Profitable Instagram Niches: How specialized creative businesses used paid and unpaid tactics

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Quick Case Study #1: How crafting startup grew from 30 units a month to 1,000 in the first year

While this case study can be helpful to any marketer or entrepreneur, there is an added bonus for agency folks – the team behind this brand started in the agency world themselves.

Their first product was toilet paper shelves. Not satisfied with the results, they kept searching for products with high-volume keywords and low competition and closely analyzing competitor listings.

This ended up bringing them to the craft space, where they noticed outdated branding, unoptimized listings, and a lack of community-driven marketing. It was a space that hadn’t changed in decades, and no one was really owning it. They found their opportunity and launched Bearly Art craft glue in 2019.

BEFORE: Poor traction with paid digital ads

The team behind Bearly Art had years of experience running Amazon PPC for other brands, and had built profitable campaigns around branded keywords, long-tail search terms, and IP-specific targeting.

“When we tried applying the same tactics – Amazon PPC and Meta ads – to Bearly Art in the early days, we assumed our strong product would do the heavy lifting. It didn’t,” said Jeremy Su, CEO & Founder, Bearly Art.

Amazon PPC failed because no one was searching for the brand yet. Meta ads also flopped because they had no story or recognition to amplify.

“We learned the hard way: PPC and paid social aren’t ignition tools – they’re amplifiers. Without a brand presence, there’s nothing to amplify,” he explained.

AFTER: Sent products to micro-influencers with no strings attached

To overcome these challenges, they launched an influencer campaign focused mostly on micro-creators with 2,000 to 20,000 followers with the following criteria:

• High engagement
• Genuine posts
• A history of using competitor products

The team cold-DM'd every creator by hand. Outreach was simple and direct: "Hi, we made something we think you'll love. No strings attached. Just let us know where to send it." They did not require the micro-influencers to sign a contract or agree to post any affiliate links or hashtags in order to receive the boxes.

They sent 200 custom influencer boxes with premium packaging designed to feel special from the moment of unboxing. Since the brand is bear-themed, they leaned into the forest vibe – even though their mascot is technically a polar bear. The boxes were designed to look like a log.

Creative Sample #1: Dimensional direct mailer to influencers, exterior

The inside of the box looked like a miniature forest scene. The inside lid had the message ‘Well Hello Crafting Cub!’ and the #BearlyArt. And the glue was packaged in crinkled craft paper.

Creative Sample #2: Dimensional direct mailer to influencers, inside of box

Roughly half of the 200 creators posted about the glue. They shared unboxings, tutorials, and full projects, introducing the product to their communities.

Word spread so quickly that the team started getting messages from regular customers asking why their glue didn’t come in a magical forest log. Some were even disappointed – thinking they’d missed out on the ‘real’ Bearly Art experience.

Results: Sales increase

“Traction started as soon as the brand passed 100 followers on Instagram – and exploded when larger creators took notice. One post from an influencer with 100,000+ followers doubled Amazon sales overnight,” Su said.

By the end of 2020, sales had grown from 30 units a month to 1,000, and Instagram followers had reached 10,000.

Fast forward to 2025 – the brand now sells 15,000 units a month and is sold in 100 retail stores. It is consistently on page one for craft glue on Amazon.

Asked what advice he would give other agency professionals looking to launch their own brand, Su said, “As a marketer, you’re already more than halfway there. Learn the fundamentals of manufacturing, customer service, logistics – not to master them forever, but to understand them well enough to pass them off responsibly…That said, if you're a rockstar marketer, heed this: focus on what you’re great at. Don’t try to wear every hat. Partner with good products you can turn into great brands.”

“And finally, remember this – what you see now are the highlight reels. You're seeing the wins, not the dozens of quiet failures it took to get there. Don’t get paralyzed by perfection or the fear of missteps. Focus on the hope of success, not the fear of failure,” he concluded.

Quick Case Study #2: How floristry school generated 577 leads with better targeting and clearer CTAs

Meghaa Modi Design School (MMDS) offers floristry courses to florist designers.

BEFORE: Generic targeting, clear CTAs

Calls to action in social media ads were often missing or vague, and there were no contact details.

Creative Sample #3: Instagram ad with no CTA

Messaging was generic and the ads were not targeted. For example, a previous Instagram ad used the headline ‘Professional Event Design Course.’

Creative Sample #4: Untargeted Instagram ad

The website had a very subtle ‘Enquire now’ CTA in the lower right corner and a phone number in the middle bottom.

Creative Sample #5: Website before

The school did not send any email.

AFTER: More specific targeting to different levels, clearer CTAs

The team added clear CTAs in Instagram ad visuals or in captions, like ‘DM to reserve,’ ‘DM us now!,’ and ‘Join today.’

Creative Sample #6: Instagram ad with CTA

Creative Sample #7: Targeted Instagram ad after (Reel)

They developed targeted ads for Instagram, showcasing specific courses like ‘3-Month Residency Course’ and ‘Hobby Courses for Beginners.’

In addition to the paid content, the team built SEO campaigns for keywords like ‘professional floristry courses,’ ‘learn flower arrangement,’ and ‘wedding flower design.’

On the website and landing pages, they added a prominent ‘Register Now’ button at the bottom middle of the page or added CTAs like ‘Enroll Now – Limited Seats Available.’

“Urgency and incentives work. Time-sensitive CTAs like ‘Early Bird Discount’ or ‘Limited Seats Available’ successfully reduced bounce rates and increased enrollments,” said Kartik Ashri, digital marketing specialist, Revti Digital.

Creative Sample #8: Website after

For people who showed interest but didn’t purchase, the team segmented them by their interests:

• Hobbyists
• Beginners
• Professionals

They then emailed a lead nurturing sequence with reminder CTAs like ‘Reserve Your Spot’ and ‘Claim Your Early Bird Discount.’

RESULTS: Increased conversion rates

Instagram ad engagement rose by 62% with course-specific ads and MMDS now has 11,100 followers.

Landing page conversion rates increased from 3.2% to 7.1% after implementing course-specific CTAs.

In April 2025, the team generated 577 leads overall – 534 of those leads originated on Instagram. A quarter of those leads enrolled in courses.

"Our new marketing approach not only attracted more aspiring florists but also helped us connect with students genuinely interested in building a creative career,” Meghaa Modi, Founder, Meghaa Modi Design School.

This article was distributed through the MarketingSherpa email newsletter.

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