Hootsuite vs SOCi, Inc.

Cult Brand Building Key to D2C Coffee Survival

Sian Conway-Wood, who has worked with a D2C specialty coffee roastery, argues that the roast-of-the-month subscription model is flawed, promoting churn and failing to build lasting customer loyalty. She advocates for building a 'cult brand world' with consistent creative elements and content, rather than relying on rotating products and advertising. The case study shows that a tighter product range, a consistent brand narrative featuring 'tiny people' miniature models, and an active social media presence (around 60 posts a month) led to significant growth: subscription revenue grew 187%, organic social traffic up 274%, and direct traffic up 80%, with almost no paid media spend. The article emphasizes that for premium, intangible products like coffee, brand differentiation and pricing power are more critical than physical distribution or advertising spend.

• Subscription revenue grew 187% across the engagement.
• Organic social traffic increased by 274%.
• Direct traffic increased by 80%.

Instagram adds desktop scheduling for Posts and Reels

Instagram is rolling out a desktop scheduling feature on Instagram.com that allows creators to plan Posts and Reels up to 30 days in advance without switching to the Meta Business Suite. The capability, which appeared for some accounts and was demonstrated by social-media expert Jonah Manzano, follows a March 2026 change that made in-app scheduling available to all public accounts (previously limited to Business and Creator accounts). Stories still cannot be scheduled on Instagram.com or in-app and require the Meta Business Suite or third-party tools such as Hootsuite. The article was published on OnlineMarketing.de by Larissa Ceccio on 2026-08-26.

• Instagram is showing a scheduled content area on Instagram.com that lets users plan and manage Posts and Reels from the desktop.
• Contents can be scheduled in the browser up to 30 days in advance according to Instagram.
• Since March 2026, in-app scheduling has been available to all public accounts, not only Business and Creator accounts.

SOCi September '26 Release Notes

SOCi has published its September 2026 release notes, detailing the latest product updates and enhancements. The blog also lists recent release notes for Summer, August, July, and June 2026, along with a G2 ranking announcement.

Growing Restaurant Chains Outperform in Local Search and AI Visibility

SOCi's analysis of the Local Visibility Index (LVI) reveals that expanding restaurant chains significantly outperform contracting ones in digital local visibility. Growing brands averaged an LVI score of 61.4 versus 46.6 for shrinking chains, with the largest gap in AI recommendations: expanding chains are cited by ChatGPT in about 20% of queries versus roughly 3% for contracting ones. They also lead in Google 3-Pack appearances (35.3% vs. 14.4%), Yelp top rankings, review response rates, and local social engagement (3.45% vs. 0.13%). The study suggests these digital fundamentals correlate with real estate expansion decisions and serve as early signals for marketers. The article highlights the importance of data accuracy, systematic review responses, localized content, and tracking AI visibility as key levers for multi-location brands.

• Growing restaurant chains average an LVI score of 61.4, while shrinking chains average 46.6.
• Expanding chains are recommended by ChatGPT in about 20% of tested queries, compared to 3% for contracting chains.
• Expanding chains appear in Google's 3-Pack for 35.3% of tracked searches, versus 14.4% for contracting chains.

SOCi Summer '26 Release Notes

SOCi has published its Summer '26 Release Notes, detailing the latest product updates and enhancements.