5 Food Brands That Just Get Social Media in 2023

As social media nerds, our team at Random loves browsing social media for brands that post unique and engaging content. Lucky for us, many of these brands just happen to be food-related. We're either really hungry at Random, or food brands have unlocked the secrets to social media success. Probably a little bit of both.

Join us on this scrumptious journey as we dive into the profiles of five food brands that are showing success on social media.  From mouthwatering visuals to ingenious pop culture tie-ins, these brands know how to capture your attention and keep you craving for more.

Pop-Tarts

Pop-Tarts has something absolutely crucial on social media: Relevancy. 

Creatively and seamlessly tying a brand's product to pop culture is no easy task. But hey, if Pop-Tarts can do it with their product, anyone can. Through clever and timely content, they manage to capture the attention of their target audience and beyond.

Here's an example of how they tied their brand to New York Fashion Week:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pop-Tarts (@poptartsus)

A few days after Apple announced its revolutionary VR headset, Pop-Tart announced its version of VR on social:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pop-Tarts (@poptartsus)

And finally, here's Pop-Tart's extraterrestrial targeted post in the wake of Congress' UFO hearings:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pop-Tarts (@poptartsus)

By aligning with pop culture and current events, Pop-Tarts not only keeps its product at the forefront of consumers' minds but also fosters a sense of relatability and authenticity. This connection with trends and cultural references enhances the brand's relevance and resonance with its audience, ultimately driving brand loyalty and sales.

Alter Eco

Alter Eco, an organic, fair-trade chocolate brand, has mastered standing out by embracing what sets it apart. This attitude is apparent in their brand identity as well as content strategy. This alignment resonates with conscious consumers who seek products that align with their values. It's a shining example of how a brand can thrive by embracing what makes it different and making it the centerpiece of its messaging.

The method that Alter Eco uses to set themselves apart takes many different forms. Here is a more direct way the brand distinguishes itself from others in the market:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alter Eco Organic Chocolate (@altereco_foods)

And here is a less direct way Alter Eco differentiates itself. By choosing to post raw or underproduced imagery, the brand shows its audience a more authentic side of its product:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alter Eco Organic Chocolate (@altereco_foods)

Kraft Mac & Cheese

Of course, what you ate every lunch as a kid is popping off on social media. Kraft Mac & Cheese does a great job at keeping up with the trends going around social media. Not only does Kraft Mac & Cheese find ways to relate trends to their products, but they also actively search out trends that fit their brand and product. This makes the execution of their posts seamless and less desperate for relevancy.

Here's Kraft Mac & Cheese's spin on a popular TikTok sound from last month. I think we can all agree that a trend like this would be a no-brainer for a brand like theirs:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kraft Mac & Cheese (@kraft_macandcheese)

Chobani

Chobani's approach to social media marketing is a textbook example of how to engage with an audience without the hard sell. Rather than bombarding their followers with constant product promotion, Chobani focuses on providing valuable content in the form of how-to guides, hacks, and tips. By sharing content that caters to its audience's interests and needs, Chobani establishes itself as a trusted source of information and inspiration.

This post, in particular, showcases Chobani's skill in going the extra mile to provide valuable content:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chobani (@chobani)

And check out Chobani's artistic direction in this post! By using vibrant shapes, duo-toned imagery, and organic textures, Chobani ‹‹follows design trends that other proactive brands are starting to incorporate. Embracing current design trends helps Chobani stay in touch with the tastes and preferences of its target audience.

OLIPOP

OLIPOP, a "healthier" soda brand making waves, has crafted a social media strategy that's not just about the soda but the people sipping it. Far too often, brand content execution falls flat by not showing real people using, tasting, or enjoying their product. By featuring the beaming smiles of happy soda lovers, OLIPOP has brewed up an emotional connection that's as effervescent as their beverages.

The following post not only features a real person with the OLIPOP product but also references Taylor Swift in the caption?! What more could social media ask for?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by OLIPOP (@drinkolipop)

Referencing a significant player in pop-culture conversation, such as Taylor Swift, is a brilliant choice from OLIPOP. It shows your audience that you understand something beyond your brand and empathize with your audience's interests.


These five brands aren't just satisfying our cravings but are also giving us a glimpse at what effective social media content should aim for. From Kraft Mac & Cheese's trend-chasing expertise to Chobani's value-packed approach, you can pull a lot of social inspiration from just these brands. So, we hope this deep dive has left you inspired (and hungry) for success in your social media endeavors.


Is your food brand lacking social media direction? We can help! Shoot us a message and share all your wildest dreams with us.

Should Your Brand be Using Reddit?

In 2023, you might feel like your brand is adding a new social media channel to your social strategy every month. Apps like Instagram's Threads is one of those new channels that brands have had to adopt pretty quickly.

However, there are several social platforms that have been around for years but are rather underutilized by brands. One of these platforms is Reddit. 

Reddit isn't usually considered as influential as other popular social media platforms, although it deserves to be. The network has over 500 million monthly active users and is one of the most engaged communities on the internet.

What Is Reddit?

To those who have never used Reddit, the platform might look like a confusing mess. But inside that mess lies a world of community and conversation.

Reddit has a forum-style structure, where users can create topic-based posts that other users can interact with. These posts are published in topic-based communities called subreddits. And let us tell you, there is a subreddit for pretty much everything. We even found a subreddit called r/TVTooHigh, where users share pictures of TVs they come across that are too close to the ceiling. The subreddit has over 130k members. It's important work they're doing. 

Each subreddit provides a rich ecosystem for brands to connect with individuals who share similar interests and lifestyles.

How Does Reddit Work?

Here's the bare basics of how Reddit works: every post is published by an OP (original poster) who started it. Users can upvote or downvote posts or comments on Reddit.

Reddit's user-driven nature allows the community to decide what content rises to prominence or falls to unimportance. This system encourages the most engaging and relevant content to reach the top of each subreddit, fostering organic discussions and interactions. Brands can participate in these discussions by posting content, replying to comments, and engaging with the community. However, it's important to approach Reddit with authenticity, transparency, and a genuine desire to contribute to the conversation.

3 Ways Brands Can Use Reddit

Now that we have a grasp of Reddit's essence, let's explore three effective ways in which brands can utilize this platform:

Understanding Your Audience

Like we've mentioned before, Reddit is full of user-driven opinions and conversations. A lot of these conversations could be relevant to your brand. But you have to know where to look.

Many subreddits on the platform are geared towards users asking questions. This is a great opportunity for brands to learn what pain points their audience or potential audience has. For example, let's say your brand is a financial institution. You could visit subreddits adjacent to your brand, such as r/FinancialPlanning, to see what questions users are most commonly asking.

Running Ask Me Anything (AMA) Sessions

AMAs are very popular on Reddit. These posts are designed as a live Q&A format with the purpose of connecting an expert on a particular subject with a community of individuals who share a common interest. As users post their questions in the thread comments, the AMA host can reply. It's a simple yet amazing way to increase brand visibility and humanize your brand.

Here's an example of an AMA the CEO of Nissan and Renault did. The AMA resulted in over 4,000 comments!

Discovering User-Generated Content

If you're mining for user-generated content (UGC), Reddit just might be your gold mine. Because of Reddit's structure, it's the perfect home for product photos, testimonials, and reviews.

For example, check this post from a happy customer on the r/Fender (Fender Guitars) subreddit:

Is Reddit Worth It?

While this blog post lists several advantages for brands, it's smart to consider the potential challenges when it comes to Reddit. Because the site is very user-driven, brand interaction on the platform can often come across as inauthentic. While brands reign supreme on platforms like Instagram and Twitter (and now Threads), many Reddit users see their platform as one of the last unblemished spots on the internet. No pressure.

Our suggestion is to use Reddit as an opportunity to listen to your audience, rather than promote. Who knows? Perhaps Reddit is the key you need to truly understand what and how your audience thinks.

Need more help connecting with your brand's audience? Shoot us a message to crush the social media game!

A Random Twitter Update - Recent Changes to the Platform

Twitter right now is kind of like that one freeway you drive on that's always under construction. No matter how much work is being done, it's hard to see an end in sight. And a lot has happened on Twitter since our last update.

Some of these updates might actually seem like good features, while others seem like an attempt to stay relevant (or make money). One thing is for sure: changes to Twitter will not be stopping anytime soon. Early last month, Elon Musk, current CEO of Twitter, announced that Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal's former advertising chief, would be Twitter's new CEO, while he would focus on product development. This gives Musk plenty of extra time to concoct new additions to the app.

But for the meantime, there's plenty of change to talk about. Read on for all the latest features and news surrounding the ever-evolving platform:

Video Updates

Musk has been talking about bolstering Twitter's video content for quite some time now, and the first few updates to support this goal have already been implemented.

One of the more significant updates was giving Twitter Blue subscribers the ability to upload videos up to two hours long on the app. For reference, free users can only upload videos up to 140 seconds long. This seems like an amazing feature, but time will tell if it's incentivizing enough for users to subscribe to Twitter Blue, which is an $8 per month subscription. Back in December, Twitter added hour-long uploads for Twitter Blue, and since then, only about 0.3% of Twitter users have subscribed to the exclusive service.

Other features that Twitter has implemented in an attempt to match other video-sharing platforms are video playback speed and picture-in-picture video playback (meaning you can keep watching a video while scrolling through the app). This means that you can watch clumsy cat videos and read up on celebrity feuds at the same time!

API Access

It seems as if Musk can't decide what he wants to do with the Twitter application programming interface (API). At first, Twitter announced that they would be cutting off all access to the API (which used to be completely free). This caused an uproar, so Musk changed his mind and instead offered tiered access to the API, where each tier gives different capabilities.

Naturally, this also caused an uproar (taking away something that once was free will do that) because this meant that third-party platforms like Sprout Social and Agorapulse would be paying a large fee to maintain their Twitter connection. A few apps have already fallen at the hand of the API restriction, including Twitteriffic and Tweetbot.

As of right now, these are the current access tiers that Twitter has in place:

DM Updates

One of Musk's major initiatives with Twitter has involved improving security for its users. Seems like a worthy mission for a platform that has been exploited in the past. This goal has resulted in Twitter launching encrypted direct messages. Or at least, trying to launch direct messages. 

Here's what Musk tweeted when encrypted messages were released:

Seems like something you wouldn't want to hear when launching a security measure! Encrypted direct messages would ensure that users have full privacy control over their DMs and won't have to worry about info being shared with Twitter. Here's the predictable catch: only verified users can encrypt their DMs. Shoulda seen it coming.

Advertising Updates

Incentive to subscribe to Twitter Blue seems to be a theme for a lot of these updates. As of April 21, running ads on Twitter is now a feature only available to paying users, or those who are verified by other means. 

Here's the official notice that pop-ups on the Twitter ads dashboard:

This update might mean nothing for those already exceeding $1,000 in ad spend, but it means extra costs for those who rely on Twitter for advertising.

Other Notable Updates:

While these new changes might be exciting to some, a new study shows that 25% of users don't see themselves using Twitter 12 months from now. Will any of these new updates entice users to stay with the iconic app, or will more tweeters start to jump ship? 

Wanting your brand to stay on top of social media trends? Shoot us a message to see how we can help!

5 Ways YouTube Shorts Can Grow Your YouTube channel.

Do you ever feel like your YouTube channel is stuck in a virtual traffic jam, with no hope of ever reaching its destination? You're posting quality content, but you get the same pity comments from friends and family members on every video.

Smartphone with YouTube Shorts loading.

Well, worry not, because in this blog post, we're going to be exploring YouTube Shorts and how they can help you break free from the gridlock and accelerate your channel's growth. YouTube Shorts are short-form, vertical video content that resembles and rivals Instagram Reels and TikTok.

Reach New Audiences

Utilizing YouTube Shorts will unlock a whole new demographic of viewers - one that still values quality, but appreciates short-form and highly consistent content.

Since Shorts are easy to consume, the content reach is significantly different from regular, long-form YouTube videos. Additionally, shorter-form content has a higher tendency to be shared, helping to attract new viewers to your channel. With YouTube Shorts, you no longer have to rely on the YouTube search bar for people to find your content. In fact, according to Pierce Vellucci, A YouTube Product Manager, Shorts get recommended based on a user's watch history and their engagement with different accounts.

Promote Regular Channel Content

YouTube Shorts is a great tool to promote your regular channel content. Think of YouTube Shorts as a teaser trailer for your longer-form content.

Let's say you're a fitness influencer with a YouTube channel. You could create a 30-second Short that highlights one specific exercise or move, with a call-to-action (CTA) encouraging viewers to check out your longer workout videos for a full routine. Additionally, you could include a CTA asking viewers to subscribe to your channel for more fitness content, helping to grow your audience and brand.

Repurpose Regular Channel Content

Any time you post a long-form video on your YouTube channel, it's an opportunity for you to repurpose that content into shorter-form bits for YouTube Shorts. You can take a snippet or highlight from your longer video and create a short clip that showcases the most exciting or interesting part. This could be a key point you made, a funny moment, or a visually stunning shot. Here an example of long-form content being repurposed into a Short from Wired:

It's double the exposure for the price of one! What a deal, right? Plus, it gives new audiences on YouTube Shorts a taste of what your long-form videos are like.

Easily Jump on Trends

Following trends plays a huge role in growing your following on social media, and utilizing YouTube Shorts is a great way to do just that. When you participate in popular trends, you increase the likelihood of your content being shared and discovered by more people. By keeping up with the latest trends, you can showcase your brand's personality and creativity, while also building your audience and establishing yourself as a relevant creator in your niche.

But why do you need YouTube Shorts to do this? Well, as you probably already know, producing long-form YouTube videos often takes time and planning. Trends on social media sometimes live and die in just a few days. Because YouTube Shorts are easy to make and can be less-polished, it lends itself better to following trends in a timely manner.

Grow Monetization Opportunities

For creators, any new opportunity to make money on social media is good news. YouTube finally introduced monetization options for Shorts earlier this year through the YouTube Partner Program. By enabling ads to appear in-between their videos, creators can earn revenue from their Shorts content and boost their income stream. This is just one more way to bring in a few extra dollars on top of the revenue your channel might already be gaining.

Need help growing your social media presence? We're good at that. Shoot us a message today!

What Should I Post on LinkedIn? Engaging Post Formats to Try

LinkedIn is no longer a simple networking site where you only post when you're looking for a job. Today, in 2023, LinkedIn is used to share ideas, information, and useful content from all types of industry.

But with over 900 million users, posting on LinkedIn can be intimidating. New users often struggle figuring out what to post. If that's the case for you, we're here for you. Here are a few engaging post ideas to help you stand out!

Carousel Posts

Carousels work great on LinkedIn because it's a simple, digestible way to share your expertise on something. Not only are they simple to consume, but they're more interactive than a typical image post. LinkedIn influencers have been using carousels for a while now, but these posts are just as engaging as ever.

Carousels are a great way to showcase products, ideas, tips, and any other helpful information in a visual format.

Text-Only Listicles

Text-only posts have a huge impact on LinkedIn. Even in a world where videos and branded images are meant to catch our eye, text-only posts seem to perform very well on LinkedIn. Maybe it's because these posts seem more authentic and intimate to audiences.

Whatever the reason, breaking up text-only posts into listicles is a great way to share tips, hacks, or something you've learned recently.

LinkedIn Polls

LinkedIn Polls are probably the most simple posts to interact with. In essence, it's just a post with a question and some buttons. Everyone likes sharing their opinion on topics whether they be controversial or trivial. This is not only a great way to get increased engagement, but also a great tool to learn what your LinkedIn network thinks about a certain topic.

Personal Stories

Sharing a story from your own life is a great way to connect with your network on LinkedIn. You just need to make sure that it is something that offers value to whoever reads this. Posts like this don't even have to be centered around employment or work-related things.

I have seen dozens of personal story posts that deal with subjects about family, community, personal struggle, etc. The purpose of these posts is to show your values and personality, all while inspiring/entertaining your network.

Need additional help beefing up your LinkedIn game? Shoot us a message to get started!

Meet Stefany, Our Newest Account Executive

Say hi to Stefany, Random Agency's newest Account Executive! We can't wait to get to know her and what better way to do that than a Q & A?

First, the obvious question: Why did you choose Random Agency?

It's funny because, throughout the process of being laid off and trying to rediscover myself and what I wanted, I realized that at the rate I was going, I wasn't exactly growing to my fullest potential. I was a Jack of all Trades, but a Master of None to an extent. So, I needed to guide my path toward a specialized category of Marketing/Advertising to then grow that specific skill set.

Through my search, I found myself being drawn more and more toward the world of social and paid media. Then, That Random Agency came up on my LinkedIn! Since the moment of applying, it was a chain of fortuitous events that lead me here and I can't be more thankful. 

Tell us three cool things about yourself.

Get ready for this

  1. I am a first-generation American of Romanian immigrant parents. 
  2. I have a love for the pop-culture world “ especially when it comes to movies, actors, and artists.
  3. I have a personal goal to tour and hike at all the U.S. National Parks. 

Bonus: I have a small interest in fitness and nutrition “ all about those micronutrients! 

Favorite TV show?

Favorites for different reasons

If money was no object, where would you go and what would you do?

If money were no object, I would take myself, my husband and our two dogs on a tour of the Netherlands mountains and valleys during the summer. Where we could hike, have fun in tulip fields and possibly live happily ever after. 

What's in your refrigerator right now?

Oh. Uh this is awkward, I have hardly anything in there right now since I just got back from a trip. But there is some salmon defrosting for dinner tonight and some fried rice leftovers. (likely to go together this evening)

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Walking through walls like Kitty Pryde in the X-Men. I mean, just the coolest. 

What's your favorite childhood memory?

My parents would take my brother and me on camping trips all the time as kids. I remember one time we went out on one of these trips with our boat hooked up to my Dad's truck, so you know it was at least somewhere with water. Throughout the trip, it happened to be my brother's birthday and so my parents look into a restaurant down the lake across from our campsite for dinner that night.

We made reservations, cleaned up, and took the boat to the old marina that I could only imagine as anything else but cool at the time. I must have been about 6 years old, so anything is cool honestly. I remember seeing turtles and fish come up to the surface in the boat bays. I guess people would feed them often because they were NOT scared of us. 

We walk up the hill from the marina and get into what I could probably paint as a local little dive diner by today's standards, but back then it was a fancy place that we'd never been. We sit down for a while and when it comes to getting our orders, the waiter asks me what I want. Of course, I haven't even glanced at the menu. I mean how could I? I was so young, I didn't know what was going on. So, then I tell them, Spaghetti! 

They didn't have that on the menu. 

I'm pretty sure this place was a burger bar. They probably didn't even stock noodles for pasta. The waiter looked at me and to my surprise to this day, said, Okay, sweetie. 

You know, it was my brother's birthday, but when they came out with a plate of poorly made noodles and sauce, it felt like my birthday. 

Name one thing you wish you could do better.

I wish I could run faster per mile but with my stubby short legs, every 2 steps for me is 1 step for any person of average height.

Which three things would you take to a desert island?

  1. The food: Endless supply of peanuts 
  2. The friend: My dog, Dotson
  3. The escape plan: The police phone booth from Dr. Who to transport out of there

What is the last book you read?

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollen

It's basically about all of the foods and food-like substances we eat, where they come from in nature, as well as what to look out for nutritionally in certain food items.

What is your favorite account to follow on Instagram?

Ooooh, this is a new one for me actually, but @bigmootoo. It's a dog influencer from Thailand that is the funniest meme-like dog I have ever seen. I mean look at him as a little cop. 

4 Creative Approaches for Your Next CTA

Whether you're a social media manager, content creator, or business owner, you understand how important it is to have a strong call to action (CTA) for your audience. But the same Click here! CTA is overused and doesn't quite speak to a customer like you hope it would. A great CTA needs more depth than that.

Here are four creative CTA approaches that are sure to shake things up a bit:

Graphic of multiple "Click Me!" buttons with mouse cursor hovering over middle.

Provide an Actionable Next Step

Sure, Click Me! and Follow the Link! sound exciting, but they don't really give us a clue to what will happen. Your audience wants to know where this journey will guide them. Putting an actionable next step in your CTA will show your audience what they can expect. CrazyEgg uses the CTA Show me my Heatmap below to let their customer know what the next step in the process is. Pretty clever. Take a look:

Handle an Objection

Your audience will always have a reason not to follow through with your CTA. Whether it's because they don't want to spend money, or they don't want to spend the time, the objection is in the back of their mind. 

This just means that you can use the CTA to your advantage and handle some of those objections. For example, you can tell your audience in your CTA that no credit card is required or that they can try a demo of your product in just 2 minutes. Here's a look at how Basecamp handles objection in their simple CTA:

Call to action for Basecamp website.

Show some specifics

Have you ever been invited to a party that you don't know details about? Maybe you don't know where it's at, if it's formal or casual, or who else is going to be there? Kinda stressful, right?

That same feeling of uncertainty can happen when a CTA fails to show some specifics. In the example below, Netflix gives you a specific number (30 days) to ease your uncertainty:

Call to action for Netflix website.

Demonstrate Empathy

Good copywriting talks to an audience on their personal level. Using this empathy can be a great tool when creating a CTA. 

Everyone has a pain point, and the best thing you can do is acknowledge that pain point. Everyone wants their problems to be heard, right? Look how Metafy points out the problem and empathizes with their customer's desires:

Call to action for Metafy website.

We hope these unique approaches help you give some fire to your call to actions. If you need more help navigating the social and digital worlds, reach out to us below!

Is the Internet Changing? - What to know about SCOTUS and Section 230

The internet is a wonderful, exciting, and chaotic place. With how much it has shaped modern culture, it's hard to imagine our world without it. But the internet as we know it could be coming to a dramatic change. This is all due to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) deciding to revisit Section 230, a law that protects online platforms from user liability.

If you're a business owner, social media manager, or simply an individual that uses social media, this could change how you use the internet. So, buckle up, because we've put together all the important info you need to know.

What exactly is Section 230?

Section 230 is often referred to as the "26 words that created the internet." 

Why?

Because it's been credited with enabling the growth of the internet and the rise of user-generated content platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. The law was passed in 1996 as part of the Communications Decency Act, and it clearly states that online platforms are not responsible for the content any of their users post.

However, Section 230 has also come under scrutiny in recent years because of an increase in hate speech and misinformation that's been published to these platforms. Which brings us back to SCOTUS's push to reform or repeal this impactful law.

What does this mean for brands?

Brands have a lot to be worried about with this change. For years, Section 230 has provided a level of protection against liability for user-generated content. This means that companies have been able to build and promote their online presence without having to worry about the risk of lawsuits stemming from user comments or reviews. A change in this law would force brands to become more accountable for the content on their platforms.

A possible outcome of this is increased moderation and filtering of user-generated content. This would limit the free flow of information. As a result, brands may have to reevaluate their approach to digital marketing, focusing more on moderation and content management to minimize legal risk.

How does this affect users?

Ordinary social media users and individual content creators are also at risk. If platforms become more responsible for the content on their sites, it could lead to increased censorship and limitations on free speech. This could impact the ability of individuals to express themselves online, particularly on controversial topics or issues.

Additionally, if brands are held responsible for third-party content, it could lead to increased scrutiny and backlash from consumers. This could change how people interact with brands on social media.

Will this affect politics?

Section 230 has been a contentious issue between political parties. Some argue that it gives too much power to big tech companies and others claim that it is necessary for free speech on the internet. If the Supreme Court makes changes to this law, it could influence the way that politicians and policymakers approach online content and regulation.

One more thing to note: If brands become more responsible for user-generated content, they may be forced to take a stance on controversial issues that arise on their platforms. This could lead to increased pressure from consumers and advocacy groups to take action on specific issues or content, putting companies in difficult positions. It could also lead to more transparency and accountability when it comes to political advertising.

What should you do?

Big changes to online platforms means even bigger changes for users of the platform. Whether you're a digital marketer, social media manager, or an ordinary user, it's important to stay informed about changes to Section 230. After all, it did give us the internet as we know it today.

Need help strategizing your social media presence? We're here for you.