Karen Kanakanui

Well, the good news is that there’s room on social media for just about any story you want to tell. If you’re operating a restaurant, for example, there’s plenty of room for menu specials, one-off events, and promotions. And there’s lots of social media channels to choose from as well.  If you’ve got lots of photos, there’s a social media channel for you. Rather just send quick bites? Twitter is your friend.

Now, the less-than-good news is that those stories are not necessarily what’s going to build your audience over the long-term or encourage engagement with your visitors.

And yet the “right” stories are probably right in front of your nose, too–or maybe your eyes….

So, here’s the thing: I don’t think you can underestimate how much information foodies want to know about your food! Where does it come from? Who grew it? Why did you choose to put those ingredients together? Can I make this at home – somehow, some way? Is it seasonal? What’s your favorite food for the season?

And that’s just one dish – multiply that by a week’s worth of meals.

If you’re the chef or owner, why did you choose a particular theme for your restaurant? How did you get interested in cooking? If you have more than one restaurant, how did the progression happen? What drives you to create new dishes? What is your inspiration?

These are the kinds of stories that you can tell that will engage your audience, and make them want to come back for more. Stories are kind of the secret weapon here! They fulfill a very human need for connection, and connection is key to social media success.

And don’t forget the images! If you have good ones, use them. If you don’t, get some made! Change them out regularly. Remember, consistency is a key to social media success.

One general rule of thumb for social media is the 80/20 rule. So for every 8 stories you tell, you can offer two promotions or specials. (And I wouldn’t count posting your daily specials on Twitter as a promotion – you get a pass on those….)

And let me know how it goes! You don’t always need to tell stories about your own food business; sometimes you can talk about a food in general, or a cooking technique. And don’t forget about highlighting employees from time to time. How long have they been working for you? What is their background? What is their favorite dish?

Personal works – and stories are our friend!

I spent most of last Saturday watching TedxManhattan: Changing the Way We Eat, a day-long series of speakers exploring everything from local food distribution systems to changing how school students are fed, meatless Mondays, and even using crickets as a protein source! I learned a lot and was excited to see how many different people are working in so many ways to improve our food systems.

Chef Tom Colicchio, Chef/Owner Craft Restaurants, and food justice advocate, was the last speaker of the day. He told a great story of how he attended a benefit for a food bank in New York City where over $2 million was raised. Everyone felt good about that – and rightfully so. Then, not long after, Congress cut $8.9 billion from the food stamp program, and as Colicchio  pointed out, there would have to be a benefit raising $2 million-  every day for 12 years – in order to make up that difference.

A lot of impact in that story, right?

And it reflects a value that’s important to Chef Colicchio and many others in the local food movement. I think most people who are working for more sustainable food with a local or regional focus are doing so because it supports some of their key values. It’s too much work for most to do simply for a paycheck!

This all got me to thinking about how we express our values in our marketing efforts. And should we?

“Yes,” is the short answer, I think, because in many ways, those values are part of what sets us apart from other companies offering the same services or products.

And I don’t mean values are always front and center – “I believe A, therefore buy my B.” But I do believe that it’s our values that determine what stories we tell; we choose the stories that best support what we believe.

And in the example of  Colicchio, above, the story he told was background for his involvement in Food Policy Action, an organization formed “to hold Congress accountable for their votes on government programs that alleviate hunger and encourage good farming practices.”  In addition to education, Food Policy Action also produces a National Food Policy Scorecard that provides information about voting records of Senate and House members.

I think the other reason that it’s good for your values to show up in your marketing is that it reflects who you are as a person. I always say that one of my attractions to the local eating concept was my two children;  I’d like them to know where their food comes from and help them to make healthy choices. That’s important to me, and it’s part of why I do the work that I do.

Marketing – especially when you’re a small business or solopreneur – is your public face  to the marketplace. Sharing the values behind your business is a bridge to reach out to your potential customers and let them see there’s a real person there. It raises the “know, like, and trust” factor, so connecting with those who share your values offers common ground for networking, idea-sharing, and other opportunities, including sales, of course.

As he summarized his talk last weekend, Colicchio lamented that most people on Capitol Hill aren’t even aware that there is a “food movement.” He suggested that going forward, the local, sustainable, organic community must work together, vote together, and speak with one voice, in order to let Congress know that, indeed, there is a food movement, and as he said, “we’re coming for you.”

Common values – and shared stories – is what will drive that effort forward. It will, also work for your marketing. Where are your values showing up in marketing?

I was thrilled to learn recently that a prototype of  the Farmery! was coming our way here in Raleigh, NC. Developed by a team that consists of Ben Greene, an artist and industrial designer and Tyler Nethers, a grower and biological systems developer. The mission  of the Farmery is “reinvisioning local food” and their goal is to create urban farms, a supermarket for the future made out of low cost shipping containers and some modular greenhouse components.

There is so much to like about this model if you’re a fan of local food and sustainable food production! The company has a mini-farmery in operation in Durham where crops are grown and then sold along other locally-sourced products. Customers can “harvest” their own food – how cool is that? The building in Raleigh is a small container which will grow crops on the outside walls and roof. I took this photo soon after they arrived on the grounds of the Raleigh City farm downtown, and of course, there’s nothing growing yet, but you can view the Durham location to get an idea of what it will look like when it’s fully functional.

The Farmery also has a couple of production prototype growing units where they’re working on refining their model to achieve optimum efficiency and systems that can be profitable. They’re producing gourmet mushrooms inside one of the shipping containers, with vegetables and herbs growing on the outside via a vertical wall system. So far their focus is strawberries, greens, lettuces, and salad mixes. Oh yes, and they’re also growing fish!

What’s really exciting is their vision for the future of a full-fledged supermarket consisting of a cafe, the farm itself, and the grocery. The second floor consists of the farm; customers will be able to actually see their food growing on the vertical walls and you have the option to harvest it yourself.  Customers will be able to connect with their food in a way that is much more intimate than buying a cellophane-wrapped product. And of course, you can’t get much more local than walking down the street to your neighbhood Farmery and snipping some herbs for dinner!

They also sell living wall planters on the website, for the home or office. The base size is 20″ tall by 10″ wide and 3″ deep, and you can use them as a solo installation or put several together – inside or out!  No loose soil and water is self-contained.

Welcome to Raleigh, Farmery!