Food and Instagram go together like peanut butter and jelly.  Why? Because Instagram is essentially visual storytelling and a way to connect with others through experience sharing. Although technically food is nourishment, it is also much more than that. It is community, story, and connection. Whether you are an enthusiast, a blogger, small business or running a major brand’s social account, we have some easy workarounds, fail-proof food photography tips, and must-have apps that will surely inspire you to get your food-gram skills up to par.

What if I told you that in order for your brand to stay relevant in the expanding global market you must be doing one crucial thing - embracing diversity. What if I also told you that not embracing diversity will affect your bottom line? Would you invest right now to change the way you market? If you are not marketing to diverse audiences, you are already lagging far behind the curve.

Even though the average person is bombarded by an avalanche of marketing content every day, most modern consumers are willing to see or hear a review from somebody they respect or admire. So lo and behold, with the rise of digital marketing and social media communication comes "Influencer Marketing." Influencer marketing can be a very powerful marketing tactic. Brands can find epic success by leveraging influencers to drive brand awareness, exposure, conversions and customer retention with a deliberate influencer marketing strategy.

They say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so just imagine the stories brands can tell on social media. That was the basis of our thinking when we built one of our own social influencer platforms in 2017. As marketers we wanted a social platform to tell the stories of some of the best food and drink producers in our state of Virginia to an audience that really wanted to know about them. We started researching heavily but came up short in finding a social presence where all of this converged–and so Virginia Foodie was born.

Digital access to messages, media and streamlined search engines has never been more prevalent than it is today. This environment has created a consumer market that expects quick, convenient and easy experiences at all points of the sales funnel. It has become easier and easier for consumers to educate themselves about products that they are interested in.

You've landed here because you are either naming a product or perhaps are looking for a new approach to naming strategy. The good news is- we live in the wild world of product launch, and I've assisted in naming quite a few things, from technologies to actual product, even a division of a corporation. Notice I said assisted, and it’s for a good reason. Naming something should never be a one-horse show. It doesn’t matter if you have the genius and intuition of Don Draper; naming a product (or anything else, really) is strategic, and should fundamentally be based on data, testing, and research.

By 2020, Gen-Z's will command 40% of consumer shopping, and they spend on average up to 5 hours a day online. This generation will affect the economy and food manufacturers dramatically, considering their favorite items to spend their money on (36%) are food and drinks according to [Visa]. They are a foodie buying force that needs to be reckoned with, ASAP. Here are 10 things food manufacturers need to know about Generation Z:

The struggle is real for every brand when it comes to social media conversion and getting your audience to become your buyer. I bet you’ve faced this question many times before: “We made some fans now how do we get them to buy?” If you have landed on this page looking for a marketing magic wand that creates immediate social media conversions, you are going to be disappointed.

Do you find yourself continuously trying to solve new problems in marketing and business? Do you get bored and decide to reinvent, redesign, rebrand, and repeat. Even if there isn't a problem, sometimes you may create one so that you can then solve it. This is actually a pretty common trait in leaders, especially ones involved heavily in marketing. So, how do you know that it’s time to rebrand and that your mind isn't just playing tricks on you? Could a tune-up get you the results you need without buckets of time, energy and money being poured out for an actual rebrand overhaul? Let's find out.

To stay golden means to be true to yourself. Telling a brand story successfully via social media requires just that, and with a bit of ‘brand focus’ you can get to the essence of your story. You will then be able to hone in on the channels that matter to your brand audiences by delivering information that is at least one of three things: unique, interesting, or useful. Also, please don't forget the details.