We listened. Here's what we heard, how we'd approach it, what we'd build, and what it costs.
Everything in this proposal maps directly to what Sydney shared with us. These three goals shape every strategic decision.
Catering is the priority revenue push — B2B focused, targeting local Cincinnati businesses for team events, company lunches, and holiday gatherings. Every BOFU piece of content drives a catering inquiry.
BOFU · RevenueConsolidate to one unified account, grow OTR awareness, and execute a thoughtful transition that brings the Findlay Market audience into the primary Carl's Deli community — not abandon them.
TOFU · AwarenessProactive community management — responding to every comment and DM, reaching out to local Cincinnati accounts, and building Carl's as an active, connected member of the city's food culture.
MOFU · CommunityHow this maps to our framework: Goal 2 (Findlay awareness) = TOFU — reach new audiences. Goal 3 (interactions) = MOFU — build trust and community. Goal 1 (catering leads) = BOFU — convert to revenue. Every post is mapped to one of these three outcomes. Nothing goes live without a strategic purpose.
Carl's Deli serves two distinct audiences. The strategy is built around both — and every piece of content knows which one it's for.
Cincinnati locals — Hyde Park residents, Findlay Market regulars, OTR explorers, and FC Cincinnati fans. Ages 25–50, community-oriented, prioritize quality and authenticity over chains. They choose Carl's for the history, the craft, and the feeling of being part of something Cincinnati-born.
A go-to lunch spot they trust. Something worth telling their friends about. They want to feel connected to a brand that's been part of Cincinnati for 80 years — and now has new energy behind it.
Online order · In-store visit · Share with a friend
Office managers, executive assistants, event planners, and business owners at small-to-mid-sized Cincinnati companies. They need to feed teams, impress clients, and make events run smoothly. They value reliability, quality product, and zero-hassle ordering.
A catering partner they can trust to show up with great food and no surprises. Proof that other Cincinnati businesses have used Carl's and been happy. A clear, simple path to place an order.
Catering inquiry form · DM to book · Link in bio
Our recommendation: consolidate both Instagram accounts into a single unified presence. Here's how we'd execute the transition without losing the Findlay Market audience in the process.
Finalize the consolidation plan, new handle, bio, and brand direction. Build transition content into the 90-day calendar. Both accounts remain active while the plan is finalized and approved.
Begin publishing warm transition content on @carlsdelifindlaymarket directing followers to the primary account. Community-first messaging that makes Findlay Market followers feel welcomed into the larger Carl's family — not abandoned. Run 2–3 weeks to allow audience migration.
@carlsdelihydepark rebranded to @carlsdeli (or nearest available handle) as the single unified Carl's Deli profile. Bio, highlights, and link-in-bio updated to represent both Hyde Park and Findlay Market. @carlsdelifindlaymarket deactivated once the transition window closes.
Content plan covers Hyde Park and Findlay Market with dedicated location content, location tags, and a unified brand voice that serves the full Cincinnati audience from a single, growing account.
Assumption: This proposal is scoped around the account consolidation plan above. If Carl's Deli decides to maintain two separate accounts, scope and investment will need to be revised. Final sign-off on the consolidation plan happens at the Month 1 kickoff call.
Instagram is a search engine. Most brands don't treat it like one. We do — and it's how we make sure the right people find you before they even follow you.
We build a 4-tier keyword bank that maps search intent from broad discovery all the way to high-intent buyer phrases. Keywords are embedded in your bio, captions, on-screen text, and alt text — every placement the algorithm reads.
The algorithm rewards content that earns the right engagement signals. Reels optimized for watch time and shares. Carousels optimized for saves. Stories optimized for completion and link taps. Every format has a specific performance job.
The first 1–3 seconds determine whether a Reel gets distributed or dies. Every piece of content is engineered with a layered hook — verbal, visual, and on-screen text — to maximize retention rate, the algorithm's highest-weighted signal.
We track two Tier 1 metrics above all others: retention % on Reels (watch time signals quality) and saves on carousels (bookmark behavior signals utility). Shares are the third priority — they trigger exponential organic reach. Every monthly adjustment is data-driven against these signals.
Built across 4 tiers from broad discovery to high-intent buyer. Full keyword bank delivered in Month 1 strategy document.
Tier 1 — Broad Discovery
Tier 2 — Niche Specific
Tier 3 — Service + Location
Tier 4 — High-Intent Buyer
Our ideation runs two lanes simultaneously. Lane 1 adapts proven high-performing formats from the food and local brand niche. Lane 2 invents formats unique to Carl's — built around cultural moments, brand quirks, and stories no other deli can tell. Both lanes feed the Signal Method testing phase.
The top-performing food content format across niches in 2025. Sensory process footage — meat slicing, sandwich building, salad prep — earns replays and shares purely from the satisfaction of watching craft. Natural sound does the work. No voiceover, no script. @tonyandpetes runs this format consistently and it's their highest-reach content.
Founder-on-camera Reels consistently outperform product content in the local food niche. People don't just buy the sandwich — they buy into who's making it. Sydney and Cameron have a story most deli owners can't claim: they grew up eating here, bought it to preserve it, and are expanding it. That contrast — two sisters in fitness who own an 80-year deli — is differentiated and shareable.
The save-driving format for local food brands. Carousels that deliver expert knowledge — "what to actually order," "how deli meat is graded," "why house-made matters" — earn saves from people who want to reference them later, and shares from people who want to look smart. This is MOFU at its best: positions Carl's as the Cincinnati deli authority, not just another sandwich shop.
Catering consideration is high-intent but low-awareness. Most businesses don't think "local deli" when planning a corporate event — they think caterers. The content job is to shift that mental model before the search happens. Show what a real Carl's catering spread looks like. Make it feel premium and effortless. Pair with a seasonal urgency carousel for maximum BOFU conversion.
An entirely original format built from Carl's two biggest brand assets: 50+ sandwiches and the Hyde Park dog culture. No other deli is doing this. The premise: match each sandwich to a dog breed with a 2-line personality explanation. It's unexpected, shareable, and creates a curiosity loop that pulls people through the full carousel. Dog owners send this to their partners, their group chats, their dog-parent friends. Each share is a new person discovering Carl's who otherwise never would have.
FC Cincinnati players already eat at Carl's. This is earned media most local food brands could never access — and Carl's has it organically. The format: "reveal" Reels showing a player's go-to order, shot candid at the counter. No script. No paid deal. Just a genuine Cincinnati connection. One Reel from a recognized FCC player can push Carl's to tens of thousands of new Cincinnati food fans with zero ad spend. The gifting strategy below seeds this without asking for anything.
Carl's has 80 years of Cincinnati history behind it. That's a content moat most local businesses can never build. A recurring archive series — old photos, vintage menus, neighborhood history, generational customers — earns massive saves and shares from Cincinnati locals who feel personally connected to that history. This format doesn't just perform well; it builds community equity over time.
The Findlay Market location gives Carl's access to one of Cincinnati's most vibrant food communities. A recurring series featuring neighboring vendors — shots together, cross-tagging, shared Cincinnati identity — taps into every vendor's audience simultaneously. This is the highest-reach TOFU format for a new location launch: community content that earns cross-reach from people who've never heard of Carl's but already love Findlay Market.
Want to understand the thinking behind these ideas? The Scroll Media Framework → walks through our full ideation approach — the two-lane system, how we align formats to algorithm signals, and how every content decision maps to your specific goals.
These are the two accounts Sydney called out. Here's what they're doing well — and exactly how we'd translate those lessons into content for Carl's Deli.
Lesson for Carl's: Tony & Pete's proves a neighborhood deli can build a real Instagram brand at 10K+ without paid ads. The formula: craft content + founder presence + community identity. Carl's has all three — stronger than Tony & Pete's, in a bigger market.
Lesson for Carl's: Coffeeroom proves a small local food brand can build an audience 4–5x larger than its physical size by committing to a visual identity and posting consistently. Carl's has more story, more locations, and more cultural depth to work with.
Everything below is included in the monthly retainer. You run the deli. We run the Instagram.
Content approvals: All content submitted for approval 5 business days before publish date. Max 2 rounds of revisions per cycle, batched and discussed on biweekly calls.
Strategy before execution — always. Sign this week and the first post goes live before the end of April.
Ready to move fast. Contract signed this week → kickoff call within 48 hours → strategy built in 3 weeks → first post live by week 4. No reason to wait.
We handle the heavy lifting. Here's what makes it run smoothly on your end.
Straightforward pricing. No hidden fees. Billed month-by-month.
Questions before signing? Chase is available to answer over email or jump on a quick call.
Chase sends the Signature Package contract within 24 hours of approval. E-sign takes under 5 minutes.
Sent immediately after signing. Covers brand story, goals, audience, and catering details. Takes about 20 minutes — forms the foundation of the entire strategy.
Scheduling unlocks after the onboarding form is submitted. Strategy Month 1 starts immediately — first post live by week 4.
Reply to this proposal or reach Chase directly. A contract can be sent today.
chase@getscrollmedia.com