Buttercream, mini donuts, cocoa kisses: I swear this is relevant to social media!
The end of the year is typically when businesses reflect on the past 12 months. (In a previous corporate role, I was tasked with corralling the annual year in review newsletter, which was actually more delightful than it sounds, but possibly because it involved babies.) I’m one hundred percent on board with that. My approach to that concept just looks a little more delicious, in my opinion, because I’m reflecting on which recipes I tried in 2019.
Now, I’m no stranger to being a recipe Pinning maniac and am by no means headed for the Great British Bake Off, but I have a basic kitchen understanding (thanks, mom!). I just don’t typically document it as much. Until this year. Why recipes? Well, a few reasons. Actually, once I sat down to think about it, I realized there were quite a few reasons I went on a baking and cooking spree and documented it, even when it wasn’t pretty (because, yes, there were plenty of fails!).
View this post on Instagram
From pastries to beverages and an obsession with mini foods, here’s why it was about more than just a recipe for me:
The First and Most Obvious:
It kinda fits with the FunnelCake food theme. I receive more disappointed reactions than you might realize from people who discover that FunnelCake is not in fact a bakery. But that’s not entirely their fault: FunnelCake is named after a Midwest county fair food favorite: funnel cakes! So, it’s fun to occasionally tip my digital hat to the baking connection. (Fun fact: I haven’t ever made a funnel cake. Perhaps a 2020 goal…) Adding to that nostalgia is the fact that I come from a long line of women who felt the need to feed, and I grew up always being a part of that process in someone’s kitchen (even if it was just on dish duty or rolling cookie balls!).
View this post on Instagram
It’s an Offline Creative Outlet:
Spoiler: I, like many, spend a lot of time online via a phone or computer. I love planning and creating content for social media. It really is like designing a menu and cooking it (another food analogy!) from my point of view. However, I try to keep a healthy-ish balance and get offline for hobbies and socializing from time to time. Enter baking. In hindsight, I also can now appreciate some of the unspoken things my recipe selection offered that I might not have included in the post captions. Cupcakes are just cupcakes, but leading up to that, there was a long week earlier this year as my Grandpa’s health rapidly declined and I would watch cake frosting ASMR videos on YouTube late at night for a soothing way to pass the time. Not surprisingly, after his passing, one of the first recipes I tried was a large batch of vanilla cupcakes with piped lemon buttercream frosting. Or, that as much as I adore traveling, I have moments of anxiety over what I can’t control, and so I often make banana oat Greek yogurt muffins to bring along so I know that no matter what gets crazy amidst location and language barriers, I’ll have a snack. On the flipside, when I miss traveling, I make something that reminds me of a past trip, like Vietnamese lime iced tea.
View this post on Instagram
It’s a Constant Challenge:
Aspects of social media do make sense quickly for me. I know that’s not the case for every solopreneur and small business owner I work with, and I don’t take that for granted. Putting myself out there with things outside of my realm of expertise and comfort zone is important so that I remember what it’s like to feel that way, and also to show that just as I ask my clients to try something new, I am also willing to do the same. Plus, there’s always an “in-the-process” photo posted earlier in the week to show that my creating process gets really messy and chaotic along the way!
View this post on Instagram
And Then There’s Accountability:
When I reworked FunnelCake’s Instagram strategy earlier in 2019, it doubled as a way to keep me accountable. You see, by drafting in my content calendar that I wanted to try a popsicle recipe during the summer, I actually had to DO it to keep my Instagram posts going. (Funny how that works!) Now, there’s always some flexibility to create in batches, and in advance, but I had to keep showing up, and couldn’t rely on stock photos.
View this post on Instagram
Plus, Filling the Content Calendar:
The direct result of staying accountable means I was also sourcing my own photos for social media use, as opposed to sourcing stock photos. Now, there’s nothing wrong with leveraging stock photos: I use them for plenty of blog header images. For Instagram, I tend to prefer using my own photos whoever possible. (And, nope, they’re absolutely NOT perfect or magazine quality…and I’m okay with that, because sustainable and realistic small business social media is a core part of FunnelCake’s existence, and my personal due diligence to not perpetuating a facade that things always appear perfect in small business ownership.) It also helps me vary my content, because given the nature of my work in social media, there’s a good chance the bulk of my Instagram photos would typically center around me working at a computer (sans desk, because I loathe them!). Now, that just doesn’t sound appealing to me, so that’s why I wanted to take a different angle. And let’s be honest: Food photos definitely have their perks on social media!
View this post on Instagram
Poof! There it is!
When I try recipes, there is the underlying thrill of seeing that recipe come to life (either as it’s intended, or as a Pinterest fail!). Selfishly, this is a good balance for business projects that don’t always come together that quickly. Whipping up a quick batch of fruit dip between business calls, for example, does give me that gratification.
View this post on Instagram
A Recipe for Social Media Content:
For those who know me, or who have worked with me, it should come as no surprise that I really love a good process. It allows you to be strategic, and it frees up your time to give creative energy to another aspect of a project. So, I do often talk about creating social media content in relation to a recipe, not only because it’s important to have tried and true steps, but also because it’s just as critical to make that recipe your own. You’ll have a dash or pinch of something in your social media strategy that resonates with your audience that another business wouldn’t include.
View this post on Instagram
But Actually:
There are SO many incredibly talented people out there who are cooking and baking as their creative canvas, and sharing those recipes with the world. For that, I’m grateful, and by being open to any recipes in my Pinterest searches, I came across some new food bloggers and bakers I wouldn’t have known about or followed before.
I owe a huge “thanks” to the kitchen geniuses who made these recipes possible. Thank you for recipes that fulfilled many roles for me. If you’d like to check out a few of my favorites, here they are in no particular order:
- Vanilla Cupcakes via Life , Love and Sugar
- Lemon Buttercream Frosting via Sally’s Baking Addiction
- Copycat Chipotle’s Corn Salsa via Making Thyme For Health
- Banana Oat Greek Yogurt Muffins via Running With Spoons
- Vietnamese Lime Iced Tea via Delightful Plate
- Coconut Blueberry Smash Pops via Wallflower Kitchen
- 3-Ingredient Healthy Peanut Butter Dip via Listotic
- Mini Pink Lemon Baked Donuts via The Missing Lokness
- Mini Apple Pie Wonton Cups via Recipe Tin Eats
- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies via Inspired by Charm
- Healthy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie via Frugal Farm Wife
- Chocolate Kiss Cookies via Two Peas & Their Pod
(Note: I’m not affiliated with any of these bloggers, nor do I receive any compensation for sharing their links. I’m just a regular person who likes to try new recipes!)
In case anyone is worried about my general health after these recipe adventures, I have had plenty of people willing to sample. I also dabbled in several non-food creative projects that just weren’t documented.
Thank you for a wonderful 2019, and for challenging my creative boundaries!
View this post on Instagram
