Jinxed: Philly’s Instagram All-Stars
In a place like Philly, where the residents have a penchant for quirk, it’s not necessarily difficult for a business to gain traction if they’ve got something to make them stand out. That being said, if you really find out what makes Philadelphians tick, you could go from being a small business to having three bustling locations.
That’s exactly what happened with Jinxed, a store known for its hand-chosen selection of vintage merchandise, housewares, furniture, and toys, as well as their own apparel. What started out as a tiny vintage store in the Piazza — which is, admittedly, a prime location for foot traffic — is now a triad due to new locations in Fishtown (Frankford Ave) and South Philly (4th Street). It’s likely that a lot of this success can be attributed to the fact that they’re Instagram all-stars.
Just look up any of the locations on Yelp and you’ll see what we mean. Reviewer after reviewer mentions the Philly-famous social media profile with comments like “Make sure to check out their Instagram. There are so many awesome finds listed on it — though most of them are “SOLD.” For good reason,” and “Check out their Instagram for photos of what they get in that day…But don’t wait to[sic] long, they sell stuff within hours of getting it!”
The reviewers are right. First off, it’s hard to pay a visit to the company’s Instagram page without at least being sucked in to a few pages’ worth of scrolling. It’s even more difficult not to follow them.
Here’s their strategy: Each day, the store’s renowned antiquers go hunting, looking for unique, old-school-cool, or just downright weird pieces that any trademark Philly resident would love to have in their home. Then, they snap a photo or two, add a detailed description, and post it to their Instagram, which currently boasts more than 11,000 followers. The daily income of inventory ranges from hideously charming 1970’s sofas to taxidermied mountain goats (you read that right) to globes to vintage toys and everything in-between. Each item is usually listed at a ridiculously reasonable price, especially the furniture. It’s rare that you’ll find any listing that goes for more than $100. Once the followers see the listing, they can call the store and claim the piece by giving Jinxed their credit card number. They then have 48 hours to pick it up.
The pieces are usually gone within a half hour of the picture being posted on Instagram.
Is it the fact that they’re just that good at thrifting, that the followers simply can’t resist impulsively purchasing that vintage floral armchair? Or have Jinxed’s Instagram followers simply grown to love the competition, racing to be the first to call the store and claim their prize? It’s hard to say, but one thing’s for certain — Jinxed’s social media marketing strategy is brilliant.
So, small businesses of Philadelphia, take a page out of Jinxed’s book. If you’re not on social media, or if you’re on social media but not engaging with your followers, you really should be. Opportunity is literally in the palm of your hand — all you need is a smartphone.
