Sometimes, an idea just pops off.

That’s exactly what happened to chef Thomas Straker, whose TikTok series led to a booming butter business.

[I do love alliteration.]

Today, we’re breaking down the strategy that saw Straker sell 100,000 units within 10 weeks of launching.

In today's newsletter:

• 1 billion views…for butter? (here’s how Thomas Straker turned a viral TikTok series into a successful butter brand)

• Why the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral (plus how your brand can apply the same tactics to your content)

• Trend plug - The big hands (this one is such a cool way to show off your products!)

• My posts keep flopping. Should I keep posting? (yes, and here’s why…)

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

'Welcome to Episode One of All Things Butter.'

Those words make a woman weak, I tell you. (It’s me. I’m the woman.)

They’re the words of Thomas Straker, my favourite internet chef with a voice that makes his recipes sound as good as they look.

His career has been nothing short of extraordinary. Going from humble beginnings to culinary acclaim, Straker's now the heart of cultural hub and restaurant, ‘Strakers,’ in Notting Hill.

But his fame in recent years came from a simple yet innovative concept.

A concept that went viral, which he then turned into a series, and then a product, that sold 100,000 units in 10 weeks.

This is now being called the 'All Things Butter Strategy.'

And I’m going to break it down for you. Let’s get into it.

The initial concept.

Straker believed that by elevating a simple butter, you could elevate and transform any dish.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Copywriter

Why the Ice Bucket Challenge Went Viral

Solange and Jay Z’s elevator fight. Kim Kardashian broke the internet. The Fault in Our Stars. Pharell’s hat. The Oscar Selfie. Ariana and Iggy. U2’s non-consensual album.

And of course, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

2014. What a time to be alive.

If you’ve seen our content over at The Attention Seeker recently, you’ll know Jony and our team have been tipping buckets of water over their heads for the last month. This is, of course, to prove to Stan, our boss, that it works better than his marketing strategy.

But flash back to a decade ago, the ice bucket phenomenon was ALL OVER our feeds. From Mark Zuckerberg to President Obama, everyone, everywhere took part in the viral trend.

(Even me, yes. And I PRAY that video never resurfaces).

This craze highlights the power and effectiveness of the ‘challenge and nominate’ strategy. And it's a particularly effective one when it comes to raising awareness for a cause.

But where did it all start?

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Copywriter

Trend Plug - The Big Hands

Ever wanted those Hulk Hands as a child? Well now's your chance.

This product-centric photo hack is the perfect way to show off any product you're rolling out. The big hand trend comes from Instagram user Iaroslav Kinchin, a popular director and photo-hack provider from Russia.

Rather than me explaining exactly what the trend is, just go watch it real quick. I'll wait.

How to do this trend:

1. Take a pic of your whole body in frame holding up the product you want to feature.

2. Then take an up-close photo of just your hand holding up the product.

3. Pull up your Instagram story and put up the original photo of your whole body. Zoom it out a little.

4. Copy and paste the photo of your hand onto the original image you had up. All that's left then is a little reframing and resizing, and voilà!

 A few ideas to get you started...

• Show off your morning coffee order

• Display your latest products

• Hold up a CTA sign related to your business

-Abdel, Social Media Coordinator

Tune in to the YAP Podcast

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Ask the Editor

Q - I'm getting discouraged because I've had a few of my posts totally flop recently. How do I keep being consistent when I'm not getting anywhere? -Izza

Hey Izza!

Totally get where you're coming from. It can be hard to keep posting when you aren't getting much engagement. But the only way to improve your content is to (you guessed it) keep posting.

I'd encourage you to keep posting every day, paying attention to your analytics. Experiment by changing up your hook, images, and post style. You'll figure out what works way faster by continuing to post than stopping!

- Charlotte, Editor ♡