Creating an extraordinary Instagram feed: 3 things we can learn from Jellycat.
Please note, all images featured in this article are property of Jellycat and included for purely illustrative purposes.
Meet Jellycat - a quarter-century old British brand that creates charming plush toys and gifts and boasts a killer Instagram presence. Jellycat states on their dutifully delightful website that their mission is to “spread joy." And their Instagram feed delivers with whimsical, unexpected content- and here's how.
Jellycat goes beyond thumb-stopping:
The term “thumb-stopping” refers to content that makes you pause to engage. Jellycat’s Instagram content’s charm will freeze your thumb in its tracks with on-brand colors, cute characters, and simple, warm, all-ages friendly storytelling, but they don’t stop there.? Their content takes on a few different forms, each of which encourages your thumb to take action- to swipe, click, like, and at times wiggle unexpectedly (I'll explain below)- taking inspiration from the physical layout and capabilities of the platform. Their top-notch creativity and storytelling prowess has allowed their channel to achieve rapid follower growth- I'm talking gaining 100K new followers in less than two days. How do they do it? I break down some of their magic below.
Horizontal storytelling:
Jellycat takes advantage of the carousel format of multi-frame Instagram posts, often building comic-strip style posts, leading with simple text in the first image that introduces a brief, amusing scenario that is made to feel especially delightful given the characters at play.
What would happen if you built your next Instagram post as if it were a comic strip? How would you change how you ordered and captioned it? How does the format unlock your creativity?
Check out the original post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6yTJLNtPBA/?img_index=1
Reoccurring characters:
The Jellycat family is expansive, and the whole crew gets earns a spot on their Instagram. With that said, there are a few notable reoccurring characters- including the endearingly grumpy Timmy Turtle- whose distinct personalities have landed them starring roles on Jellycat's feed. By featuring certain characters in the afore mentioned comic strip-style posts consistently, Jellycat motivates you to seek out more stories in its feed, much like you would search through the newspaper to find the next edition of your favorite comic strip, back in the day.
If you're not lucky enough to have cute stuffed animals be your product, what or who can be a reoccurring character on your Instagram account? What makes them a great voice for your brand or organization? Why is their voice unique? What about the content where they are featured inspires you, as a visitor, to keep scrolling to encounter more of them?
Check out the original post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6ORVnftYki/?img_index=1
Interactive moments:
Jellycat's Instagram is all about interaction. They have drawing tutorials, questions, and more to provoke you- but my favorite posts are the ones where you feel like the catalyst of some cute, clever action on your tiny screen. Not sure what I mean? Check out the two posts below.
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Post 1:
Check out the original post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7ZBqL9tz-G/?img_index=1
Through top-notch horizontal storytelling, the clever combination of still imagery accompanied by simple written and illustrated directions in the first frame and video in the second, you uncover a social experience that achieves full points on the "surprise and delight" scale.
Post 2:
Jellycat keeps up the good work with this whimsical video, which leads you with simple instructions ("Blow on this screen in 1... 2... 3...") and reveals the results of your action. Click on the post below to see what I mean!
Check out the original post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7gzqu2NsfW/
Again- these posts work so well because they play off the platform experience, taking inspiration from the physical format and functionality of Instagram on your mobile screen. How can the "shape" of Instagram inspire you?
Can I activate my posts like this on paid social?
Boosted posts allow you to maintain the format of the original organic post, unlike a standard paid Instagram ad whose goal is to find as many spots within the Meta network to deliver the ad to your targeted audiences.
In order to determine the best post for you to boost, consider selecting one that has garnered a high engagement rate- likes and comments for the win! Want to boost a post that is drives people to your website- which may be a different post than the one garnering likes and comments? Set up your Linktree (or similar) with UTMs, which will allow you to track engagement from your posts within your Google Analytics Dashboard. This means more centralized data, y'all! Want to learn more about UTMs? This handy guide from Buffer is here for you, as am I- just send me a message.
Final thoughts & takeaways.
Every social platform is different- different layout, different audience, different type and level of engagement. Adjust what content you deliver based off the following points in order to build a robust social media content strategy.
No matter what industry you work in, Instagram stands out amongst social platforms in its ability to surprise and delight with highly visual content. Take a note from Jellycat- experiment... tell a story... be a little silly. You will win followers, build brand love, and ultimately drive engagement to your website.