The food service world is rapidly evolving, with continually emerging new regulations, shifting customer expectations, and advancing technology. To stay competitive and ahead of the game, those in the food business need to ensure they stay up to date with the latest trends and insights.
Enter influencer insights. With the help of influencer insights, restaurant owners and other food service professionals can gather invaluable data about the food service industry, enabling them to make informed decisions quickly, and have more accurate forecasts.
But how do you go about gathering and analyzing influencer insights? What are the key considerations to make sure you get the most value out of this data? Read on to find out, as we detail the Top 10 Things to Consider Regarding Influencer Insights in the Food Service World.
1. Set Clear Goals
Before beginning your analysis, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your goals. Are you trying to learn more about customer preferences, uncover new trends, or discover gaps in the market? Having a clear set of goals will guide you in your exploration and make sure your efforts are focused and productive.
2. Identify Your Audience
Who do you want to reach? Are you targeting consumers, foodservice professionals, or a combination of both? This step is important, as it will determine where to find the right influencers, and how to best approach them.
3. Look for Authentic Influencers
In order to get the most out of your influencer insights, it’s important to look for authentic, genuine influencers who are passionate about the foodservice world and have an authentic connection to it. Such influencers will generally be more familiar with the industry, and thus provide more valuable data and insights.
4. Evaluate the Platforms
When seeking influencer insights, take a look at the platforms they’re active on. Do they have a strong presence on social media, but not so much on other websites? Or vice versa? Understanding the platforms allows you to effectively target your research and get insights that are specific to the platforms chosen.
5. Follow Trends
One of the most powerful aspects of engaging influencers is the ability to uncover trends that may be developing in the foodservice industry. Keep an eye out for emerging patterns and new trends, and get a jump on the competition by being quick to adjust strategies accordingly.
6. Keep an Open Mind
When gathering influencer insights it’s important to keep an open mind and be willing to utilize data from various sources. This will give you the most comprehensive, varied perspective and enable you to be proactive. It also helps to set realistic expectations – not every piece of data is valuable, so be prepared to filter out what’s important and what’s not.
7. Rely On a Variety of Influences
Gathering influencer insights from multiple sources is essential in order to be successful. Working with multiple influencers, for example, can help you uncover more accurate insights, which can be used in tandem as separate pieces of data to get a full view of the industry.
8. Test Your Strategies
Once you’ve gathered influencer insights, it’s important to test your strategies and verify the accuracy of the data. Before investing in any new initiatives, ensure that the insights are backed up by actual market research and reality. This will help you make sure your strategies are viable before taking the plunge.
9. Take Note of Competitors’ Strategies
By tracking and evaluating competitors’ strategies, you can get an inside look into what they’re doing and how it’s working. Use this as input for your own strategies and as a way to fine-tune your approach.
10. Utilize Automation
Automation is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to gathering influencer insights. It allows you to collect data quickly and easily, and to sift through it to find what’s most relevant and useful. This is particularly valuable in a field as rapidly-changing as the foodservice industry.
Gathering reliable influencer insights in the foodservice industry is essential for success. To get the most out of this data, it’s important to take into consideration the top 10 things discussed: set clear goals; identify your audience; look for authentic influencers; evaluate the platforms; follow trends; keep an open mind; rely on a variety of influencers; test your strategies; take note of competitors’ strategies; and utilize automation. When done properly, influencer insights can provide invaluable information and insights to help your business stay ahead of the competition.
