SMEs in the food industry have traditionally turned to free samples, displays and one-off advertisements to entice customers. Now, business owners are turning to Instagram to wet the appetite of foodies all over Australia – and it’s taking them by storm.
With 36 per cent of Australian Instagrammers following foodie accounts according to recent Aussies on Instagram research, it’s not surprising that some business owners have uncovered a world of new and potentially untapped consumers.
Jenna Marie Courturier is testament to this trend having started her Instagram profile to launch CAKE and Parisian Confections Patisserie Studio shortly after participating in My Kitchen Rules in 2013.
Since opening the business, Jenna has used Instagram to build a customer base for her bespoke cake designs.
“I use Instagram to build my customer base, I aim to inspire people to choose Le Pink Petite Patisserie for special occasions like weddings, birthdays and christenings,” Jenna told Dynamic Business.
With 11,000 followers, Jenna says a high proportion of business leads come through the platform where she showcases her daily menu.
“Since using Instagram I have experienced a rapid growth in customer orders and now have over 11K followers.”
With visual merchandising proving particularly powerful in the food arena, it may be time for anyone who hasn’t yet caught on to put those samples down and get snap happy.