Can you believe it’s the end of January already?

Having started 2022 with only half of the Foxy crew on board (thanks Covid!) was definitely not what we were expecting, but I’m proud to say that the team has absolutely smashed it!

It would also explain why this month has totally flown by for all of us here.

—

Now that we have some more hands on deck, it has given us an opportunity to pause and reflect on last year and review all the wins and lessons it brought along. While Phoebe & Jake discussed all things business-growth (video at the bottom of this article), Cody and I have decided to take a closer look at our marketing strategies.

To find out what has resonated with our audience the most, we’ve decided to choose three of the most popular content pieces from each of our channels. What we found has surprised both of us so much, that we’ve decided to share it publicly with the hope to help other business owners, who may be struggling with the ever-changing world of marketing.

Here’s what our most popular content of 2021 has taught us.

Our three most read articles have one thing in common – the readers. These topics were specifically written to help other Home Stagers and Property Stylists in the industry, and we’re glad to see how many of them found them useful.

What’s interesting about the blogs covering the styling of throw rugs and towels is that these topics are not often talked about. I vividly remember thinking whether I should even write about this, assuming it’s too trivial to cover.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Create content that help others in the industry, regardless of how minor or insignificant the topic seems to be. Every view of the blog post improves your SEO ranking, making your brand more “google-friendly” and showing it to more potential customers. It’s a win-win for both sides!

Similar to the blog posts, the content of our three most watched YouTube videos of 2021 was directed towards other Home Stagers, as well as people interested in learning more about interior design.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Words like “How to”, “tips”, “hacks”, “tricks” and “rules” work wonders when you want to increase your views! And remember, it’s not a clickbait when the content you create is genuinely helpful.

Now this one was interesting!

Out of all the beautiful, magazine-worthy photos of interiors we post every day, the three most liked photos were all…. just us?

Announcing a new bubba joining us in March and celebrating some of our first (and most valued) business partnerships. Who would have thought that people prefer the personal type of content more than styling homes?

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Be authentic, real, and vulnerable. Don’t hesitate to get personal, share your achievements & lessons and openly celebrate the wins of others.

2021 was the year when Instagram Reels really gained traction and they’re still one of the best ways to reach a large audience free of charge. We have created exactly 76 reels last year and we’re planning to continue with this strategy and cross-upload these short videos to Tik-Tok.

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: The algorithm for Instagram Reels is fairly simple. Create content that is funny, engaging and visually appealing, using trending audios. Instagram does not only look at the amount of views and likes, but also the number of bookmarks/saves, so ensure to make your videos “saveable” (helpful, fun, tips…).

The first interesting thing is that the most liked content on our Facebook page were not photos, but videos of Foxy TV. The second interesting thing is that the most watched episodes on Facebook were not the same ones as on Youtube. However, we seem to have covered a topic for each of our main target audience groups:

Supplier Spotlight – topic relevant for Home Stagers

Is My Home Too Ugly to Stage? – topic relevant for Home Sellers

The Most Important Aspect of Home Staging – topic relevant for Real Estate Agents

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: To be absolutely honest, we were not expecting these specific episodes to get so many likes and views. The lesson? Keep putting out as much helpful content as you can and let the audience choose what they resonate with. Quality is subjective and you never really know what content catches on until you post it.