The Implementation of Soft and Hard Selling Strategies on Instagram Reels: A Case Study of @namiyah_gifts

The rapid growth of social media has transformed the way businesses communicate with consumers, making Instagram Reels an important platform for implementing marketing communication strategies. This study aims to (1) describe the implementation of soft selling and hard selling marketing communication strategies through Instagram Reels on the Instagram account of @namiyah_gifts and (2) compare audience engagement generated by both strategies. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study design. The research analyzed 39 Instagram Reels published from January to December 2025 using observation, documentation, and content analysis. The data were categorized based on soft selling indicators (storytelling, emotional appeal, educational content, and product value) and hard selling indicators (call to action, explicit price, promotion, and urgency). Audience engagement was evaluated using Instagram metrics, including likes, comments, shares, saves, views, and Engagement Rate (ER) as a descriptive supporting measure. The findings reveal that Namiyah Gift predominantly implemented soft selling strategies, emphasizing product value, storytelling, emotional appeal, and educational content to build relationships with the audience. Hard selling strategies appeared less frequently and were mainly used during promotional campaigns by highlighting explicit prices, promotional offers, urgency, and calls to action. The comparison of audience engagement indicates that soft selling content generated more consistent audience interaction across Instagram Reels, while certain hard selling content achieved higher engagement during specific promotional events. These findings suggest that combining soft selling and hard selling strategically can enhance marketing communication effectiveness, with soft selling supporting longterm audience relationships and hard selling encouraging immediate consumer responses when appropriate.