Homemade: SEO & Marketing Strategy

Standing Out in a Crowded Market: How Homemade Built the Future of Family Meals

Contributions

Brand Narrative Development
Social Media Strategy
Content Ideation & Production
Community Building & Engagement
SEO-Driven Content Strategy

Overall

Homemade is a Boston-based marketplace connecting busy people with independent home cooks who prepare meals in clients’ kitchens. Founded by Kelly Rooney and Pooja Singhi from Harvard Business School, the company wanted to stand out in a crowded food delivery and meal-prep landscape by emphasizing personal connection, cultural authenticity, and the joy of home-cooked meals.

Brand Narrative & Positioning

Homemade isn’t just another meal service, It’s the future of family nourishment. Unlike meal kits, delivery apps, or private chefs, Homemade offers:

  • Personalization: Meals tailored to family preferences, allergies, and dietary needs.

  • Connection: Real human cooks sharing their stories, culture, and food.

  • Time-Saving Luxury: The convenience of a chef without the exclusivity barrier.

Homemade also stood out as it is more affordable than hiring a private chef and healthier than delivery.

Challenge

While the Homemade concept was strong, the brand needed:

  • A clear positioning that differentiated it from takeout and meal kits.

  • A unified digital presence across Instagram, LinkedIn, and the website.

  • A way to highlight the stories of the cooks, making them the heart of the customer experience.

  • Messaging that spoke to both individual customers (families, professionals, gift-givers) and corporate partners (employee wellness, gifting).

Strategy

I developed a holistic brand strategy focused on two pillars:

Human Stories at the Core

  • Position chefs as independent creators with unique cultural backgrounds, turning food into a personal connection: 

    • Spotlight cooks like Aslin (Caribbean cuisine), Sophia (Middle Eastern & Italian influences), and Annie (vegetable-forward & bread-obsessed).

    • Speak to the higher-level mission of supporting passionate cooks, foster local food culture.

Emotional Messaging

Homemade isn’t just about food; it’s about feelings: comfort, relief, and joy. The messaging should consistently connect practical benefits (time, health, affordability) with the emotions those benefits unlock.

  • Relief & Reassurance (Time-Saving)

    • Core Feeling: Peace of mind.

    • Message: “Dinner doesn’t have to be stressful.”

    • Emotional Hook: By handing over meal prep, parents and professionals reclaim evenings: time to connect with loved ones, unwind, or focus on what matters. Homemade creates space for family moments, not just meals.

  • Care & Love (Health and Home-Cooked Quality)

    • Core Feeling: Being nurtured.

    • Message: “Food that feels like home.”

    • Emotional Hook: Healthier, allergen-friendly meals made in your own kitchen feel personal and safe. Parents feel cared for by extension because they’re doing right by their family without the burden.

  • Joy & Belonging (Cultural Connection)

    • Core Feeling: Warmth and discovery.

    • Message: “A meal is a story.”

    • Emotional Hook: Meeting cooks from diverse cultural backgrounds turns meals into cultural exchanges. Customers feel joy in discovering flavors and pride in sharing those experiences with their family or colleagues.

  • Pride & Delight (Accessible Luxury)

    • Core Feeling: A little indulgence without guilt.

    • Message: “Because you deserve better than takeout.”

    • Emotional Hook: Customers enjoy the pride of providing high-quality, chef-prepared meals at a price that feels smart rather than excessive. It’s luxury redefined: warm, inclusive, and attainable.

Execution - Website

Homemade Website Content Strategy

  • Goal: Homemade is a digital platform that connects customers with independent home cooks and private chefs who prepare meals in clients’ kitchens. Our website is designed to:

    • Build trust with busy parents, professionals, and caregivers.

    • Drive conversions (bookings & gift cards).

    • Grow organic traffic through SEO.

  • Core Pages

    1. Homepage

    • Headline: “Home-cooked meals, made in your kitchen.”

    • CTAs: Find a Cook | Give the Gift of Homemade

    • Social proof: Testimonials, cook spotlights, customer reviews.

    • Value snapshot: “Cheaper than delivery. Fresher than takeout. Easier than meal kits.”































    2. Find a Cook

    • Search by cuisine, dietary needs, or location.

    • Dedicated profile pages for each cook (SEO-friendly).

    • Example: /cooks/aslin-caribbean-boston




















































    3. Gift Cards

    • Position as the perfect gift for parents, professionals, or elderly relatives.

    • Optimized for “cooking gift card Boston,” “gift of not cooking.”


























    4. Our Story

    • Founders’ mission and backgrounds (UNICEF, Beyond Meat, HBS).

    • Emphasize impact: time, health, and cultural connection.






























    5. FAQs

    • Common questions structured for SEO (using schema markup).

    • Examples:

      • “How much does a home cook cost in Boston?”

      • “Are groceries included?”

      • “What’s the difference between Homemade and meal kits?”
































    6. Become a Home Cook

    • Onboarding steps, benefits, and testimonials.

    • SEO: “How to become a personal chef in Boston,” “earn money cooking.”































    7. Contact

    • Simple form with reassurance: “We’re here to help.”






























  • Additional Pages: Blog & Resource Hub

    • The blog drives organic growth and positions Homemade as a thought leader in food, family, and convenience.

      Content Themes:

      1. Comparisons & Cost Transparency

        • “Homemade vs. Meal Kits: Why Parents are Switching”

        • “The True Cost of Food Delivery in Boston (and a Healthier Alternative)”

        • “How Much Does a Personal Chef Cost in Boston?”

      2. Customer Lifestyle Pain Points

        • “5 Ways Busy Parents Can Save Time on Weeknight Dinners”

        • “The Healthier Alternative to Takeout for Families with Allergies”

        • “Boston Parents’ Guide to Balancing Work and Healthy Eating”

      3. Cook Spotlights & Cultural Stories

        • “Meet Aslin: Bringing Caribbean Comfort Food to Boston Homes”

        • “From Italy to Cambridge: Sophia’s Fresh Take on Family Meals”

        • “Cooking with Annie: A Bread-Lover’s Approach to Vegetables”

      4. Seasonal / Evergreen Topics

        • “Holiday Gift Ideas: Give the Gift of Not Cooking”

        • “Back-to-School Meal Prep Hacks for Parents”

      • “Healthy Winter Comfort Foods for Boston Families”

Homemade Website SEO Strategy

  • General SEO Strategy:

    • Every blog targets a long-tail keyword (meal kits vs Homemade, personal chef Boston).

    • Internal links from blog to core pages (Find a Cook, Gift Cards).

    • Use structured headers (H2s/H3s) for scannability + SEO.

  • Categorized SEO Strategy:

    • Local SEO (searches tied to a geographic location):

      • Optimize for “personal chef in Boston,” “hire a home cook Boston,” “in-home cooking service,” “healthy family meals Boston.”

      • Create city-specific landing pages as we expand (e.g., “Home cooks in Cambridge,” “Home cooks in Brookline”).

    • Content Marketing (Blog/Resource Hub) (valuable, optimized content that attracts organic traffic):

      • Articles targeting long-tail keywords:

        • “Healthy weeknight dinners for families with food allergies”

        • “Why meal kits don’t save time (and what to do instead)”

        • “How much does it cost to hire a private chef in Boston?”

        • “Caribbean food in Boston: Meet Aslin, your new home cook”

      • Guides & downloadable resources (e.g., “Boston Parent’s Guide to Healthy Weeknight Meals”).

    • Technical SEO (the backend and infrastructure of a website to make it easier for search engines to crawl and index):

      • Schema markup for service business.

      • Structured cook profiles optimized for “[cuisine] chef in Boston.”

      • Ensure fast page load, mobile optimization, and indexable menus.

    • Conversion SEO:

      • Gift cards as a dedicated landing page: optimize for “cooking gift Boston,” “gift of not cooking,” “gift home chef.”

      • Clear CTA hierarchy: “Book a Cook” and “Give the Gift of Homemade.”

Execution - Instagram

Homemade Instagram Content Strategy

  • Goal:

    Homemade’s Instagram presence will serve as both a storytelling platform and a growth engine. It is designed to build awareness, trust, and conversions among busy Boston families. By spotlighting our diverse community of cooks, sharing authentic customer stories, and creating educational and seasonal content, the strategy is to position Homemade as more than a meal service: it is a movement toward healthier, more personal, and culturally rich dining at home. Our strategy focuses on

    • driving emotional connection (through cook narratives and family impact)

    • building credibility (through comparisons with meal kits and delivery)

    • sparking discovery (through collaborations with local influencers and customer tags).


    Ultimately, Instagram will not just showcase meals but communicate Homemade’s mission: reclaiming time, celebrating culture, and redefining the meaning of “home-cooked” for modern families.

  • Content Buckets:

    • Cook Spotlights: Video interviews, carousel of their dishes.

    • Day-in-the-Life Reels: Grocery shopping, meal prep, plating.

    • Customer Stories: “Why we chose Homemade” testimonials.

    • Educational Posts: “Meal kit vs Homemade,” “How much time families save.”

    • Seasonal Campaigns: Holidays, back-to-school, Valentine’s “skip cooking” promotions.

  • Growth Tactics:

    • Encourage cooks & clients to tag Homemade in their posts.

    • Collaborate with Boston parenting influencers, health coaches, and food bloggers.

    • Weekly “This Week’s Table” posts showcasing dishes across different cooks.

Execution - LinkedIn

Homemade LinkedIn Content Strategy






  • Goal:

    • Brand Credibility: Establish Homemade as a trusted startup in the food & convenience space.

    • Thought Leadership: Share insights on work-life balance, health, and the economics of time-saving.

    • Community Building: Attract cooks, investors, and partners.

    • B2B Partnerships: Open doors for corporate gifting, employee wellness, and community collaborations.

  • Content Buckets:

    • Thought Leadership (Founders’ Voice)

      • Research-backed posts (e.g., HBS studies on outsourcing chores and family well-being).

      • Founders’ journey: why you built Homemade, what you’ve learned from working parents.

      • Insights on food, impact, and entrepreneurship.

      • Example Post:
         “Parents don’t quit meal kits because of cost. They quit because of time. At Homemade, we’re building a model where families can reclaim hours each week while still eating fresh, homemade meals. Here’s what we’ve learned talking to 50+ working parents in Boston…”

    • Impact & Community

      • Highlight home cooks’ stories: their cultural backgrounds, passion for food, and career growth.

      • Share customer testimonials (e.g., how a working mom saved hours each week).

      • Showcase Homemade’s impact on cooks’ income and flexibility.

      • Example Post:
         “Meet Aslin, one of our amazing cooks bringing Caribbean comfort food into Boston homes. She’s not only feeding families but also sharing her culture through every dish. At Homemade, we’re proud to support passionate cooks like her.”

    • Educational / Value Content

      • Comparisons: Homemade vs. meal kits vs. delivery (focus on time, health, and cost).

      • Insights into food trends (dietary restrictions, health-conscious eating).

      • Case studies of families using Homemade.

      • Example Post:
         “Meal kits: ~$12/serving, still takes 45 mins.
        Delivery: ~$25+/serving, often unhealthy.
        Homemade: ~$15–20/serving, made fresh in your kitchen.
        We believe families deserve a smarter middle ground. Here’s how we’re building it…”

    • Company Milestones & Updates

      • New cook onboardings (“Welcome Annie, our sourdough-obsessed chef in Boston!”).

      • Product updates (new website features, expansion plans).

      • Investor/partnership news.

      • Growth metrics (when we hit milestones like 100/1000 bookings).

  • Posting Cadence:

    • 2–3 posts per week (split between each Content Buckets mentioned above).

  • Engagement Strategy:

    • Actively comment on posts from:

      • HBS professors & alumni (credibility + network effect).

      • Food innovation leaders (Beyond Meat, local food startups).

      • Parenting & wellness voices.

    • Encourage cooks to share Homemade posts. It increases authenticity & reach.

    • Use hashtags strategically (#FoodTech, #WorkLifeBalance, #BostonStartups, #FutureOfFood).

  • Extra Paid / Growth Opportunities:

    • LinkedIn Ads targeting:

      • Boston professionals (parents, mid-30s–40s, $200K+ HH income).

      • Corporate HR/wellness managers for B2B perks.

    • Sponsored posts: cook stories, gifting campaigns.