Filming content for The Academy by Lifetime on a DJI gimbal in the Foodworks kitchen

Social Media Strategy & Mentorship

Lifetime Training / The Academy

Social Media StrategyContent CreationTeam MentoringReportingCommunity Building

The Brief

Launch an Instagram presence from scratch and make the Academy impossible to ignore in hospitality.

The Academy by Lifetime is a collection of flagship hospitality training programmes, but it had no Instagram presence. Yoorcast was brought in to build the account from zero, owning everything from strategy and content creation through to scheduling, reporting, and team mentoring. The goal was to earn attention, build authority, and create a genuine community around the brand.

We launched with a community-first approach, celebrating the Academy's learners and tutors. After an initial test period of learning what resonated, the data pointed us towards a strategic pivot that transformed the account's performance.

The Results

Test. Learn. Pivot. Then everything changed.

The initial phase built the foundation. We tested content formats, studied the data, and learned what the hospitality audience actually engaged with. That insight led to a strategic pivot, and the results since have been transformational.

418%

Engagement Increase

Since the pivot

154%

Follower Growth

From 350 to 889 and accelerating

252k

Phase 1 vs Phase 2.

The initial test period of community-focused content (Phase 1) versus the data-led video strategy that followed (Phase 2).

Posts

Phase 1

Phase 2

Avg Likes

Phase 1

Phase 2

150

Avg Comments

Phase 1

1.9

Phase 2

4.5

Top Views

Phase 1

2.8k

Phase 2

252k

Growth Rate

Phase 1

35/mo

Phase 2

250/mo

Phase 1

Minimal

Phase 2

3,423

Beyond the standout moments

Even with the two biggest reels removed from the data, the underlying baseline shows a 70% improvement in average likes, a 74% increase in comments, and a 35% overall lift. The strategy is working consistently, not just on the outliers.

The Approach

Learn, test, grow, pivot. Led by the data.

Phase 1 was deliberately exploratory. We tested carousels, static images, learner stories, and video to understand what worked. The data told us something clear: video outperformed everything else by a factor of 3.8x. Despite making up 63% of posts, video was driving 86% of all engagement.

That insight shaped the pivot into Phase 2. Not a change of direction, but a sharpening of focus. We doubled down on what the audience was responding to and what the platform was rewarding.

The new strategy was built around three content pillars, each designed to serve a specific purpose in the growth engine.

Entertaining Hospitality Reels

Relatable, funny, shareable content that speaks to anyone who has worked a shift. Designed to reach new audiences and drive shares.

Short Skills Tutorials

Quick, practical cooking techniques from Academy tutors. Designed to build authority and attract followers interested in developing their skills.

Relatable Industry Content

Real moments, real stories, real people. Content that builds connection and repeat viewership within the hospitality community.

The System

Structured planning. Consistent output.

Every month follows a planned content calendar built around the three pillars. Tutorials go out early in the week to start with value. Entertaining reels land midweek when engagement peaks. Community and behind-the-scenes content fills the gaps.

The target is 8 to 11 quality posts per month, a cadence that keeps the algorithm engaged without sacrificing quality. Each post is planned, briefed, filmed, edited, captioned, and scheduled as part of a repeatable workflow.

Monthly content calendar for The Academy Instagram showing planned posts across three content pillars

The Proof

The results arrived fast. And they were decisive.

The first test reels after the pivot delivered results that were 360 times the previous average. Two pieces of content reached more accounts than the entire test period combined.

Headphones Reel

November 2025

Views

252,335

Reach

172,039

1,069

Busy Shift Reel

December 2025

Views

130,038

Reach

107,143

2,354

Combined impact: 382,373 views across 279,182 accounts with 3,423 shares

The Content

From filming days to feed. Every frame counts.

Academy tutor demonstrating cooking techniques during a filming session

The Academy Instagram grid showing 127k views on a single reel

Phone showing a skills tutorial reel on The Academy Instagram

The Mentoring

Building capability. Not dependency.

Alongside managing the social media output, a core part of this engagement is upskilling the Academy team to capture and plan their own content. We delivered content quality training, providing frameworks for what makes a strong reel and why certain formats work.

Team members are now being taken through the training materials, with the goal of multiple people confidently capturing content and reducing reliance on dedicated filming days.

The long-term aim is a self-sustaining content engine where the team captures raw material consistently, and Yoorcast provides the strategic direction, editing, and quality control.

ClientLifetime Training

BrandThe Academy by Lifetime

SectorHospitality Training

EngagementOngoing Retainer

ScopeStrategy, Content, Mentoring, Reporting

This is not about selling. It is about being trusted.

This is a community-first strategy. The commercial return follows. Entertaining content earns attention, tutorial content demonstrates expertise, and a consistent presence builds familiarity. When the audience is ready to engage, the Academy is already trusted.

Want something like this?

Whether it is building a social media presence from scratch, sharpening a strategy based on data, or mentoring your team to create their own content, we can help.

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