There is nothing better than a good meal, refreshing beverage or relaxing hotel stay, and many people dream about having a career that revolves around those things. Charlotte Bisson, founder of Bite Sized Social, told Meg Winton how she has done just that
IMAGINE if dining at the newest restaurants, taste-testing new cocktail menus and putting your feet up in exquisite hotels was part of your job description. It’s the dream, right?
For one “Jersey bean”, though, that is her reality and gives just a high-level overview of the opportunities her career provides.
Charlotte Bisson, also known by her Instagram profile @adventuresofabean, is making her mark in the food, beverages and hospitality space both locally and further afield.
Head to her social media and you’ll find her trying out the menu of a cool new restaurant in town, collaborating with huge brands to share her recipes, or reviewing the latest experience or treatment.
Charlotte’s success led to her founding Bite Sized Social, a social-media agency that focuses on creating content and managing the online presence of food, drink and hospitality brands.
Now a 26-year-old business owner, her future looks bright – and delicious.
A foodie at heart, Charlotte’s journey started three years ago when she began posting food-related content to her Instagram account while at university. It picked up speed and gained popularity, and she was ultimately able to monetise it.
“I started doing recipes and it grew to a place where I started to get inquiries from brands,” she explained. “Then I had enough inquiries to go on my own, so I left my marketing job and set up as a content creator. I ran my own business, but I was a sole trader.”
But since Charlotte was doing what she loved from the comfort of her own home, her set-up didn’t give that standard “business feel”.
“I wasn’t really, in my opinion, running a ‘business’ business. People would ask me, ‘how’s business?’ but I literally wake up, go downstairs and make content in my kitchen,” she chuckled.
If you’re active on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, you are likely to have encountered videos from ordinary consumers – not influencers, celebrities or brands – who review or document new products, restaurants or experiences.
This is an example of user-generated content. Charlotte now specialises in this and, 18 months ago, marketed herself as a UGC creator.
“UGC is short-form content created by me and you – it involves people,” she explained. “It’s natural, authentic and usually not super-overproduced.”
But what makes UGC so special? Charlotte is confident that it’s the way forward and the most effective form of marketing for the niche she’s in and the brands she works with.
“The aim of UGC is to try and authentically deliver what your experience would be if you had that product,” she said.
“If you create content where people are having a genuine experience with the product, menu, restaurant or hotel, capturing that is what sells.”
And that’s what Charlotte does. Armed with nothing but her phone and a creative eye, she creates beautiful content that resonates with other consumers, and brands can’t, she says, get enough of the engagement it racks up.
“People sell to people,” she said. “That’s what performs. That’s what converts. UGC is sales marketing but an organic version.”
Now that Charlotte has found that magic formula, she offers a suite of services to brands under Bite Sized Social. She explained what those services look like.
“I focus on creating content and UGC that brands can post on their own social media, as well as social media management.
“I focus on authentic, results-driven pieces and converting content – stuff that is actually going to make a difference.”
She continued: “If it’s a restaurant, the content is going to drive bookings. If it’s a product, it’s going to drive sales.”
Charlotte also shared that brands don’t just work with her if they want to get followers and sales, but also if they want to strengthen relationships with their customers.
“A lot of my clients have hundreds of thousands of followers, but it’s about the engagement with your existing customers.
“They need their audience to be checked into their content and brand, so when a product launches, they’re engaged, ready and listening.”
And that’s what Charlotte says she has done successfully.
“I’ve seen some insane results. I’m a perfectionist and I really struggle to hand over work that isn’t perfect,” she reflected.
“To that extent, it’s quite tiring, but also very rewarding. Seeing the client so happy with the results just makes me want to do it again.”
Now working with the likes of Dolmio, Radisson Hotels, Waitrose, Revolut, Bohemia, The Club and Fetch.je to name just a few, it’s clear that Charlotte has found her niche and been able to build a business on the back of it.
She pointed out that she is one of very few UGC creators in the food, beverage and hospitality space, and it begs the question, why has no one thought to do this earlier?
You would, after all, be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t enjoy eating good food and experiencing a bit of luxury.
“You’ve got to have the right attitude and be in it for the right reasons or you won’t succeed,” said Charlotte, “but I also think there is space for so many more people.
“When I started, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I was just making food content.
“Now I know so much about the space – what works and what doesn’t – that it just feels like second nature.”
And learning more about this space and finding this niche has enabled Charlotte to unleash her creativity, marketing know-how and ability to connect with audiences – a skillset not everyone has and probably a key reason that she is a successful creator in this space.
Establishing Bite Sized Social has forced Charlotte to think bigger and longer-term about what she has to offer the industry she’s in.
“I’d like to support the local community because they’re the people who have supported me,” she shared.
“I want to grow awareness in Jersey about UGC. Its value is really underrated. The UK has caught up, but I don’t think Jersey is there yet.”
Charlotte also recognises the value that Gen Z can bring to the local marketing industry.
“Having more of us would be really nice,” she said. “I think there’s space for that. There’s a lot of potential to grow the content community and there are so many good Gen-Z content creators.
And business-wise, Charlotte’s plans are just as big. Considering the speed at which she was able to monetise her passion, establish a business and retain big-name clients she is confident that further growth and success are in her future.
“I have a lot of freedom and flexibility, which has always been a massive thing for me. I love having the choice,” she said.
“I’d eventually like to grow Bite Sized Social. I want to have a business that I’m proud of and people want to be a part of.”
