We met for a coffee – with oat milk. We are interested in the success story of the Swedish oat milk producer Oatly. With its slogan “It’s like milk, but made for humans” and their social media strategy, Oatly has made a breakthrough in the recent years. Over the past year, the company doubled its number of followers on Instagram to 245k. We took a closer look at the social media presence on Instagram and found the top 3 tips to success.
1. Be bold
Oatly is extremely transparent on social media. They are honest and straightforward – whether it’s about their products, marketing campaigns or general brand goals. Even after feedback like – ‘It tastes like shit! Blah!’ – they turned it into a campaign. Oatly not only put the comment on the packaging, but also used it generously on social media. This way the following post achieved an engagement rate of 6%.
Their clever, attention-grabbing social media attitude works. This also shows that the growth of followers proves that followers enjoy the content and appreciate the clear voice of Oatly. Social media strategists and consumers also seem to enjoy this and create a strong community around the brand.
2. Tell a good story
Another unique approach that Oatly takes to their content strategy is the prioritization of storytelling. Of course they want to sell their oat milk. But what is more important to them is to make consumers understand why switching to dairy-free options has a positive impact on the environment and consumers.
Oatly’s edgy, clear voice separates it not only from other milk brands, but also from companies in general. How else, should a post showing a hand grabbing a milk carton score 7.1k likes?
3. Create trust
People today are becoming increasingly aware of the ethics and morals of the companies they support. In 2019, Oatly shared its annual sustainability report on social media.
This honesty enables Oatly to create a greater trust in the brand and the company. They do not try to hide anything. Even explosive topics such as sustainability reports or legal proceedings appear transparently on their social media platforms. Even the Instagram post about Oatly’s sustainability report received over 20k views.
Conclusion
Oatly does not hesitate to create attention-grabbing, provocative social media presence. They want their message to challenge the status quo and shake up current social media strategies. Their campaigns have both depth and purpose, not only to sell Oatly, but also to sell the idea of plant-based milk. The success can also be seen in the KPIs. Over the past year, Oatly recorded a growth in reach of about 50% to 245k followers on Instagram. It’s worth keeping an eye on Oatly, their social media strategy and following how they set new standards across social media. Try to follow their example on your own – ideally with oat milk.
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