As the Founder of Bunaai, I understand the challenges and excitement that come with building a brand from the ground up, especially when resources are limited. Instagram has been a game-changer for us, offering a dynamic platform to showcase our unique blend of traditional and contemporary fashion. Here, I’d like to share some strategies that have worked for Bunaai and can help other emerging brands grow their Instagram following effectively. Our journey began with a small but passionate team, with each one of them bringing their unique skills to the table. Our content creation process was collaborative, often involving brainstorming sessions to come up with innovative ways to present our products.
I remember our early days, filled with late-night brainstorming sessions and weekend photoshoots, often in the cozy corners of my bedroom in Jaipur’s warm breeze, where the rich cultural backdrop added a unique charm to our posts. Instagram allowed us to bring our vision to life and share it with people who appreciate the beauty of handcrafted fashion.
Establishing a cohesive brand aesthetic and voice
Our aesthetic revolves around the elegance of traditional Indian fashion with a contemporary twist. We use a specific colour palette, elegant photography and captions that convey our brand’s ethos of grace and sophistication.
In our Instagram feed, models showcase beautifully handcrafted outfits against minimalistic, yet culturally rich backdrops. This consistency helps in creating a recognisable brand image. When followers scroll through our feed, they know they are looking at a brand’s unique offerings. This cohesion extends to our Instagram stories and reels, where we maintain the same aesthetic while sharing more dynamic content.
Importance of high-quality, visually appealing content
We often shoot in natural light and use backgrounds that highlight our brand ethos as well as the ensembles showcased. This approach ensures that our feed looks polished and professional. For instance, a beautifully captured image of a model in one of our vibrant dresses against a well-lit verandah can tell a compelling story that resonates with our audience.
One of our favourite shoots involved capturing our Spring collection in the lush gardens of a historic haveli. The natural light and serene environment perfectly complemented our vibrant designs, resulting in stunning visuals that captivated our audience. For emerging brands with limited capital, this doesn’t mean you need to hire professional photographers or buy expensive equipment. Instead, invest in a good smartphone camera and learn basic photography and editing skills.
Balancing popular hashtags with niche-specific ones
We use general hashtags like #IndianFashion and #EthnicWear to reach a wide audience. We also include more specific tags like #JaipurFashion and #HandcraftedClothing to attract users who are specifically looking for unique, handcrafted Indian fashion. I recall a particular campaign where we launched a line of intricately embroidered dupattas. By using a combination of popular and niche hashtags, we were able to reach a diverse audience, from fashion enthusiasts to individuals specifically looking for artisanal Indianwear.
Analysing the best times to post for maximum reach
Posting when your audience is most active can significantly boost engagement rates. We discovered that our audience is most engaged during the evenings and weekends. By scheduling our posts during these peak times, we ensured that our content is seen by the maximum number of people.
We also experimented with different posting times for various types of content. Product posts performed better in the evenings, while behind-the-scenes content and interactive posts like polls and Q&A sessions garnered more engagement during weekends.
| Bunaai, launched in 2016, is a D2C womenswear brand with 1.3 million Instagram followers. Founded by Pari Poonam Choudhary, Bunaai offers a variety of ethnic footwear like juttis and ethnic apparel like kurta and palazzo sets, making it a one-stop destination for its customers. |
Leveraging Instagram ads to target specific demographics
While emerging brands may have limited capital, investing a small budget in Instagram ads can yield significant returns. We ran a targeted ad campaign for our summer collection, focusing on women aged 18-35 who were interested in fashion and traditional clothing. This targeted approach helped us increase our follower count and boost sales without a substantial financial outlay.
One memorable campaign involved showcasing our exclusive bridal collection through Instagram ads. We targeted brides-to-be and their friends, resulting in a significant increase in inquiries and orders. The feedback we received from these ads also provided valuable insights into our audience’s preferences, helping us tailor future collections to meet their needs.
| While emerging brands may have limited capital, investing a small budget in Instagram ads can yield significant returns. |
Building a community around the brand
We prioritise regular interaction with our followers. Sharing stories featuring our customers in our outfits is a key way by which we build trust and encourage engagement with our brand.
One of our successful community-building strategies involved hosting Instagram Live sessions where we showcased new collections and interacted with our audience in real-time. These sessions allowed us to answer questions, receive instant feedback and create a more personal connection with our followers.
I fondly remember a live session we hosted during Diwali, where we shared styling tips and behind-the-scenes glimpses of our festive collection. The real-time interaction and festive spirit created a buzz and the positive response from our audience was overwhelming.
We also teamed up with fashion bloggers passionate about traditional Indian fashion. These influencers showcased our outfits in their distinctive styles, effectively reaching their followers and enhancing our credibility. For example, seeing an influencer wear our lehenga at a festive occasion significantly boosted our visibility, engagement and sales.
Our journey has taught us that a carefully crafted Instagram strategy can yield remarkable results, even with limited resources.
