Brunch Boys founder Jeremy Jacobowitz takes followers on a journey through New York’s most delicious spots.
In this series, Instagram Icon, Entrepreneur speaks with the individuals behind popular Instagram accounts to find out the secrets of their success.
For most people, brunch is a chance to unwind, eat some eggs, drink some mimosas, and depending on how popular your choice of venue, stand in line on a Sunday morning. For Jeremy Jacobowitz, it was an untapped business opportunity.
Jacobowitz is the founder of food and lifestyle brand Brunch Boys. Prior to launching the business, he spent nearly a decade working as television producer, logging time on the staffs of shows on the Food Network and Cooking Channel, and working with chef Bobby Flay as his production assistant before working his way up the food chain.
In 2014, wanting to fill some down time between jobs, he set out on his own to build a project that would encompass his love of travel and food. Today, his decision to stretch himself as a photographer and producer has paid off. The New York native’s Instagram account documenting his culinary adventures has garnered 442,000 followers and counting.
Jacobowitz shared what he’s learned about what it takes to set yourself apart from the crowd and develop your voice.
How did you get your start with Instagram?
This was almost four years ago. I was a food TV producer. So I was always freelancing going from gig to gig. And you have time off between shows. I’m someone that can’t deal with time off, I get bored too quickly. So I thought I’ll make some brunch videos. I picked the name Brunch Boys and I literally started the Instagram because when you pick a brand, you should own the name across all platforms. And that was it.
Food Instagrams really didn’t exist [in the same way they do now] four years ago. I wish I was smart enough to have the foresight that this could be a thing. But I started it to make these videos and have something to do between gigs.
What other platforms do you use and what percentage of the time do you spend on them vs. Instagram?
There’s Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and there’s a website. But it’s pretty much all Instagram. I’m actually right now just in the past couple of months putting a concentrated effort into YouTube. I just think there’s a good growth opportunity there, more so than Snapchat. I think Facebook there is always growth opportunity. But Facebook’s strategy is just what money you spend and how you spend it. I feel like on Instagram the growth has always been about the content. By far everything is Instagram first, that’s where the audience is.
How much of your time do you devote to it?
Every second. It is a 24/7 job. Instagram is set up that way anyway because it’s set up to make you want to scroll, like and comment every second. But if you see me on my phone odds are I’m on Instagram.
How do you promote your account? What’s your number one way to get the word out and attract new followers?
It’s putting myself out there more than anything. I think that’s what makes you different. Brunch Boys is a brand and it is this thing, but it’s also very much me. The more I put myself out there, either during interviews or hosting stuff for shows [the better]. For example, I was on Beat Bobby Flay as a judge. All those type of things just sort of grow you beyond Instagram’s algorithm.
What’s your content strategy?
It’s definitely all about timing, what you post, when you post and how you post it. Those things are always going on in my head. I don’t have anything written down. I don’t have a calendar of what I’m going to post, but I have a…
