Welcome again to Later’s SelfMade sequence, the place we showcase small enterprise homeowners, their journeys, and ideas for aspiring entrepreneurs.
We spoke to Annabel Okeya, founding father of Seventh & Oak, an impartial model of handmade and eco-friendly house perfume items based mostly out of Ontario, Canada.
Annabel shares the inspiration behind the model, why she’s keen about sustainability, and the way she’s constructed an engaged digital neighborhood — all throughout a world pandemic.
In Could of 2020, Annabel seen a rising development within the candle business.
Most of the time, she discovered that store-bought candles had been riddled with poisonous compounds, excessive quantities of lead, and paraffin wax, all of which “affected my respiration and gave me complications.”
So she determined to do one thing about it.
It was then that Annabel tried her hand at creating candles herself, utilizing acquainted substances like soy wax and plant-based oils.
And what initially began as a interest, quickly became a splendidly scented enterprise enterprise.
Combining her ardour for sustainability together with her background in advertising and design, Seventh & Oak was born.
For Annabel, her mission is straightforward: create high quality candles that do not come on the expense of the atmosphere or our furry mates.
“I created Seventh & Oak to fill a void within the eco-friendly candle neighborhood and make a optimistic influence on the planet, one scent at a time.”
Quick-forward to current day, and Seventh & Oak’s candles have entered our properties and landed coveted options in publications like Elle USA and My Domaine.
Later: Sustainability is considered one of your core values, how do you weave that messaging into your content material technique?
Annabel: My mum taught me to stay sustainably, and it’s one thing I’ve at all times carried with me.
We’re so keen about being sustainable that it’s considered one of our content material pillars at Seventh & Oak.
Each different grid put up, Instagram Story, or caption touches on sustainability — we actually have a sequence devoted to sharing information about individuals bettering the planet.
Later: What has been the important thing to your success on social media?
Annabel: Creating shareable graphics and crowd pleasing pictures of our merchandise. This requires numerous planning and batching behind the scenes.
Later is a incredible software that we’ve come to like for social media scheduling.
We’re in a position to schedule content material throughout Instagram, Fb, Pinterest, Twitter, and even TikTok — saving us a ton of time.
I’m additionally such an information nerd so the Analytics tab is my favourite. It has a lot data to leverage and craft efficient advertising methods — like hashtags to make use of, finest time to put up, and what kind of content material to give attention to.
Later: Talking of making eye-catching pictures — you will have such a robust visible aesthetic. What goes into creating your feed?
Annabel: We gravitate in the direction of sure colour palettes, and with my design background, we’re in a position to preserve that consistency throughout our social media pages.
Lots of the shareable graphics on our social media platforms had been created by me so I prefer to suppose that I’ve a artistic eye and that’s mirrored all through our branding.
We plan content material for the month based mostly on our content material pillars and any releases, occasions, or nationwide holidays arising.
It’s nice to see content material come collectively on Later’s platform — it offers us an concept of what our feed will seem like on Instagram!
ICYMI: Later’s free Visible Instagram Planner lets you preview your feed aesthetic earlier than you put up — so you’ll be able to curate the proper Instagram grid to your model.
Later: What side of social media has helped you develop Seventh & Oak essentially the most?
Annabel: Persistently participating with our viewers. Whether or not it’s replying to feedback or DMs, we do our greatest to ensure anybody who takes the time to interact with us looks like part of the neighborhood.
That, and we love story polls and so does our viewers. They’re a method for us to get to know them, a few of their ache factors, or get their enter on any product we plan to launch.
We get excessive engagement on the times we run polls — they assist us preserve a reference to our viewers.
Later: What’s an underrated social media tactic?
Annabel: The significance of user-generated content material and the way it boosts a model’s credibility.
We see a spike in gross sales once we repost a buyer’s put up on tales about our merchandise, in comparison with once we put up our personal content material.
Later: What’s essentially the most stunning factor you have realized about beginning a enterprise (within the midst of a pandemic no much less!)?
Annabel: In case you attempt to promote to everybody, you’re promoting to nobody.
It’s important to know who your splendid clients are. The place are they situated? What do they get pleasure from doing? What are they keen about? What are their ache factors and the way can your merchandise resolve them?
Understanding your splendid buyer will enable you create advertising methods that can assist them discover you, purchase from you, and develop into advocates of your model.
Later: Now on the subject of working a enterprise, are you able to ever actually “flip off”?
Annabel: Completely not. My thoughts is at all times working, however once I’m getting confused, I flip off all my units and take a breather.
Yoga calms me down. I apply throughout my lunch hour or proper earlier than mattress, and naturally, I at all times burn a candle.
*Editor’s be aware: This interview has been edited for readability and size.
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