5 tips from top pastry chefs for successful digital communication

Patisserie is more than ever in the spotlight. Formerly men of the shadows, little regarded in comparison with their fellow chefs, pastry chefs are now taking their revenge, multiplying their media exposure and becoming ace communicators.

From TV shows and dedicated Instagram accounts to trade shows such as Le Salon de la Pâtisserie, held in Paris from June 15 to 17, there's no shortage of examples of this success. At Malou, we asked ourselves what lies behind this dazzling success. As we decipher the craze for patisserie, here are a few recipes for successful communication from the big names in the profession.

Patisserie, an increasingly prosperous and high-profile sector

The meteoric rise of pastry-making is well known. Whereas yesterday it was commonplace and prosaic to go to your local bakery for an éclair au chocolat or a millefeuille, today it's Philippe Conticini or Pierre Hermé's turn.

All the signs are green in the delicacies market. The French are very fond of sweet treats, and are even capable of waiting several long minutes before entering a patisserie. This was the case at the opening of Philippe Conticini's new " Gâteaux d'émotions " establishment, which saw a long queue of gourmands outside its door.

The craze is such that patisserie now generates annual sales of almosta billion euros in France. Patisserie has also become one of the favorite themes of socionauts on Instagram. So how do we explain this phenomenon?

Patisserie: the pleasure of treating yourself to a little luxury every day

Pierre Hermé is largely responsible for this new success. Since the 1990s, his impetus has led to the democratization of haute-couture, made-to-measure patisserie, helping to shake off the preconceived notions that have long dogged pastry-making. Luxury sweet treats, once the preserve of the great Parisian palaces, are now on display in carefully designed boutiques. But since then, many pastry chefs have revolutionized the world of sweet treats in their own way.

Chefs are increasingly working on these dishes, so much so that for many, they represent works of art, veritable collector's items. Just look at the trompe-l'œil creations of Cédric Grolet, the pastry chef at Le Meurice who was voted best pastry chef in the world on June 19. These creations are crafted with such precision and attention to detail that you'd think they'd been plucked straight from the tree before being placed on the plate.

The great Antonin Carême (1784-1833) was right when he saw pastry-making as a branch of the fine arts. Today's patissiers think big, offering artistic creations that we hardly dare touch... Like the great painters, they give their masterpieces a name. Just think of the famous Ispahan by the Picasso de la Pâtisserie, aka Pierre Hermé: an explosion of freshness on the palate thanks to the subtle marriage of rose, lychee and raspberry, whose reputation in France and around the world is well established.

Luxury patisseries may be relatively expensive compared to others, but they're still a pleasure to be indulged in from time to time. Considered an " anti-crisis remedy " by some, high-end pastries cost "only" ten euros or so. Their creators understand that patisserie is the stuff of dreams. So they create dishes that are ever more impressive in their originality and beauty, and to do so, they have to resort to complex techniques provided by an ever-growing number of technical players in the sector.

A dynamic market, a boon for new players

As the market grows ever more prosperous and demand ever greater, many start-ups have set themselves the goal of helping pastry chefs create their creations. Mokaya , for example, a young start-up founded by Geoffrey Taieb and Yoann Maire, uses 3D printing technology to fashion ergonomic, easy-to-use molds. The start-up has made a name for itself on the market, working in partnership with some of France's greatest chefs, such as Cédric Grolet of Le Meurice, for whom they created the mold for his famous Easter hazelnut.

New specialized media were born. The magazine Fou de Pâtisserie, entirely devoted to the subject, has seen its reputation grow along with the craze for pastry. In it, you can find out what's new with chefs, tips and all the latest news on what can now be called an art form. A multi-chef pastry concept store, "la boutique Fou de Pâtisserie" has opened at 45 rue Montorgueil in Paris. Here you can sample the latest creations from a host of chefs. Visit Instagram account account has almost 300,000 followers.

How can you draw inspiration from the great Chefs, these talented communicators, to successfully implement your strategy?

As we've seen, patisserie is all the rage on social media. In fact, it's thanks to these platforms that pastry chefs have come to the forefront of the French and international media scene. By investing in social platforms, pastry chefs have revitalized their sector. More than just artisans, the best-known and most media-savvy of them are now communication experts! They act as ambassadors for their creations, but also for their profession, which they showcase on their social media accounts to the delight of our taste buds. But what are their secrets for excelling on social media ? Here, we reveal 5 tips from pastry chefs to help you shine and make your followers dream.

1- Develop a storytelling strategy on social media : sell stories and capitalize on emotions

The success of top-of-the-range patisseries is largely due to the storytelling deployed in the sweet world. At social media, a whole narrative is created, lulling customers into a dreamlike atmosphere. La pâtisserie des rêves illustrates the point: the great classics of our childhood are revisited and placed under a bell, like the famous Paris-Brest.

On Instagram, the establishment plays on the awakening of past memories, and invokes that famous Madeleine de Proust that revives culinary experiences and succeeds in making us fall back into childhood. Emotions are the key to retaining web users and converting them into customers! Yes, bringing emotions to web surfers is the recipe of the great chefs on social media. As New York-based French pastry chef Dominique Ansel put it on Facebook: "I don't save lives, but I hope to bring a little happiness to everyone". Philippe Conticini understands this too. That's why he decided to name his new establishment "Gâteaux d'Emotions", and to place his communications under this same sign. When he presents his Paris-Brest on his Instagram account, the Chef tells us that he wanted to bake pistachios " the way he used to eat them as a child ". In an interview with L'Express , he adds that his pastries " reflect who he is".

So tell stories! Make your audience dream by taking them on a journey through time or space. The important thing is to stand out from the continuous flow of information, and capture your target's attention. It's not just about selling a dessert, but promising a hand-sewn story. Humor, anecdotes or emotions, you can choose the tone you wish to adopt to thrill your subscribers.

2- Setting the scene at social media : the key to a relationship of trust with Internet users

At social media, the great pastry chefs take center stage, writing day after day a new chapter in the history of which they are the founders. Chefs thus become ambassadors for their cuisine, positioning themselves as true artists. So much so, in fact, that their professional accounts sometimes become a reflection of their daily work lives. Chef Cyril Lignac regularly posts photos of himself with or without his creations on Instagram. Sometimes he even introduces people he likes, wishes them happy birthdays or shares his emotions.

What's the point, you might ask? To establish a relationship of trust and proximity with Internet users! By showing the little hands behind the incredible creations they make, pastry chefs humanize their art. And this humanization helps build loyalty among web users. On social media , it's not just about content, it's also about sharing. So, by putting yourself and your team on stage, you'll be more likely to convert your followers into customers, because you'll be making them want to come and discover a little piece of your daily work and your passion.

3- Give professional advice to your subscribers

It's easy for restaurateurs and patissiers to share and exchange ideas. You have knowledge that your subscribers would love to acquire! Philippe Conticini regularly offers his Facebook community the chance to follow him as he makes a pastry. On June 6, for example, you could follow the Chef live as he made his Paris-Brest. The least we can say is that these videos are appreciated: this latest live was viewed over a million times and shared by almost 5,600 people.

And he's not the only one to ensure a close relationship with Internet users: Christophe Michalak, voted World Pastry Champion in 2005, regularly posts Youtube videos on his channel "Mon truk en +". Mon truk en + ".Here, he offers pastry-making lessons based on simple recipes for home use.

Instagram posts, stories, Facebook Live, Youtube... There are many tools that allow you to share professional cooking tips with your community that they'll be delighted to receive. So don't deprive yourself.

4- Define a coherent, bold editorial line

By defining an editorial line for their networks, pastry chefs ensure continuity in the model they defend. It's important to maintain this consistency, as it anchors a store's positioning in the customer's mind and encourages the process of identification and recognition. For example, Claire Damon's famous patisserie Des Gâteaux et du Pain uses the same black background to present its creations on Instagram.

This makes posts instantly identifiable in the news feed of the establishment's followers and on Instagram suggestions. This consistency also enables the Instagram account to be identified as a media outlet in its own right, and therefore as a serious source. The patisserie thus secures legitimacy on social media by implementing a well-defined editorial line.

5- Surf on culinary trends to shine on networks

Beyond the frenzy surrounding pastry-making, the time has come to preserve one's health capital and eat better. Should pastry chefs be worried? The answer is no! They've understood the current trend and decided to turn it to their advantage! Chefs are making a point of developing recipes that are less fatty, less sweet and use seasonal produce.What's more, they are increasingly taking into account special diets such as food intolerances (gluten or lactose in particular) or personal choices (veganism...). They are surfing on trends and communicating this consumer awareness. At the Salon de la Pâtisserie, chef Bruno Laffargue, founder of Mic Mac Macaron, confessed that he was currently working on a vegan macaron. Chefs are asserting themselves as avant-garde influencers whose technical skills are capable of proposing major innovations for the future of patisserie.

So don't hesitate to propose and communicate alternatives in line with consumer demand. As we explained here with the vegan trend, highlighting your listening skills will always be rewarded.

Follow these five tips and shine on social media !

Just like pastry chefs, it's in your best interest to master social media to provide content for your various accounts. By following these five Chefs' tips, you can optimize your communication on these media, and convert many socionauts into customers. It's up to you!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate, we'll be delighted to answer them!

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