Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, bartenders have taken to social media channels like TikTok and Instagram to share bartending videos. Whether they're showing off their mixology skills or teaching followers how to make a drink at home, they're reaching an audience outside of their typical crowd.
Known for her quick and easy drink reicpes, Ashley Hupp, otherwise known as @theparadise.bartender on TikTok, has 2.7 million followers and over 67 million likes on the app. Or there's @tipsybartender on Instagram, with 5.1 million followers, where longer videos are posted to their IGTV channel. Even if you don't have a large social media following, there are still a few quick and easy ways to start creating content that will reach your customers.
Kerry's liquid chef, Levi Andersen, gives us three tips and tricks for creating content with recipes and how you can further drive traffic to your bar or café through social media.
1. Show How to Make Drinks
Appealing to a variety of followers is key. Whether it's another bartender watching or someone new to making their own drinks at home, recipes should be straight-forward without being too simple. You'll want to create drinks that are unique without alienating your audience. You could start with something that ties into a holiday, like this Red Velvet Russian that's perfect for Valentine's Day or show how you make one of your signature cocktails.
2. Photography Matters
Which photos you use to promote your recipes and drinks matter. There are a few basic photography tips that can help you make the most of your social media posts.
Lighting: Lighting is key for a great photo. While natural light is great, sometimes a combination of natural light and staged lighting can help bring a photo or video to life.
Framing: There are a few different ways to frame the main focal point of a photo. You can use the rule of thirds, where the image is divided into three sections and the subject is placed along one of those lines. You can also use the background of an image to frame the subject, as seen in the photo below - we used the backbar shelving to frame the glass and draw the eye to the drink.
Contrast: Another way to make your photos pop on social media is to create contrast between the drink and the background. It helps makes the drink stand out while creating an Instagrammable, shareable image.
3. Stay Engaged
Don't just post one video or image and then be done with it. Create a schedule for posting new recipe videos or images. Show some behind the scenes footage of a photoshoot so customers can see what it takes to create your content.
Once customers know that you'll have more content or new recipes to try, they'll keep coming back to see what's new.
Looking for more recipe ideas or ways to drive traffic? Visit our recipes section or visit our blog for more tips and tricks.
