We are all familiar with the use of Instagram as a way to post meaningful pictures about ourselves and others. As Instagram continues to grow, the ways in which it is used have grown as well. In the recent years, Instagram has made it possible for users to have more than one account. This has drastically increased the number of “foodies” on Instagram.
So, what is a foodie? A foodie, as according to the Cambridge dictionary, is someone “who loves food and is very interested in different types of food.” Now with this definition you might consider yourself a foodie, however, Instagram bloggers have taken this to the next level.
Instagram food blogs are dedicated to combining foodie/gourmet meals with photography and reviews. In the Philadelphia area alone, you can find over 10 accounts with more than ten thousand followers just by searching “Philly food.” Additionally, there are many small accounts with less than 10,000 followers posting whatever meals they come across. With Philadelphia being home of restaurants owned by Stephen Starr, Michael Solomanov and Marc Vetri just to name a few, it is easy to see why there are so many food bloggers in this city. Not only do we have phenomenal restaurants, but we take pride in our cheesesteaks with tons of restaurants serving different types. We are home to Reading Terminal Market which is a travel destination for many tourists. With all this amazing food, how could Philly not be the perfect place for a foodie?
After doing some research and reaching out to some Instagram food bloggers in Philly, I found out what it takes to build a successful food blog. Here are some tips and tricks:
- Set up your account as a public business account. Instagram offers a variety of titles and subjects to name your account (ex: ‘personal blog’ or ‘creator’). This allows you to gain insights on your posts. It will show many how many stickers or tags have been clicked on, how many people are sharing your posts, and how many people are bookmarking your posts. Additionally, it will show you who your main audience is and where they are living.
- When taking photographs of food, make sure your pictures are vibrant but not over-edited/filtered.
- Make sure you stage your food in a way that is aesthetically pleasing.
- Always tag the restaurant. A lot of restaurants will repost your pictures or post them to their stories which will help you gain more followers.
- Interact with users that comment on your posts.
- Post a lot and have fun with it.
- Remember, phone eats first!
If you’re not looking to make your own food Instagram and just want ideas on where to eat in the city, here are a few of my favorite accounts!
- Phillynombros is a great Instagram owned by two SJU grads featuring tons sandwich and pizza shops along with a few other meals.
- Swagfoodphilly features pizza, pasta and everything in between…get ready for some cheese-pull videos.
- Cityoffoodidelphia is the most diverse profile for the most expanded palate!
