Here’s How Food Copywriters Can Make Customers Hungry Before Ordering

Every restaurateur knows that the only way to garner more orders is by creating an impeccable menu and advertising copy. And food copywriting is unlike any other type of copywriting in different industries. The writer must describe the food in a way that touches the consumers’ sensory perceptions. And this is the reason why food businesses should hire professional food copywriters.

Read on to get three takeaways from this article:

• What Food Copywriters Can Write for Restaurants
• How Food Copywriters Help Restaurants/Food Companies
• 7 Examples of Brands with Great Food Copywriting

What Food Copywriters Can Write for Restaurants

Some marketers and restaurateurs try to handle the copywriting into their own hands, thinking they can save money. After all, how hard can a descriptive menu be? 

Indeed, writing descriptive menus and food advertising is tough, and not many people can ace this kind of writing. The writer should have more than stellar grammatical skills to go into food copywriting.

Moreover, skimping on hiring food copywriters means you’re not amping up your marketing tactics. That’s because a food copywriter doesn’t only write menus. They also do the business’s other print or digital marketing collaterals. And here are the most common ones:

• Menus

  Without making your food sound delicious on menus, customers won’t be compelled to order. Writers know how to play with emotional marketing and psychology to sell the business’s best products. 

• Takeout menus

  Takeout menus are the shorter version of the real menu. And copywriters must know how to play with words and ignite the customers’ senses in a limited space.

• Table tents

  While your customers are choosing their orders, make your table tents stand out. This is your way of enticing customers with your best-selling drinks or desserts. 

• Coupons

  Considered as an effective marketing strategy, coupons are crucial in restaurants or food companies. They increase your response rate and can bring in new patrons. 

• Flyers

  Flyer messages should contain a concise yet captivating copy. And this is where food copywriters can invite more diners through your door. 

• Website/landing pages

  Web copy is also another way to stand out, especially if you’re in the food eCommerce niche. With a declining consumer attention span, writers know how to hook them from the headline down to the call to action. 

• Email marketing

  The way copywriters craft copy on your menu is different from other channels, especially email. That’s because email connects with consumers on a more personalized level. 

• Social media

  Food copywriters also handle all your social media channels. Since social networks vary in tone and audience demographics, consulting the experts to write compelling captions is vital. 

• Online ads

  If you’re investing in paid online advertising, ensure that every ad you display garners conversions. And great copywriting from professionals is key to goal achievement. 

How Food Copywriters Help Restaurants/Food Companies

Hiring experienced food copywriters will forge your food business forward. Here’s how:

1. Conversion-driven writing

Writers have a flair for writing creativity. However, not a lot of writers have a knack for conversion-driven food copywriting. This element goes beyond the surface-level food descriptions. But excellent food copywriters know how to pack a punch. They know what matters to the consumers, and they build their writing around that.

For example, merely saying the food is delicious probably won’t sell more than stating it is “soft, gooey, aromatic, or crunchy.” Overly pitching your food won’t make the same impact as making your customers the center of attention as well. 

Overall, excellent food copywriters know how to write conversion-driven copy. And this applies to all marketing channels every food business has. 

2. Killer market and competitor research

A food copywriter knows how crucial market and competitor research is. Copywriting, in general, will never work without knowing the industry in-depth and, most especially, your competitors. 

With the food industry being such fierce competition, getting leverage over competitors is one way to emerge. Copywriters will stalk your competitors and make your copy better than theirs. 

3. Tell your story

There is a reason why emotional marketing works. That’s because people are drawn to brands that share their values and principles. That being said, excellent food copywriters have an innate knack for narrative. 

They know how to put your customers in the limelight and relay your story to them on a personal level. When you share your brand’s story, this can gain you brand recognition and loyalty.

4. Diverse writing tones

The upper hand of digital marketing is entrepreneurs and marketers get to play with various channels for higher conversions. However, take note that these channels differ in terms of tone, audiences, methods, specifications, and more.

An excellent food copywriter should possess an inherent ability to diversify her writing tone. She must be knowledgeable about every channel’s requirements and effectiveness. This is so business owners can tap into their audiences on different platforms. 

5. SEO

Search Engine Optimization is the lifeblood of copywriting and content marketing. Without SEO knowledge, your brand will never boost its online presence. 

That being said, ensure that your food copywriter knows and understands SEO. The writer must be updated with the current search engine algorithms. With SEO techniques, a new food venture can quickly level the playing field with bigger guns.

7 Examples of Brands with Great Food Copywriting

Here are eight killer food copywriting examples to inspire you:

1. Ugly Drinks

Food and beverage brands are now playing with straightforward and funny copy nowadays. And Ugly Drinks is one example.

2. Beyond Meat

One way of involving the consumers in your copy is by painting a picture. Beyond Meat was smart enough to use the word, “Imagine” at the beginning of their copy. This urges consumers to put themselves in the situation of eating meaty and juicy burgers. 

3. Lidl UK

Social media captions must be short, punchy, and compelling. And Lidl UK did it by using witty copy.

4. Peppersmith

Peppersmith banks on storytelling to make their peppermint products stand out. Here, they talk about the origin of peppermint after World War II.

5. Oasis

Just like the honest ingredients on RX Bar products, Oasis also sprinkled both honesty and humor into their copy. The impact? Brand recognition for telling consumers that they have sales targets, so they better buy their products.

6. Daily Harvest 

As mentioned, food copywriting on various platforms varies. And Daily Harvest knows how to captivate their customers through its concise Instagram Story copy. 

7. Budweiser

Budweiser kickstarted a national competition where they asked customers to upload an image or video of the best burger tandem for their beer. And their copywriting for this campaign is on-point.