How to market a food product

A quick guide on how to market a food product, especially if you’re a startup or small business.

Small food businesses can market their product and get them to the grocery shelves with a few simple steps. Most of these steps, like how to make a food business plan and how to start a small food business , focus on how the individual entrepreneur starts his or her own company. Marketing is another aspect that has an effect on how successful a business will be; once it launches its products into stores, consumers may ignore it if they don’t know it exists.

How do small food businesses get new customers?

Targeting potential customers is key for small food businesses that want to expand their customer base. The best ways for this include:

Offering new flavors: Many companies introduce new flavors so customers will buy different varieties. Flavor chemists can help with using safe and effective ingredients to lend your product a new taste. Consumers look for “new” in food, so if you can discover how to create something new within your product line then your chance of success will be higher.

Creating innovative vegan or gluten-free products:  Making an animal-free product or one that makes it easy for people with celiac to enjoy their favorite foods can grab customers’ attention. Developing a great tasting or unique selling point is key when marketing small foods businesses. By creating this unique selling point, consumers will remember that specific brand and want to buy it again.  Take Oatly for example that produces oat-based dairy alternatives. The benefits of hiring a food consultant or food scientist are that they are experts in how food tastes, how it is created and how to make what people want. Working with a freelance food scientist can help you create a new taste, texture or flavour to distinguish your product from the competition.

Brand matching: A good strategy is to pair how the company presents itself with how its customers perceive themselves. For instance, if there are young professionals in an office building where the food business is based, they will appreciate food that’s quick and convenient but still tastes good so they can eat healthy without spending hours preparing meals. They may also be open to trying new products that are not available in their regular grocery store. Make sure your specific type of food or beverage is targeting the right kinds of consumers.

Step-by-step: how to market a food product

1. Sell it! Marketing and advertising your food product can be done in several ways such as print ads, billboards, website marketing and social media. There may also be companies that offer consulting on how to go about marketing your product. One can also contact local supermarkets or distributors to see if they want to carry their products.

2. Meet nutrition labeling requirements, and make sure packaging is clean, appealing and clearly communicates how to use the product .

3. Work with a food business consultant or lawyer to ensure compliance with federal laws. When marketing your food product, there are certain things that have to be done in order for it to be considered legal. One of these is how the name of the product is not misleading in any way, shape or form . Another thing would be how the package that the food comes in must clearly state how much of what is in it.

5. Prepare a business plan and financial projections for your new venture before you approach investors for money

6. Keep track of how consumers feel about your food products whether its through collecting feedback or reviews or monitoring what they say on social media.

7. You could also try a different approach by focusing on how you produce your product instead of how your produce the end result . For example offer sustainable foods by using eco-friendly materials during manufacturing or harvest trees from farms owned by third party companies instead of cutting them down yourself deforestation.

How to market a food product: Grow your digital presence

1. Work with influencers to market your product: One way small businesses find how to market a food product is by working with food influencers on social media. There’s nothing like a strong recommendation from an expert for your product, helping you build credibility and make your mark in the space. You can also hire experienced food writers to communicate how your product is different and how it can benefit potential customers.

2. Produce a video: Videos are more engaging than text articles, especially to millennials who like watching videos on how how to market a food product . Therefore you should think about how best make useful how to marketing videos with the help of an expert. You can produce how-to videos or highlight people’s reactions when they try out your product for the first time, in order to engage and inspire viewers about how great your product is and how it will improve their life. Videos shareable on social media work well too, as they can go viral in no time if produced properly!

3. Have a website: Having a website that provides information about your product and what makes it unique is one of the best ways how to market a food product . You can put your how-to videos, photos and recipes on it. Besides, you must also consider how how to do e-commerce so that people can easily buy your products online.

4. Get social media accounts: Creating social media accounts is another how to marketing ideas how to market a food product for small businesses. You can set up Facebook or Instagram accounts where you share updates about your how-to videos, recipes and photos of other people’s reactions. Just be careful not to go overboard with self-promotion as no one likes a braggart!

5. Advertise: The last thing you can do is advertise on websites like Facebook or Instagram. Getting real people to try out your product and provide reviews gives you material that you can use confidently in your advertisements.

Need advice on how to develop or market your food product? Consult food business consultants on Kolabtree. Browse experts and contact a freelancer directly for free.