My all time favorite social media platform of 2017 was Instagram! With the rise of Instagram stories, sharing multiple images in one post, following hashtags, and a weighted feeds, this was also the year of changes on Instagram. To battle those changes, some strategies that I've been implementing for my clients had to change as well.
Today's client showcase is a fun one for puppy lovers and dog businesses! I've had the pleasure of working with Bark ‘n Yapp for the past two years and I'm excited to share the success we've had on Instagram this year. We had to pivot because of algorithm changes and it ultimately benefited us.
What is a Client Showcase?
Each client showcase blog post will reveal the statistics recorded from a client project in order to illustrate a few of my social media techniques.
With this series, you have the unique opportunity to learn the inner workings of what it takes to be successful online.
It is also my hopes to redefine what success means. It’s not just in the number of followers… Ultimately, social media success comes down to engagement, website traffic, and conversions.
Click here to view other client showcases.
In today's client showcase, I'm diving into the 690% growth we saw on Instagram this year with my client Bark ‘n Yapp.
About Bark ‘n Yapp
Bark ‘n Yapp is the ultimate trusted resource for dog owners. They bring together dog owners, information, and resources to create a highly engaged community based on trust and peer reviewed content. They are the one place where dog owners can quickly and easily meet, connect, research, review and locate products, services and resources to enhance their dog’s life.
The Challenge
I've been working with Bark ‘n Yapp for almost two years. Back in Jan 2017, we realized something needed to change with our growth. After 9 months of working on our Instagram account, we saw some growth, but we wanted to figure out how to grow faster. With just a bit over 600 members in our Instagram community, we had a solid foundation to inject some fast acting growth strategies.
Overall, my client was looking for:
- More dog lovers in Canada
- A more engaged audience
- To drive traffic back to the website
- To create brand advocates
The Plan
Over the course of the year, we've changed a few things that have really impacted the growth and acceleration of the Bark ‘n Yapp Instagram page:
- Focused on our community: Instead of creating content that was mostly about how Bark ‘n Yapp works, we switched to creating content that focused on highlighting members of our community. We “regrammed” images from our fellow dog influencer and business accounts as a way to give back.
- Used Humor: You'll notice in our portfolio below that we had some fairly engaging humor posts added into the content mix this year. These meme type images weren't promoting anything in particular — instead, they focused on connecting with people (and dogs) in a natural way.
- Encouraged User Generated Content: At some of the live Bark ‘n Yapp events, we encouraged our attendees to wear the signature Bark ‘n Yapp bandana. Then, we shared those images on Instagram.
Social Media Portfolio
The Results
In the past year, we've grown our community from 608 to over 6,300 dog lovers.
The biggest strategy that helped us grow was being more active in the community overall. When we listened to the dog lovers around us, shared in their stories, and celebrated them, we allowed ourselves to stop projecting what we thought they wanted to see.
By re-sharing influencer posts, we showed that we cared first. Do you remember the Facebook “poke”? Regramming an influencer was similar to “poking” them. It's like saying “Hi, we like you enough to share your picture on our page. Do you like is too?”
We also collaborated with some amazing influencers like Winston who helped give us more clout online. Instead of us talking about how great we are, we had trusted accounts sharing their love in a way that felt natural.
Overall, we saw amazing growth this year. I'm really excited for what the next year will bring.
In the Client's Own Words…
“We have been working with Andrea for the past year and she has been a tremendous resource for Bark ’n Yapp. She was able to take our social media strategy guide and schedule, create and post engaging posts on our corporate Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts. We have seen steady organic growth over the past 12 months and are now beginning to see name recognition and awareness in our served markets based on our social media programs. We have developed a strong working relations and she is always there to lend a creative hand when required.”
~Galen Udell, Founder & Top Dog, Bark ’n Yapp
Want to Work With Us?
If you’re looking for true partners in growing your business with social media (without compromising your values), then look no further. Because fast tricks and follower counts are not part of our strategy. That’s why we’ve been the go-to social media marketing agency for passion-led entrepreneurs for 9+ years and counting.
Get in touch today, so you can change more lives and build the business of your dreams tomorrow.
Click here to learn more about working with us.
2 Comments on Client Showcase: Instagram Growth with Bark ‘n Yapp