‍Marketing in food distribution doesn’t always come with a roadmap.

You’re juggling customer needs, sales goals, and tech tools — all while trying to stand out in an industry that’s built on real relationships.

That’s where Abby McAllister comes in.

As the marketing manager at Schenck Foods, a 97-year-old independent distributor in Virginia, Abby has found simple, smart ways to connect with customers -  not with flashy campaigns, but with thoughtful content that works.

In a recent chat with Pepper, Abby shared how one blog post (and a well-placed link) led to over 30 new leads - and how blogging has become one of the most powerful tools in her team’s toolbox.

Now, she’s sharing her story, and her playbook, so other sales and marketers can start where she did: one helpful post at a time.

Here’s Abby’s take on using content to build connection, loyalty, and growth. 

Abby's Guide to Creating Content that Converts as a Food Distributor 

When I first started blogging for Schenck, I didn’t expect much, as we had been making that effort for some time.

In talking with our business consultants, we realized we needed to continue to blog to boost our SEO, as well as increase traffic and engagement. And I figured, hey, if we can share a few useful tips while we’re at it, all the better.

The content started to evolve when I came on, but then something unexpected happened.

We started noticing new account setup requests rolling in through our form. A lot of them. At first, we were all like, “That’s strange. Why is this happening all of a sudden?”

And then it clicked.We posted a blog a couple weeks prior - nothing flashy, just something relevant. 

“We realized, oh, right. That blog just went live. We’d added a link to the online account access page… and sure enough, that’s when it all started.”

Within a few weeks, we had over 30 new leads, all from that one piece of content. That’s when it hit me: this isn’t just a blog - it’s a sales engine.

Not “salesy” sales. Not pushy promos.

Written in our company’s voice, for our customers; blogs are the kind of content that make someone feel like they’re in the right place.

Here’s why: 

It gave our customers another way to get to know us.

We’ve got some amazing people at Schenck - from the drivers to our office crew to the folks on the floor in our warehouse. And our customers love getting to know them.

And at our annual food show multiple customers came up to tell me how much they looked forward to the new content..

“It’s like I know you all, even before I call,” one of them said.

That’s what I want - for our customers to feel like they’re working with real people with real business insight, not just a website.

It started real conversations between reps and accounts.

When we write a blog about industry trends or tips for a certain kind of operator, our sales reps can use that as a talking point.

“I saw your post about how to drive summer sales - I’ve got a customer who needs that.”

Now we’re not just sending flyers and product lists. We’re offering ideas. Advice. Something to talk about that actually helps.

To me, that’s what good sales looks like: service first— and that’s the Schenck Foods way, has been since 1928.

It quietly brought in some great leads.

I’ll never forget the moment we realized a blog post had driven a spike in online account signups.

No big ad budget. No complicated funnel. Just one post, done well, leading someone to the next step.

That was the moment I thought, okay,  this matters.

It helped us compete on customer experience - not just pricing.

We’re an independent distributor. That means we don’t always win on cost alone.

But where we do win is in relationships. Support. The feeling our customers get when they know we’re in their corner.

Blogging became a way to extend that feeling - even before  meeting someone in person.

It’s one more way to say: We see you. We get what you’re dealing with. We’re here to help.

It reminded me that marketing doesn’t have to be flashy to work.

Most days, I’m writing in between fifteen other tasks. I’m not trying to win awards. I’m just trying to connect the dots between what we offer and what our customers care about.

And that’s what makes blogging such a powerful tool.

It’s flexible. It’s real. It grows with you.

And when done with purpose - even a short blog post can make someone feel more confident, more informed, and more connected to your business.

That’s more than a “content strategy.”

That’s a sales tool.

If you’re a distributor wondering whether it’s worth starting, here’s my advice:

Start small. Write what you know. Stay consistent.And never underestimate the impact of making your customers feel seen.

You might be surprised where it leads.

One last thing:
If your blog, email, or flyer helps just one operator feel more confident, more connected, or more informed — that’s content doing its job. And that’s something to be proud of.

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