People just can’t resist scrolling past amazing-looking food. Years of social media have trained us to stop for slow-motion chocolate or a crumbling cookie. While dessert brands have a huge advantage, many waste it with boring posts. To truly get noticed, you need to know what makes dessert content go viral.
Make It Look So Good, People Get Mad
Before you worry about hashtags or posting schedules, make your desserts look good on camera. Not just “nice,” but the kind of visuals that make people text their friends saying, “Look at this.”
That means colors that don’t blend into the background and textures you can almost feel through the screen. Focus on moments that beg to be watched again: chocolate that drips like it’s performing, caramel that cracks with drama, or sprinkles that fall like confetti.
Lighting is critical. Natural light makes everything look better, whereas fluorescent kitchen lights make everything look like a sad cafeteria. If your setup looks dull, your dessert will also look dull. The feed is ruthless; you have maybe two seconds before someone keeps scrolling.
Video Wins, and Sound Is Half the Battle
While a solid photo can still be effective, don’t be misled into thinking that pictures are enough anymore. Resist the temptation to skip the video, even if it feels like a hassle. Take a look at what’s actually performing right now, and you’ll see it’s all motion. But here’s the part people miss: sound matters just as much as the visuals.
The crack of a cookie breaking open, the sizzle when caramel hits a cold surface, the crunch that happens on the first bite. These sounds do something to people. They watch with the sound on specifically to hear it.
Motion builds anticipation, too. Your brain wants to see what happens next and that’s engagement you can’t fake. If you’re still just posting static shots, you’re basically whispering in a room full of people shouting.
Pick a Look and Stick With It
Going viral once is cool, but building a brand that people recognize is better. You need a visual style so consistent that someone sees your post and knows it’s you before they even look at the handle. Maybe it’s a specific color palette. Perhaps it’s the way you plate things. Perhaps it’s your packaging or a quirky detail that appears in every shot.
Consider brands like Crumbl, with their distinctive pink boxes. You see pink, you think Crumbl. That’s not luck; that’s consistency. Take a look at the dessert accounts that are actually growing.
Jump on Trends, But Don’t Lose Yourself
Social media moves fast. When a sound is blowing up or a format is everywhere, that’s your window to get in front of new people.
However, here’s where many brands fall short. They chase trends so hard that their content becomes generic. It could belong to anyone. There’s nothing that makes it theirs.
The move is an adaptation, not a copy. If everyone’s doing a “get ready with me” video, show the 5 AM chaos of opening a bakery. If a sound is trending, pair it with your most ridiculous creation.
While trends are tempting, don’t be swayed into thinking that’s all you should post. Resist the temptation to become a trend account with no personality. Your signature content builds the brand. Trends bring new eyeballs. You need both working together.
Let Your Customers Do Some of the Work
Your customers are already taking photos of your stuff. The question is whether you’re doing anything with that or just letting it vanish.
Encourage people to tag you, repost their content, and feature the best ones in your Stories. Create a hashtag and actually use it; put it on your packaging, on your receipts, on your wall.
This gives you two things. First, free content you didn’t have to make. Second, customers who feel seen and appreciated, which turns them into repeat buyers who keep posting about you.
Here’s the truth: people trust other people more than they trust brands. A customer’s slightly shaky video of biting into your brownie often hits harder than your perfectly shot content. It feels real.