You Should Be Adding Recipes to Your Social Content Strategy

Creating engaging social content is challenging, especially for food brands. Unlike in-person experiences where consumers can see, smell, and taste your product, social media relies entirely on words and visuals.

To capture the same excitement, your content should aim to do one of three things: create a craving, establish a need, or spark inspiration. Below, we break down how to incorporate each of these elements to drive engagement and turn your audience into loyal fans.

Create A Craving

Since your audience can’t physically experience your product, your content must trigger their senses through visuals and audio.

• • • Use vibrant colors to make your product stand out.
    • Leverage sensory cues like steaming bread, sizzling pans, and gooey textures.
    • Incorporate close-up shots to make dishes feel more immersive.

Crave-worthy recipes don’t need to be complicated. When we worked with Entenmann’s on the  #12DaysofEntenmann’s campaign in 2023 and 2024, we focused on making their treats a part of holiday traditions. One standout post? A Reindeer Chocolate Donut—simple, festive, and irresistibly delicious, making for the perfect recipe post.

Establish A Need

Recipes are a great way to highlight how your product fits into everyday life. By showing its versatility and convenience, you make your brand essential to your audience.

• Highlight time-saving solutions like meal prep recipes under 30 minutes.
• Show flexibility with recipes that work for both solo meals and large gatherings.
• Keep it simple with easy-to-find ingredients (eight or fewer is ideal).

Through our work with food influencers, we’ve consistently seen that simple recipes perform best. One example is our campaign with Challenge Butter, where we created a video showcasing how butter enhances hot chocolate. Not only did this encourage consumers to try Challenge Butter specifically, but it also invited them to share their own buttery recipe ideas.

Spark Inspiration

Inspiration is a powerful motivator, whether it’s tied to nostalgia or fresh ideas. A well-crafted recipe post can encourage your audience to try something new or recreate a cherished memory.

• Set the scene by framing recipes around specific occasions, like Thanksgiving stuffing.
• Use storytelling to make your content more memorable.
• Incorporate handwritten elements or nostalgic props to evoke emotion.

A great example comes from PEEPS® Candy Cane flavor, where we partnered the brand with influencer @melodyinthemaking to create Hot Cocoa in a Jar. This content showcased the product in a festive way and provided gifting inspiration for the audience.

From Screen to Kitchen

By incorporating recipes into your content strategy, you can create a deeper connection with your audience. When your posts inspire cravings, establish a need, and spark creativity, you turn passive viewers into engaged customers. Have fun with it—your next best-performing post could be just one recipe away.