The healthy snacks and drinks industry is booming, with the global snack market hitting $251.10 billion in 2024. As more brands compete for attention, standing out on social media is essential. With the sector experiencing a 6.33% annual growth rate, the challenge isn’t just about reaching your audience—it’s about engaging them in meaningful ways.
Nowadays, brands must evolve their strategies to connect authentically with their audience. Whether it’s creating relatable content, leveraging platform-specific features, or using clever partnerships, the key is to build a lasting relationship that goes beyond the product.
One brand that exemplifies how creative campaigns can boost engagement is Planters, which turned social media interactions into unforgettable experiences. With over 28 million impressions and a surge in followers, they showed just how powerful personalized, fun engagement can be.
Curious how they did it? Keep reading as we'll explain the strategy in detail while also showcasing how other brands are making waves with their social strategies. Let’s dive into the best social media marketing tactics for healthy snacks and drinks that you can use to elevate your brand.
- 1. Leveraging Surprise & Delight to Spark Conversations and Build Loyalty
- 2. Leveraging Platform-Specific Content to Maximize Engagement
- 3. Using the Power of Influencer Marketing and Paid Social to Boost Brand Awareness
- 4. Use Creative Campaigns to Boost Engagement
- 5. Turning Your Product Into a Daily Habit
- 6. Use Humor and Relatability to Build a Strong Connection with Your Audience
- Winning Social Media Strategies for Healthy Snacks & Drinks Brands
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. Leveraging Surprise & Delight to Spark Conversations and Build Loyalty
In social media, where customers are bombarded with ads at every turn, how do you get them to stop scrolling and actually engage? The answer is simple: “Surprise & Delight.” This strategy is all about exceeding customer expectations by offering them something unexpected—whether it’s a personalized response, a fun giveaway, or a moment of sheer joy. For healthy snacks and drinks brands, this tactic can be a game-changer, driving engagement, deepening loyalty, and even boosting brand love.
The best part? You don’t need a massive budget or a viral trend to make this work. All you need is a creative spark and a willingness to surprise your audience in meaningful, memorable ways. Planters, one brand that nailed this approach, proved that "Surprise & Delight" isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a highly effective social media strategy.
The brand is no stranger to bold campaigns, but they truly raised the bar during their Super Bowl activation and Valentine’s Day campaign by embracing the “Surprise & Delight” strategy in full force.
In the Super Bowl, they ran a live promotion that gave 50 lucky fans an unforgettable experience: custom artwork celebrating their engagement with the brand, along with a surprise prize announcement. That’s right—Planters didn’t just say "thanks" for the engagement; they made fans feel like true VIPs.
Get ready to hit the clubs @Eric__Jones. You just won a set of custom golf clubs & an indoor golf simulator. Round 47 of #CrunchTime Givewaway is a wrap. pic.twitter.com/I5hvSdDTzU
— Mr. Peanut (@MrPeanut) February 4, 2019
But they didn’t stop there. For their Valentine’s Day campaign, they took it to the next level. Mr. Peanut, their beloved mascot, personally engaged with followers on Twitter, replying to questions and sparking conversations.
The kicker? Many of those fans who engaged received a surprise reward—a romantic dinner reservation, a ride in the Nut Mobile, or even a copy of Dr. Ruth’s book (after all, they’d partnered with the relationship expert for the campaign). The surprise was the cherry on top, and fans couldn’t help but share their delightful experiences with their networks.
I have a feeling when the @NUTmobile_Tour shows up at your door he's going to go nuts. Send me a message and we'll make it happen!
— Mr. Peanut (@MrPeanut) February 13, 2019
The "Surprise & Delight" strategy had an immediate impact on Planters’ social media results. Over the course of the campaign, Mr. Peanut’s Twitter account saw an explosion in engagement, with more than 280 replies from the mascot.
These personal interactions weren’t just nice—they were transformative. The campaign generated 28 million impressions, and Planters saw an influx of new followers, many of whom shared their surprise moments with friends and family. After all, it’s not every day you get a customized prize or a ride in a nut-themed vehicle.
Key Takeaway: Make Your Customers Feel Like VIPs
The magic of “Surprise & Delight” lies in its ability to turn ordinary interactions into extraordinary experiences. For healthy snacks and drinks brands, this means going beyond the typical engagement strategies and giving your customers something they weren’t expecting—but will absolutely love. Whether it’s a personalized thank you, a surprise product giveaway, or a small but meaningful reward, the goal is to make your followers feel appreciated and valued.
2. Leveraging Platform-Specific Content to Maximize Engagement
When it comes to social media marketing, it’s not enough to simply post content across all platforms and hope for the best. To truly stand out, your content needs to be tailored to fit the specific needs and behaviors of each platform. This strategy, known as creating platform-specific content, is all about crafting unique posts and media that resonate with the distinct audiences and features of each social channel.
For healthy snacks and drinks brands, this approach ensures that your content not only gets seen but also generates real engagement.
By understanding the strengths of different platforms—whether it’s Facebook’s long-form engagement, Instagram’s visual storytelling, or TikTok’s fast-paced entertainment—you can create content that leverages those strengths and encourages users to engage with your brand in a way that feels natural for them.
Wonderful Pistachios, through their partnership with Amplify, embraced the power of platform-specific content to drive engagement and expand their audience. Their strategy centered on aligning content with specific themes—health, food, and fitness—while tailoring it to the unique formats and features of each platform.
On Facebook, Wonderful Pistachios used video content to engage their audience, tapping into Facebook’s robust video ecosystem. This focus on video helped increase engagement exponentially.
In fact, their video-based content led to a 17.5% increase in followers and a staggering 2,448 hours of consumed content. By creating longer-form, more detailed videos around topics like healthy eating, fitness, and snack ideas, Wonderful Pistachios provided value to their audience while keeping them engaged for longer periods of time.
Meanwhile, on Instagram, Wonderful Pistachios capitalized on the power of Reels, Instagram’s short-form video format, to reach a wider audience. The use of Reels led to an impressive 57% increase in impressions, as the snack brand’s content became more discoverable through Instagram’s algorithm.
Reels were perfect for showing off the fun, snacking moments that their audience could relate to, helping the brand appeal to the health-conscious crowd looking for quick snack options that fit their lifestyle. With over 1.1 million Reel plays, the brand harnessed Instagram’s visual storytelling to keep their followers engaged and drive massive reach.
Key Takeaway: Tailor Your Content to Each Platform's Strengths
For healthy snacks and drinks brands, the key takeaway here is simple: don’t treat all social media platforms the same. Each platform has its unique strengths, and by crafting content that aligns with those strengths, you can significantly increase engagement and expand your reach.
3. Using the Power of Influencer Marketing and Paid Social to Boost Brand Awareness
You know that feeling when you’re scrolling through Instagram and see your favorite influencer casually munching on a snack that looks too good to resist? Suddenly, you’re sold, and the next thing you know, you’re clicking through to buy it. Now, imagine if your healthy snack brand could do that on a larger scale. Welcome to the world of Influencer Marketing paired with Paid Social Advertising—a dynamic duo that can turn your brand’s visibility into pure gold.
When done right, this strategy has the power to establish trust, capture attention, and directly influence consumer behavior. For healthy snacks and drinks brands, it’s the perfect recipe for showcasing product benefits and creating authentic connections with health-conscious consumers.
Why rely on traditional ads when you can combine the reach of influencers with the targeting precision of paid social? Let’s take a look at how Pipsnacks nailed this approach to skyrocket their brand.
Pipsnacks, known for their healthy and unique snack options, including the beloved Pipcorn line, was looking to boost brand awareness and drive online sales in a competitive market. To stand out, they took a two-pronged approach, combining Influencer Marketing with Paid Social.
First, Pipsnacks partnered with health and wellness influencers who already had the trust of their followers. These influencers were provided with Pipsnacks’ products to try and share their authentic experiences. The influencers created a mix of content—Instagram stories, YouTube reviews, and blog posts—showcasing how Pipsnacks fit seamlessly into their healthy routines.
They highlighted key selling points such as the non-GMO, gluten-free nature of the products, all while demonstrating how delicious and easy it is to enjoy Pipcorn. This content didn’t just push products; it built trust by showing how Pipsnacks could fit into a health-conscious lifestyle.
Next, to amplify this influencer-generated content, Pipsnacks launched dynamic ads across Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. These ads were visually vibrant, featuring stunning images and videos of the products in action. The carousel ads showcased the different flavors of Pipcorn, while video ads demonstrated the unique, snackable experience of enjoying the product.
Targeted ads were tailored to health-focused audiences—those interested in fitness, wellness, and healthy eating. Interactive elements like swipe-up links and shoppable posts made it incredibly easy for potential customers to explore and buy directly from the ads.
The results? Incredible. Thanks to this integrated strategy, Pipsnacks saw a 60% increase in brand awareness and a 45% increase in online sales. Influencer marketing helped establish Pipsnacks as a trustworthy and credible brand in the health space, while paid social ads increased visibility and drove direct sales.
Key Takeaway: Integrate Influencer Marketing with Paid Social Ads for Maximum Impact
For healthy snacks and drinks brands, combining influencer marketing with paid social advertising can create a powerful, integrated approach to both building brand awareness and driving direct sales. The key is using influencers to build authentic connections with your target audience while using paid social to expand your reach and encourage immediate action.
4. Use Creative Campaigns to Boost Engagement
Ever thought about turning your product’s ingredients into a work of art? If not, it’s time to start thinking outside the snack bag. Creative campaigns that blend product features with visually striking concepts not only reinforce your brand identity but can also skyrocket engagement.
This isn’t about just showing your product on a plate or in a bowl. It’s about connecting with your audience in a way that feels organic, authentic, and, yes, even a little artistic. When your content matches the vibe of the platform you’re using and aligns with user expectations, the result is engagement that blows traditional benchmarks out of the water.
Terra Chips, known for its vibrant, vegetable-based chips, decided to showcase the natural pigments in their products in a way that would make their audience stop scrolling and start watching.
The campaign, built around the theme of "Snack in TERRAcolor," used the vegetables in their chips as the foundation for a stunning visual twist, turning them into actual paint. Yes, you read that right. They took their colorful vegetables and turned them into pigments, creating vivid artwork that was as visually engaging as their chips are to the tastebuds.
Here’s where it gets genius: The campaign didn’t just feature pretty pictures of vegetables. Terra Chips turned this creative process into shareable content. They posted videos showing how the natural pigments were made and even how the paints were used to create artwork. These videos were then shared as promoted posts on Facebook and Instagram, aligning perfectly with the platform’s visual nature.
On Facebook, the campaign received a jaw-dropping engagement rate of 47.76%, far surpassing the benchmark engagement rate of 5%. On Instagram, the results were equally impressive—static images boasted an engagement rate of 21.44%, while the campaign video reached a phenomenal 55.28%.
To put it in perspective, the static image alone had an engagement rate 16 times higher than the average Instagram benchmark of 2.95%. This wasn’t just engagement; it was a clear sign that creative, visually appealing content can outperform typical ad formats when done right.
Key Takeaway: Turn Your Product into a Creative Story That Resonates
If you want your healthy snacks or drinks brand to stand out on social media, it’s time to think beyond basic product shots and get creative. Use your product’s natural features or ingredients as the foundation for something visually striking. Whether it’s turning your ingredients into art, showing them in action, or simply highlighting their vibrant colors, the key is to align your content with the visual preferences of your audience and the platform.
5. Turning Your Product Into a Daily Habit
Let’s face it: in today’s fast-paced world, convenience is king. If your healthy snacks or drinks brand doesn’t align with the on-the-go lifestyle, you’re missing out on a huge audience. Healthy living isn’t just about promoting the benefits of your product—it’s about showing people how easy and seamless it is to incorporate it into their daily routine. When you meet your audience where they are, both in terms of lifestyle and mindset, you create a connection that goes beyond the product itself.
One of the smartest ways to do this is through targeted content creation. By tailoring your content to reflect the diverse needs of your audience, you can demonstrate how your product fits into various lifestyles. This approach goes beyond just showcasing your product’s benefits—it’s about positioning it as a must-have in everyday life.
Quaker Oats, a household name, was facing a challenge in the GCC region—while their oats were seen as a staple for savory soups during Ramadan, they struggled to be recognized as a versatile, everyday breakfast option. To change this perception, the brand needed to show consumers that oats weren’t just for special occasions—they could be a quick, healthy, and delicious part of any day.
Quaker’s strategy centered around targeted content creation that resonated with the diverse lifestyles of their audience. Through in-depth market research, they identified key personas—health-conscious mothers, busy professionals, fitness enthusiasts, and creative cooks—each with their own needs and preferences.
To engage these personas, Quaker created YouTube videos that showed how easily oats could be integrated into traditional regional breakfasts, making them more accessible and appealing. These videos demonstrated not only how quick and easy oats are to prepare but also how versatile they can be, working in both savory and sweet recipes.
The campaign included multiple formats for different platforms, with full-length videos for Facebook and Instagram, along with shorter cutdowns optimized for Instagram Stories and feeds. These videos featured relatable characters preparing quick, on-the-go Quaker breakfasts, making it easy for viewers to envision oats in their own daily routines.
Additionally, Quaker developed a year-long content library featuring recipes, fitness tips, and lifestyle shots, ensuring the brand remained top-of-mind for its audience even after the campaign ended.
Key Takeaway: Position Your Product as a Daily Essential
For healthy snacks and drinks brands, targeted content creation is a powerful way to position your products as daily essentials. Rather than just focusing on the health benefits of your product, show your audience how easily it can be incorporated into their busy lives. Create content that speaks to different personas and their specific needs—whether that’s a quick breakfast for a busy mom, a post-workout snack for a fitness enthusiast, or a convenient snack for the office.
6. Use Humor and Relatability to Build a Strong Connection with Your Audience
One effective strategy for standing out amidst a sea of competition is using humor and relatability in your social media content. When done right, this approach humanizes your brand, makes it more approachable, and fosters a sense of community with your audience. Instead of pushing a hard sales pitch, you’re creating an experience that resonates with your followers' everyday lives.
The key here is to balance entertainment with a subtle reminder of what your brand offers. When your content feels like a friendly conversation, rather than a corporate message, it builds trust and loyalty. Humor also makes your brand memorable, and when paired with relatable content, it can lead to higher engagement rates and increased brand awareness.
Innocent Drinks, known for its healthy smoothies and juices, took a unique approach to social media by embracing the quirks and trends of platforms like TikTok. Instead of just focusing on promoting their products, Innocent chose to create content that felt human, approachable, and—above all—relatable. Their use of humorous TikTok videos featuring trending face filters and challenges sets them apart from typical brand content.
@innocentdrinks This filter is part of our identity now. #buysmoothies #seriousmarketingstuff #fypシ ♬ original sound - Samantha Clement
Rather than pushing sales, Innocent leaned into the everyday struggles of their audience, especially those of social media managers trying to create engaging content. Their TikTok content often presented humorous scenarios, tackling the challenges of being creative while keeping up with ever-changing trends.
@innocentdrinks You can find our shots in Costa*. We definitely knew about it. That’s why we made this very real photo of our Matt drinking one. *Ends 2.4.25. Participating Costa GB stores only. Won't apply if only shots are bought. No additional discounts. Subject to availability. FOR OUR ALT TEXT USERS Here's a screenshot of a text chain we had with our boss. Boss: How's the content for shots coming along? Us: Good, filmed it last night. Even got some lime in there as well. Boss: What? Us: You're always asking me to post more about fruit and veg. We then send a photo of some lime wedges next to a pile of salt with the caption "See?" It's a really nice photo of limes if we don't say so ourselves. Boss: I'm talking about our immunity and gut health shots you can get in Costa for £1. What are you talking about? Us: Erm... Yeah, same thing. Boss: Send me the photo. NOW. This is the photo we sent our boss. Our Matt's drinking a shot with a group of us cheering him on, and a lime wedge in his hand. The shot Matt's drinking is our immunity shot, but it's worth saying we photoshopped that one in after. Although if our boss reads this, we definitely asked Matt to drink our immunity shot. Not a totally different, only for adults kind of shots. #fyp ♬ オリジナル楽曲 - 厚揚げろが。
By staying consistent with this playful, warm, and personable style, Innocent Drinks created a social media presence that felt more like a conversation with a friend than a traditional brand.
The result? Engagement rates exceeding 10% and a 10.33% follower growth rate over the past year. These results were achieved with a content strategy that prioritized relatability over product-heavy messaging. Their success came from making people smile, rather than just making them buy.
Key Takeaway: Focus on Relatable, Light-Hearted Content to Build Lasting Relationships
For healthy snacks and drinks brands, the key takeaway is simple: make your content relatable and fun. Move beyond the hard sell and instead focus on creating content that connects with your audience's daily experiences. Infuse humor, highlight shared struggles, and don’t be afraid to show the lighter side of your brand. By doing so, you’ll create a lasting relationship with your audience, one that goes beyond the product and builds brand loyalty.
Winning Social Media Strategies for Healthy Snacks & Drinks Brands
To thrive in social media marketing, fitness and nutrition brands must create engaging, relatable content. Leverage tactics like influencer partnerships, platform-specific content, and surprise giveaways to build community and boost engagement.
By focusing on authenticity, creativity, and customer connection, brands can drive lasting loyalty and visibility. Implement these strategies to take your brand’s social media presence to the next level and see long-term growth and success.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most effective social media platforms for promoting healthy snacks and drinks?
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are highly effective due to their visual nature and wide reach, allowing brands to showcase products engagingly.
How can influencer partnerships enhance my brand's social media presence?
Collaborating with influencers introduces your products to their followers, adds credibility, and drives engagement, especially when influencers authentically align with your brand values.
What type of content resonates best with health-conscious consumers on social media?
Content that educates, entertains, and inspires—such as informative posts about health benefits, engaging recipes, and user-generated content—tends to resonate well with health-focused audiences.
How can I leverage user-generated content to boost brand authenticity?
Encouraging customers to share their experiences and tag your brand in their posts provides authentic testimonials, fosters community, and enhances trust among potential customers.
What role do contests and giveaways play in social media marketing for food and beverage brands?
Contests and giveaways can increase engagement, expand reach, and create excitement around your products, leading to increased brand visibility and follower growth.
How important is it to maintain a consistent posting schedule on social media?
Consistency helps keep your brand top-of-mind, builds a loyal following, and improves algorithmic favorability, leading to higher engagement rates.
How can I utilize social media analytics to improve my marketing strategies?
Monitoring analytics allows you to understand audience behavior, identify successful content, and adjust your strategy to enhance engagement and achieve marketing goals.
