Week 7: Part B

 I decided to choose three businesses in the United States and two in Colombia. I liked doing this because it allows me to blend the best of two different cultures that share the same love for baking.

1) Crumbl Cookies stands out for its playful weekly flavor rotations and vibrant brand identity. With an audience with 6.1 M , it frequently posts updates showcasing new cookie varieties, behind-the-scenes baking videos, and playful polls that invite community feedback. Posts announcing upcoming flavors tend to spark the most engagement, often reaching tens of thousands of likes—still a relatively modest fraction of their total follower count, but a strong indicator of loyalty. The brand’s most recent post was made quite recently, reflecting a consistent posting schedule. Although it receives numerous comments, Crumbl does an admirable job of responding to fans and fostering a sense of community.

2) Insomnia Cookies with 492K followers, maintains a posting rhythm that often syncs with times when people are craving a late-night snack. Its feed blends mouthwatering close-ups of freshly baked cookies and engaging announcements about special promotions or limited-edition flavors. Picture-heavy posts and user-generated content tend to spark the greatest number of likes, which, while not proportionate to the total follower count, still show that their audience is highly interested. Their last post was fairly recent, and the comment section is lively, largely thanks to customers sharing personal cravings or tagging friends to join the discussion

3) Levain Bakery, with 598K  followers, frequently highlights its famously thick cookies and other pastries through photos and short videos. Its audience responds most enthusiastically to posts featuring the gooey interior of a fresh cookie or new product launches. The brand posts at least a few times per week to keep fans excited. Engagement levels are impressive relative to their overall follower count, indicating genuine interest. Levain’s community consistently leaves positive comments, often reminiscing about past visits or planning their next trip.

4) Myriam Camhi in Colombia offers a broad range of desserts but remains well-known for its cookies and cakes. While its follower base is smaller than some large U.S. brands, with 48.6 K followers, the page still demonstrates strong interaction whenever it showcases carefully styled photos of sweet treats. Content featuring seasonal or specialty items appears to receive the highest engagement. The most recent post isn’t far off, reflecting a fairly active schedule. Although their comment section may not reach thousands, it is a space where customers share product feedback and inquiries, indicating a healthy relationship with their local audience.

5) Cookie Lab, also based in Colombia, focuses heavily on artisanal cookies and creative flavor combinations. With a growing follower count, 1549 exactly, they try to post consistently throughout the week. Short videos of dough preparation or final cookie reveals tend to get the most likes, although their numbers are still a fraction of their total followers. The brand’s latest post popped up not long ago, indicating regular updates. Comments are often direct and enthusiastic, showing that customers appreciate both the taste and presentation of Cookie Lab’s creations.

Across all five businesses, a few key practices could inspire improvements for my own Instagram strategy. Most notably, they keep a steady posting schedule, highlight their unique points of difference, and encourage interaction by asking followers for opinions. Each brand also benefits from visually appealing content that resonates with their audience’s cravings. Building on these insights means focusing on compelling images or videos, crafting captions that spark conversation, and finding ways to involve the community in my posts.

When choosing hashtags, it’s helpful to blend popular baking-related tags, local references, and descriptions that narrow down the specialty. I could start with wide-reaching options like #CookiesOfInstagram or #BakingLove, include location-specific references such as #Californiabrownies, add industry-related identifiers like #ArtisanalBakery, and then develop customized tags for my own brand—for example, #Iomibitesbrownies.