Bristol Built: How CJ Hole Made Social Media Feel Like Bristol

The award winning, community-led content engine that grew Instagram 951% and turned 13 offices into one voice.

951% Instagram Growth

300%+ Engagement Increase

1.4M+ Organic Impressions

50+ Businesses Wanted In

The Challenge: A Heritage Brand Stuck in the Past

In 2024, CJ Hole was Bristol's best-kept secret. Despite being champions of Bristol's people and culture since 1867, their external marketing didn't show it. Printed leaflet campaigns weren’t delivering the intended results, and there was a noticeable shift that younger audiences discovered properties through platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

The Brief:

  • Shift perception from "traditional agent" to community-first brand

  • Build an Instagram presence, unifying 13 offices under one voice

  • Replace low-impact print with measurable digital outcomes

  • Drive awareness, engagement, and qualified leads

Together, we launched Bristol Built, an Instagram-first storytelling campaign celebrating the city's makers, traders, characters and neighbourhoods. What started as a shift away from leaflet drops rapidly became a shared movement across all 13 of CJ Hole's Bristol offices, unifying teams, attracting a new generation of locals, and proving that community-led marketing can drive commercial results.

The Strategy: Make Bristol the Hero

People > Property Feature business owners, creators, community leaders as real people

One Brand, Many Voices Align tone, visuals, and purpose across 13 offices

We reframed marketing around place and people, not property. The question stopped being "How do we promote CJ Hole?" and became "How do we champion Bristol?"

Instagram-First Go deep on culturally relevant platform to build community

Sustainable by Design Retire unsustainable physical leaflet campaigns and invest in social + content

Execution: The "Bristol Built" Series

Bristol Makers & Independents Short profiles/reels of cafés, artists, florists

Team, Unfiltered Staff passions, neighbourhood tips, spotlights

Area Love Letters Mini-guides around each office location

Community Moments Charity collaborations, local events, spontaneous wins

Sneak Peeks (Sales Integration) Pre-market property reveals with exclusive access

The Results

Instagram Growth

Followers

<1,000 → 10,300+ in 12 months

Organic Reach

1.4M impressions (3M+ with boosted)

Engagement Rate

3.4 with 43,863 interactions

Brand Position

2nd most-followed Bristol estate agency

Lead Generation

Cost Per Lead

Reduced by 13%

Booked Valuations

Doubled

Total Leads

Quadrupled

Content & Community

Content Created

253 Posts, 159 Reels, 1,041 Stories

Community Pull

50+ local businesses asked to feature

Profile Activity

81.6K visits, 1.9K link clicks

Sustainability

Eliminated thousands of printed leaflets

Why It Worked: Authenticity Beats Algorithm

  1. True-to-Place Storytelling The work reflected Bristol's identity, no stock gloss, just real people and places

  2. Focus Beats Fragmentation One platform mastered (Instagram) > many channels half-done

  3. Repeatable Formats Lightweight series pillars kept quality high and production lean

  4. Unified Brand System 13 offices, one voice, with room for personality

George, Director @ CJ Hole

"From our very first meeting with Andrew and Tom, it was clear they understood the brief and shared the vision for how we wanted to elevate our social media. They recognised that our goal wasn’t just to post great content, but to bring to life the people, places, and stories that make our high streets and communities so special. Their creativity and understanding have helped us capture the true spirit of our branches — celebrating Bristol as the vibrant, characterful city it is. The content they’ve produced not only reflects our ethos but has truly surpassed what we’d hoped to achieve."

 FAQs

  • We saw meaningful engagement uplift within the first few weeks with consistent weekly content there on out. Significant follower growth became apparent around month 3-4.

  • Not required for the organic growth engine. Paid promotion can amplify content once formats prove strong organic engagement.

  • Absolutely. We create shared playbooks and brand systems so local teams contribute to one unified voice while maintaining personality.

  • No – any brand with community touchpoints can benefit from place-based storytelling and community-first content strategies.

Ready to Build Your Community-First Brand?

CJ Hole's success proves that authentic community storytelling drives real business results. Whether you're looking to transform your social media presence, create compelling video content, or build a unified brand voice across multiple locations, we can help you find your authentic story and share it with the world.

Book Your Strategy Call