For some small businesses, Instagram has replaced word-of-mouth

Jarema Osofsky's apartment is a dream on Instagram. The sunlight pours on the brown caramel wood floors. Topanga, a round and aging corgi, trembles silently after the guests, while Yo La Tengo filters the pieces from one room to the other. The main attraction lies just beyond the bags of soil and compost: a room filled with lush, leafy plants that are waiting to be brought home.

Under the pseudonym DirtQueenNYC, Osofsky started selling plants on a Brooklyn street. But as many Instagram users have found new ways to use the platform, whether it's creating safe havens through secret finsta accounts, garage sales, photo fan-fics or reallocations of memes, she has already sent flashy photos to the main grid. DirtQueenNYC, it's something else: a modern approach to word of mouth marketing. "People post a picture of a plant that they got from me and tag me," she says. From there, his service spreads among their friends.

It's far from two summers ago, when she worked as an artist's assistant and sold plants on the sidewalk. Depressed and stuck, she found solace in caring for plant life. As the days went by, she posted photos on Instagram, telling her friends to find her, even though most of her clients were locals. She tagged her buyers' photos – much more informal than subscribing to a mailing list or transmitting their contact information – which made it easier for them to search for their friends. The cold weather finally settled in and Osofsky literally brought his business home. Former clients have often made contact with them. According to her, it was natural for her to start selling plants out of her home.

Today, you can take the time to meet the Queen of the Earth herself by sending her a message on Instagram. Once completed, Osofsky discusses topics such as pets, maintenance and sunlight settings over a cup of tea. "Many people are new plant parents," she says. "We want to give them the means to succeed and to give them something that they can really handle … I feel like I can really give people a very personal experience." A potted plant small to medium will sell for between $ 15 and $ 45, while larger items can go up to $ 175. Osofsky also sells vintage and craft planters that she modifies specifically for her plants.

And his services include what you might consider customer service and advice: some buyers will ask him to ask him about health care or plant health. "In that sense, it made customer service almost 24/7," she says. Nowadays, she tries to balance her borders and to respect more regular schedules. "Otherwise, I watch a movie with my boyfriend and tell him," Stop communicating with your customers. "And me," But it's urgent "!"

Social media critics often target the impersonal nature of the media. Instagram has even been specifically linked to poor mental health. For Osofsky, however, it allowed him to have a much more personal experience. "Instagram in general has made my shopping experience more of an experience and less a transaction," she says. "It's almost intimate." Compare that to an in-store experience, she adds, where at best she would phone someone and send her away. "I know them." And, even if you could possibly call any factory store and ask for advice, Osofsky offers the added benefit of communicating directly via DM: a simple and comfortable way to get what you need as you please.

His services are only by appointment. As many of her clients were friends of friends, Osofsky said she felt safe welcoming strangers into her apartment. But more importantly, being able to quickly consult a person's profile allows them to easily help their clients. "I can see what they're talking about," she says. "I usually feel very good about it. If I do not feel well, I'm waiting to have a friend with me. "

For now, Osofsky remains local, but she hopes to continue developing her business. This is her modern store for mothers, a place that introduces her to more neighbors than she has ever met. "It feels like I have a sense of community," she says. It's the best social media to offer – accessible curation with an individual touch.

Of all current networks, Instagram is the most advanced. Whether it's an influencer or an average user, people stand out as the best. But DirtQueenNYC is not interested in an impossible, idealized life. "A lot of people in the food are filled with these kind of ambitious holiday photos that they will never be able to continue, homes they will not have," says Osofsky. "You see so many glamorous pictures of people's lives." The DirtQueenNYC account, however, offers something more accessible: "Hey, here's a plant on a shelf.Do you want to buy it?"

"It's really not very glamorous, I do not think so," she says. "But I feel that it is tangible."