Inspo-rational Business Women Behind Quirky And Unique Products That Are Making Waves On Instagram.
The idea of branching out and forging a start-up business is a daunting enough task in itself. No matter how amazing the passion project is, it’s a scary prospect trying connect with consumers and stand out in a sea of start-ups. However, with 25 million businesses using Instagram and nine million monthly active users on the platform in Australia, there’s a real opportunity for SMBs to tap into this community to create authentic customer relationships and deepen existing ones.
In light of this, we’ve rounded up some female entrepreneurs in Australia, who have used Instagram to their advantage. By highlighting their unique and bespoke products on their accounts, they’ve been able to effectively reach and engage with audiences that would have otherwise been uncontactable.
Samantha and her Cavoodle, Samantha pictured aboveMy Pupper (Instagram: @my_pupper)
Samantha began My Pupper from a mixture of love for the environment and wanting only the best for fur babies. Every accessory in the store is individually handcrafted with love and care using sustainable materials like bamboo and cotton, so they are not only stylish and comfortable for dogs, they also help reduce consumer’s paw print on the planet!
Samantha’s Instagram started whilst she was travelling through Europe, this was 6 months before she even knew what My Pupper was going to become. She began by reposting cute dog photos, interacting with others and gaining followers. By the time she arrived home, she had a big enough following to make something from this new business idea. Samantha has since been using Instagram to target the correct audience, share collections, new releases and behind the scenes footage and has grown rapidly.
Samantha believes that Instagram makes for the perfect marketing platform. She ensures to take her own product photos, all with a similar background so that even on the explore page, their followers and newcomers can recognise the brand.
Samantha says, “My Pupper wouldn’t have been as successful without using Instagram from the very beginning. I am so thankful we have the opportunity to reach so many viewers, worldwide, every day.”
Samantha, Karina Seljak photographed aboveSamantha, Karina Seljak (Instagram: @Seljak)
Sisters, Karina and Samantha Seljak have collaborated to create Seljak Brand. Seljak Brand makes closed loop recycled merino blankets at a mill in Tasmania.
Using Instagram as a way to connect with their audience has enabled them to share their story and explore their company’s values with their customers and community. They’ve also found it an effective tool to connect with other likeminded businesses and potential business partners. They love how it unites different communities, so their followers and those they follow, range from permaculture farms to industrial waste solutions to ethical fashion enthusiasts.
Jack and Jill Boxes (Instagram: @JackandJillBoxes)
Jack and Jill Boxes is an Australian company, owned by Jillian O’Connor, specialising in personalised timber Toy Boxes for children. Jillian’s philosophy is to provide her customers with an affordable, durable and practical product that creates a fun and stylish feature in any room.
The first Jack and Jill box was created in 2007, and for many years her business was run out of our garage. It was about 6 months into starting her own Instagram page she started to see the true impact that the platform had on the exposure of her product. Instagram posts from the likes of Rebecca Judd, Rozalia Russian, Megan Gale and many other social media influencers, tagging her product on Instagram has played a major part in putting Jillian’s business on the map. Jillian now sees an instant response from her Instagram posts with over 90% of website clicks coming directly from Instagram links. Jillian says she feels “fortunate to have a product that photographs well, and for this reason Instagram is the perfect platform for us”.