This post is a recap of a social media webinar presented by Bethany Bell, social media manager at deep, as part of IFMA’s webinar series to dive deeper into content presented at IFMA’s 2015 Marketing & Sales Leaders Forum.

Credit: Death to Stock Photo

Reaching nearly the 400,000 independent operators can be an overwhelming task for manufacturers, and social media is one way to reach this large audience directly and cost effectively. Below are four ways that food manufacturers can build genuine relations with independent operators on social media.

#1: Provide Menu Inspiration

The first way you can add value to your independent customers is to provide them with menu inspiration. According to Datassential, 61 percent of independent operators cite that coming up with new menu ideas is a significant challenge that they face. Many food manufacturers already have an extensive recipe database online, and social media is the perfect vehicle to deliver this inspiration directly to the operator.

#2: Listen to Customer Concerns and Input

Beyond pushing content to operators, another way to give independent operators back their time is by listening to their concerns and input. 70 percent of Internet users expect brands to be responsive on at least three social networks, and 87 percent will stay and purchase more if the support response felt quick enough. Many brands focus so much on content creation on social media that they overlook the importance of listening. With quick response process in place, you can save that operator time by solving their problem and foster that long-term brand loyalty.

#3: Share Insights on Industry Trends

The third way you can give customers back their time and build relationships with independent operators is by sharing insights on industry trends. In fact, 67 percent of independent operators cite that determining what customers want is a significant challenge that they face. It’s not enough to just share statistics. What does that consumer trend or data point mean for your customers? Add insights to showcase your thought leadership and curate industry news to help your customers determine what consumers want.

#4: Create Re-shareable Content

The final building block of connecting with independent operators on social media is to create re-sharable content. Datassential also reports that 63 percent of independent operators cite that managing promotions and marketing is a significant challenge that they face. Independent operators need to promote themselves on social to drive foot traffic, but it’s hard to find the time with all of their other responsibilities of running a restaurant. Give your customers back their time by creating valuable content that operators can share on their social media.

To see the full webinar, click here.

This post was written by Bethany Bell. As the Social Media Manager at deep food marketing group, Bell develops and executes PR and social media strategies for global food brands. Before joining deep in 2013, this Missouri State graduate was the Person in Charge of Getting the Word Out at Askinosie Chocolate, an artisan, bean-to-bar chocolate maker in Springfield, Missouri. Growing up in the coffee industry, Bell is also a strong advocate for supporting local.