For many businesses, the idea of going viral is something they dream of – a surefire way to get more people hearing about them and what they do.
There is more pressure on businesses than ever before to have a strong social media presence, moulding their day-to-day tasks into aesthetically pleasing posts.
In the Highlands where streams of people don’t naturally walk past the door, social media can be a handy tool for businesses to get themselves out there.
Whether through a review or a reel, tagging and sharing have come to mean money in their pocket.
But business owners in the Highlands have differing opinions on the influence of Instagram and other social media and how good – or bad – it is for them.
Utopia Cafe – Inverness
Social media proved its worth in October 2022 when a post saved Utopia Cafe in Inverness from closure.
Staff shortages and the rising cost of living forced owner Kevin Paterson to post an appeal for help online – which resulted in almost 50 job applications.
He said, however, that reopening weekend taught him not to underestimate the power of social media.
“We underestimated just how powerful it was after doing a bit of a teaser marketing campaign to countdown to our first day opening,” he said.
“We were full to capacity within five minutes of putting the shutters up.
“It backfired slightly and things got off to a bit of a shaky start, but even now we use it quite effectively when things are a little on the quieter side.
“You can suddenly find yourself with guests sitting in front of you that popped in having just seen a post on Instagram uploaded 20 minutes before. It never fails to blow my mind just how instant it can be.”
Slaughterhouse Coffee – Cromarty
Slaughterhouse Coffee is tucked away on the coast in Cromarty, and would be difficult to stumble upon it if you didn’t know it was there.
Owner Laura Thompson said people often come into the cafe saying they found her through Instagram.
She said: “I really work hard on trying to keep Instagram up-to-date, honest and regular which has definitely resulted in a stronger online following.
“I quite often get folk telling me they follow the page online and have come along because of that, so I think it’s such an important tool for getting yourself out there.”
In the last year, trends have moved away from static images, with algorithms favouring videos and reels in line with the rise of TikTok.
Ms Thompson said this is an element of social media she finds difficult to keep up with.
“I do feel that it’s been harder to gain people’s engagement over the last six to 12 months, some would say since TikTok has become the hype,” she said.
“It’s changed the focus from static to moving picture, which isn’t easy for every business to keep up with. I find that particularly hard as I work mostly solo so I’ve lost touch with Instagram quite a bit.”
Leakey’s Bookshop – Inverness
Leakey’s Bookshop is a hidden cavern of hundreds of thousands of books on Church Street in Inverness.
Those who have discovered its treasures have been quick to share them on social media, leading interest in the shop to rise each year. During summer, the queue out the door needed to be managed.
Sam Leakey, whose dad owns the shop, said the family hasn’t quite decided how it feels about the impact of social media on the business.
“There’s a bit of a tension emerging between wanting to remain simply a bookshop – and to be bringing people through the door because we’ve got good books – and then what is actually happening, which is that there’s an element of being a tourist attraction,” he said.
He recognises the “well-meaning” attempts by pages with huge followings like Visit Scotland to promote the shop, but it has meant he has sometimes seen the calm little shop “as full as it can be”.
“There’s something nice about the simplicity of being a bookshop and something a bit more complicated about dealing with very large numbers of people,” he added.
Exclusively Highlands – Black Isle
Kirsty Stewart’s family has run Exclusively Highlands markets since 2006, but she took on the role of social media manager to boost the markets’ exposure.
She uses Instagram to help provide a platform for vendors at the markets and said it often helps customers come along with the intention of buying.
“Instagram is so important,” said Ms Stewart.
“I share a lot of exhibitor stock photos as well as photos I take of them because everyone can see Instagram, you can be all over the world.
“You never know who is going to see them and it’s totally free to put up a picture, so if I can help any of the exhibitors by posting pictures and links then I’ll do that.”
She added that posting photos helps show the quality of what vendors are producing: “I want to say to people this is a high grade of craft fare, these are really talented people. Price points do vary and nothing is bought in, it’s real people who have real talent.”
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