Social networks have become one of the main promotion tools for the food sector.
The power of sharing and the virality of social media allows each activity to make itself known, especially through
photo.

From the neighborhood pizzeria to the starred restaurant, from the cheesecake to the gourmet hamburger, the images of foods and dishes constantly fill the Facebook and Instagram feeds.
One of the most used hashtags on social media is in fact #foodporn, with two hundred and eight million photos on Instagram. Any form of food that makes your mouth water just by the sight is #foodporn.

Even for an gelateria the use of social networks and the visual approach become fundamental. To attract new customers or to strengthen the loyalty of the usual ones, the promotion of an artisanal ice cream parlor therefore passes through a photographic shot.

In this article we will see:

● Why the use of social networks is important for an ice cream shop
● How an ice cream parlor can use social networks
● What an ice cream parlor can do to harness the power of social networks

Why the use of social networks is important for an ice cream shop

Social networks allow a gelateria to reach a wide range of users.
We are Social 2019 data state that in Italy the thirty-five million active users of social media spend about two hours a day on the various platforms.

One of the favorite activities of social users is sharing positive experiences. Eating an ice cream is a happy moment that you experience with family, friends, colleagues or with your sweetheart.
For this reason, posting a photo of a nice ice cream on social profiles leverages the emotional involvement of both those who publish the image and those who view it.

One of the pluses of social networks, in fact, is virality.
Thanks to the use of the geo tag and the right hashtag it is possible to create a powerful word of mouth online.
If a user posts a photo of a delicious ice cream tasted in a small artisan ice cream shop, both the user’s friends and people who search for hashtags such as #gelato or #gelatoartgianale will see that image. Each shot is a small billboard.
In fact, user satisfaction and the photo generate a virtuous mechanism whereby the user’s friends or those who have viewed that content will feel the desire to go and try the same ice cream parlor when they are in that area.

Beyond the user side, we need to consider the corporate side.
Social networks are an interactive online showcase for an ice cream shop.
On the Facebook page or on the Instagram profile of an ice cream parlor it is possible to show the assortment of flavours of your shop window, the environment of the ice cream shop with its furnishings and style, the human side of the business by introducing the staff who work there.
The real potential of social networks as an advertising tool, however, is the possibility of creating advertising campaigns, i.e. real online advertising campaigns which, if well constructed and targeted, can lead to an increase in customers.

How an ice cream parlor can use social networks

Instagram is the best social network to use to promote an ice cream shop.
In fact, Instagram is the social channel par excellence dedicated to the visual impact with the sharing of professional and amateur photographic shots.
On Instagram, the photo of a greedy cone or a delicious cup reaches the eyes and then the throat of the user directly and immediately.

The most effective photos on this social network are:

● Images taken in natural light, preferably during the day
● Photos in which the focus is on the ice cream which thus becomes the true protagonist of the shot
● Shots that have the most suggestive corners of the place as a background, to show what the philosophy and mood of the gelateria is

However, the most important feature for a social shot is authenticity: if artificial photos are published in which the ice cream has a different color or texture than reality, the user could feel cheated by creating a counterproductive effect of bad publicity.

Some Instagram tools help businesses promote themselves better. Creating the geo tag of the ice cream parlor allows users who take the photo to geolocate themselves on the social network and therefore show other users where they are.
An intelligent use of the right hashtags both at sectoral and territorial level such as #gelato, #gelatoartigianale, #gelatoitaliano or the name of the city where the gelateria is located allows users who follow these trends to find photos of the activity.
Also, reposting customer content generates online virality.

Examples of the power of Instagram in promoting ice cream are pumpkin ice cream and black ice cream.
The #pumpkinicecream is the protagonist of almost seventeen thousand posts on Instagram, the #blackicecream of more than fifty-two thousand photos.
Some beautiful shots have contributed to the success of these flavors, with photos that highlight the colors and the soft consistency of these ice creams.

What an ice cream parlor can do to exploit the power of social networks

For an ice cream shop, the visual impact is essential to make the most of social networks.
The key to success therefore becomes the ice cream display case, visually more appealing and effective than a pozzetti ice cream counter.

“The showcase determines how we sell and why we sell and remember that when we offer our products we never sell products but we sell ourselves”
These are the words of Maestro Iginio Massari during the Masterclass organized by Orion in collaboration with Città del gusto Napoli – Gambero Rosso.

The Master’s words are particularly indicated in relation to the use of social media.
A design gelato display case with flavors that strike for colors and softness can become the subject for a social photo to be published on Instagram.
The quality of the type of work that is carried out in the ice cream parlor also emerges through a shot of the shop window. Or again, a new flavor can be photographed to be presented to followers in preview.

With social networks, ice creams are eaten primarily with the eyes.
Gelaterias that know how to take advantage of this powerful and innovative tool will have an edge in reaching customers and capturing their interest.