Week 8.2: Instagram - Competators Activity

 Almost all the larger companies with national target markets I looked up used Instagram and stayed active. I had a harder time finding Instagram accounts for smaller Knoxville companies. The larger companies likely have more money and time to create and maintain these accounts. However, the lack of Instagram use of the smaller companies out of Knoxville makes me question whether it is a popular enough platform for a small Knoxville business (where I plan to conduct business), before I am able to sell online. I went through most of the Farmers market vendors and found Facebook to be used significantly more. Once I expand I have no doubt Instagram will be an effective tool for Moody Bits.

These businesses offer similar products or have a similar target market as Moody Bits that have effective use of Instagram:

Note: If you click on the Business name it will link you to their Instagram account

•  Crockett Creek Jerky
• Small Company out of Knoxville
• 231 posts
• 22.4k followers
• last post: March 9th
• about 300 likes per post
• roughly 15 comments per post
• good variety of posts, some highlight the product, some the branding and some just for fun
•  Nutsdotcom
• Online only business
•  710 posts
• 17.7k followers
• about 150 likes per post
• about 10 comments per post
• last post: 1 day ago
• post about 3x per week
•  very enticing photos, but the product being sold in each one is not as evident as say the Larabar photos
•  Awaken Coffee 
•  a single location brick and mortar coffee shop in Knoxville
• 454 posts
• 3,536 followers
• last post: 10 hrs ago
• about 10 posts a month
• approximately 75 likes per post
• about 3 comments per post
• It is difficult to compare this business as it's target market is much smaller, being a small coffee shop, than the others that offer products online. The photos look good but perhaps they could focus more on the "support local" concept.
• Crunchie's
• Medium sized company- has clearly dedicated time and resources
• 1,233 posts
• 14.2k followers
• last post: 4 days ago
• post average 4x/week, pretty inconsistent though
• around 100 like per post
• about 10 comments per post - about 200 comments for posts offering promos/giveaways
• very well staged photos highly the products and showing creative uses and delicious uses
•  Larabar 
• Large Company - Professional photos and clean design
• 890 posts
• 95k followers 
• last post: 4 days ago
• average like per post: about 1,400
• approximately 30 comments per post
• Most posts are of the bar in it's packaging (the bar is not so pretty) with various backgrounds that would appeal to the target market (outdoor, fit etc)