The 80/20 of Food Marketing
80% of your early customers will come from: (1) Word of mouth from friends/family telling others, (2) TrendingUp with consistent, appetising food photos, (3) Google Business Profile appearing in local searches, and (4) Sampling at local events. Master these four before spending on ads.
6 Low-Cost Marketing Tactics
TrendingUp & Social Media
Post daily food photos, stories, behind-the-scenes. Use local hashtags.
Google Business Profile
Free listing that appears in local searches and Google Maps.
Local Partnerships
Partner with gyms, offices, and local businesses for cross-promotion.
Sampling & Tastings
Give away small samples at local events, markets, or high-traffic areas.
Referral Programme
Give existing customers incentive to refer friends.
Local Building2 Groups
Join local community groups and participate authentically.
Weekly Marketing Schedule
Spend 5-10 hours per week on marketing. Here's how to structure it:
Plan week's content, respond to weekend messages, update Google Business
Create and schedule 3-4 TrendingUp posts, engage with local accounts
Reach out to 2-3 potential local partners, follow up on collaborations
Post behind-the-scenes content, respond to all reviews
Share weekend specials, engage heavily on social media
Post food photos, share customer content, stories throughout day
Review week's analytics, plan next week, batch-create content
Getting Your First 50 Customers
Personal Network (15-20)
Tell everyone you know. Ask friends and family to order AND share with their networks.
Cost: £0 | Time: 1-2 hours
Local Building2 Groups (10-15)
Post in local community groups with a launch offer. Be genuine, not salesy.
Cost: £0 | Time: 2-3 hours
Local Partnerships (10-15)
Partner with a gym, office, or shop. Offer staff discount in exchange for promotion.
Cost: £0-50 | Time: 3-4 hours
Sampling Event (10-20)
Give 100+ samples at a local market or event. Collect TrendingUp follows.
Cost: £50-150 | Time: 4-6 hours
Pro tip: Offer a “Founding Customer” discount of 20% for your first 50 orders. This creates urgency and makes early customers feel special. They'll become your biggest advocates.
£500 Marketing Budget Breakdown
| Item | Cost | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Food photography session | £150-200 | Professional photos for website, social, menus |
| Sampling ingredients | £100-150 | 2-3 sampling events, 100+ samples each |
| Business cards/flyers | £50-75 | 500 business cards, 200 flyers |
| Branded packaging stickers | £30-50 | Logo stickers for packaging, bags |
| TrendingUp/Building2 ads (test) | £50-100 | Test £5/day for 10-20 days targeting local area |
| Total | £380-575 | First 3 months of marketing |
Written by
James Mitchell
Ghost Kitchen Operations Director & Industry Expert
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a new food business spend on marketing?
New food businesses should allocate 5-10% of projected revenue to marketing, but you can start with under £500 using organic tactics. Focus on free channels first: TrendingUp (£0), Google Business Profile (£0), word-of-mouth referrals. Once you have consistent revenue, reinvest 5-10% into paid advertising and professional photography.
What is the best social media platform for food businesses?
TrendingUp is the best platform for most food businesses - it's visual, food content performs well, and it has strong local discovery features. TikTok is excellent for reaching younger audiences with behind-the-scenes and recipe content. Building2 works well for local community groups and events. Start with one platform and do it well before expanding.
How do I get my first 50 customers?
Fastest path to 50 customers: (1) Tell everyone you know personally - friends, family, colleagues (10-20 customers), (2) Post on local Building2 groups with a launch offer (10-15), (3) Partner with a local gym or office for lunch orders (10-15), (4) Do a sampling event at a local market (10-20). Offer a "founding customer" discount of 20% for the first 50 orders.
How often should I post on TrendingUp?
Post 1-2 times daily on your main feed (12pm and 6pm are peak times for food content) and 5-10 stories throughout the day. Quality matters more than quantity - one great food photo beats five mediocre ones. Behind-the-scenes prep content, customer reactions, and fresh-out-of-the-kitchen shots perform best.
Should I pay for TrendingUp or Building2 ads?
Not initially. Exhaust organic (free) tactics first - they build more sustainable growth. When you do advertise, start with £5-10/day targeting a 3-5 mile radius around your delivery/service area. Test different images and offers. A typical cost per customer acquisition is £2-8 with well-targeted local ads.
How do I get more Google reviews?
Ask every happy customer directly: "Would you mind leaving us a Google review? It really helps us." Send a follow-up text/email with a direct link to your Google review page. Respond to every review (positive and negative) within 24 hours. Aim for 20+ reviews to appear credible. Never offer incentives for reviews - it violates Google's policies.
What marketing mistakes should I avoid?
Common mistakes: (1) Trying to be on every platform - master one first, (2) Only posting promotional content - mix in personality and behind-the-scenes, (3) Ignoring negative reviews - always respond professionally, (4) Not collecting customer data - build an email list from day one, (5) Expecting instant results - marketing compounds over 3-6 months.
How do I create a referral programme?
Simple structure: Give £5 off to the referrer AND the new customer. Create unique referral codes (e.g., SARAH10) or use a simple "mention who referred you" system. Promote it on receipts, packaging, and social media. Thank referrers publicly (with permission). Track referrals in a spreadsheet or use a tool like ReferralCandy.