Food Travel Videos on Social Media

Inspired by TV shows from channels such as TravelChannel and Food Network, social media users all over the world have been traveling (locally and globally) and eating, reviewing, and cooking food on video-sharing platforms. As there is a high demand for these ‘food travel’ videos, there is an ever-increasing number of content creators making videos to cater to this audience. Anyone with a smartphone can upload on social media. With little creativity combined with sites such as SocialWick to scale up their audience size, users are able to reach celebrity levels of fame and make money in the process.

Different Types of Food Related Travel Videos

• • Street Food Review – In these videos the host usually tries different food items from street vendors in cities all over the world. This is the easiest type of food travel video, which only requires the expenses related to travel, and can even be made using a smartphone with no editing whatsoever. It is also the most popular amongst creators (and viewers).
  • Cooking – Although many users are cooking from within their homes, some channels show users traveling to far-off places and shooting videos of the local populations making food.
  • Comparison Videos – A rare type of food travel video, in which the host tastes and compares foods from different locations. The most well-known is BuzzFeed’s “Worth-It” series.

YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook?

Each platform has an enormous number of users and plenty of content related to both travel and food. YouTube offers the opportunity for longer videos, which may be better suited for food travel. It is also the oldest video-sharing platform of the three and thus has users that have been posting for years. However, with TikTok’s unique ability to create trends, and the ease with which videos can be created and edited – travel foodies may move towards the newer app. Also, as TikTok is more popular among the younger generations, it still has a lot more room to grow. Facebook and Instagram have many users posting food travel videos. However, they are a less popular source of these videos for viewers.

How Do I Make A Food Travel Video?

Some popular food travel YouTubers earn up to a million US dollars yearly, a number which can go higher or lower depending on popularity. After reading that number you might be tempted to try it for yourself – here’s how.

• • Where?
    Research the locations you are willing or able to visit to create videos. You may be restricted by your citizenship, budget, passport, or other factors. To make your content more engaging, research the country (or state, town, etc.) you are visiting. A little bit of history can give you a lot of context to add to your video. Also, by reading up on your destination you can experience it fully, and convey that to your audience.
  • Which Foods?
    The food must be something you are interested in trying. Viewers can easily tell if you are not excited to try the food. Be honest in your review though, because fake reviews will cost you followers easily. Before you begin shooting a video, think of the visual aspects of the food. Try to anticipate the best shots and take lots of them, you can edit them later.
  • Which Platform?
    There are various factors that will affect the platform you choose to share your content on. Monetization and video length are two major issues you must think of. Also, keep in mind that your target audience might prefer one platform over the other. For example, if you are targeting the Boomer generation – they use Facebook more often.
  • Editing Your Content
    You may choose to upload the raw unedited videos. However, some editing is preferable. Keep in mind your target audience when editing the videos. Some platforms offer analytics for your videos showing which parts they liked more, or where they stopped watching. Use this information in your future content to curate it according to your audience’s taste. Before you have a following, you might want to research other channels/pages, for both inspiration and insight on consumer preferences.

Videos online of travels and food are plentiful – and highly popular. You can create your own videos easily, and eat your way to success while you wander the world.