Food Tech Apps Further Harness the Power of Photos with Social Media

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It’s no longer just a hypothesis that great visual content impacts sales and engagement for food delivery applications. There are numbers to prove it, and brands are acting on this data. Just one of many examples: restaurants with photos on Grubhub see an increase of up to 30 percent in orders than those without photos. In fact today, most delivery platforms require restaurants to upload photos to their menu prior to going live. Recently, food delivery apps have partnered with visual-driven social media platforms to further harness the power of photos.

At the end of 2020, Instagram hit a major milestone, recording over one billion users for the first time. Gone are the days where consumers only sought inspiration from this platform. Clothes, makeup, green curry with a side of spring rolls… users now have the ability to buy directly from this social media channel.  

In the midst of the pandemic, ChowNow took advantage of this and launched a partnership with Instagram that allows restaurants to take orders directly through their business accounts. Restaurants can promote ordering on posts and stories with visuals.

Source: ChowNow

UberEats soon followed by launching a similar partnership. UberEats now dedicates prime real estate on each menu to Instagram photos. Restaurants are encouraged to link their business profiles to “spotlight show stopping dishes” with photos. Consumers can scroll through to see specials, employees, and get a glimpse at what the establishment looks like directly from the delivery app. This partnership has enabled photos to become restaurants digital storefronts on UberEats.

Source: UberEats

Of all the social media channels that these major food delivery brands could have partnered with, why have they chosen Instagram? Instagram is the king of visual social media platforms, and photos drive orders.

However, it’s not just food delivery apps that are tapping into social media. With the accelerated adoption of online grocery, consumers turned to their favorite channels to reach brands. According to Talkwalker, between March 1st and May 1st 2020, grocery delivery apps saw a 28,000 percent increase in social media engagement. As the growth of online grocery continues and with it increased social interactions, brands must be equipped with high quality content for all touchpoints. Having such content on brand profiles is another opportunity to drive engagement and promote products.

To maximize partnerships with social media platforms and/or enhance brand profiles, three key elements should not be overlooked:

1. Quantity: Maintaining relevance and engaging consumers on social media requires a hefty amount of new and fresh content.
2. Quality: Quality of content should not be compromised for quantity. Visual content should entice foodies to order, not discourage.
3. Authenticity: Photos must look great, but also be a true representation of what the dish or product is. A photographer’s expertise in styling and lighting will create the perfect balance between attractive and realistic.

Professional, customized photos have enabled leading brands to take their applications to the next level and drive growth. As brands partner with social media channels and enhance their company profiles, promoting this new content will be key to success. Through cutting edge technology and a global network of Image Creators, OCUS™ provides industry leaders visuals with the quantity, quality, and authenticity needed.  

Contact marketing@ocus.com today, to learn how OCUS™ can extend your visual identity across all touchpoints to super-charge sales.