WE'VE HIT 150K!
Earlier this month we reached a huge Instagram milestone and hit 150k followers! To celebrate and look back on how far we've come we interviewed our Marketing Manager, Phoebe, to find out more about Coconut Lane's Instagram journey.
1. When did you hit your last Instagram milestone?
Hitting 100K followers in 2019 was a HUGE moment for Coconut Lane. We remember hitting 1000 followers so to think there were now 100K of you was definitely a pinch me moment. Sometimes it's so easy to focus on the day to day and it's so important to look at how far we have come.
2. What has changed since then?
It's definitely a been a lot harder to grow our following since then and reach as many people. The joys of the algorithm! But we now have a new (ish!) Social Media and Influencer Executive, Molly, who is a whizz at all things Instagram!
3. How has utilising Instagram helped to grow your business?
We love using our platform to engage with and really get to know our followers. We love hearing from you all - asking for your help with design choices, hearing what products you want to see next - and think a personal approach is so important for any business. Really understanding our customers has been the key to our growth.
4. Which Instagram features do you use the most and are there any you would like to see added?
We love posting stories - it allows us to be really personal and connect more with our audience. I personally would like a poll feature with more options - 2 just isn't enough!
5. What's been the biggest challenge for instagram growth in the past?
Definitely algorithm changes - what worked a couple years ago, or even a couple of months ago isn't necessarily the best approach today. Finding new ways to reach people is always challenging but it keeps us on our toes!
6. What advice would you give to businesses trying to grow their followings?
Be consistent, relevant and genuine! A lot of the time, we gain the most followers when we are just talking about things that are important to us and not worrying about if what we are posting is right for the algorithm.
I'd also say it's important to not rely solely on Instagram as it could all disappear tomorrow. We know some businesses/influencers have suddenly had their accounts removed so making sure you are also using other ways to market your business is key.
7. What are you most excited for in 2022 with regard to Coconut Lane?
We love being reactive - back in 2019 we'd never have predicted we would be selling Face Coverings - and who knows what 2022 will throw at us. It's exciting to see what new ventures this year will bring.
