Boston Organics

This week we sat down with Caroline Angele, Marketing & Sales Associate for Boston Organics to discuss user generated photos, using analytics to guide content, and using social channels to highlight the positive work they do as a B Corporation. 

Stats

Boston Organics

Charlestown, MA

Instagram

@bostonorganics

3,419 Followers

Facebook

@bostonorganics

9,774 Likes

9,831 Followers

Twitter

@BostonOrganics

5,875 Tweets

4,301 Followers

Pinterest

Boston Organics

6.8K monthly views

YouTube

Boston Organics

32 Subscribers

Boston Organics mission is to provide access to fresh, organic produce to promote and support healthy living in a mindful and sustainable way that respects the environment, supports local farms, local businesses, and fair-trade practices. In other words, they are way more than just a grocery delivery service. They support local organic farmers, they provide Bostonians with amazing, fresh, organic foods, and they uphold values that go above and beyond what’s expected of a traditional grocery company. As a certified B Corporation, they are committed to using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. 

As Caroline explains, social media is the perfect medium for telling their unique story and allowing followers to understand what makes them so special. 

So tell us about what you do and what Boston Organics is all about  

Boston Organics has delivered fresh, organic fruits/veggies/groceries to homes and offices in the greater Boston area since 2002. Jeff Barry purchased a van (with help from his late grandfather), posted a few fliers around town and started the business. We deliver all year-round, prioritize sourcing seasonal and local produce, are a flexible subscription service, and you pay as you go. We are a certified B Corporation – we use business to help solve social and environmental issues. We always conduct our business in a way that respects the environment, supports nearby farms, benefits local businesses and advocates for fair-trade practices.

In my role, I connect with our customers through email campaigns and our social media accounts. I also manage incoming donation requests, and our office wellness program. I work with the rest of the Boston Organics crew to stay informed on produce seasonality, local events, or other company operations so that I can effectively communicate to our customers.

What is your voice on social media? 

I would describe our social media voice as friendly, informative, and honest. I want our customers to feel like they’re part of the Boston Organics community and engage with us online. I love seeing photos of their box contents, a picture of the meal they made, or sharing tips/tricks on how to prepare a less common fruit/vegetable.

What channels work best for you?

We have a blog on our website, and use the following social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn, and Yelp. We get the most engagement from Instagram and Facebook.

Do you use any tools to measure how you’re doing? 

On a weekly and monthly basis, our marketing efforts are tracked and compared. I use Hubspot, social media insights (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn), and Google Analytics to measure how our content has resonated with our audience, which topics were trending, where we may have fallen short, etc. I use these insights to guide the following month’s content so that it’s relevant for our followers!

How much of your content is scheduled and how much of it is posted on the fly? 

Most of our content is scheduled. It gives me a second chance to review the content, and tag other local organizations that I might want to highlight! I am a fan of scheduling because it helps me to keep our social media accounts active and at the same time I am able to maintain my own work/life balance when I need to unplug from tech.

When we attend events or conferences I’ll post on the fly to our Facebook or Instagram stories. The photos might not be the highest quality resolution, or have a perfect composition but it shows our audience who we are – the true faces behind the Boston Organics Crew.

Do you use photographers for your content?

We have in the past, and I frequently use photos from our database of professionally taken photos for our online content.

Have you worked with any influencers? 

During my time in this role, we haven’t paid influencers to promote our service. Some of our customers will tag us on social media of their produce boxes or of recipes they make. They might not have a huge following but it is a genuine review of our service. I’m always thrilled to see that how our produce is being cooked and how we’ve impacted our community’s lifestyles.

Do you use social media to handle customer service issues as well?

Occasionally a bad apple will get through our quality control, and a customer might share a picture of it on social media. We have procedures in place to resolve issues so I’ll connect with the customer to get more information and pass it along to Steven (our customer service guru!).

When competing against grocery store chain delivery services and the big grocery stores and meal delivery companies, do you feel your presence on social media gives you any sort of edge?

Boston Organics is more than a produce delivery service and social media is a powerful tool to help us communicate that. We are different from our competitors because we are a locally based B Corporation, prioritize sourcing from local growers/producers, employ our own drivers (which keeps us accountable for our presence within the communities we serve and protects our drivers), and operate in a sustainable way (we compost, donate, and incorporate produce seconds). I believe more customers are “voting with their dollar” and want to support companies that are mission driven and using business to solve social and environmental issues.

Thanks for Speaking with us Caroline!