Rouba Shahin is cookin’ up more than just shawarma.
The Aussie home cook-turned-content queen behind the social media account Rouba’s Food Journey serves up Middle Eastern flavors and feel-good stories, attracting a community that comes back for seconds.
Her current fans show up hungry and stay for her mouthwatering recipe content…but to expand her reach, Rouba didn’t want to “hack” the algorithm. She wanted to feed it. (And turns out, it loved her for it.)
The Challenge
Rouba’s not just another food creator tossing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.
She knows what her audience craves: homegrown recipes, heritage dishes, and storytelling with heart.
Like any creator trying to stand out in a crowded kitchen (read: Instagram and Facebook), she needed to keep her engagement sizzling, stay visible, and show brand partners she was doing more than just serving up a pretty plate or two.
And she had to do this all without scrapping her no-ads, organic-only philosophy.
The Goal
It was simple on paper, but harder in practice:
- Stay top-of-feed.
- Drive engagement.
- Keep it 100% organic.
- And make sure every post whips up revenue for her and her brand partners.
How it Works
This is where Rouba found Perth-based social media marketing agency and Manychat Agency Partner, AdSocial.
Rouba heard AdSocial CEO Amberlea Henriques speak at Manychat’s Instagram Summit, and slid straight into her DMs. Together with her team, Amberlea cooked up a smart, simple DM strategy, and the AdSocial team’s been serving results ever since.
Step 1: Gather the ingredients
Rouba posts her drool-worthy recipe content and says, “Drop a comment, and I’ll send it to your DMs.”
Step 2: Mix and instantly serve
Commenters get served, instantly. Manychat drops into their DMs like a waiter with the house special. The personalized message makes it feel like it’s made just for them.
Step 3: Share with friends
That comment-and-reply-engagement combo gets the algorithm’s attention, so Rouba’s content is pushed out to more folks.
Step 4: Stay for seconds
Followers feel like VIPs at a dinner party. Brand partners see results that stick. And now Rouba’s cooking with gas — and growing fast!
Comment → DM → done. Snag our free “Auto-DM links from comments” template to get this set up in minutes!
The Results
Well, the numbers were hotter than a wood-fired oven:
- Facebook reach: Up 6,200%
- Instagram reach: Up 907%
- Engagement rate: 2.77% (that’s double the industry average for influencers)
- Subscribers: 9,000+ organic opt-ins, no ad spend
- Total Facebook and Instagram audience: 270,000+ followers (and still rising faster than sourdough)
Each comment sparked a convo, and each convo sparked a connection. And Rouba’s content caught fire — in the best way. 🔥
Oh, and the cherry on top: Rouba and Amberlea got invited to Meta HQ in Sydney to share their recipe for social media success.
Why This Works (and Why You Need it Too)
The old way: Serve your content, and hope someone bites.
The new way: Spice things up with DM automation. Deliver instant value while keeping the algorithm and your audience well-fed.
Swipe This Strategy
Here’s the recipe:
- Post something that your audience can’t live without (a recipe, a freebie, a guide)
- Ask your audience to comment
- Use Manychat to slide into their DMs like “your order’s up”
- Give ‘em the goods
- Watch your engagement rise, and your content get served to more hungry eyes.
Dare we say it? Rouba ate and left no crumbs. 😉
Your turn. Cook up your own DM strategy.
| Step 1: Sign up for Manychat (oh, did we mention it’s free?!) Join 1 million+ smart brands and sign up for a risk-free trial. No lock-in contracts here. | Step 2: Build your first automation (with a lil help)Choose from one of our ready-to-go templates and get it up and running faster than ever before. | Step 3: Secure the bag! 💅No, really. Get more sales from Instagram every time you post. |
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