How to communicate on social media

Interviewing Adrien from Food in Paris

Could you please introduce yourself? How would you define your style/world? When did you create your blog?

I’m Adrien from Food In Paris, and I’ve been running a website for 7 years, about gastronomy in general. Of course, I’m also present on social media (on Instagram @adrienfoodinaparis and on Twitter). I give my opinion on the work of chefs in bistronomic and Michelin-starred gastronomic restaurants, and I report on openings, events and new products.

How did you come up with the idea of getting involved with bloggers and social media?

I’ve always liked to eat well and considered that it should be a pleasure, not just a vital need. So I enjoyed searching and finding new places. Very quickly, people close to me started asking me for restaurant recommendations, as I knew a lot of places, and they suggested I condense this information into a blog. Then I created my own website. The blog was the medium I started with, to make myself known and for the pleasure of writing too. I was amazed at the number of visitors who browsed the pages every month. Subsequently, agencies contacted me with proposals, which I accepted when they were in line with my editorial line. I then took to social media to increase my visibility.

Which social media platforms do you use? Do you have any preferences? If so, why?

Undeniably, Instagram. This social media platform is the one that stands out the most in the world of gastronomy. I think it’s the most suitable because images are very well suited to Instagram. The dual function, with stories and permanent posts, allows information to be relayed with more emphasis and in a different way, for different audiences, which is very interesting. So I let Facebook take a back seat, not least because Instagram, on top of everything else, is a social media platform that doesn’t generate debate and is more benevolent. What’s more, Instagram lets you be seen through hashtags, whereas Facebook only lets you see users you know and/or follow.Twitter remains an important platform, which is why I’m also present there.

How do you choose the restaurants you test?

When I choose restaurants, I use my network, my informants, the journalists and influencers I know and whose opinions I value, and with whom I exchange and share. Thanks to them, I am sure I have the right information and will review a table that will suit my editorial line.

What do you think is the point of a restaurant’s presence on social media?

I think it’s essential. Today, we have so much choice that when we have to choose, we often go to the last restaurant viewed on social media. An excellent restaurant that isn’t on social media is missing out on potential customers, tourists travelling… It’s all part of the game when you’re looking to maintain and renew your clientele.

What advice would you give a restaurant setting up its own social media or wishing to communicate more on them?

The first thing is to create relevant content, not to post for the sake of posting. Social media should be used to showcase their work. However, if the restaurateur can’t do it alone, he needs to call in a professional to manage his entire social media strategy.

What kind of food photos should you post on social media? / How to promote your food on social media?

The most important thing is to tell a story. It’s very interesting to show what goes on behind the scenes, how things are done inside a restaurant, how the products arrive, how they are processed… Restaurateurs have two choices, they can post an “Insta-worthy” plate, or post a “traditional” plate and show what’s behind it: the staff, the products… In any case, it’s essential for restaurateurs to stay true to what they do and to their personality, as well as that of the chef. What I love about social media is that you’re free to be as crazy as you like.

What kind of food photos should you post on social media? / How to promote your food on social media?

In your opinion, what role do Internet users play and what power do they have over restaurants?

Firstly: deciding whether to go to this or that restaurant, or to not go at all. The most basic of roles is choice. The second is that Internet users build a restaurant’s reputation. By tagging them, they create positive publicity for a restaurant.

What do you think motivates web users to share food on Instagram?

Internet users’ main motivation is the desire to share with their community and with a close circle able to react. At their level, they also have relays and are not to be overlooked.

Finally, do you have any best practices you’d like to share with a restaurant? in terms of social media actions, restaurant decor and plate setting…

It’s essential to post beautiful photos, with good lighting, whether artificial or natural. Photos need to be of the highest quality, as I believe that a well-taken photo is a real eye-catcher. Much more than a plate that’s very well laid out but is poorly lit, meaning it isn’t showcased properly. The second thing I would recommend to a restaurateur is to communicate about what goes on behind the scenes in the kitchen: the use of products and their processing, as well as the teams working in the restaurant. Naturally, it all depends on the target audience: 15-25 year-olds are a group for whom plate setting is essential, whereas 30-40 year-olds are less interested in plate setting.