# Social Media-Based Bakeries This Small Business Operates By Selling Through Instagram DMs By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2018-12-19 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/selling-through-instagram References: [fastcompany](https://www.fastcompany.com/90283097/the-future-of-shopping-dming-your-baker) & [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp74sFahR88/) Over the last few years, [Instagram](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/facebook1) has introduced plenty of new features to help brands with selling on Instagram but a number of small businesses keep it simple by taking orders via the platform's direct message feature. Max Blachman-Gentile began [selling bread on Instagram](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/deli-kitchen-bakery-products) last year and giving local buyers the chance to pick up their freshly baked orders at Brooklyn bar and restaurant Torst, which let Blachman-Gentile use its own oven for his independent bread business and benefitted by having a rotation of customers regularly brought into the restaurant. According to Instagram, there are 25 million business accounts on its platform but just a small portion of them—only about two million—actually advertise using its services. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.2/10 - Popularity: 63% | Activity: 84% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Direct Message Selling:** A trend of small businesses leveraging social media platforms' direct message feature to facilitate sales and communication with customers. - **Social Media Commerce:** The rise of social media platforms as effective sales channels, where businesses can directly reach and engage with customers. - **Collaborative Partnerships:** The trend of businesses forming mutually beneficial collaborations, such as using shared facilities to cut costs and increase customer traffic. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Food & Beverage:** Opportunities for bakeries and other businesses in the food and beverage industry to use direct message selling on social media platforms to reach and attract customers. - **E-commerce:** The growth of social media commerce presents opportunities for e-commerce companies to leverage platforms like Instagram for direct sales and customer engagement. - **Hospitality:** Collaborative partnerships between small businesses in the hospitality industry, such as bakeries and restaurants, can lead to increased customer traffic and revenue. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Artisanal Bread Delivery Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bakehouse-bread-co.md) - [Banana Bread Businesses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/allies-banana-bread.md) - [Casual Baking Class Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-baking-social.md) - [D2C Gluten-Free Baked Goods](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/antoninas-glutenfree.md) - [Recipe Sharing Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shoppable-recipe.md) - [Social Marketplace Updates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/marketplace.md) - [Virtual Appliance Showrooms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/appliance-showroom.md) - [Iconic Cupcake Brands](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crumbs-cupcakes.md) - [Custom Bakery Ordering Interfaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/online-cake-ordering-module.md)