Blog #4: Company Media Presence

ALV Jewels Company 

ALV is a small jewelry company that I came across on an Instagram ad one day, and immediately became obsessed with their products. Between the many different platforms, ALV has the social presence on Instagram, Facebook, and as well as their own website. Their main social platforms are easily accessible to the public allowing potential customers to see their products. Their Instagram is not private, so any user is able to view their products, even without following the account. Also, another important aspect of the company is the name itself. Naming the brand something unique as “ALV” allows it to “stick” with the consumer. Although their cute jewelry is what got me hooked, their Instagram aesthetic is very appealing and almost pushes me into buying more. For example, their Instagram in particular, is filled with many bright but also neutral colors to invite the viewer in. Their posts are also all in uniform, meaning that when put together, the images appear in unison and create a better aesthetic. The bright and fun colors also bring back the nostalgic feeling of summer, which drives the consumer to want to buy more products. Many of the models who are also pictured with the jewelry are in exotic places, corresponding to the “fun” aspect of the brand. Also, the website incorporates the same uniform qualities as the Instagram does. Each piece of jewelry is posted in front of a white background. Incorporating the same layout and style within each social platform is important when staying “on brand”. ALV is catered towards women, and possibly men, around the ages 17-27, of what I have assumed. Within the Instagram bio it states, “Make it fun. On trend jewelry. New styles weekly”. Incorporating “new styles weekly” is a relevant tactic when wanting consumers to come back to the brand. For example, the frequent posts allow the brand to reach out to individual users creating a stronger personal bond between the company and the consumer. Another aspect that ALV incorporates is their frequent “story” posts on Instagram. If a buyer of their product takes a picture incorporating the jewelry and tags their username, ALV has a chance to repost the users post. This allows a somewhat personal interaction amongst the company and their consumers. This feature also creates more publicity for the brand and allows them to get their name out around the world. 

                                                           

Although the brand has a large following of 102,000 on Instagram, there are numerous actions to be taken in order to improve their presence on social media. For example, the company only has 419 people who like their page on Facebook. Although most of their customers are based solely off of Instagram, improving their fan base on Facebook can create more customers for the brand. Incorporating more posts on other platforms and include a different age range of people. According to Baym (2015), she states that Facebook’s mission statement claims that their purpose is to “give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected” (pg. 1). Keeping in mind their mission statement, this could correlate to a larger audience when it comes to ALV Jewels by incorporating more activity on Facebook. Looking through ALV Jewels following base on Instagram, their main potential customers are college women. Posting more frequently on Facebook or other platforms such as, Twitter, can improve the small range of individuals who view the product. Not only could it change the age of the individual viewing the brand, but as well as the gender of the person. Also, scrolling through the ALV’s Instagram, many of the individuals that are posted are white young women. Including different races could also reach a larger fan base as well. These small changes can allow the brand to become more inclusive and create a larger overall fan base.  

Aside from ALV’s lack of media presence on Facebook, I believe the company is in a good place when addressing their efforts on social media. Their Instagram is very put together and relates to the overall style of the brand as a whole. Their uniform editing throughout their Facebook, Instagram, and website allows the brand to appear professional and appealing to the eye. Another media presence that ALV has on social media are the “jewelry hauls” on YouTube that customers post after purchasing their products. Before buying from a brand I have never heard of, I tend to find myself on YouTube looking at reviews of their products. This is a way for consumers to view the product before purchasing because everyone understands the pain of returning online items. Although, ALV does not force individuals to post their review of the jewelry or the brand itself, this concept helps with publicity and the fear factor of ordering online. 

                                                               Review starting at 3:25

Overall, the media presence of ALV Jewels is very active for Instagram users. Many YouTubers refer to brands that portray similar qualities as “Instagram Jewelry”, which can also have a negative connotation attached to it as well. ALV’s positive and fresh tone creates a sense of summer throughout their entire Instagram feed, drawing in consumers. I have watched many YouTubers do “unboxing hauls” and admit to purchasing items from aesthetically pleasing websites. Although ALV’s activity on Instagram is constant, I suggested frequent posting on their Facebook to broaden the audience members of the brand. Increasing social activity on other platforms will allow the brand to grow at an even faster rate. In conclusion, ALV Jewel has a good social presence that creates a fun and aesthetically pleasing look to the eye of the consumer!     

                                                

References: 

Baym, N. (2015). Social media and the struggle for society. Social Media + Society, 1-2. Doi: 10.1177/2056305115580477