For Subscribers

How Shopatrend Used Instagram to Attract New Customers

The online clothing boutique leveraged their keen visual sense to market their company at little cost with Instagram.

By Samuel Greengard

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Like the cost-conscious young women they seek to outfit, the owners of online clothing boutique Shopatrend have plenty of style but little money to spend, especially on business functions such as marketing. So sisters Jennifer, Elizabeth and Victoria Acosta, who started Shopatrend in September 2011, are leveraging their keen visual sense to market their company at little cost through social photo service Instagram.

"It is an extremely powerful marketing tool," Jennifer Acosta says. "What makes Instagram so valuable is that it provides immediate feedback about what people like and what they don't."

Los Angeles-based Shopatrend has more than 20,000 followers on Instagram, with about 1,000 new followers signing on to see the company's snaps each week. Subscribers view a steady stream of images on their smartphones or at Followgram, a web-based Instagram photo viewer. "It creates a unique relationship with our customers," Acosta says.

Continue reading this article — and all of our other premium content with Entrepreneur+

For just $5, you can get unlimited access to all Entrepreneur’s premium content. You’ll find:

  • Digestible insight on how to be a better entrepreneur and leader
  • Lessons for starting and growing a business from our expert network of CEOs and founders
  • Meaningful content to help you make sharper decisions
  • Business and life hacks to help you stay ahead of the curve

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

This 61-Year-Old Grandma Who Made $35,000 in the Medical Field Now Earns 7 Figures in Retirement
A 'Quiet Promotion' Will Cost You a Lot — Use This Expert's 4-Step Strategy to Avoid It
3 Red Flags on Your LinkedIn Profile That Scare Clients Away
'Everyone Is Freaking Out.' What's Going On With Silicon Valley Bank? Federal Government Takes Control.
Leadership

How to Detect a Liar in Seconds Using Nonverbal Communication

There are many ways to understand if someone is not honest with you. The following signs do not even require words and are all nonverbal queues.

Money & Finance

How Facing Rejection Can Create Multi-Generational Wealth

Leverage commitment in the face of rejection to create a new financial blueprint for your future.

Business News

Meteorologist Breaks Silence on Horrifying On-Air Collapse: 'I Started to Feel a Little Nausea'

KCAL meteorologist Alissa Carlson Schwartz fainted on-air during a live broadcast over the weekend.

Starting a Business

How Startups Can Navigate Uncertainty, AI and Investing in 2023

This article discusses how entrepreneurs can best navigate operations, hiring and fundraising this year.