Our Most-Liked Instagram Posts: 2024 in Review
The Social Media Content That Defined Our Year
The year 2024 was a busy one for us at the Independent, with countless hot-button issues affecting Santa Barbarans: local, state, and national elections; flooding and wildfires; oil pipelines; animal rescues; restaurant openings; packed performing and visual arts calendars; and town celebrations.
Looking back on our top-performing Instagram posts provides an important — and somewhat surprising — snapshot of our community’s direct responses to the stories we published this year. As a social media coordinator, it can be hard to predict which stories will catch the attention of our readers and other users on the grid. Yet, counting up the likes shows that readers were most intrigued by the obituaries of notable community figures, reactions to the results of the 2024 presidential election, and forms of activism.
Here’s a look at the content our followers engaged with the most in 2024.
The Top 10
1. Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Receives $818,000 to Transform Cuyama Valley Farmland | 3,280 likes | May 7 | Image credit: Clifton F. Smith
If there was one piece of good news our readers were waiting for, it was that the Cuyama Valley, one of the most over-drafted groundwater regions in California, is to be transformed into a place for native plants to thrive. Thanks to a USDA Grant toward the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, conservations efforts are underway to preserve water and increase biodiversity in the area.
2. Chris Potter Has Died | 2,450 likes | February 5 | Image credit: Courtesy
The death of 49-year-old Santa Barbara landscape painter Chris Potter earlier this year deeply impacted our community. Beloved for his works depicting Santa Barbara’s natural beauty, Potter passed after a struggle from a rare form of cancer since 2021. In our social media comments and in person, community members came together to share fond memories and sentiments.
3. A Blessed Life: My Father, the Preacher, the Santa Barbara Legend | 2,316 likes | October 7 | Image credit: Courtesy
Ikuma Ohtsu, also known as “Blessed” or “Weed Jesus,” became a memorable character of State Street for walking around barefoot, in a white robe, carrying a Bible. After his passing in May, his daughter Watsuki Harrington shared a heartfelt obituary about her experience reconnecting with her father, and his impact as a preacher and inspirational figure.
4. The Next Chapter: Chaucer’s Books in Santa Barbara Sold After 50 Years | 2,164 likes | June 11 | Image credit: Ingrid Bostrom
Just before the bookstore celebrated half a century in business, ownership transferred from the original owner, Mahri Kerley, to Jen Lemberger and Greg Feitt, a pair of book lovers who met while working there in the early 2000s. In our comments, many expressed relief that the store and its thousands of titles would live on.
5. Santa Barbara Women March for Harris | 2,026 likes | November 5 | Image credit: Hadeel Elijarrari
As expected, election-related stories received lots of mixed attention on our socials. Before Election Day, the 2024 Santa Barbara Women’s March took over De la Guerra Plaza in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential bid.
6. From Our Publisher | 1,751 likes | November 8 | Design credit: Stephanie Gerson
Yet another election-related post generated all types of buzz: one of the few instances in which our Publisher Brandi Rivera addressed readers following the election of Donald Trump. The Indy had endorsed Kamala Harris a month prior, and in reaction to the national results, the issue published the same week as this letter opted for a stark white cover infiltrated with a symbolic oozing of orange liquid.
7. Crushcakes & Café Offers Up Its Café As a Post-Election Safe Space in Santa Barbara, Sparking Online Controversy | 1,693 likes | November 10 | Image credit: Ingrid Bostrom
A third election-themed post made our top 10 list this year, and it happened to be one of the few stories I contributed to. After November 5, businesses grappled with the decision of whether to post their reaction and political stance online. Crushcakes & Café was one of the few businesses in town that took to social media to share their disappointment toward Trump’s win.
8. UC Santa Barbara Students Create ‘Liberated Zone’ in Solidarity with Gaza | 1,615 likes | April 30 | Image credit: Sierra van der Brug
As 2024 marked a momentous year for activism on college campuses in light of Israel’s military offensive on Gaza, on April 25, UCSB students organized a “liberated zone” inside the campus Student Resources Building in support of Palestine, hosting a day of teach-ins, film screenings, traditional dance, and provided meals.
9. “Occupation of UC Santa Barbara’s Girvetz Hall Ends | 1,568 likes | June 11 | Image credit: @SayGenocideUCSB
Another form of pro-Palestine activism was a defining moment in early June, with a group of protesters occupying and vandalizing a classroom in UCSB’s Girvetz Hall for two full days before law enforcement conducted a sweep of the scene. No arrests were made, but comments on our Instagram post showed that while several agreed with their message, there was a call for the protesters to be held accountable for the damages caused.
10. Goleta’s Miye Ota Dies at Age 106 | 1,433 likes | October 1 | Image credit: Paul Wellman file
At number 10 is the obituary for Miye Ota, a beautician, hairdresser, Japanese-American internment camp internee, and the only woman to serve on the founding board of the Goleta Chamber of Commerce. Since 1964, Ota ran a dance and martial arts studio in Old Town Goleta, and several readers remember learning dance from her during their childhoods.
Top-Performing Category: Animals
Our social media stats also proved that pretty much everyone loves a story about the aquatic critters who live in California’s coastal waters, with captivating animal photos and videos earning the most likes.
1. Two Rescued Harbor Seals Released at Carpinteria Rookery | 7,450 likes | 162,000 views | July 4 | Video credit: Stephanie Gerson
Who doesn’t love a heartwarming animal rescue story? The rehabilitation of harbol seals “Kermit” and “Little Bunny Foo Foo” with the help of the Channel Islands Marine Wildlife Institute stole the hearts of Instagram users and was our most-liked post and most-viewed video of the year.
2. Close Encounter with a Gray Whale at Santa Barbara Harbor | 3,623 likes | 74,000 views | May 9 | Video credit: Quincy Briscoe
Local captain Quincy Briscoe sent in one of our top videos on socials this year of his run-in with a gray whale. Briscoe was on a small dingy with his crew when a whale spotting in the distance peaked his curiosity and led to a peaceful encounter in the Santa Barbara Channel.
3. ‘Huge’ Great White Shark Spotted Eating Elephant Seal in Santa Barbara Channel | 3,103 likes | September 19 | Image credit: Bob Perry for the Condor Express
Soon after our staff’s dolphin-watching experience on the Condor Express, the boat’s staff photographer sent some utterly terrifying photos of a great white’s mealtime. This story dominated not only our social media channels but also our website, remaining the top-viewed story for weeks on end.
Thank you for reading and reacting on our social media channels this year! If you haven’t already, give us a follow on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok for daily Santa Barbara news updates!
