22.2%—that’s how much the eCommerce F&B space has grown between 2023 and 2024.Â
And by 2028, if forecasts are to be believed, it will have grown to $2.5 trillion.Â
But it’s not just the opportunity that makes it necessary for F&B eCommerce brands to optimize their stores for conversions—it’s also to ensure that through better UX and CX, customer objections get a chance to rest.Â
So here we go with 33 methods we’ve helped our own F&B eCommerce clients with (including those who deliver groceries) plus brands who’re doing a phenomenal job at conversion rate optimization in this space.Â
The sections we'll cover here include:
15 Powerful Ways to Boost F&B eCommerce Onsite Conversion Rate
1. Sharpen your above-the-fold messaging
2. Show interesting hooks for quantity discounts
3. Engage & convert through product bundling
4. Drive instant action through urgency
5. Don’t make sign-ups compulsory
6. Make your subscription offerings distinct
7. Let your USP shine
8. Evoke interest through image labels
9. Introduce a guarantee / promise to resolve objections
10. Lean back on buyer pain points
11. Position your bundles prominently
12. Introduce a wholesale / bulk buying option
13. Introduce a quiz alongside recommendations
14. Use exclusivity to drive F&B conversions
15. Help shoppers compare
18 Tested Marketing Strategies for F&B eCommerce Stores
16. Standardize your brand’s tone of voice across channels
17. Drive your Facebook ads with a clear USP
18. Use in-market audiences for Google ads
19. Generate real-time demand through Instagram reels
20. Build brand perception through an ambassador program
21. Create better recall with a Pinterest video strategy
22. Drive repeat orders through a compelling email strategy
23. Build an emotional connect with podcast marketing
24. Depict a wide audience in your visual imagery
25. Gamify your marketing content for higher engagement
26. Create targeted & personalized rewards through a loyalty program
27. Flex your referral program for special calendar days
28. Use an affordable online survey to drive publicity
29. Create influential BTS contentÂ
30. Ace the distribution of organic educational content
31. Make your social media contests more targeted
32. Get trustworthy influencers to endorse your productsÂ
33. Create a holiday selling hook you’ll be remembered for
15 Powerful Ways to Boost F&B eCommerce Conversion Rate
1. Sharpen your above-the-fold messagingÂ
Let’s get this straight: visitors (especially first-time visitors) will scroll only if what they see first is compelling or inspiring.Â
And this means what you do with the space where visitors first land on your F&B eCommerce store, can make or break your conversions.Â
Welcome to above-the-fold—where the typical visitor takes the crucial decision of sticking around for up to the first 5 seconds.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: Harry & David
In this regard, F&B eCommerce store Harry & David gets several things right, which includes:
âś” A detailed navigation panel that covers everything from bestselling brands to the most relevant categories
âś” A callout to their loyalty program, which promises free shipping (a key driver for 70% of shoppers)
✔ A hero space that combines copy, imagery & discount that the brand’s target audience can easily relate to
What else is Harry & David doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
👍 Sets a separate category page for pre-orders (basically, making the most of products that won’t last long by announcing early access prices and attaching limited time image labels to them)
đź‘Ť Highlights gifting options (using icons and differentiated colors mean most visitors are likely to spot these first)
👍 Features a quiz that covers a wide audience (in the multi-choice selection, the brand asks “Who’s this for?” “What's the occasion?” and “What’s your budget?”” to help shoppers find the most relevant gift options:
2. Show interesting hooks for quantity discountsÂ
Even if your eCommerce F&B store has a range of products, showing a volume discount on fruit cake to someone who wants chocolate spread is a bad idea.Â
The way around this is to:Â
âš‘ Identify a common pain point across your audience segments, or
âš‘ Find separate pain points, optimize volume discounts around them and feature them as dynamic content
Online F&B conversion rate example: HelloFresh
F&B meal kit brand HelloFresh knows that no matter the audience demographic or psychographic, family meals is an aspect everyone faces a challenge with—something they’ve identified perfectly and worked a quantity discount around:
What else is Hello Fresh doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
👍 Builds a comprehensive list of FAQ (if you’re unsure about where to begin, start with what questions shoppers are bringing up on social media or the objections they’re citing in not-so-positive reviews)
đź‘Ť Offers quality value-add content (because this is about making shoppers across your F&B conversion funnel believe their journeys matter to your brand & that you can guide them through it)
👍 Makes gift cards easy-to-use (give them multiple options to choose from and ensure you feature a UX-friendly form just like HelloFresh does - notice how they’ve also labeled one option as “Most Popular” to drive social proof subtly:)
3. Engage & convert through product bundlingÂ
Product bundling, frankly, is a win-win.Â
As an eCommerce food business, it improves your average order value—and for your customers, it often means more products at a lesser overall price.Â
What makes product bundling even more efficient is when you hand over the choice to a shopper instead of suggesting pre-made bundles.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: Pipcorn
Snack brand Pipcorn targets high intent and explorative shoppers by introducing “Build a Bundle” as a major callout in their main navigation.Â
Once shoppers head over to this page, they’re met with a highly interactive bundle builder that balances varied quantities on one hand and varied product types on the other:
What else is Pipcorn doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
đź‘Ť Differentiates their brand clearly from competitors (their about us page exemplifies what it takes for a food and beverage eCommerce store to clarify the why, what, how and when to earn customer trust)
đź‘Ť Aces their filtering & sorting game (their Pipsnacks Snack Navigator filters out product types and flavors efficiently - highlighting which flavors are applicable under which product types)
đź‘Ť Clarifies all available payment methods (as a relatively short-scroll website, Pipcorn does well by mentioning all available payment methods in their footer section:)
4. Drive instant action through urgency
Science has spoken & proven—apparently, grocery shoppers fixate on pricing for at least 62% of their purchase considerations!
And that means if you’re driving urgency to a price advantage, you’ll also need to be specific in order to differentiate from other offers carrying FOMO.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: Bean Box
Curated coffee brand Bean Box gets this right by calling out to a 50% first order shipping waiver when shoppers sign up for a subscription that very day—and if someone shows exit intent, they even display a non-intrusive pop-up:
What else is Bean Box doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
👍 Gives reviews *high prominence* on the homepage (and because they call out this section as “See why thousands trust us with their mornings,” shoppers scrolling through fast, pause and take note)
đź‘Ť Makes it easy to relate to the brand (the brand highlights how engaging with it can be beneficial for the people and planet in a section led by illustrations and supporting copy)
👍 Helps first-time buyers make an easier pick (they showcase an easy-to-take funnel quiz with section indicators to tell first-time buyers what they can expect - they also highlight one “top pick” on every page to drive social proof subtly:)
5. Don’t make sign-ups compulsory
Take a walk on the Internet and you’ll find at least a few discussion threads blasting the nuisance that email sign-up pop-ups seem to put shoppers off.Â
Except that they can be super effective—but also, only when well-timed. (here are some great ideas)
While working with clients in the food and drink eCommerce space, we’ve noticed some of them shoot an email sign-up offer as soon as a visitor lands up on the site.Â
And here’s what we always recommend: show a discount code without asking for their email and get them warmed up in exploring the store to apply that offer—at least half of them will see value in signing up a little later anyway!
Online F&B conversion rate example: Love Good
Snack and protein bar brand Love Good understands this technique to improve their F&B eCommerce conversion rate, time and again—catching visitors who’re pushed to sign up for emails by pleasant surprise:
What else is Love Good doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
đź‘Ť Highlights their certifications & standards (food safety has never been a bigger deal for shoppers even as convenience rises - making it imperative for food and beverage marketing to incorporate certifications for better online conversions)
đź‘Ť Creates a navigation panel that summarizes the whole site (it stays well within the first fold and highlights the top flavors of each product category while allowing shoppers a separate link to search for all the flavors)
đź‘Ť Displays their product labels clearly (Love Good maintains transparency across their site, and this includes the way they include product labels in their product descriptions:)
6. Make your subscription offerings distinct
Given that the F&B industry is so crowded, eCommerce brands in this space find it a struggle to keep repeat business going.Â
However, businesses that create a clear strategy around subscriptions seem to do better.Â
You’ll either have to bring in multiple quantity / pack variations and keep upping the discounts the larger the volume is.Â
Or, you’ll have to set up subscriptions on your most bestselling products—adding to this list as you go along and marketing a different set of products each time for better reach.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: iGourmet
eCommerce gourmet food brand brings in the theme of curation + gifting to some select subscription boxes and highlighting them on the homepage:
What else is iGourmet doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
đź‘Ť Features a separate shipping & delivery page (this includes a ton of relevant information for high intent customers who want to find out if engaging with iGourmet will be a good idea in the long run - covers topics like cancellations, packaging, shipping options, refunds & replacements and also an exhaustive shipping FAQ)
đź‘Ť Highlights gifts with *free shipping* (while most brands would readily classify gifts by price range, iGourmet takes this a step ahead and features free shipping on specially curated gift crates & boxes)
đź‘ŤDisplays elaborate descriptions for boxes / bundles (iGourmet goes the whole distance in creating product descriptors that elicit an emotional response - for each product in a bundle or crate:)
7. Let your USP shine
Typically, when customers decide they need a product from the food and drink eCommerce space, they browse around to look for differentiators that will uniquely appeal to them.Â
That means if you’re somehow not talking about why your product(s) have an edge over everyone else, you’re essentially losing out on F&B conversions.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: Olipop
Beverage brand Olipop uses a smart technique to get their USP across: while they typically highlight one new or best selling product in the hero space, they make sure the copywriting brings out the differentiation—their well-shot images ensure shoppers get to know of the other benefits of buying the product:
What else is Olipop doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
đź‘Ť Starts a strong referral program (the brand keeps it flexible for interested shoppers and allows for stacking of $ for later purchases)
👍 Targets first-time customers (this is Olipop’s way of reducing customer acquisition costs while cleverly getting the necessary micro-conversions for the long run - their pop-up clearly specifies that the 15% discount is for the first order)
đź‘Ť Maintains gift card prices at the lower end (and to make it even better, they make it a *no expiration ever* rule, which is extremely attractive for buyers / gifters:)
8. Evoke interest through image labels
85% of shoppers will rely on product images to tell them if the brand they’re considering is the right one.Â
But this just doesn’t stop at what you do with your product page image gallery—it also depends hugely on how you differentiate your products through appropriate image labels.Â
Since shoppers are constantly trying to visualize themselves using a product, the latter’s chief characteristic needs a call-out to attract the right high intent buyer.Â
This is an eCommerce coffee brand that doesn’t just sell different kinds of coffees but also coffee pods and tea—and this makes it necessary for Caravan to promote product recommendations aided with image labels that offer shoppers an instant understanding of the product - from “great taste” to “new in” to “celebrating female producers”, their beverage labels stand out also because of great design:
What else is Caravan doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
đź‘Ť Features the most searched items on the navigation panel (from coffee kits to gift subscriptions to gifts & merch, a separate panel below their main navigation categories helps new visitors explore easily)
👍 Shows complete transparency about a product (it’s ideal if an eCommerce F&B business is able to clarify the origin of their products, the background process as well as a complete lowdown on shipping like Caravan)
đź‘Ť Offers a decent returns / refund window (Caravan allows for a refund or exchange as long as shoppers initiate a turnback within 28 days)
9. Introduce a guarantee / promise to resolve objections
Customer trust is one of the keys in building brand reputation, especially in the food and drink eCommerce space.Â
But unfortunately, not all brands have the funding or the reputation to promise money back guarantees.Â
Under these circumstances, a *satisfaction guarantee* that packs in repairs, renewals or replacements can be effective.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: Pact Coffee
The thing that eCommerce coffee brand Pact Coffee gets right is bringing up their satisfaction guarantee right up on the homepage—and further creates an assurance by answering “What if I don’t like my coffee?” in a separate brand FAQ page:
What else is Pact Coffee doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
đź‘Ť Features a range of gifting options (well, this is an F&B eCommerce brand that features plans around pod subscriptions, gift subscriptions and even bundles!)
đź‘Ť Transparency about values & mission (not only are they a certified B corp, they also feature a sourcing policy and a transparency report)
đź‘Ť Creates adequate self-help resources for confused buyers (from brew guides to legit news from the coffee industry and brand initiatives, they cover quite a bit of ground in terms of value-add content)
10. Lean back on buyer pain points
Since your buyers (and visitors) are coming to your website to solve something, it’s not enough that you speak only of the benefits of the products you sell.Â
To turn around your F&B conversion rate, you’d also have to take them back to what may not be working for them in the first place—and this in turn will amplify the perception of the food and beverage benefits you offer.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: Okana
As an coffee alternative beverage brand Okana reminds shoppers about why coffee isn’t great even though it’s well-loved—alongside they stress on what makes Okana the right choice:
What else is Okana doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
đź‘Ť Features social proof in an engaging format (that too in a tiled layout that alternates between some snippets from their third-party reviews, Instagram highlights and FB reviews)
đź‘Ť Drives benefits by explaining ingredients (each comes with a short write-up, which can be further expanded into a fuller section)
đź‘Ť Displays the most-asked questions as instant live chat answers (in the absence of real-time customer support, this ensures shoppers still get a fuller picture on the brand & product:)
11. Make it engaging to build bundles
It’s not news anymore that product bundles increase profits by over 30%.Â
However, what is news is how you position your bundles can make or break your eCommerce food and beverage conversions.Â
This includes how much flexibility you offer in building a bundle, how interactive that process is and how you differentiate your pricing & value-added features.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: Crispy Fantasy
Cereal brand Crispy Fantasy positions their “variety pack” as a “bestseller” and ensures it’s the first thing that pops up when visitors click on “Shop”—this is a technique to pull in both first-time visitors who’d like to sample all their flavors as well as those who’ve bought other flavors and are now looking for a change:
What else is Crispy Fantasy doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
đź‘Ť Features a review snippet just beneath the primary CTA (makes it so much more persuasive than expecting shoppers to scroll all the way down to the reviews section)
đź‘Ť Fuller detailing about ingredients (that too in an easily readable format where bold & linked microcopy opens up to reveal text highlights - much easier to scan than chunks of info!)
đź‘Ť Shows reviews that carry UGC images (every image depicts a typical unboxing scenario (the thumbnails can even be expanded), making it relatable for potential shoppers & also driving better brand recall:)
12. Introduce a wholesale / bulk buying option
This is one of the ways you can target the 83% of B2B buyers who’d rather use eCommerce for ordering and payment—not just improving your sales but also profit margins.Â
The only caveat: make sure you dedicate a separate page for it and use B2B lingo that’ll make businesses sit up and take notice.
Online F&B conversion rate example: Boxed Water
Sustainable packaged water brand Boxed Water takes care in setting up a separate page on their website for business enquiries and features copywriting that speaks directly to this target audience (what’s even better, they feature a reviews section that comes from B2B clients:)
What else is Boxed Water doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
👍 Showcases proof to drive conversions (this is a brand that takes its numbers seriously - whether it’s about explaining their 92% plant-based packaging or 100% recyclable cartons)
đź‘Ť Leads recommendations with social proof (each of their review snippet highlights also carry the associated product that was bought)
👍 Proves why they are a better alternative (they take a stand against canned water - and show enough research to show why they’re right in developing an alternative:)
13. Introduce a quiz alongside recommendationsÂ
Most eCommerce food businesses make personalized recommendations as a best practice—but what’s often not considered is the extent to which shoppers experience choice paralysis.Â
Even if the brand limits it to up to 5 recommendations in a section, there’s little guarantee that new visitors will make sense out of them.Â
And to solve this, you’ve got to combine two ideas: the good ol’ funnel quiz + personalized recommendations.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: Peets Coffee
What works even better for this coffee brand’s conversion driving quiz is that for every question they offer a “hint” on choices, making it easier for a potential customer to pick the right answer—this is an especially great tactic for any food and beverage brand that doesn’t want to limit the number of recommendations they show at one time:
What else is Peets Coffee doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
đź‘Ť Offers a review snapshot (and this includes the overall rating plus how many have rated for each - what supports this is the search bar in the reviews section plus the rating filter)
👍 Features a prominent sticky menu “subscribe” nudge (this can be a major food and beverages conversion driver when the sticky menu CTA features “subscribe & ship free” as the callout and not just the individual price)
đź‘Ť Tells shoppers why a subscription is better (the brand builds a cohesive narrative around the benefits of subscription around the website including a separate section on each product page:)
You should also check out: Food And Beverage eCommerce — 41 Inspiring Email Marketing Examples
14. Use exclusivity to drive F&B conversionsÂ
Niche F&B eCommerce brands, listen up!
You’ve actually got a unique opportunity to position your brand and products through the lens of exclusivity.Â
If you can tell your visitors why you’ve got what they won’t find (perhaps) nowhere else, you don’t just have their attention but also their money.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: Tabs
Aphrodisiac chocolate brand Tabs takes it a notch higher when they launch (or pre-launch) limited edition products - along with it they not only make their usual brand promises but also tells shoppers how it’s exclusive with a back-in-stock hook:
What else is Tabs doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
👍 Features a satisfaction guarantee (and a 30-day one at that considerably reduces the perception of risk among shoppers who’re doubtful about trying such an avant garde brand - look carefully and you’ll notice that the brand cleverly positions their 30-day return policy as a satisfaction guarantee)
👍 Creates brand recall with their biggest promises (look around their site and you’ll see “fast & discreet shipping”, “safe & effective ingredients” and “free & easy 30-day returns” at several places, strengthening the brand perception)
👍 Uses social proof powerfully across the site (be it the text reviews spread out with a “load more” button, their TikTok user video wall or headliners that subtly create assurance for first-time buyers:)
15. Help shoppers compare
When statistics say that the average eCommerce conversion rate stands at about 2%, we often forget that only 38% of stores actually enable a comparison tool.Â
Apart from a low conversion rate, the lack of comparison also causes visitors to drop off, compare in their own sweet time and come back (or not).Â
This is the danger you avoid in your food and beverage marketing when you enable product comparisons.Â
Online F&B conversion rate example: Aloha
What helps eCommerce nutrition brand keep shoppers exploring is their “Compare Us” option within “Shop”, which leads them to a separate page where shoppers can get comparisons around their drinks, bars and powders against market favorites:
What else is Aloha doing right for eCommerce F&B conversions?
đź‘Ť Standardizes a tiered discounting model (their Autoship callout is meant to improve the average order value as free shipping kicks in only when people start buying 2 items and more!)
👍 Promotes a simple but strong rewards program (like tiered discounts on Autoship, they run a tiered rewards program that’s easy to follow and redeem - and a separate page that explains the steps in detail while featuring rewards FAQ helps a lot)
👍 Features a comprehensive product FAQ within the live chat (something that is hugely helpful for customers who may be visiting the store at hours when support staff isn’t around, contributing to conversions in an understated way:)
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18 Tested Marketing Strategies for F&B eCommerce Stores
Research suggests that the global food and beverage eCommerce market is to see a CAGR of 16.20% between 2024 and 2031—a good enough reason for F&B stores to really up their marketing game. Having worked with multiple clients in this category, we’ve come to the conclusion that the following marketing strategies are evergreen and quickly actionable:
16. Standardize your brand’s tone of voice across channels
Whether it’s humorous, playful or dramatic, your F&B brand’s tone of voice is a meeting point of two crucial elements: one, your target audience’s preference and two, your company culture & values.Â
So, it becomes necessary to enhance your marketing materials through a tone of voice that feels & sounds uniform across channels.Â
Oatly is an eCommerce F&B brand that puts their witty, tongue-in-cheek tone of voice to practice through their:
Website copy: We know you didn’t come here for the cookies (for the cookie alert pop-up)
Email marketing: “Spam by Oatly”, that’s what their email newsletter is called
Social media captions: Audition #32: Too many cooks in the kitchen is a good thing
Product copywriting: So, you’re a barista? Perfect…So you’re not a barista? Perfect.Â
andÂ
Packaging: "This tastes like sh*t! Just kidding. We just wanted to make sure you were paying attention."
17. Drive your Facebook ads with a clear USP
No matter how well you set up your Facebook ads according to segment and behavior, without a clear USP, not even audiences with the highest buying intent will pay attention.Â
Here’s how you can deal with that differently through a USP-led F&B FB ad marketing strategy:Â
→ Use the detailed targeting feature on FB to fix & match different versions of a USP to the right audience (for example, if you’re targeting gifters with your coffee, you may say “Custom made dark roast, made richer for loved ones” but for health-conscious customers you’d rather say “Exceptional taste with the powers of a superfood”
→ Turn on locational targeting to finetune the USP based on a seasonal event, a current trend or even a brand new outlet (“trending data” on Facebook will help identify location-specific themes more sharply)
Originally an offline restaurant, Yard House now delivers their menu online too and runs locational Facebook ads like this to sell more:
18. Use in-market audiences for Google ads
This F&B eCommerce marketing strategy ensures you’re targeting not only those who’re searching for a product but who also have the intent to buy it.Â
Here’s how to optimize using in-market audiences for your F&B eCommerce brand ads on Google:
→ Keep expanding to related categories & refining the options (for example, if you run a cookie brand, your immediate in-market audience may be for “cookie snacks” but as you grow along, include “healthy snacks”, “vegan snacks” and “keto snacks”)
→ Identify 5 to 10 super relevant in-market segments (keep following closely to identify which of these are doing better in terms of ROI and conversions - keep unchecking the segments that aren’t giving you returns)
→ Use contextual targeting to identify websites / blogs serving up similar content (if they’re in your category or talking about the values that your brand does, chances are higher visitors will click on one of your product ads placed there)
19. Generate real-time demand through Instagram reels
A study that Meta commissioned found that 77% of the respondents bought after having watched a reel.Â
So, it goes without saying that to get your online F&B store conversion rate going, you’ll have to fall back on this medium too and get creative in generating real-time demand.Â
→ Promote a product along with use-cases (whether you’re using a micro-influencer to promote or using a video from your UGC, ensure you create reel content that highlights use-cases clearly)
→ Focus on the product in action (show the label, the slicing, the pouring, the crushing, the stirring etc.)
→ Use a compelling storytelling hook (something relatable that’ll make shoppers stop and watch—something that F&B brand Health Ade has aced with their reels featuring relatable everyday scenarios:Â
20. Build brand perception through an ambassador program
The first thing to do would be to find ambassadors that align with your brand values.Â
This will help you reach out to a wider audience that’s also clued into similar perceptions and principles.Â
Take F&B brand Lily’s Sweets for example—by working with health-conscious ambassadors who stand for the “no added sugar” motto, the brand is able to create a consistent narrative for existing and newer customer bases.Â
To make their ambassador program a success, they offer perks like free product trials, early access to new product launches and personalized discount codes that ambassadors can in turn offer to their followers.Â
As an extension to their ambassador program, Lily’s Sweets always features content that focuses on the brand’s products and what differentiates them:
21. Create better recall with a Pinterest video strategy
Video sells, period. And more so on a visual-led platform like Pinterest.Â
And what reels are to Instagram, videos are to Pinterest—so when you come up with a video strategy purely for this platform, chances are you will be pinned by more users:
→ Get the right keywords in (if you don’t know where to start, see what keywords your bestsellers are searched by - similarly, for peak holiday selling, use keywords aligned with a sitewide offer or particular categories on sale)
→ Create a consistent narrative about your brand & products (that’s what food brand Oat Haus does - one look at their pinned videos, and you’ll know they focus on creating multiple use-cases for their spreadable granola)
→ Set your CTAs to appropriate product pages (many brands make the mistake of linking to their homepage from a very specific video, misleading the potential shopper)
22. Drive repeat orders through a compelling email strategy
And if you ask us, it’s a win-win: subscribers love to see a well-crafted email campaign and eCommerce businesses see the highest returns from this medium (96% of the top 1000 retailers say this!)
So, what do your eCommerce food business emails need to do?
→ Feature copy that inspires the imagination (talk about ingredients, recipes and new ideas & in a language that drives the senses)
→ Segment based on flavors, products & brands (this will help you target those who already have shown a high intent in buying)
→ Create offers optimized to shopper preferences (turn to email-only offers or feature a special sale on a particular day of the week for those who’ve bought more than $X in the past)
Check out how compelling Thrive Market makes their offer emails once someone has bought from them:
23. Build an emotional connect with podcast marketing
If you have an inspiring F&B eCommerce story to share with the world, then this could be one of your top marketing strategies.Â
But while creating your own podcast would completely differentiate you, here are a few things you can do if you don’t have that kind of budget:
→ Feature in a niche podcast (that’s aligned with what you sell—for example if you sell turmeric concoctions for women, you could aim to get feature in podcast that targets wellbeing in menopausal women)
→ Send samplers to podcast hosts (send a note with a brief brand history and a sampler set of your bestsellers for a more compelling mention)
Pique Tea, an eCommerce brand that specializes in crystallized tea, saw an overwhelming response after they got featured in “The Doctor’s Farmacy”, a podcast run by Dr. Mark Hyman, who also gets a mention as one of their experts on the website:
24. Depict a wide audience in your visual imagery
It’s likely that your food and beverage marketing targets a number of different segments, audiences, demographics and even geographies.Â
If some of that isn’t coming across in your marketing visuals, then you’re likely losing out on conversions.Â
Potential audiences who’re from a different ethnicity or culture than what you’re representing may just skip your brand because they’re not sure it’s the right fit for them.Â
This is something eCommerce brand Oatly manages to do with high effectiveness—using this approach to create targeted reels & video content for better engagement:Â
25. Gamify your marketing content for higher engagement
In a crowded space, your F&B eCommerce marketing efforts can really take a beating, unless you think of novel approaches to keep your TG engaged and anticipating for more.Â
Thankfully, gamification is one of those strategies that lend itself brilliantly to the F&B industry—here are a few ideas that are worth exploring:
→ Make your quizzes more interactive (while your traditional quiz is typically about fetching product recommendations, gamification can help you optimize on related ideas like “discover your ideal cooking oil” pair)
→ Run social challenges (this can also be a great tactic to generate the right kind of UGC videos — feature a prompt and gather recipe ideas and announce a $ prize for the best entry)
→ Announce guessing games (no better tactic than this if you’re bringing back an old favorite that’s been out of stock or even launching a whole new flavor or product line)
Skinny Mixes, an eCommerce beverage brand that creates syrups, flavorings, sauces and teas, gamifies the way a shopper can create their personalized subscription bundle:
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11. Create targeted & personalized rewards through a loyalty program
As an F&B eCommerce business owner, it’s not unusual to hear flak about loyalty programs.Â
But the good thing is you can change the way it goes by making your own loyalty program different.Â
For one, you could help shoppers pick from a range of personalized rewards, and offer them up to 1, 2, 3 (and so on) rewards based on their cart value over a period of time.Â
You can also create a sub-specialty under your loyalty program like “extra rewards for catering”, where you offer members more / differentiated rewards based on purchase value / number of repeat purchases.Â
eCommerce food brand Panera Bread, for example, allows shoppers to pay extra for a SIP membership and throws in extra personalized rewards for it:
27. Flex your referral program for special calendar days
It’s no news that referred customers bring in 16% more lifetime value than your regular customers.Â
But again, because the F&B industry is such a crowded space, your usual “Refer and win $X” doesn’t fly anymore.Â
Instead, make your referral program target specific calendar days that your TG is likely to celebrate.Â
That’s what eCommerce beverage brand Flaviar did—they nudged shoppers to refer friends on National Friendship Day and “raise a glass”. Similarly, the brand also leveraged referrals on Father’s Day, where members got a special discount for referring their fathers to the brand.Â
28. Use an affordable online survey to drive publicity
Post-purchase interactions needn’t just be about sending your shoppers personalized discounts and offers.Â
It’s equally about asking them if they find your food and drink eCommerce brand worth engaging with again and again—and if you’re able to get enough responses, release this as public information.Â
Tip: Make the survey shareable so that existing customers can share it with friends and family.Â
eCommerce beer brand Beer Cartel ran a public survey in 2017 and announced a $500 prize for taking part of it—a whopping 17, 000 respondents took part in it:
29. Create influential BTS contentÂ
The idea is to be able to create and collect BTS content that makes existing & new customers come back to engage with your social channels & website.Â
Here are a few ideas that could set this F&B marketing tactic into motion without a lot of prep:
→ Show team members & products together (let your shoppers see a day in the life of your bakers, for example)
→ Show snapshots from an in-store giveaway (if you stock up at a physical store, this could be a great way to market across your socials)
→ Show upcoming products in production (and integrate a guessing game + giveaway into the mix)
eCommerce brand Honey Mama’s frequently uses BTS content of various kinds—here’s an example:
30. Ace the distribution of organic educational content
No matter how many high intent keywords you use, if your organic content isn’t supporting the customer journey map, it’s of no use.Â
Along with writing good organic content, you’ll also have to ensure it reaches shoppers across the funnel:
→ Use #hashtags for important launches and offers (and alongside encourage existing influencers & ambassadors to use these hashtags while promoting related blogs / vlogs)Â
→ Include customer stories in your blogs (this is an ingenious way of creating additional social proof for those who’re still in the early stages of purchase decision-making)
→ Initiate a private Facebook group (make some of your ambassadors & influencers be a part of it to promote your organic content and offer perks for joining it on your website)
eCommerce beverage brand Pique Tea encourages the community to stay in touch and exchange content & ideas—at the moment, it’s more than 13K member-strong:
31. Make your social media contests more targeted
The idea is to be able to get the maximum sign-ups and conversions you can leading from the contest.Â
Since F&B brands tend to run contests and giveaways round the year, the more targeted you make the ones from your brand, the better they’ll stand out:
→ Announce specific products types / categories for the prize (this will help you target the segments that have high intent in exploring / buying from these sections of your online F&B store)
→ Use audience-specific headline hooks (like “calling all cheese dip lovers” or “this one’s for the backyard party peeps”)
→ Leverage calendar days where shoppers buy every year (and run limited time contests for several segments back-to-back—use teaser videos and emails to keep the anticipation going)
eCommerce food brand Sargento Cheese leverages very few calendar days across the year but make it big in terms of the giveaways:
32. Get trustworthy influencers to endorse your productsÂ
What you write about the authenticity of your eCommerce F&B brand on the website needs to be substantiated by the kind of influencers you pick to promote it.Â
If you’re just getting started with your F&B influencer strategy, here are a few things to remember:
→ Pick people with similar values (for example, if you’re a sustainable food brand, you may want to work with someone who actively believes in & proves that they leave lesser carbon footprint)
→ Show them the content to share (give them the themes / benefits / product types they need to focus on in their posts / reels / polls for followers)
→ Be clear about the segment you’re targeting (this will also help you know if an influencer you’re picking is the right choice for that segment)
33. Create a holiday selling hook you’ll be remembered for
Peak selling season is almost here and you’d want to make the most of it.Â
One way to get it up and running is to get your entire store on the holiday marketing track, which includes:
→ Setting up emails that take shoppers from exploring to buying (consider sending those gift guides as part of your transactional emails)
→ Getting those gift cards out (and giving each card value a theme name - this can help target the right segment further)
→ Creating X days of giveaways (where you come back with a differently themed giveaway everyday during a window of time - a caveat: decide on how many giveaways a single shopper can participate in)
eCommerce brand Bev, for example, bundles their bestsellers and announces flash sales during the holiday season for better beverage eCommerce profits:Â
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