3 Easy Ways to Make Your Baked Goods More “Instagrammable”

In today’s tech-saturated world, Instagram-worthy items really can influence traffic and revenue. Research from UK restaurant chain Zizzi found that millennials spend five full days a year browsing instagrammed photos of food, and 40% said they would be less likely to visit an operation with a weak Instagram presence. This means business for operations that don’t have Instagram-worthy fare suffers.

The pressure to have all of your offerings perfectly arranged and ready for a close up can feel like a lot. BUT you don’t need to employ expensive skilled labor to get the photo-ops your operation needs. Here are three easy ways to make totally instagrammable baked goods—no skilled labor required!

1. Don’t be afraid to go a little “over-the-top”

Creative toppings—and lots of them—are one of the easiest ways to take baked goods from ordinary to extraordinary. Add eye-catching colors, unexpected textures, and new taste sensations. Best of all, anyone can do it.

• Top sweet bakery items like Pillsbury^TM cinnamon rolls, muffins and scones with colorful crushed candies.
• Make an easy and delicious streusel topping and use it to add texture and appetite appeal to muffins, cakes, bars and more.
• Use granola to add the homemade allure of oat clusters—and capitalize on the health perception of granola—all while decorating your baked goods.
• Drizzle it! The beauty of the drizzle is that it’s not supposed to be perfect. Dip a spoon in icing or chocolate or caramel and drizzle it on top of your baked goods for an instant face-lift.
• Top savory items like Pillsbury^TM scones or biscuits with a sprig of herbs such as rosemary or thyme prior to baking. This elevated presentation is easy to accomplish and makes savory bakery items incredibly photogenic.

2. Get in on viral trends

Have you heard of the “unicorn” food trend sweeping operations—and Instagram feeds—everywhere? While executing this brightly-colored, often sparkly trend can be complicated, it doesn’t have to be, you can do it simply by incorporating colorful sprinkles, colorful frosting, or both!

Don’t forget that fun names for bakery items can go a long way on social media also. It’s easy to keep hashtags in mind when naming items—things like #unicornfood, #chocoholic, #sweettreats and #bakedfresh have large followings on Instagram, and the impact of a popular hashtag can go a long way. Consider putting a special hashtag next to items on menus or display cards to encourage patrons to engage with social media.

3. Presentation matters

A photo is often only as good as its background. Ensure your baked goods are Instagram-worthy by serving them on white plates so that they pop in photos or consider presenting them with a beautiful garnish. Patrons won’t be able to resist snapping a picture if their cinnamon roll comes with a pretty sliced strawberry on the side.

For that matter, don’t neglect your own social presence! Even as you’re inviting customers to post about your offerings, make sure you’re taking Instagram worthy shots yourself and promoting them on your own social media accounts. Try different angles: close up, overhead, a baked good in someone’s hand…from there good lighting, nice presentation and a snazzy caption is all you need.

Many customers are also looking for baked goods to-go, so it’s a good idea to make sure that your grab ‘n go packaging is aesthetically pleasing. Little things like tying boxes with ribbon or string, putting stickers on containers and wrapping items in printed tissue paper are easy for anyone to do and make your items more photogenic.

Ready to put these tips in practice at your operation? Get a rebate for our delicious frozen baked goods from Pillsbury^TM here, and don’t forget to check out our inspiration videos for more great ideas!

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How Instagram has transformed the restaurant industry for millennials