A strong sense of company culture is essential for attracting and retaining employees. Yet most prospective hires aren’t going to search through your website to find your brand values. Instead, their first stop will likely be your social media accounts. That’s why it’s crucial to use these platforms—especially Instagram—to illustrate what your brand is all about.

Want your company to stand out from the crowd online? Use your Instagram to prove that you are truly human-centered.

Let these Insta accounts, from fitness gurus to ethically sourced clothing lines, be your muse.

 

Zappos

 

Google “great company culture,” and Zappos will pop up in pretty much every article you can find, and for good reason. This brand puts employees front and center and loves highlighting their team so much that they dedicated an entire Instagram account to it.

You won’t find boring shots of sneakers here. Instead, you’ll see pictures of employees playing the piano in their lobby, jumping in ball pits with their corporate choir, and surprising their customer service team with a munchy-inducing snack bar. If I was looking for a job in Nevada, these pictures would convince me to apply to work at Zappos in a heartbeat.

 

Kotn

 

Too many clothing brands only feature images of their line on social media, rather than highlighting their mission. Kotn, an ethically-sourced clothing company, flips the script. They use their Instagram to share stories of their team, from designers to the Egyptian women who bring the designs to life. By highlighting these aspects of their brand, Kotn helps attract talented employees looking to make an impact in the world. Plus, they regularly give their customers the spotlight in their “Caught in Kotn” story.

 

Kettlespace

 

Kettlespace takes over restaurants that are typically closed during the day and turns them into coworking spaces. Rather than simply showing off their beautiful spaces, their social media team posts photos of members in action. These include candids of on-site workshops, snaps of their staff, and photos of members with funny captions. This strategy makes it clear to anyone who’s considering becoming a member that this isn’t simply a place to sit down and get work done. It’s a community that cares about each other. (Full disclosure: I’m a member of Kettlespace, and you can find my face scattered throughout their feed.)

 

Mark Fisher Fitness

 

Most gyms use Instagram to post pictures of muscled people doing things that us mere mortals could never dream of. Mark Fisher Fitness—whose tagline is “serious fitness for ridiculous humans”—instead showcases an over-the-top culture they’ve cultivated. Posts frequently involve members in crazy costumes, staff getting silly, and the coveted “Ninja of the Month” post, which celebrates their most dedicated members. It’s pretty clear what MFF’s company culture is—absolutely bonkers.

 

The Wing

 

The Wing is a glamorous women-only coworking space that has recently exploded in popularity. As their Instagram shows, the company hosts FOMO-inducing workshops, gorgeous spaces, and fosters a sense of camaraderie between members that is unheard of in the more generic spaces for freelancers. Their feed is a representation of the company’s mission—to help women step into their power and support each other.

 

Vega

 

Vega is a protein powder company with a strong ambassador program—and their Instagram reflects that. Rather than showing an endless stream of product photos, Vega showcases images of their team on the road, doing leadership trainings, and collaborating with charities. Scrolling through their feed gives me a sense of how passionate each of their employees is about fitness and challenging themselves on a daily basis.

 

Patagonia

 

Patagonia is a breath of fresh air. They don’t feature gorgeous fitness models hiking through beautiful terrain, somehow without a drip of sweat on their body. Instead, they post about the real people who regularly use their products: conservationists covered in dirt, fly fishing guides, and the founder himself by a lake. In addition to those videos featuring their customers, they also talk about something that’s very close to the company’s values—voting for land conservation. In fact, their Instagram is filled with posts that highlight their community taking action on behalf of the planet. These images and videos illustrate how important environmentalism, teamwork, and politics are to the Patagonia brand. That speaks louder than any mission statement.

 

Dig Inn

 

Dig Inn is a popular “fast food” spot that serves locally-grown vegetables, fruits, grains, and proteins. They’re proud of the fact that they support American farms, and their feed showcases plenty of happy faces holding uprooted veggies. Some of their farmers have even become Instagram famous, with fans offering marriage proposals. And, in case their values aren’t apparent from the plentiful shots of bowls filled with produce, this picture makes it pretty clear.

 

Convene

 

Shameless plug—we’re pretty dang proud of the team culture we’ve built here at Convene! 94 percent of our employees rate us as a “great place to work,” and there’s ample opportunity for personal growth. We love showing off our team on Instagram, along with our beautiful spaces and workplace inspiration. Give us a follow and see for yourself!