We started with developing an SMM strategy, beginning with a competitor analysis.
We identified common challenges in promoting food delivery accounts:
- Low follower engagement;
- Repetitive photo content;
- Difficult navigation.
Many competitors relied solely on giveaways requiring users to follow the account, which attracted a large percentage of non-target followers.
At the start of our work, giveaways were held frequently on the account, bringing in users interested only in quick wins. As a result, over 45% of the followers were either mass followers or suspicious accounts.
Because of this, the account wasn’t receiving sufficient reach, leading to lower engagement rates than competitors, which prevented the posts from being recommended and seen by a wider segment of existing followers.
Next, we analyzed the brand’s target audience.
We created detailed customer personas, including situational descriptions of potential clients. We identified their likely motivations, objections, and key reasons for following the account.
Based on these personas, we:
- Created a trigger system;
- Developed a communication strategy;
- Refreshed the visual concept of the account;
- Defined key content categories and tagged them for better navigation;
- Wrote scripts for handling incoming messages efficiently.
Once the strategy was complete, we started promotion from scratch — beginning with an account clean-up.
We removed 1,600 bots and mass followers that were blocking post visibility and suppressing growth. After the cleanup, post reach and impressions increased significantly.
Visit the accounts:
We updated the visual content: planned and conducted several themed photoshoots.
The photo shoots were thoughtfully planned to feature representatives of the target audience.
High-quality photos were taken for each item on the restaurant’s menu.
The SMM specialist and photographer showcased what happens in the kitchen and inside the points of sale.
We managed to stand out visually from competitors and create a friendly, approachable brand image.
We also collaborated with local influencers in two cities: Novosibirsk and Barnaul.
Selection criteria for influencers:
- High engagement rate;
- At least 30% of the audience located in the target city;
- Minimum 2,000 post views and 1,000 story views per city-specific post.
We also analyzed the quality of the influencer’s audience — focusing on followers who like, comment, and interact regularly. It was important to ensure that the audience was truly engaged and trusted the influencer.
Since sushi rolls appeal to a broad demographic, we collaborated with several types of influencers:
- Family bloggers;
- Bloggers promoting an active lifestyle;
- Influencers who share deals and discounts;
- Food and beauty-focused bloggers.
To boost engagement, we introduced interactive mechanics.
We launched gamified activities, both with and without prizes. Over time, our audience began engaging with the brand — and with each other — organically, without extra incentives. As a result, we gained brand advocates, and the overall tone of communication shifted from neutral or negative to positive and friendly.
Results:
- Barnaul influencers: 180 unique website visits in one month;
- Novosibirsk influencers: 176 unique website visits in three weeks;
- Increased average monthly Engagement Rate (ER) on VK accounts 5x (from 0.5% to 2.5%) while growing follower count 2.5x;
- Instagram ER rose from 1.16% to 2.43%.
To build brand awareness, we launched on TikTok — a new platform for the brand.
We regularly organize video shoots and experiment with content formats.
First 2 months on TikTok:
- 56,761 views
- 1,461 likes
- 290 new followers
- 29 videos published
Most viewed video: 5.1 million views.
We continue our partnership and are expanding geographically. Since April 2021, we’ve been managing SMM and paid advertising for new branches in Moscow and Barnaul: