How Instagram builds a tribe and spreads the love
We’re huge fans of the photo sharing site Instagram here at VC Towers. Taking and sharing pictures of life in Bristol has become part of our daily routine. (Sharon has even invented a new sport – Instarunning – which is like normal running, except you’re allowed to stop and take pictures!)
Some businesses have taken Instagram to heart too. They share beautiful pictures of every day life, focusing on what inspires them and, almost inadvertently, build a following that fuels their business.
Sian Tucker and her partner run Fforest – described by The Times as a campsite for all seasons. She’s one of our all time favourite Instagramers (check her pictures out @coldatnight) and the worthy winner of our fifth festive Valuable Content Award.
The pictures Sian takes of the Welsh landscape are stunning. The steely greys and blues of the Ceredigion coastline are like little drops of calm meditation in our too frantic days. You can smell the sea air and hear the waves. You can’t see her images and not want to be there.
With a tribe of over 3,400 followers, the pictures inspire people to visit Fforest, to buy the beautiful products they sell, and to spread the word on the camp’s behalf (just as we are now).
Fforest Camp
We interviewed Sian for the next edition of the book, and she told us that her Instagram shots were not part of a marketing plan.
“I take pictures and share them because I can’t not.”
This lack of guile is part of the charm. If they were created purely for sales purposes people would sense that and avoid it. But this is marketing from the heart and we love it.
Congratulations Sian! Your award badge is on its way. Please keep the pictures coming.
Takeaways from Sian
- Share what you love – whatever your business.
- Instagram is gift for makers, artists and designers. Share what inspires you. It will help you tell the story of what you do and set your creative in context.
- Other business, like holiday companies, can create a stream of informal and gorgeous pictures that show the beauty of places in all seasons.
The beautiful Welsh coast
Sian’s content highlights
- Too many to mention – just follow the Coldatnight feed.
