst food bloggers, which indicated that none of them had invested any time into formal photography training. Most hadn't even shown interest in receiving any form of training. Though, this isn't an unreasonable decision. Food videography is very difficult, and becoming a food videographer is harder.
Creating video content that is engaging and competitive requires a lot of experience and a lot of equipment. These videos need lights, editing, high-end cameras, and an appropriate kitchen. Trying to juggle all of this may be a bad business decision.
Fortunately, food bloggers can use third-party services. These companies offer food photography and videography services for every type of foodie. And yes, they will even cook your recipes so you won't have to do a thing.
Leveraging experienced food videographers can save you both time and money. This will allow you to focus more on the recipes and the business as opposed to the video and production.
Food videography can require a significant amount of filming and editing. Production tasks can eat up time that could be spent elsewhere, such as blog content, recipe creation, advertising and customer acquisition. If you are looking to upgrade your food blog into a business, you need to treat it like one.
A successful entrepreneur has to learn that they cannot do everything alone. Don’t get suckered into thinking you can learn food videography and editing when you are in the middle of launching your own brand. And if you already have a full-time job, you can forget about it.
Utilizing third-party services is ideal in any case. You can gain access to high-end video equipment, industry professionals, and even new recipes. By hiring professional food videographers, you will improve your website’s video quality and your online customer experience.
Improved Consumer Interaction
In a 2012 survey conducted by Foodista and Zephyr Adventures, more than 50% of food bloggers admitted to having no relevant experience. Less than 25% had professional marketing experience, and only 20% even had a professional culinary background.
This survey illustrates two important points when it comes to food blogs. The first point is you don’t need a professional background to be successful in this business. Many food bloggers are mothers with other primary jobs. But they are still able to engage a specific demographic due to their style, effort, and recipes.
The second point is that you do not have to have ‘relevant’ professional experience. By seeking the assistance of other professionals, you can circumvent any experiential gaps. This especially applies if your desire is to convert the food blog into a business. The key to any successful business is repeat customers, after all.
Using effective food videography is the best way to engage new customers. It is even better for retaining them and satisfying them simultaneously.
Video creation has also become one of the most sought after industry skills. Many food blogging conferences will even offer panels dedicated to video creation.
Why? Because food videos are red hot right now.
As Leslie Brenner, a writer of The Dallas Morning News, points out, video has become a huge selling point for consumers in the online space.
Punchy 30-second social media videos are now the way to advertise your site and your food. It is content over information. People want to see the process and share it with their friends, rather than just read the recipes. Videos like these are the ideal way to sell your business.
YouTube has also become a dominant space for food bloggers to grow their consumer base. These videos, however, are longer and are more detail-oriented when it comes to replicating a specific recipe.
Food videography can also be the most valuable tool for communicating your food blog’s number one service, recipes. With user attention rates dropping, videos are the only way to teach recipes to consumers.
Reading a long series of lists and instructions can be tiresome and confusing. If a user of your website is unable to create a recipe effectively based on poor instructions, they will likely never return.
To ensure a recipe results in a positive experience, you need to have superior directions. The best path for that is through food videography.
Acquire Sponsorships, Develop the Business
With food blogs, appearances are as important as taste. If a recipe photo or video looks bad, it is highly likely that it won’t get made. Food videos can be an essential part of growing your business through sponsorships.
Many of the top food bloggers receive a significant amount of their revenues from sponsorships. These deals can range from specific food items to cooking utensils to even aprons.
Acquiring sponsorships is vital to kickstarting your business. And the best way to advertise your website to potential partners is by demonstrating what you offer: through video.
Aesthetics make the difference with other companies and getting sponsorships. If your food videography is elite, potential partners may want to sponsor you for their product to be attractively showcased.
Tagging other sponsors can also be an effective way to quickly boost your community. Sponsorships and partnerships, for this reason, are perfect ways to legitimize your website and create a competitive advantage.
If earnings, however, are your main priority, investing your time in videography might be a great way to earn more money. YouTube is a video space where food content thrives. Despite the competition, high-quality food videography can still succeed. After all, not everyone has access to professional cameras and editing software. High-quality food videography could be what puts your content above the rest.
While YouTube is a great place to present video content and gain exposure, it is also an excellent platform to earn a little extra income. If your website and video content are successful, the majority of your revenue may eventually come through YouTube. Investing in professional food videography means investing in your website and your business.
Benefits of Using Third-Party Food Videography Services
As detailed before, there are a lot of steps to building out a successful online food business. By utilizing professional food videographers, you can increase your social media visibility, enhance your online presence, acquire sponsorships, and better gain and retain customers.
Why spend the time and effort you need to run your website on learning food videography when you don't have to?
If you are in need of professional food videography, the first place you should visit is YUM Creative. From recipe creation to cooking and video production, YUM Creative is the easiest way to elevate your recipe website from a hobby to a business. Why spend tens of thousands of dollars, and hundreds of hours, acquiring skills and equipment you don’t need?
YUM Creative has over $10,000 invested in lighting alone. This gives every video that professional, cinematic feel. Every YUM Creative video goes through a food videographer, editor, professional chef, and food stylist. Stop working yourself to death and get the best content available.
Food videography is what your recipe website hinges on. It improves the customer experience, grows your community, and will lead to financial opportunities. And if you are going to incorporate food videography, do it right, and choose YUM Creative. Showcasing your content effectively could be the difference between success and failure.
And now what better way to end this post than with a sample of our work. If you'd like to see more, check out our portfolio or just Contact Us.