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Food & Beverage · Instagram Growth · Organic + Paid

IMPÉRIO
DA PIZZA

From zero to 306K+ followers — how I turned a local pizzeria into one of the most-followed restaurants on Instagram in Curitiba, Brazil, using a full-stack social media strategy that put the brand on the map — literally.

Social Media Management Video Production Content Strategy Instagram Reels Paid Media Creative Direction Viral Campaigns
306K+
Instagram
Followers
80%
Customers
via Instagram
1M+
Organic Views
on Reels
#1
Most-followed
pizza brand in CWB

The Challenge

Starting from
absolute zero.

When I took over Império da Pizza's Instagram, the account had zero traction — no established audience, no content strategy, no brand voice. Just a 21-year-old local pizzeria with great food and no digital presence.

The food & beverage niche has a unique customer journey: the buying decision is almost instant. Someone feels hungry, scrolls through their feed, and within seconds decides where they're eating tonight. My job was to make sure Império da Pizza was always that decision.

I was responsible for everything — strategy, filming, editing, posting, paid campaigns, community management, and trend adaptation. A full in-house social media operation.

Follower Growth
From 0 to 306K — organic + paid combined
Organic only
Organic + Paid + Viral

The Strategy

Built for
instant craving.

The food niche runs on desire and speed. I designed every piece of content to trigger one thought: "I want that, right now." Here's the 3-pillar approach that drove all results:

🎬

Organic Reels & Photo Content

Continuous high-quality video production with close-up food shots, satisfying cuts, and trending audio — engineered to make mouths water and stop the scroll cold.

📣

Strategic Paid Media

Boosted the best-performing organic posts at the right moment to maximize reach with minimum budget — turning viral momentum into paid amplification.

🎁

Creative Viral Campaigns

Pioneered the first-ever giveaway in Reels format for a local food brand in Curitiba — a format that organically exploded and became a turning point for the profile's growth.

My Role

Full-stack social
media operation.

I didn't just edit videos. I was the entire creative engine behind the brand's digital presence.

Strategy

Brand Voice & Content Planning

Defined the brand's tone, content pillars, and weekly posting cadence — balancing product content, engagement bait, and trend-reactive posts.

Production

Filming & Video Editing

Shot all video content on location — food close-ups, behind-the-scenes, team moments — then edited for maximum retention using trending formats and sounds.

Execution

Posting, Paid Ads & Community

Managed publishing schedules, ran paid campaigns to amplify top posts, and handled all community interactions to build brand loyalty.

Optimization

Analytics & Trend Adaptation

Continuously tracked metrics and adapted the content strategy — pivoting fast when trends emerged, doubling down on what converted.

Customer Source
Where new customers come from
80% via Instagram
Via Instagram
80%
Other channels
20%
Content Mix
Format breakdown by performance
Instagram Reels65%
Feed Photos20%
Stories & Campaigns15%

Viral Moment

THE NIGHT THE
PRESIDENT SHOWED UP.

Brazil's then-president Jair Bolsonaro discovered Império da Pizza through their Instagram profile — and decided to dine there with his full entourage. The visit triggered a massive national media frenzy, with the pizzeria appearing in major outlets across Brazil overnight.

The Instagram profile went from local favorite to national talking point. The brand handled the moment with grace, posting a note reinforcing they were a welcoming, non-partisan restaurant — which itself went viral with nearly 3,000 likes and hundreds of comments.

The Results

Numbers that
speak for themselves.

📈
306K+
Instagram followers — making it one of the most-followed pizzerias in all of Curitiba
🍕
80%
Of all new customers now find and decide to visit the restaurant directly through Instagram
🎥
1M+
Organic video views generated through Reels strategy and viral giveaway campaigns
📰
3+
Major national media outlets covered the brand organically — zero PR spend required
Growth Milestones vs. Key Actions
Each spike corresponds to a strategic moment in the content calendar
0
Start
8K
First Reels
30K
Paid Media
80K
1st Giveaway
150K
Viral Reels
220K
★ Presidential Visit
Media Wave
306K+
Today

"We never expected the president of Brazil to walk through our doors — but he found us on Instagram. That moment proved what we always believed: when your content is right, the right people find you."

Mayara Maciel — Social Media Manager, Império da Pizza

WANT RESULTS
LIKE THESE?

I build social media strategies and video content that turn followers into customers — for brands ready to grow.