Wish your kids would eat their fruit & veggies? Well, we’ve got you covered with our next talent spotlight - Emily aka FoodPlatterMum. Her food art makes even me want to chow down on some broccoli. Not only are creations visually stunning, but they have attracted a loyal fan base of over 275k on instagram and over 125k on Tiktok, and one of her videos amassed over 20 million views! Warning - dont read if you’re hungry!
Your profile is all about incredibly fun food art. Tell us about how you got started doing this?
My foodplattermum journey first started 2 years ago,when one day I was cutting up some vegetables and my son said it looked like a face. So I purposely arranged a face on a board for him. We both had a laugh and to my shock, he ate it all. The following day he asked for a vegetable face again and that was the moment I realised I can make my fussy eater eat healthy by making it fun!
From there, I started making lunches, dinners and after school playdate platters and discovered it was a big hit for not only kids but parents as well.
I know many other mums out there in particular struggling for food ideas, so I decided to share what is working for me and hopefully can work for them too. You always hear the saying "it takes a village to raise a child" and this is my contribution to those around the world.
What is your favorite thing you’ve ever created?
My favourite thing I have created would have to be my Elmo out of watermelon. My daughter's face was priceless and a memory I will never forget!
Which piece of content has performed best for you and do you know why?
My best piece of content would have to be my platter I prepared for a "girls platter night" where I had a giant brie cheese the size of my head. The reel got over 20 million views on IG and I had thousands of followers recreate it. I have been told that it was so successful because I educated my community exactly how to make the platter in a simple and entertaining manner. I guess I shared all the platter secrets.. whoops!
Any absolute food fails or content fails you’ve had?
I have had so many! I have squirted sauce on my white top while filming, children walk in the back of my videos or just burnt food because I am a mum juggling a million things at once.
Which platform (tiktok, IG, blog, youtube etc) do you use most and why? Has that changed over the years?
I spend more time on IG, however my preference changes with every algorithm and app update. Last year TikTok was pushing out my content and I preferred that app but lately I have been loving IG again.
If you could only use one platform moving forward, which would it be & why?
Instagram. I feel more connected to my community and the people on IG are kinder!
Tell us about your community
My community is amazing! 97% are women and the majority are between 35-44 years old and usually are mums or those who love a good ‘snack hack’. My followers are located all over the world with the majority from Australia, UK or US.
How do you decide which brands to work with?
I work with brands that I know and love and that I have been using for years. If a new brand is presented, I do my research, I trial it out and then decide if it works for me and my page. My followers recreate my ideas, I can not afford to work for a brand that I don't believe in and I have worked hard to gain trust from my community which is so important to me.
What do you wish brands new about working with creators/influencers?
Ooooo what a good question!! I think brands need to understand that content creators usually have another job or children to take care of etc and to take this into consideration when setting timelines and thinking about budgets too. Be mindful of setting realistic timeframes that mean the creator can give their best to the project around their other commitments, and also think about the cost to create the content - script, film, edit videos. Also to acknowledge that once content is posted, it doesn't end there. It is just the beginning. After you post an ad, followers comment or dm you to get further information about the product and that takes up time too which gets unseen. When I work with a brand you get the complete cycle, and it's much more than just ‘posting a video on social media’ its a creative production, distributed to a trusted audience, and 1 on 1 sales support!
What's the best/most memorable campaign you’ve been involved in?
I have worked on so many campaigns but by far the best ones are those that trust me with my creativity and let me be authentic and produce content that I know my community will love and also make the product I am advertising the hero in the video. Great content can be a win for everyone - the brand, the creator, and the audience!
What brand do you think is doing an amazing job of working with creators/influencers and why?
The Self Styler (Woman clothing range). While they are not food related, I love that they use influencers with small to large amounts of followers. They use a range of different types of women and sizes and they have their name out there with a huge range of creators. After seeing their name everywhere, on so many people's feeds, I bought a dress and contacted their team to let them know that their influencer marketing is working for them!!
Your creations make me wish you were my mum! Tell us about how your kids respond to your creations?
Aw that is so sweet! My kids (and husband) love when a platter comes out. I always have a balance of a variety of foods and we get to sit around the platter and bond. It is always a positive time and my nephew and children's friends now look forward to a platter when they come over. I am forever going to be making platters now haha!!
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