How to become a social media chef.
Before the dawn of social media, the opportunity to share your passion, creativity and love of food was really limited if you weren’t a professional.
Qualified chefs dominated television, print and even online – after all, they are the experts, right?
Well, if truth be told, not completely right. They may absolutely have the necessary qualifications – although many top chefs are self-taught and didn’t get any kind of formal training – but they have gone on to hone their skills in professional kitchens.
Once platforms such as TikTok and Instagram became such worldwide phenomena, that opened the floodgates for anyone with a particular flair or interest to share it on a global level.
Home cooks who previously may have just concocted dishes for their family and friends suddenly found a way to broaden their audience – and for many of them that has led to massive success.
They may not ever be heading up a Michelin star restaurant, but that’s not to say they can’t create a very nice living by showcasing what they do best.
Our Found book creators all fall into that category, people who have decided to share their home recipes online and at the same time letting hundreds of thousands – or in some cases millions – of strangers into their homes.
To be a social media cook you don’t need to worry about fine dining creations – the majority of people like to find recipes that they can relate to and that they can easily replicate.
There are some ingredients that you will need, however, if this is a path you want to pursue. Confidence in front of the camera – this will of course increase over time – and bags of personality so that the viewing audience can engage with you.
A bit of a thick skin helps as well – remember that no matter how hard you try, not everyone is going to like you. The downside of social media is it’s awash with keyboard warriors who love to be negative.
Learn to ignore that and remember nobody can please everyone, simply concentrate on the positive!
Once you’ve decided you’re going to give this a go, then the first thing to do is decide on a name and set up your platform. Try and come up with something that’s both relatable and relevant – and that’s memorable.
It could reflect where you’re from, your style of cooking, who you cook for – it’s worth investing a bit of time to come up with something that’s right for you.
You might want to consider investing in some home vlogging equipment which will fit in with your smartphone and includes LED lighting, tripods etc. You don’t have to spend a fortune – there are kits out there for as little as £50 – but it can certainly help make your finished product look professional.
Before you start posting, have a few trial runs. See how long it takes for your recipes- most of them need to be fairly speedy – and ensure all the necessary equipment is close at hand.
If you make a mistake don’t worry – it makes you look human and therefore more relatable. It’s worth doing a bit of research and checking out what other people are doing and what works best for them.
Connecting with your audience at a personal level is the key to success. If you’re posting on Instagram, make sure you’re in the majority of the images – people will buy into you!
Ask for feedback – this serves the purpose of making your followers believe their opinion matters and also gives you some insight into what they do and don’t enjoy.
Also think about the ingredients that you use. Is there a packet mix/a sauce etc that you use on a regular basis and that will appear in your recipes? If so, make sure you tag the brand in.
This is how successful social media influencers start to build their brand and enter into partnerships, where they can receive products or cash for showcasing a product – and of course the more followers you have, the more attractive to companies you become.
To become a successful social media cook requires time and dedication but if you’re willing to put in the work, there are rich rewards to be had.