Last year, I started working with Barrels & Bins, a natural market here in Driggs, Idaho. They needed consistent, quality content for social media. Like most small businesses, they didn’t have the bandwidth to create it themselves.
We set up a 6-month retainer. Every month, I’d shoot photos and video, create social posts, and help with their newsletter. Consistancy being the key here.
Here’s what came out of it.
The Challenge: Standing Out in the Teton Valley Market
Barrels & Bins is in a good Location. They carry quality natural products, and have built a loyal local following. In April 2025, a major retailer in Driggs, normally closed on Sunday, opened thier doors for the entire week. This simple move created a problem for Barrels and Bins. The goal was to bring more of what was already in the store, out into their communications and build up the brand loyalty they had.
What We Created: Photography and Reels for the local Audience
Over 6 months, I delivered:
- Professional photography of products, events, and the store itself
- Production of Short-form video content—mostly Reels optimized for Instagram
- 4 social posts per month
- Support for their monthly newsletter
The Process was simple. We communicated each month. We identified the important points to communicate in their newsletter, such as sales, new products, and department highlights. Then, we used that as a template for their Instagram and Facebook posts.
I’d show up, capture, deliver files, and schedule social media posts.
The Results: 8x Higher Engagement Than Industry Average
Here’s what the numbers looked like:
Your audience will connect to your people: By far, the posts with the most views were the ones featuring staff. Initially, the staff was hesitant, and a little camera-shy, but the excitement built when they saw the reaction to the first staff highlight.
Engagement: Their content averaged a 2.8% engagement rate. For context, the retail industry median is 0.36%. That means their posts were connecting not just filling up the feed. With each
Video performance: Reels consistently hit 1200+ views. Not viral, but solid organic reach for a local business in a small market.
Long-term value: They also built a content library with me. Photos and videos they can keep using even after our work together ends.
What Made It Work: Consistent and Story-rich.
A few things made the difference:
Consistency over volume. We didn’t post every day. We made a plan of what to hit with the posts for products and then filled the rest out with staff stories.
Storytelling. If you’ve ever been in the store, the people behind it, the community connection, you can feel the. That’s what resonates here. and
Understanding the audience. Teton Valley is a small market. People respond to content that feels rooted in place, not generic marketing (Especially AI). We leaned into the organic, imperfect and earnest.
What This Means for Other Local Businesses
If you’re a business owner in Teton Valley or anywhere, really here’s what I learned:
You don’t need viral content. You need the right people seeing your story. A few hundred engaged locals matter more than thousands of random scrollers.
Consistent visual content, even if it’s once a month, builds trust and proof that you’re active, and invested. People notice that.
If you’re looking for video and photo content that matches the quality of what you’re building, let’s talk. I work with businesses in Driggs, Victor, and across Teton Valley to create content that actually reflects who you are.
[Get in touch below]
Westwell Media 