No Shame in Your Foodstagram Game

If you’re like me, you subject your Instagram followers to constant pictures of food. I love discovering new restaurants and sharing my delicious meals via social media, but this can be the butt of so many jokes. ‘Foodstagrammers’, as they are affectionately called, can be annoying to many but are actually very helpful for businesses.

Nichole’s Fine Pastry

Fargo, ND

In a recent article for The Huffington Post, the food, drink and travel group, Thrillist, details the reasons why Instagramming food is good for both you and the businesses.

First, it allows you to remember where you have eaten. Can’t remember where those delicious Thai noodles were from? Check your pictures! That way you can introduce your friends to new foods and provide local businesses with much-needed attention. Especially from a public relations standpoint, many small businesses do not have the resources to advertise. They rely on word of mouth and sharing through sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. By sharing pictures of your mouth-watering food, you’re giving businesses indispensable limelight.

Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine

Brooklyn Park, MN

Second, like I said before, the businesses are often not chain restaurants. They are small, local restaurants whose main source of income comes from people in their general location. McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish may have a catchy song but sometimes the carefully breaded fish fillets and thick-cut fries can only from from a lake-side restaurant. Plus, you get a fun road trip included! New experiences often go hand-in-hand with new restaurants, making it an adventure with every discovery.

Tin Fish

Lake Calhoun, MN

Finally, while Yelp is a must for new places, sometimes the barrage of reviews can be overwhelming. When someone I know posts their own brief restaurant experience with accompanying pictures (meaning you can eye the dishes), I am more likely to try it out because I know I never post photos unless I’ve truly enjoyed my time at a restaurant.

Bar La Grassa

Minneapolis, MN

I shamelessly post so many photos of the food I enjoy at these sometimes obscure, sometimes extravagant restaurants. I encourage you to do the same! Some may moan and groan that you’re “not really enjoying the food, you’re just using it for pictures!” But in the long run, those pictures are free PR for the local businesses and gives you an excuse for a witty comment and a great Instagram filter.

Photos by Paige Johnson

Instagram: paige_johnson_irl

#SocialMedia #Instagram #Photography #PublicRelations #Food