Navigating the expansive realm of social media while trying to build an e-commerce business is much like embarking on an unexpected sea voyage. Without a road map or a compass, navigating the tides can often be tricky. Yet, this is the story of my entrepreneurial journey, marked with successes and stumbles, as guided by social media food trends of 2018.
Social media in 2018 was amidst its golden age, and as an entrepreneur with a passion for food, I accorded the opportunity it presented. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest became potent allies, each hosting a unique community of food lovers, enthusiasts and trendsetters, and acting as a tastemaker in the ever-evolving food industry landscape.
One of my significant triumphs on this voyage was capitalizing on the most popular social media food trends 2018 had to offer. When the unicorn craze swept through Instagram, with its pastel-colored, aesthetically enchanting food items, I cast the net and set sail. Our e-commerce platform began offering unicorn-inspired edible items—from rainbow-frosted cupcakes, unicorn macarons, to multi-colored smoothie bowls and lattes. As the trend sailed through the social media seas, our sales went overboard.
Next, we grappled with Instagram’s obsession with everything avocado. The green, creamy fruit factored into every possible food trend, from avocado toast, avocado roses, to the then-novel avocado lattes. Capitalizing on the fad, we introduced a line of avocado-based products. By then, our e-commerce platform had gone from a humble vessel to a ship making waves, and happily, the social media food trends 2018 introduced facilitated this growth.
Along the journey, however, it became clear that sailing these social media seas was not always smooth. Enter the clean eating trend. Social media was filled with posts featuring green juices, chia seeds, and quinoa bowls. As an entrepreneur, seeing a trend, the impetus was to embrace it. But this became a point of reflection on how it could also be a pitfall. The assumption that every social media trend will translate into a successful business venture is a likely misstep any entrepreneur can fall into. Here, I learned valuable lessons about the market and consumer’s sheer diversity.
Not every individual is a zealous food innovator or a health food enthusiast. Comfort foods and classic items still hold a special place in consumers’ hearts. Thus, while introducing several clean, healthy food options, we continued to cater to customers who favored comfort food. These decisions led our business to balance out, catering to a broader audience while surfing the social media food trends 2018 had laid in our path.
Additionally, the tenets of sustainability and locally sourced food trends were also shaping consumer behavior in 2018. Consumers were becoming more conscious, questioning the source of their food, and the impact it had on the environment. This shift in food trends made us rethink our supply and delivery chains to reduce our carbon footprint, promoting a ‘farm-to-table’ concept, much appreciated by our customers.
As we navigated these social media food trends of 2018, my entrepreneurial journey broadened in terms of experience and learning curves. Reflection, adaptation, and resilience became the watchwords of our venture, essential for any entrepreneur.
In essence, the social media food trends of 2018 gave us the momentum to ride high on the tide or steer clear of potential storms. However, it was a humbling lesson that while it is paramount to keep an ear to the ground for emerging trends, it’s equally crucial to comprehend the nuances of your consumer base. A blend of both will be the guiding lighthouse for an entrepreneurial voyage in any social media climate. Through this candid narrative, I hope to inspire fellow entrepreneurs to boldly embark on their own voyages, charting their course by real experiences and learning from our shared stories.