There are lots of Instagram profiles. Few stand out.
Welcome back to the second installment of our Social Spotlight Series! We’ve decided to start highlighting accounts that stand out in our feeds so we can share insights about what makes them successful. Our Social Spotlights focus on Instagram pages that have valuable lessons for marketers, entrepreneurs, influencers, and anyone else who wants to optimize their Instagram.
Today we’re talking about @georgetowncupcake, the delightful and delicious account of uber-popular bakery Georgetown Cupcake. We’re about to take a journey through this glitter-filled account, but first we need to warn you, don’t check it out while you’re hungry. Shipping takes at least two days ?.
Featured Profile Overview
Georgetown Cupcake is a cupcake bakery like no other. With stores in D.C., Bethesda, New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, the name is rapidly becoming one of the most well-known in cupcakes. They offer nationwide shipping so that everyone around the country can taste the goodness of the bakery. Georgetown Cupcake is featured on TLC’s DC Cupcakes and is widely known for their Live Cupcake Cam.
The Instagram account of the same name, @georgetowncupcake, is a unique and colorful representation of the shop. The overall aesthetic is really just fun! As you scroll through the account, your mouth can’t help but start watering. Their IG squares are just filled with the most delicious-looking cupcakes you’ve ever seen. With 600,000 followers, the popular cupcake account is something you simply have to check out yourself to believe.
Profile Review / Audit
Content
@georgetowncupcake’s aesthetic pop factor is GLITTER and COLOR! In fact, the cupcakes all over their profile are so glittery and so colorful that they almost look fake, but they are very, very real. It’s incredible.
Scroll down and you have cupcakes for every event, holiday, and season. They fill the squares with their color, their design, and their creativity. Captions are simple, keeping the audience focused on what they’re really there for; cupcakes.
What We Think Is Working
Instagram is all about the aesthetic, and @georgetowncupcake is an account run by an aesthetic master. The Georgetown Cupcake Instagram profile takes full advantage of the seasons, holidays, and individual calendar days.
As you scroll through the page, you’ll see an incredible array of the seasons of the year; from New Years, to Christmas, to Halloween, and so on. In between each big holiday, you’ll see an homage to the smaller days, such as Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, Dog Day, Doughnut Day, and more.
@georgetowncupcake stands out as you scroll from one year to the next. Instead of the same repetitive designs year after year, they showcase new, unique cupcakes. There’s no regular Christmas cupcake or Halloween cupcake; there’s a wide array of cupcake designs throughout the seasons, holidays, and years.
So many Instagram profiles use the same basic photography style throughout their feed, and it can get pretty redundant. @georgetowncupcake doesn’t just use one style of photography. They don’t just have a bunch of flat-lays or front shots, instead they use a number of different angles, ensuring that their photos are never repetitive.
@georgetowncupcake seamlessly utilizes photo editing and processing, creating an amazing, unique aesthetic in each picture. Every single cupcake and every single post showcases Georgetown Cupcake perfectly.
What We Dislike
Many businesses utilize Instagram to drive sales with specific graphics and sales focused posts. @georgetowncupcake seems to ignore the potential sales aspect of Instagram, only posting a call to action every four or five posts.
They have no graphics and no specials, instead they really just post photos and captions that showcase their product. Then, anyone who wants to order from Georgetown Cupcake has to click the link and head over to the website, which is where the biggest issue shows up.
Once people arrive on the website, they’ll notice that there isn’t a lot of content. In fact, the landing page is very basic with a simple “order online” call to action button. Anyone that shows up from the aesthetically-focused social media sites is going to be confused by the lack of content on their landing page.
While they do have the essential information on the website and it’s easy to navigate, it really leaves much to be desired, especially from a company that has shown itself to be creative and unique. Their navigation is simple, however the content on each tab is lacking.
Finally, when you decide to order and check out, the process can be confusing and downright frustrating. One of the biggest issues is that you have many options to choose from in regards to how you want to receive the cupcakes.
If you’re not local and you’re going to need to have your cupcakes delivered, you’ll be confused by the options “delivery,” and “shipping.” These are two different options, with different meanings, and yet the customer has no way to tell what each one means.
Essentially, they’re left to guess and choose the one that they think will be right for them. While they can always go back and redo things if they choose the wrong option, it’s definitely not the kind of check out experience that any customer wants.
Not only is the delivery option confusing, but it can also be difficult for people to find the cupcakes they’re looking for. As most of Georgetown Cupcake’s customers come from social media, they’re often looking for a specific cupcake that caught their eye on a post. However, once you’re on the website you realize that if you’re getting your order shipped, you have to purchase their bundles, which could include cupcakes you’re not interested in.
Analytics / Insights
@georgetowncupcake is clearly doing something right, as shown by their 600,000 followers. Their aesthetically unique and delicious Instagram profile is really just a feel good and fun to follow account.
However, the business has the potential to experience greater growth and drive many more sales by focusing on specific areas. One thing that @georgetowncupcake should do immediately is start providing social proof of high-quality delivery for their online customers. People who find the bakery via social media may be wary of ordering cupcakes online and having them delivered.
Potential customers will wonder how delivery will occur, what their condition will be upon arrival, and if the turn out will be as expected. Georgetown Cupcake can utilize their social media popularity in order to provide this proof for their potential customers.
By starting a hashtag for customers to post their cupcakes upon arrival, people who are considering purchasing can easily find trustworthy proof of quality. They can peruse the hashtag to get a good look at the ordered cupcakes and can even connect with those customers to get their first hand opinion of the process.
@georgetowncupcake can even repost these photos in their Stories to ensure that more people see them and gain confidence in the company.
Key Takeaways
@georgetowncupcake is great at consistently posting unique and creative content that makes their bakery stand out. Their seasonal and promotional content is amazing, and has a lack of repetitiveness that is refreshing and contributes to the account’s popularity.
However, Georgetown Cupcake is lacking when it comes to their website. With basic content, a challenging check out process, and a lack of quality confirmation, they are missing out on sales. To remedy this, the bakery can begin to focus on engaging with their community and encouraging their community to engage with one another, sharing pictures and thoughts about Georgetown Cupcake’s amazing treats.