Get the latest from Instagram

Start getting inspired with announcements, tips, and success stories on our blog.

Inspiration

October 22, 2021

Born on Instagram: Growing a Community and Selling on Instagram

BY: Instagram Business Team

San Francisco, CA

For entrepreneurs across the globe, Instagram offers a wealth of resources and inspiration to turn their passion into a business. Born on Instagram is a new series spotlighting brands that have used Instagram’s tools to build community, explore creativity and shape culture — forming the foundation of their success.

Entrepreneur Natália Camargo, owner of the Brazil-based Estilo 4 Olhos (@estilo4olhos), credits Instagram as the home of her eyewear company. As a glasses-wearer herself, Natália noticed that the frames that caught her attention were often created abroad and needed to be imported into Brazil. “People started asking where I'd got my glasses and I saw a business opportunity,” she says.

Woman in striped shirt and glasses smiles

But when a delivery went wrong, Natália decided to take matters into her own hands and sell stylish, affordable glasses herself on social media. Estilo 4 Olhos launched in 2014, and Instagram accounts for 70 to 80 percent of the engagement and interest the brand garners. The business has a shop on Instagram to help reach new customers, and tools like product tags help drive discovery. Natália even created realistic Instagram filters so potential customers can try out her glasses digitally.

To learn more about how Estilo 4 Olhos grew to over 100K followers on Instagram, tune in for a live conversation between Natália and artist Magá Moura (@magavilhas) on Friday, October 29 on @instagramforbusiness. Ahead of their chat, Natália shared more about how her brand flourished on Instagram.

Why was Instagram the perfect place to launch Estilo 4 Olhos?

We've been on Instagram since 2014; we grew together with the platform. We make use of every single tool available to reach out to our target [audience]. People engage with us widely and organically as they feel represented by the content, like they belong with the brand, which in consequence leads to sales.

How do you plan the Instagram content you create and share with your audience?

Woman in orange shirt and brown coat poses with clear glasses on

I'm very close to my customers, engaging with them via DMs for sales or even just for chats. I get a lot of ideas for content from this exchange, even from inquiries, difficulties [or] disappointments. I've also created a group of customers on Close Friends where I can observe their behavior as consumers, their personal style and how they portray themselves.

What are some of the opportunities and collaborations that have come from being on Instagram?

Seeing so many people we admire wearing our products! Ludmilla, Jojo Todynho, Josy Ramos, Diva Do Black, Maju Silva, Ju Romano, etc.

How has Estilo 4 Olhos created a community, especially on Instagram? Do you feel more connected to the world?

I didn't feel represented by other brands in the same sector. I've filled this gap in the market by gathering consumers that were also missing the availability of cool glasses that said something about their personality, and who were aligned to our own values.

How are you using Instagram as a toolbox for creativity?

I engage with and observe my customers on a daily basis. They're the ones who give me every insight about content and new products. This exchange is fundamental, and if you sharpen your eyes and know your public, you'll realize that everything can inspire new content.

Woman with blacka and pink hair poses with clear glasses

Are there any Instagram-specific stories you can share that had a significant impact on you and Estilo 4 Olhos?

We announced a sample sale 24 hours before using the "reminder sticker" in our Stories. We made a reel with all designs available on sale, and we posted the funniest reactions from our public in our feed to entice our customers who were waiting for the sale link to be released. We were online the whole day checking our DMs for customer queries, and we also opened a “question box.” Everything sold out in 24 hours!

Besides that, some of the best stories are certainly reports from clients who hated wearing glasses, and now they love it! Our goal is to do away with this negative connotation that wearing glasses carries, and turn it into a pleasant experience! It's a domino effect; when we achieve this with a customer, they'll recommend us to everyone, or sometimes even be asked in the middle of the street where they got their glasses from. The self-esteem flies high!

Looking to learn more about how Instagram can help you push your brand’s creativity? Browse our Instagram for Business blog for more inspiration, and follow @instagramforbusiness to watch Natália’s live chat with artist Magá Moura on Friday, October 29 at 1PM BRT / 9AM PT.

BY: Instagram Business Team

San Francisco, CA