Sales Page:
http://archive.is/yOvX3
Screenshots
Secrets of a Buyer
Login
IG90: Connect + Convert
How to Sell without Selling on Instagram (and get the algorithm working in your favor!)
What if you could make sales... without constantly pitching yourself on Instagram?
What if YOU became the go-to shop for your customer?
No questions.
She remembers you, always comments on your Instagram, and is excited to support you.
Because I don't know about you, but I'm a little tired of the Instagram game.
No matter which new strategy or hack you try, your follower count doesn't budge.
You're sick of the desperate 'follow/unfollow' game and trying to keep up with confusing algorithm changes.
At times it feels exhausting and fake... what happened to the fun, wonderful community it once was?!
In fact, you're starting to have a love/hate relationship with Instagram.
It's more difficult to stand out, the algorithm is leaving you confused, and there's an overload of 'hacks + tricks' promising you'll "beat the algorithm!"
YOU'VE TRIED EVERYTHING.
You sign up for free courses and challenges that promise to "grow your followers".
You diligently show up each and every day.
You've read seemingly every blog post and hundreds of freebies that promise to give you the secrets behind growing your account.
You maybe even already invested in other Instagram courses (and weren't totally satisfied with the results).
You still feel like you're struggling to understand how to work around the algorithm
But what if I said you don't have to "beat the algorithm" or find the next new hack to work around it...
That there's actually a (simple!) way to make the algorithm work - in your favor.
I totally and forever changed my approach to Instagram and started loving it again.
Yes, I wanted to build my business and make sales through Instagram, but I knew there had to be a better way than screaming to the masses, posting pitch after sales pitch, or wearing out my thumb scrolling + liking thousands of posts a day.
I wanted to connect with people. Really connect, as I would in real life. I wanted to make Instagram not only fun again, but have it make a real impact on my business too.
So, what's this big "secret" to getting the algorithm working for you?
Engagement.
And not just any kind, but hyper-personalized relationships.
As Instagram continues to improve the user experience, we need to follow suit and focus more on our individual audience relationships.
What do they need from us? What gets them talking? How can we encourage them?
Instagram is no longer just a popularity contest (YAY). They're valuing real over spammy or bot behavior (can I get a double YAY YAY!), and individual relationships matter, putting you back into control.
So how do we crack this level of engagement?
By understanding what our audience actually uses Instagram for + how we can meet them where they already are.
They use Instagram as a platform for:
Inspiration
Discovery
Community
And the one thing they don't?
As a sales platform.
(Which is not to say you can’t or won’t make sales from it. Otherwise that'd be a giant waste of our time!)
But understanding that tiny distinction will make a huge difference in how you approach your Instagram content and the results you get.
Which is why I’m so excited to introduce
IG90: Creative Instagram Plans for Online Shop Owners, Makers, and Etsy Sellers.
IG90 is about connecting with your customers through storytelling, getting a conversation going, and learning how to lead them down the path from follower to buyer in a natural way using the Instagram platform.
Let's say goodbye to random posting, "time-sucking engagement hacks", and sweaty palms staring at that blinking cursor.
Let's focus on connection first, then conversion.
Because of your IG90 program (so insightful, OMG!) I completely overhauled our IG/FB pages and so grateful I did because we got a celebrity's (their assistant anyway) attention and interest... couldn't have done it without your help. So thanks again!! 
-Rene, @pureandcoco
Find her natural skincare shop Pure + Coco here
I've been working through the get to know your customers part and the first worksheet was filled with "aha moments" about seeing ways to connect to my customers.
It's giving me ideas for much more than just Instagram; I feel like it's helping my entire brand take shape in a way that nothing else has helped me to do before.
-Shanna, @bristol_and_breve
Find her art at Bristol + Breve
I’m LOVING your course! I actually recommended it to a couple of friends and I know one of them has already purchased. I’ve taken many courses since starting my business including one super expensive one and yours is by far the best in terms of understanding ecommerce.
- Elisheva
Get started now!
I'm not going to tell you why you need to post great content, pretty images, or show up every day.
You know all that!
And that's the problem I found with most Instagram courses. They tell you what to do without a clear action plan on HOW you can follow through, day after day.
This course won't show you how to work around Instagram loopholes and beat the algorithm with one-off hacks.
And it isn't a "do this" tactic-based approach.
This is an intentional, creative road map designed to help you understand your customer, start a conversation with her, and show up again + again with exactly what she needs to hear before she'll buy from you and support you.
This course will help you CONNECT with + CONVERT your followers to paying customers.
Doesn't that sound better than a vague "double your followers"?
Because I see you out there trying to connect on Instagram.
.... you're sick of the pointless follow/unfollows,
.... the empty "love!" comments,
.... and the crickets you keep hearing even though your followers are growing.
You're looking for real engagement, real followers, and genuine comments that make you smile and get you excited to chat with your people every day. You want to sell on Instagram in a way that feels good, not just for you, but your customers too.
Not to mention - you want to actually show up in your followers' feeds and feel confident about how your account is working with the algorithm.
So I wanted to take away the confusing 'engagement hacks' and get back to serving our customer.
With IG90: Creative Instagram Plans, I created specific strategies for shop owners to plan out your content in 90 day chunks and serve your customers in a way that's going to hit them over the head (in the softest way possible) and get them excited about your brand.
Seriously.
This isn't another online course with just a lot of theory and information. It's a road map so you can put this information to work.
You’ll create your 90 day content plan over the course of a few days and then have an exact road map of the content and images you need to create.
What would that mean for you?
I’ll take a few guesses…
Never staring at that blinking cursor, cursing that you don’t know what to say #puncity
Being able to focus on your business, instead of wasting time worrying about what to post each day
Never running out of ideas again! (Because I’m sharing over 100 of mine)
No more forgetting (or avoiding) to post
AND THE BIG ONE… having an intentional content strategy that will actually turn followers into customers and support your business goals.
I honestly haven’t been more excited than I was while creating IG90. I truly believe it will re-shape the way you approach your Instagram and finally give you a social media strategy that supports your business.
And I'm thrilled to say those going through the course have seen the payoff.
What people are saying:
"After implementing just a fraction of the tips learned in the first portion of the course, I posted one of my products on Instagram and sold it in less than thirty minutes!
I still have people contacting me about that post, nearly two months later
My main struggle was knowing what to say in my posts, and this is why I felt the need to do the course. The advice I learned from IG90 not only helped me craft Instagram post descriptions that sell, but learning what to say also helped me formulate hashtags that would reach clients and not other Etsy sellers or stationery designers"
- Valerie, @bettylupaperie
Find her shop at BettyLuPaperie
You're the best. Seriously you have single handedly, changed how I do business and use Instagram.
- Karyn, @siggiclothier
Find her shop at SiggiClothier
AND THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE NUGGET FROM AUTUMN:
- Autumn, @dupreandmoore
Find her shop at Du Pré and Moore
What to Expect?
We're going to set up your Instagram account to be a micro-blogging platform that drives all your other content creation needs.
Instagram is a platform of inspiration, discovery and community; and online shops are primed to succeed at delivering on all three.
IG90: Creative Instagram Plans is broken down into 4 large sections that are designed to build upon each other.
The first two are pre-work sections:
1 | Positioning Your Product
2 | Who is Your Customer?
You'll come away with a clear idea of who you're speaking to and what you need to communicate about your brand.
We'll dive deep into understanding your product + seeing it from a consumer's perspective
Why your customer wants it (what you're actually selling)
And the easy way to authentically share your story, in a way your customer will care about
The next two sections are where you'll build out your content strategy.
3 | The 90 Day Strategy Session
You'll create an easy guide of what you need to cover and when.
We'll look into five areas to ensure your business is covered and you're never left with the dreaded feeling of 'how did I miss that?'
4 | Create Your Content Strategy
We'll start with three lessons that talk about the types of content we're creating and how to position your brand messaging.
Those lessons include Writing Captions That Matter, How to Convert Shop Lurkers into Customers, and the 4 Content Pillars Every Instagram Account Needs.
I share 4 methods for creating captions that matter
We'll discuss the 5 call-to-action (CTA) categories you should be using (and what to do if you're hearing crickets), plus give you over 20 examples of CTAs to use
The theory of getting your customers to 'know, like, and trust' you, but more importantly, how to actually put them into practice
The four types of content you need to be sharing to naturally turn your audience from casual onlooker to excited fan to loyal customer.
It wraps up with an easy walk-through on how to use the prompt worksheet and gives ideas on how to structure each month.
And that's when the real work begins!
This course was created to be actionable. It's not designed to create extra work, but instead make the work you're already doing more intentional.
Starting with a caption, you’ll learn how to easily create images that stand out and speak to your brand's messaging.
I’ve created over 100 caption prompts specifically for product sellers.
You'll receive a copy with some actual examples so you can see how to inject more of your personality and start brainstorming your own. As well as a blank version with prompts for you to complete and fill in based on your own brand and research (spreadsheets are Excel based, also work with Google Sheets).
Have an image you can’t wait to share first, but not actually sure what to say? No problem, you can do that too! You can easily sort to find caption ideas or categories to create a compelling caption that matters.
You'll also receive a monthly content calendar that pulls from these categories so you know exactly what to post each day. (Plus it's customizable, so if you don’t like a caption? Toss that idea and grab the next.)
Two Bonus Lessons:
Promotion/Event Strategy - plug and play promotion sequences so you're prepared with an Instagram strategy for your next sale or launch
Engagement Checklist - a monthly, weekly, and daily list so you can keep track of what to do when and how to put your new strategies to use
Plus, you'll learn the secret sauce of Instagram. Yeah really, I went there.
The strategy behind this whole course is designed to save you time and help you create intentional images that support your brand message.
Are you ready for a clear, approachable method to planning your Instagram?
Then you’re in the right place my friend.
IG90: Creative Instagram Plans is the ONLY Instagram course specifically created for online shops and Etsy sellers that helps you:
gain a deeper understanding of who your customer truly is and why she’s buying your product
create meaningful captions with over 100 prompts just for online shops, so you can create content and messages that will matter to her and get your audience talking
plan your content ahead of time so you never miss a holiday, key selling season, or special announcement
naturally sell without feeling like you’re pitching your products constantly
Get started now!
If you've been around The Shop Files for awhile (or heyyy girl if you're new!), you know I don't like fluff.
This is not another Instagram 101 "How to create a killer bio" type of course.In fact, I didn't even want to call it a course, because it's an actionable, repeatable plan. It's legit. You can use and re-use these strategies and prompts for an entire year. And then start all over again.
IG90 helps you show up for your customer every day.
Here's what students are saying...
The IG90 is a game changer!
I was working though the IG90 at lunch and I'm excited to implement what I've learned! I really am blown away with all the info. It will literally change my business!
- Rachel, @nixxenrayneboutique
Find her shop (and the cutest mobile boutique!) at Nixxen Rayne
I'm loving your resources. You really digest things down to something I can absolutely grab onto and run. Your inverted method to creating content is SO much more accessible to me.
Thank you so much for putting all of this together for us. I've finished writing out the whole month of April for plans, I know what I'm going to say each day, I know what I'm targeting each day - including two promotions during the month and how I can manage to both hard sell and soft sell for them, and even better… I know what photos I need to take in advance so I don't need to scramble to come up with something! A whole month! Planned! What a weight off of my shoulders.
- Stephanie, @phylogenyartstephanie
Find her work at Phylogeny Art and her Etsy shop, Phylogeny
Your IG course is SO amazing! I honestly don't know why you aren't charging twice as much... and that's coming from someone with 50+k who got stalled out and needed help, not a beginner at all.
I'm so grateful I took it, and can't wait to launch into my new feed. This is DEFINITELY a course for the bigger accounts, where I see a lot of overwhelm once people grow and a lot is expected of them from fans. And while it's geared toward shop owners, it's honestly perfect for ANY account that wants to get to know its audience better and grow more quickly. You taught me so much about understanding my customer and follower lifestyles, tracking important events, knowing my brand message, scheduling my posts and more. You're a wizard, and I highly recommend your course to absolutely anyone who cares about Insta. Go Kate!
- Sarah, @newleafwriter
Find her at New Leaf Writing
Hey girl, just wanted to share with you that yesterday I had so many people stop by our booth and meet us at our market and I truly believe it's because I have changed my approach on my Insta captions! I'm so appreciative of all your help.
- Ericka, @trulyhandmadeeverything
Find her shop at Truly Handmade Everything
Get started now!
Your Instructor
Kate
Kate
HELLO, I’M KATE!
A retail buyer who helps creatives and shop owners understand the business side; so you can take care of the fun side! Because my guess is creating products and shop experiences your customers will love is what keeps you going each day.
While I went to school for marketing, I quickly fell into the retail industry and never gave marketing a second thought. Until one day. I was frustrated with the slow sales in my department and sick of competing on price (because going back to haggle markdowns with vendors was not a favorite part of my job).
SO I STOPPED.
Instead I focused on understanding who our customer is, what she was looking for (the problem we could solve), and learned how to speak directly to her in a way that:
grew our sales by over 70% (with the same old products we'd carried for years)
increased our profits (because I no longer needed to compete on price)
allowed us to stand out as an industry leader (we quickly saw our competition take notice + imitate)
And I want the same for you.
I love tacos, big dreams and d. coke (okay, so all the Mexican foods. and french fries. fine, all the food – maybe bring ice cream) and with over 9 years of corporate merchandising experience in both buying + planning roles, I’m here to spill the secrets of a buyer (let’s just call it SOB, right?) to help make your goals easier to achieve.
So if you’re looking for business advice tailored to the retail industry, this is the place to be!
Class Curriculum
Introduction
Start
Getting Started
Start
Real Quick Housekeeping!
Pre-Work #1: Positioning Your Product
Start
It's All About Her (or Him).
Start
Understanding Your Product
Start
Why Does Your Customer Want It?
Start
What You're Actually Selling
Start
Sharing Your Story Authentically
Start
Another Example
Pre-Work #2: Who is Your Customer?
Start
Profiling 101: Debunking the Big Myth
Start
Who Is Your Customer - Worksheet
Start
Customer Wrap Up
Frequently Asked Questions
Uhh, 90 days of content?! Sounds intimidating.
Don't worry! The 90-day content plan is to help give you direction and a goal for the next 90 days (so that your Instagram messaging aligns with your business - pretty important!) While you certainly can plan + write out your posts for 90 days (and some students have!), it's definitely not a "requirement" to find success with this method. The prompts provided will help you write captions faster + easier, so you just may find you are able to plan out a little further in advance. But the true "magic" of the 90 day roadmap is to provide direction and guidance for your business.
How is this course different from other Instagram courses out there?
This course is not a generic "Instagram 101" where I tell you how to set up your account or go over basic ideas to grow your following. Instead, we focus on how to leverage the Instagram platform to earn your customers trust, which turns into sales. I'll walk you through how to position your product + brand to tell your story through intentional messaging that speaks directly to your ideal customer. Plus, unlike other "one size fits all" approaches, this course was created just for product sellers, like you! When it comes to successful selling on Instagram, it takes more than just posting a photo. What makes IG90 different from others is how we create purposeful messaging to turn your audience from interested follower >>> to raving fan >>> into loyal customers.
Are the prompts lame or cookie cutter "fill in the blanks"?
No way! These were created as writing prompts and give you specific ideas to think about or include, but aren't a bunch of pre-written "fill in the blanks" or one worded prompts like "workspace". The prompts give you a starting point so you can craft your own version of storytelling for your brand, based on your findings from the Pre-Work modules. Plus I give examples for many of them so you can see how to weave in your own story and personality.
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. And the best part? It's never really "finished" as all the prompts can be re-worked and re-used!
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own. PLUS you'll always have access to updates and new additions at no extra cost.
Who is this course NOT for?
This course was designed specifically for shop owners + creatives who sell physical products (it's NOT a general course for bloggers, service providers, or other small businesses.) While many of the lessons can apply to other businesses, please reach out before purchasing if you're interested so we can determine if it's the right fit!
What if I am unhappy with the course?
I stand behind the work I put into this course, but understand it may not be the right fit for you. If you have questions prior to purchasing, please reach out so we can chat about whether it's a good fit! I've always been very honest with those who ask and would rather tell you "this won't be a good fit for you" (and the reasons why) then just say yes to get a sale.
Get started now!
Secrets of a Buyer
Login
Plan.Create.Celebrate!
FOR PRODUCT SELLERS + ETSY SHOPS: Sell confidently with your business planner + marketing BMFF (best marketing friend forever)
Planning for the holiday season starts in January.
Yes, really.
It starts with reviewing your past season, while the good, the bad, and the hot mess are still fresh in your mind.
And it improves every time you go through the process of planning a promotion, launching a mini collection, or making a 'big deal' out of even the little holidays throughout the year.
Don't head into the holiday season "trying email the first time" or overwhelming yourself by revamping your entire marketing process while also trying to keep up with shipping out orders.
The best product shops are prepping, testing, launching, and learning the entire year.
Then when the holiday season does roll around, you'll be a marketing boss.
A cool, calm, and cha-chiii-ing boss.
Plan your holiday season like a boss.
As a creative maker or shop owner, you're juggling A LOT. And one area you can't afford to miss is marketing your shop during the holiday season.
The average consumer plans to spend over $800 during the holiday/Christmas season. I want you to grab your piece of the business.
And you can.
Plan.Create.Celebrate! is your holiday business planner and new BMFF (best marketing friend forever).
No more missed opportunities or being late to the party (except for like, actual parties... I can't help you there because I'm definitely running late myself).
Plan.Create.Celebrate! is alllll about preparing for the crazy holiday season.
I want you to be able to focus on the right activities at the right time this season.
Girl, this guide/course is AMAZING. I'm great at dreaming up goals and the creative side of things, but really struggle with the organizational and business/financial side.
This will be BY FAR the most organized I'll be heading into a holiday season and I can already tell just from scanning through your guide that I'm going to feel so prepared and like I have a great plan to achieve my goals through the end of the year.
THANK YOU! I can't begin to tell you how helpful this is.
- Kaci Kersey, PS46, hand stamped jewelry shop
For most major retailers, November - December is when they finally start turning a profit. Hence the name "Black Friday", which signified when retailers traditionally went from operating 'in the red' at a loss to 'in the black' at a profit.
Operating a retail business can take a lot of up front investment - there's employees to hire, stores to operate, and one of the biggest offenders heading into the holiday season, stock to buy (or create).
And that stock has to be bought before the big sales are made and without any guarantee that the sales will come to fruition.
It can be a risky business!
And I've lived with that risk for almost 10 years in the corporate retail world. Each year we'd have to source new products, find ways to update existing, and grow our customer base with new marketing ideas.
For our biggest promotional events, we had an actual TRIBUNAL with our president. Yeah... you're probably wondering what a tribunal is.
Well, it was a meeting where literally all the senior executives of the whole company sat around a table and you had to present your holiday marketing plan for each of our big events.
You had to package up your offers and present your product ideas, pricing, and product marketing strategies in front of the entire division + this team. We went through THREE rounds of these meetings with multiple meetings in between to prepare.
These tribunal meetings usually consisted of some intense back + forth, challenges to go back to vendors on pricing, or just straight up -- 'that offer is no good' (our president didn't have the softest touch...) It was honestly terrifying as a young new working gal.
You HAD to be confident, know your product inside and out, what your competition did last year, and what you expected would be the new trends to take advantage of this year.
But it made sense - these were HUGE days for the company and we had to get it right.
From our product offer to our pricing, our holiday season depended on it.
It's from all of those meetings - the prep work involved, the research we did, the marketing ideas we came up with - that I created Plan.Create.Celebrate! to share with you.
Because the holiday season is BUSY, which doesn't leave you with a lot of time to go back + forth on offers, update all your promotional material and still create + ship your product.
This Course is For You if You're:
A product seller (Etsy shop owners, online shops, boutiques)
Not sure what actions to take to prime your customers to buy
Struggling to figure out when you should be doing each part of your marketing
Wasting time in-season piecing together a marketing plan, instead of focusing on providing good customer service, fulfilling orders, and product creation
Plan.Create.Celebrate! will guide you through:
Reviewing past holiday seasons (or planning for your first!) to make the right adjustments to easily maximize sales opportunities, capitalize on trends, and minimize losses
The 3 crucial steps to start taking before the holiday season
How to prevent bad reviews (at a time where many customers are brand new to you)
Setting financial goals that meet your desired *profit* numbers, not just sales
Product positioning or presentation adjustments to make customers see your shop as a go-to holiday destination (even if you don't sell "holiday" items)
Predicting stock needs by month to ensure you have the right amount (you'll be the real Goldilocks of inventory)
How to prime customers to buy and what they need from you before they'll purchase
How to plan your marketing efforts in advance:
what you should be prepping for
how to efficiently prepare all your marketing collateral
my exact blog post promotion checklist
a 'done for you' guide to manage your promotions on social media + email
You'll Come Away Feeling like a Bossss:
Confident in your marketing strategies with an actual plan in place for the holidays
Excited about your seasonal product and the opportunities you identified
Motivated and focused on improving your shop and merchandise to get it ready in time for holiday shoppers
I want you to enter the holiday season confident, focused, and ready to reach your full sales potential.
And that can't happen by accident.
So don't be late to the party! Start planning to have your best season yet (with less stress).
Get started now!
Your Instructor
Kate
Kate
HELLO, I’M KATE!
A retail buyer who helps creatives and shop owners understand the business side; so you can take care of the fun side! Because my guess is creating products and shop experiences your customers will love is what keeps you going each day.
While I went to school for marketing, I quickly fell into the retail industry and never gave marketing a second thought. Until one day. I was frustrated with the slow sales in my department and sick of competing on price (because going back to haggle markdowns with vendors was not a favorite part of my job).
SO I STOPPED.
Instead I focused on understanding who our customer is, what she was looking for (the problem we could solve), and learned how to speak directly to her in a way that:
grew our sales by over 70% (with the same old products we'd carried for years)
increased our profits (because I no longer needed to compete on price)
allowed us to stand out as an industry leader (we quickly saw our competition take notice + imitate)
And I want the same for you.
I love tacos, big dreams and d. coke (okay, so all the Mexican foods. and french fries. fine, all the food – maybe bring ice cream) and with over 9 years of corporate merchandising experience in both buying + planning roles, I’m here to spill the secrets of a buyer (let’s just call it SOB, right?) to help make your goals easier to achieve.
So if you’re looking for business advice tailored to the retail industry, this is the place to be!
Class Curriculum
GETTING STARTED!
Start
Quick Navigation Guide
Start
Recommended Tools
Start
Re-Imagining Promotions
Start
Is your shop ready to party?
MODULE 1 | Business Review + Goal Setting
Start
Lesson 1: Post Mortem Review
Start
Lesson 2: Financial Goal Setting
PREP WORK: PRODUCT
Start
Product Prep, Part 1
Start
Product Prep, Part 2
Frequently Asked Questions
What if this is my first holiday season, will it still be helpful?
Yes! If this is your first year, don't worry! The questions and tips can be applied to your current business trends or will spark ideas for you to take into consideration, giving you a leg-up on your first year!
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. Best part? You can use these same concepts to review year after year to continue to build your holiday success!
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own. You'll also be eligible for all course updates - free of charge.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 14 days with the work completed so we can understand what wasn't helpful or where there are knowledge gaps.
Get started now!
Sales Page:
http://archive.is/yOvX3
Screenshots
Secrets of a Buyer
Login
IG90: Connect + Convert
How to Sell without Selling on Instagram (and get the algorithm working in your favor!)
What if you could make sales... without constantly pitching yourself on Instagram?
What if YOU became the go-to shop for your customer?
No questions.
She remembers you, always comments on your Instagram, and is excited to support you.
Because I don't know about you, but I'm a little tired of the Instagram game.
No matter which new strategy or hack you try, your follower count doesn't budge.
You're sick of the desperate 'follow/unfollow' game and trying to keep up with confusing algorithm changes.
At times it feels exhausting and fake... what happened to the fun, wonderful community it once was?!
In fact, you're starting to have a love/hate relationship with Instagram.
It's more difficult to stand out, the algorithm is leaving you confused, and there's an overload of 'hacks + tricks' promising you'll "beat the algorithm!"
YOU'VE TRIED EVERYTHING.
You sign up for free courses and challenges that promise to "grow your followers".
You diligently show up each and every day.
You've read seemingly every blog post and hundreds of freebies that promise to give you the secrets behind growing your account.
You maybe even already invested in other Instagram courses (and weren't totally satisfied with the results).
You still feel like you're struggling to understand how to work around the algorithm
But what if I said you don't have to "beat the algorithm" or find the next new hack to work around it...
That there's actually a (simple!) way to make the algorithm work - in your favor.
I totally and forever changed my approach to Instagram and started loving it again.
Yes, I wanted to build my business and make sales through Instagram, but I knew there had to be a better way than screaming to the masses, posting pitch after sales pitch, or wearing out my thumb scrolling + liking thousands of posts a day.
I wanted to connect with people. Really connect, as I would in real life. I wanted to make Instagram not only fun again, but have it make a real impact on my business too.
So, what's this big "secret" to getting the algorithm working for you?
Engagement.
And not just any kind, but hyper-personalized relationships.
As Instagram continues to improve the user experience, we need to follow suit and focus more on our individual audience relationships.
What do they need from us? What gets them talking? How can we encourage them?
Instagram is no longer just a popularity contest (YAY). They're valuing real over spammy or bot behavior (can I get a double YAY YAY!), and individual relationships matter, putting you back into control.
So how do we crack this level of engagement?
By understanding what our audience actually uses Instagram for + how we can meet them where they already are.
They use Instagram as a platform for:
Inspiration
Discovery
Community
And the one thing they don't?
As a sales platform.
(Which is not to say you can’t or won’t make sales from it. Otherwise that'd be a giant waste of our time!)
But understanding that tiny distinction will make a huge difference in how you approach your Instagram content and the results you get.
Which is why I’m so excited to introduce
IG90: Creative Instagram Plans for Online Shop Owners, Makers, and Etsy Sellers.
IG90 is about connecting with your customers through storytelling, getting a conversation going, and learning how to lead them down the path from follower to buyer in a natural way using the Instagram platform.
Let's say goodbye to random posting, "time-sucking engagement hacks", and sweaty palms staring at that blinking cursor.
Let's focus on connection first, then conversion.
Because of your IG90 program (so insightful, OMG!) I completely overhauled our IG/FB pages and so grateful I did because we got a celebrity's (their assistant anyway) attention and interest... couldn't have done it without your help. So thanks again!!
-Rene, @pureandcoco
Find her natural skincare shop Pure + Coco here
I've been working through the get to know your customers part and the first worksheet was filled with "aha moments" about seeing ways to connect to my customers.
It's giving me ideas for much more than just Instagram; I feel like it's helping my entire brand take shape in a way that nothing else has helped me to do before.
-Shanna, @bristol_and_breve
Find her art at Bristol + Breve
I’m LOVING your course! I actually recommended it to a couple of friends and I know one of them has already purchased. I’ve taken many courses since starting my business including one super expensive one and yours is by far the best in terms of understanding ecommerce.
- Elisheva
Get started now!
I'm not going to tell you why you need to post great content, pretty images, or show up every day.
You know all that!
And that's the problem I found with most Instagram courses. They tell you what to do without a clear action plan on HOW you can follow through, day after day.
This course won't show you how to work around Instagram loopholes and beat the algorithm with one-off hacks.
And it isn't a "do this" tactic-based approach.
This is an intentional, creative road map designed to help you understand your customer, start a conversation with her, and show up again + again with exactly what she needs to hear before she'll buy from you and support you.
This course will help you CONNECT with + CONVERT your followers to paying customers.
Doesn't that sound better than a vague "double your followers"?
Because I see you out there trying to connect on Instagram.
.... you're sick of the pointless follow/unfollows,
.... the empty "love!" comments,
.... and the crickets you keep hearing even though your followers are growing.
You're looking for real engagement, real followers, and genuine comments that make you smile and get you excited to chat with your people every day. You want to sell on Instagram in a way that feels good, not just for you, but your customers too.
Not to mention - you want to actually show up in your followers' feeds and feel confident about how your account is working with the algorithm.
So I wanted to take away the confusing 'engagement hacks' and get back to serving our customer.
With IG90: Creative Instagram Plans, I created specific strategies for shop owners to plan out your content in 90 day chunks and serve your customers in a way that's going to hit them over the head (in the softest way possible) and get them excited about your brand.
Seriously.
This isn't another online course with just a lot of theory and information. It's a road map so you can put this information to work.
You’ll create your 90 day content plan over the course of a few days and then have an exact road map of the content and images you need to create.
What would that mean for you?
I’ll take a few guesses…
Never staring at that blinking cursor, cursing that you don’t know what to say #puncity
Being able to focus on your business, instead of wasting time worrying about what to post each day
Never running out of ideas again! (Because I’m sharing over 100 of mine)
No more forgetting (or avoiding) to post
AND THE BIG ONE… having an intentional content strategy that will actually turn followers into customers and support your business goals.
I honestly haven’t been more excited than I was while creating IG90. I truly believe it will re-shape the way you approach your Instagram and finally give you a social media strategy that supports your business.
And I'm thrilled to say those going through the course have seen the payoff.
What people are saying:
"After implementing just a fraction of the tips learned in the first portion of the course, I posted one of my products on Instagram and sold it in less than thirty minutes!
I still have people contacting me about that post, nearly two months later
My main struggle was knowing what to say in my posts, and this is why I felt the need to do the course. The advice I learned from IG90 not only helped me craft Instagram post descriptions that sell, but learning what to say also helped me formulate hashtags that would reach clients and not other Etsy sellers or stationery designers"
- Valerie, @bettylupaperie
Find her shop at BettyLuPaperie
You're the best. Seriously you have single handedly, changed how I do business and use Instagram.
- Karyn, @siggiclothier
Find her shop at SiggiClothier
AND THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE NUGGET FROM AUTUMN:
- Autumn, @dupreandmoore
Find her shop at Du Pré and Moore
What to Expect?
We're going to set up your Instagram account to be a micro-blogging platform that drives all your other content creation needs.
Instagram is a platform of inspiration, discovery and community; and online shops are primed to succeed at delivering on all three.
IG90: Creative Instagram Plans is broken down into 4 large sections that are designed to build upon each other.
The first two are pre-work sections:
1 | Positioning Your Product
2 | Who is Your Customer?
You'll come away with a clear idea of who you're speaking to and what you need to communicate about your brand.
We'll dive deep into understanding your product + seeing it from a consumer's perspective
Why your customer wants it (what you're actually selling)
And the easy way to authentically share your story, in a way your customer will care about
The next two sections are where you'll build out your content strategy.
3 | The 90 Day Strategy Session
You'll create an easy guide of what you need to cover and when.
We'll look into five areas to ensure your business is covered and you're never left with the dreaded feeling of 'how did I miss that?'
4 | Create Your Content Strategy
We'll start with three lessons that talk about the types of content we're creating and how to position your brand messaging.
Those lessons include Writing Captions That Matter, How to Convert Shop Lurkers into Customers, and the 4 Content Pillars Every Instagram Account Needs.
I share 4 methods for creating captions that matter
We'll discuss the 5 call-to-action (CTA) categories you should be using (and what to do if you're hearing crickets), plus give you over 20 examples of CTAs to use
The theory of getting your customers to 'know, like, and trust' you, but more importantly, how to actually put them into practice
The four types of content you need to be sharing to naturally turn your audience from casual onlooker to excited fan to loyal customer.
It wraps up with an easy walk-through on how to use the prompt worksheet and gives ideas on how to structure each month.
And that's when the real work begins!
This course was created to be actionable. It's not designed to create extra work, but instead make the work you're already doing more intentional.
Starting with a caption, you’ll learn how to easily create images that stand out and speak to your brand's messaging.
I’ve created over 100 caption prompts specifically for product sellers.
You'll receive a copy with some actual examples so you can see how to inject more of your personality and start brainstorming your own. As well as a blank version with prompts for you to complete and fill in based on your own brand and research (spreadsheets are Excel based, also work with Google Sheets).
Have an image you can’t wait to share first, but not actually sure what to say? No problem, you can do that too! You can easily sort to find caption ideas or categories to create a compelling caption that matters.
You'll also receive a monthly content calendar that pulls from these categories so you know exactly what to post each day. (Plus it's customizable, so if you don’t like a caption? Toss that idea and grab the next.)
Two Bonus Lessons:
Promotion/Event Strategy - plug and play promotion sequences so you're prepared with an Instagram strategy for your next sale or launch
Engagement Checklist - a monthly, weekly, and daily list so you can keep track of what to do when and how to put your new strategies to use
Plus, you'll learn the secret sauce of Instagram. Yeah really, I went there.
The strategy behind this whole course is designed to save you time and help you create intentional images that support your brand message.
Are you ready for a clear, approachable method to planning your Instagram?
Then you’re in the right place my friend.
IG90: Creative Instagram Plans is the ONLY Instagram course specifically created for online shops and Etsy sellers that helps you:
gain a deeper understanding of who your customer truly is and why she’s buying your product
create meaningful captions with over 100 prompts just for online shops, so you can create content and messages that will matter to her and get your audience talking
plan your content ahead of time so you never miss a holiday, key selling season, or special announcement
naturally sell without feeling like you’re pitching your products constantly
Get started now!
If you've been around The Shop Files for awhile (or heyyy girl if you're new!), you know I don't like fluff.
This is not another Instagram 101 "How to create a killer bio" type of course.In fact, I didn't even want to call it a course, because it's an actionable, repeatable plan. It's legit. You can use and re-use these strategies and prompts for an entire year. And then start all over again.
IG90 helps you show up for your customer every day.
Here's what students are saying...
The IG90 is a game changer!
I was working though the IG90 at lunch and I'm excited to implement what I've learned! I really am blown away with all the info. It will literally change my business!
- Rachel, @nixxenrayneboutique
Find her shop (and the cutest mobile boutique!) at Nixxen Rayne
I'm loving your resources. You really digest things down to something I can absolutely grab onto and run. Your inverted method to creating content is SO much more accessible to me.
Thank you so much for putting all of this together for us. I've finished writing out the whole month of April for plans, I know what I'm going to say each day, I know what I'm targeting each day - including two promotions during the month and how I can manage to both hard sell and soft sell for them, and even better… I know what photos I need to take in advance so I don't need to scramble to come up with something! A whole month! Planned! What a weight off of my shoulders.
- Stephanie, @phylogenyartstephanie
Find her work at Phylogeny Art and her Etsy shop, Phylogeny
Your IG course is SO amazing! I honestly don't know why you aren't charging twice as much... and that's coming from someone with 50+k who got stalled out and needed help, not a beginner at all.
I'm so grateful I took it, and can't wait to launch into my new feed. This is DEFINITELY a course for the bigger accounts, where I see a lot of overwhelm once people grow and a lot is expected of them from fans. And while it's geared toward shop owners, it's honestly perfect for ANY account that wants to get to know its audience better and grow more quickly. You taught me so much about understanding my customer and follower lifestyles, tracking important events, knowing my brand message, scheduling my posts and more. You're a wizard, and I highly recommend your course to absolutely anyone who cares about Insta. Go Kate!
- Sarah, @newleafwriter
Find her at New Leaf Writing
Hey girl, just wanted to share with you that yesterday I had so many people stop by our booth and meet us at our market and I truly believe it's because I have changed my approach on my Insta captions! I'm so appreciative of all your help.
- Ericka, @trulyhandmadeeverything
Find her shop at Truly Handmade Everything
Get started now!
Your Instructor
Kate
Kate
HELLO, I’M KATE!
A retail buyer who helps creatives and shop owners understand the business side; so you can take care of the fun side! Because my guess is creating products and shop experiences your customers will love is what keeps you going each day.
While I went to school for marketing, I quickly fell into the retail industry and never gave marketing a second thought. Until one day. I was frustrated with the slow sales in my department and sick of competing on price (because going back to haggle markdowns with vendors was not a favorite part of my job).
SO I STOPPED.
Instead I focused on understanding who our customer is, what she was looking for (the problem we could solve), and learned how to speak directly to her in a way that:
grew our sales by over 70% (with the same old products we'd carried for years)
increased our profits (because I no longer needed to compete on price)
allowed us to stand out as an industry leader (we quickly saw our competition take notice + imitate)
And I want the same for you.
I love tacos, big dreams and d. coke (okay, so all the Mexican foods. and french fries. fine, all the food – maybe bring ice cream) and with over 9 years of corporate merchandising experience in both buying + planning roles, I’m here to spill the secrets of a buyer (let’s just call it SOB, right?) to help make your goals easier to achieve.
So if you’re looking for business advice tailored to the retail industry, this is the place to be!
Class Curriculum
Introduction
Start
Getting Started
Start
Real Quick Housekeeping!
Pre-Work #1: Positioning Your Product
Start
It's All About Her (or Him).
Start
Understanding Your Product
Start
Why Does Your Customer Want It?
Start
What You're Actually Selling
Start
Sharing Your Story Authentically
Start
Another Example
Pre-Work #2: Who is Your Customer?
Start
Profiling 101: Debunking the Big Myth
Start
Who Is Your Customer - Worksheet
Start
Customer Wrap Up
Frequently Asked Questions
Uhh, 90 days of content?! Sounds intimidating.
Don't worry! The 90-day content plan is to help give you direction and a goal for the next 90 days (so that your Instagram messaging aligns with your business - pretty important!) While you certainly can plan + write out your posts for 90 days (and some students have!), it's definitely not a "requirement" to find success with this method. The prompts provided will help you write captions faster + easier, so you just may find you are able to plan out a little further in advance. But the true "magic" of the 90 day roadmap is to provide direction and guidance for your business.
How is this course different from other Instagram courses out there?
This course is not a generic "Instagram 101" where I tell you how to set up your account or go over basic ideas to grow your following. Instead, we focus on how to leverage the Instagram platform to earn your customers trust, which turns into sales. I'll walk you through how to position your product + brand to tell your story through intentional messaging that speaks directly to your ideal customer. Plus, unlike other "one size fits all" approaches, this course was created just for product sellers, like you! When it comes to successful selling on Instagram, it takes more than just posting a photo. What makes IG90 different from others is how we create purposeful messaging to turn your audience from interested follower >>> to raving fan >>> into loyal customers.
Are the prompts lame or cookie cutter "fill in the blanks"?
No way! These were created as writing prompts and give you specific ideas to think about or include, but aren't a bunch of pre-written "fill in the blanks" or one worded prompts like "workspace". The prompts give you a starting point so you can craft your own version of storytelling for your brand, based on your findings from the Pre-Work modules. Plus I give examples for many of them so you can see how to weave in your own story and personality.
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. And the best part? It's never really "finished" as all the prompts can be re-worked and re-used!
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own. PLUS you'll always have access to updates and new additions at no extra cost.
Who is this course NOT for?
This course was designed specifically for shop owners + creatives who sell physical products (it's NOT a general course for bloggers, service providers, or other small businesses.) While many of the lessons can apply to other businesses, please reach out before purchasing if you're interested so we can determine if it's the right fit!
What if I am unhappy with the course?
I stand behind the work I put into this course, but understand it may not be the right fit for you. If you have questions prior to purchasing, please reach out so we can chat about whether it's a good fit! I've always been very honest with those who ask and would rather tell you "this won't be a good fit for you" (and the reasons why) then just say yes to get a sale.
Get started now!
Secrets of a Buyer
Login
Plan.Create.Celebrate!
FOR PRODUCT SELLERS + ETSY SHOPS: Sell confidently with your business planner + marketing BMFF (best marketing friend forever)
Planning for the holiday season starts in January.
Yes, really.
It starts with reviewing your past season, while the good, the bad, and the hot mess are still fresh in your mind.
And it improves every time you go through the process of planning a promotion, launching a mini collection, or making a 'big deal' out of even the little holidays throughout the year.
Don't head into the holiday season "trying email the first time" or overwhelming yourself by revamping your entire marketing process while also trying to keep up with shipping out orders.
The best product shops are prepping, testing, launching, and learning the entire year.
Then when the holiday season does roll around, you'll be a marketing boss.
A cool, calm, and cha-chiii-ing boss.
Plan your holiday season like a boss.
As a creative maker or shop owner, you're juggling A LOT. And one area you can't afford to miss is marketing your shop during the holiday season.
The average consumer plans to spend over $800 during the holiday/Christmas season. I want you to grab your piece of the business.
And you can.
Plan.Create.Celebrate! is your holiday business planner and new BMFF (best marketing friend forever).
No more missed opportunities or being late to the party (except for like, actual parties... I can't help you there because I'm definitely running late myself).
Plan.Create.Celebrate! is alllll about preparing for the crazy holiday season.
I want you to be able to focus on the right activities at the right time this season.
Girl, this guide/course is AMAZING. I'm great at dreaming up goals and the creative side of things, but really struggle with the organizational and business/financial side.
This will be BY FAR the most organized I'll be heading into a holiday season and I can already tell just from scanning through your guide that I'm going to feel so prepared and like I have a great plan to achieve my goals through the end of the year.
THANK YOU! I can't begin to tell you how helpful this is.
- Kaci Kersey, PS46, hand stamped jewelry shop
For most major retailers, November - December is when they finally start turning a profit. Hence the name "Black Friday", which signified when retailers traditionally went from operating 'in the red' at a loss to 'in the black' at a profit.
Operating a retail business can take a lot of up front investment - there's employees to hire, stores to operate, and one of the biggest offenders heading into the holiday season, stock to buy (or create).
And that stock has to be bought before the big sales are made and without any guarantee that the sales will come to fruition.
It can be a risky business!
And I've lived with that risk for almost 10 years in the corporate retail world. Each year we'd have to source new products, find ways to update existing, and grow our customer base with new marketing ideas.
For our biggest promotional events, we had an actual TRIBUNAL with our president. Yeah... you're probably wondering what a tribunal is.
Well, it was a meeting where literally all the senior executives of the whole company sat around a table and you had to present your holiday marketing plan for each of our big events.
You had to package up your offers and present your product ideas, pricing, and product marketing strategies in front of the entire division + this team. We went through THREE rounds of these meetings with multiple meetings in between to prepare.
These tribunal meetings usually consisted of some intense back + forth, challenges to go back to vendors on pricing, or just straight up -- 'that offer is no good' (our president didn't have the softest touch...) It was honestly terrifying as a young new working gal.
You HAD to be confident, know your product inside and out, what your competition did last year, and what you expected would be the new trends to take advantage of this year.
But it made sense - these were HUGE days for the company and we had to get it right.
From our product offer to our pricing, our holiday season depended on it.
It's from all of those meetings - the prep work involved, the research we did, the marketing ideas we came up with - that I created Plan.Create.Celebrate! to share with you.
Because the holiday season is BUSY, which doesn't leave you with a lot of time to go back + forth on offers, update all your promotional material and still create + ship your product.
This Course is For You if You're:
A product seller (Etsy shop owners, online shops, boutiques)
Not sure what actions to take to prime your customers to buy
Struggling to figure out when you should be doing each part of your marketing
Wasting time in-season piecing together a marketing plan, instead of focusing on providing good customer service, fulfilling orders, and product creation
Plan.Create.Celebrate! will guide you through:
Reviewing past holiday seasons (or planning for your first!) to make the right adjustments to easily maximize sales opportunities, capitalize on trends, and minimize losses
The 3 crucial steps to start taking before the holiday season
How to prevent bad reviews (at a time where many customers are brand new to you)
Setting financial goals that meet your desired *profit* numbers, not just sales
Product positioning or presentation adjustments to make customers see your shop as a go-to holiday destination (even if you don't sell "holiday" items)
Predicting stock needs by month to ensure you have the right amount (you'll be the real Goldilocks of inventory)
How to prime customers to buy and what they need from you before they'll purchase
How to plan your marketing efforts in advance:
what you should be prepping for
how to efficiently prepare all your marketing collateral
my exact blog post promotion checklist
a 'done for you' guide to manage your promotions on social media + email
You'll Come Away Feeling like a Bossss:
Confident in your marketing strategies with an actual plan in place for the holidays
Excited about your seasonal product and the opportunities you identified
Motivated and focused on improving your shop and merchandise to get it ready in time for holiday shoppers
I want you to enter the holiday season confident, focused, and ready to reach your full sales potential.
And that can't happen by accident.
So don't be late to the party! Start planning to have your best season yet (with less stress).
Get started now!
Your Instructor
Kate
Kate
HELLO, I’M KATE!
A retail buyer who helps creatives and shop owners understand the business side; so you can take care of the fun side! Because my guess is creating products and shop experiences your customers will love is what keeps you going each day.
While I went to school for marketing, I quickly fell into the retail industry and never gave marketing a second thought. Until one day. I was frustrated with the slow sales in my department and sick of competing on price (because going back to haggle markdowns with vendors was not a favorite part of my job).
SO I STOPPED.
Instead I focused on understanding who our customer is, what she was looking for (the problem we could solve), and learned how to speak directly to her in a way that:
grew our sales by over 70% (with the same old products we'd carried for years)
increased our profits (because I no longer needed to compete on price)
allowed us to stand out as an industry leader (we quickly saw our competition take notice + imitate)
And I want the same for you.
I love tacos, big dreams and d. coke (okay, so all the Mexican foods. and french fries. fine, all the food – maybe bring ice cream) and with over 9 years of corporate merchandising experience in both buying + planning roles, I’m here to spill the secrets of a buyer (let’s just call it SOB, right?) to help make your goals easier to achieve.
So if you’re looking for business advice tailored to the retail industry, this is the place to be!
Class Curriculum
GETTING STARTED!
Start
Quick Navigation Guide
Start
Recommended Tools
Start
Re-Imagining Promotions
Start
Is your shop ready to party?
MODULE 1 | Business Review + Goal Setting
Start
Lesson 1: Post Mortem Review
Start
Lesson 2: Financial Goal Setting
PREP WORK: PRODUCT
Start
Product Prep, Part 1
Start
Product Prep, Part 2
Frequently Asked Questions
What if this is my first holiday season, will it still be helpful?
Yes! If this is your first year, don't worry! The questions and tips can be applied to your current business trends or will spark ideas for you to take into consideration, giving you a leg-up on your first year!
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. Best part? You can use these same concepts to review year after year to continue to build your holiday success!
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own. You'll also be eligible for all course updates - free of charge.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 14 days with the work completed so we can understand what wasn't helpful or where there are knowledge gaps.
Get started now!
Sales Page:
http://archive.is/yOvX3
Screenshots
Secrets of a Buyer
Login
IG90: Connect + Convert
How to Sell without Selling on Instagram (and get the algorithm working in your favor!)
What if you could make sales... without constantly pitching yourself on Instagram?
What if YOU became the go-to shop for your customer?
No questions.
She remembers you, always comments on your Instagram, and is excited to support you.
Because I don't know about you, but I'm a little tired of the Instagram game.
No matter which new strategy or hack you try, your follower count doesn't budge.
You're sick of the desperate 'follow/unfollow' game and trying to keep up with confusing algorithm changes.
At times it feels exhausting and fake... what happened to the fun, wonderful community it once was?!
In fact, you're starting to have a love/hate relationship with Instagram.
It's more difficult to stand out, the algorithm is leaving you confused, and there's an overload of 'hacks + tricks' promising you'll "beat the algorithm!"
YOU'VE TRIED EVERYTHING.
You sign up for free courses and challenges that promise to "grow your followers".
You diligently show up each and every day.
You've read seemingly every blog post and hundreds of freebies that promise to give you the secrets behind growing your account.
You maybe even already invested in other Instagram courses (and weren't totally satisfied with the results).
You still feel like you're struggling to understand how to work around the algorithm
But what if I said you don't have to "beat the algorithm" or find the next new hack to work around it...
That there's actually a (simple!) way to make the algorithm work - in your favor.
I totally and forever changed my approach to Instagram and started loving it again.
Yes, I wanted to build my business and make sales through Instagram, but I knew there had to be a better way than screaming to the masses, posting pitch after sales pitch, or wearing out my thumb scrolling + liking thousands of posts a day.
I wanted to connect with people. Really connect, as I would in real life. I wanted to make Instagram not only fun again, but have it make a real impact on my business too.
So, what's this big "secret" to getting the algorithm working for you?
Engagement.
And not just any kind, but hyper-personalized relationships.
As Instagram continues to improve the user experience, we need to follow suit and focus more on our individual audience relationships.
What do they need from us? What gets them talking? How can we encourage them?
Instagram is no longer just a popularity contest (YAY). They're valuing real over spammy or bot behavior (can I get a double YAY YAY!), and individual relationships matter, putting you back into control.
So how do we crack this level of engagement?
By understanding what our audience actually uses Instagram for + how we can meet them where they already are.
They use Instagram as a platform for:
Inspiration
Discovery
Community
And the one thing they don't?
As a sales platform.
(Which is not to say you can’t or won’t make sales from it. Otherwise that'd be a giant waste of our time!)
But understanding that tiny distinction will make a huge difference in how you approach your Instagram content and the results you get.
Which is why I’m so excited to introduce
IG90: Creative Instagram Plans for Online Shop Owners, Makers, and Etsy Sellers.
IG90 is about connecting with your customers through storytelling, getting a conversation going, and learning how to lead them down the path from follower to buyer in a natural way using the Instagram platform.
Let's say goodbye to random posting, "time-sucking engagement hacks", and sweaty palms staring at that blinking cursor.
Let's focus on connection first, then conversion.
Because of your IG90 program (so insightful, OMG!) I completely overhauled our IG/FB pages and so grateful I did because we got a celebrity's (their assistant anyway) attention and interest... couldn't have done it without your help. So thanks again!!
-Rene, @pureandcoco
Find her natural skincare shop Pure + Coco here
I've been working through the get to know your customers part and the first worksheet was filled with "aha moments" about seeing ways to connect to my customers.
It's giving me ideas for much more than just Instagram; I feel like it's helping my entire brand take shape in a way that nothing else has helped me to do before.
-Shanna, @bristol_and_breve
Find her art at Bristol + Breve
I’m LOVING your course! I actually recommended it to a couple of friends and I know one of them has already purchased. I’ve taken many courses since starting my business including one super expensive one and yours is by far the best in terms of understanding ecommerce.
- Elisheva
Get started now!
I'm not going to tell you why you need to post great content, pretty images, or show up every day.
You know all that!
And that's the problem I found with most Instagram courses. They tell you what to do without a clear action plan on HOW you can follow through, day after day.
This course won't show you how to work around Instagram loopholes and beat the algorithm with one-off hacks.
And it isn't a "do this" tactic-based approach.
This is an intentional, creative road map designed to help you understand your customer, start a conversation with her, and show up again + again with exactly what she needs to hear before she'll buy from you and support you.
This course will help you CONNECT with + CONVERT your followers to paying customers.
Doesn't that sound better than a vague "double your followers"?
Because I see you out there trying to connect on Instagram.
.... you're sick of the pointless follow/unfollows,
.... the empty "love!" comments,
.... and the crickets you keep hearing even though your followers are growing.
You're looking for real engagement, real followers, and genuine comments that make you smile and get you excited to chat with your people every day. You want to sell on Instagram in a way that feels good, not just for you, but your customers too.
Not to mention - you want to actually show up in your followers' feeds and feel confident about how your account is working with the algorithm.
So I wanted to take away the confusing 'engagement hacks' and get back to serving our customer.
With IG90: Creative Instagram Plans, I created specific strategies for shop owners to plan out your content in 90 day chunks and serve your customers in a way that's going to hit them over the head (in the softest way possible) and get them excited about your brand.
Seriously.
This isn't another online course with just a lot of theory and information. It's a road map so you can put this information to work.
You’ll create your 90 day content plan over the course of a few days and then have an exact road map of the content and images you need to create.
What would that mean for you?
I’ll take a few guesses…
Never staring at that blinking cursor, cursing that you don’t know what to say #puncity
Being able to focus on your business, instead of wasting time worrying about what to post each day
Never running out of ideas again! (Because I’m sharing over 100 of mine)
No more forgetting (or avoiding) to post
AND THE BIG ONE… having an intentional content strategy that will actually turn followers into customers and support your business goals.
I honestly haven’t been more excited than I was while creating IG90. I truly believe it will re-shape the way you approach your Instagram and finally give you a social media strategy that supports your business.
And I'm thrilled to say those going through the course have seen the payoff.
What people are saying:
"After implementing just a fraction of the tips learned in the first portion of the course, I posted one of my products on Instagram and sold it in less than thirty minutes!
I still have people contacting me about that post, nearly two months later
My main struggle was knowing what to say in my posts, and this is why I felt the need to do the course. The advice I learned from IG90 not only helped me craft Instagram post descriptions that sell, but learning what to say also helped me formulate hashtags that would reach clients and not other Etsy sellers or stationery designers"
- Valerie, @bettylupaperie
Find her shop at BettyLuPaperie
You're the best. Seriously you have single handedly, changed how I do business and use Instagram.
- Karyn, @siggiclothier
Find her shop at SiggiClothier
AND THIS WONDERFUL LITTLE NUGGET FROM AUTUMN:
- Autumn, @dupreandmoore
Find her shop at Du Pré and Moore
What to Expect?
We're going to set up your Instagram account to be a micro-blogging platform that drives all your other content creation needs.
Instagram is a platform of inspiration, discovery and community; and online shops are primed to succeed at delivering on all three.
IG90: Creative Instagram Plans is broken down into 4 large sections that are designed to build upon each other.
The first two are pre-work sections:
1 | Positioning Your Product
2 | Who is Your Customer?
You'll come away with a clear idea of who you're speaking to and what you need to communicate about your brand.
We'll dive deep into understanding your product + seeing it from a consumer's perspective
Why your customer wants it (what you're actually selling)
And the easy way to authentically share your story, in a way your customer will care about
The next two sections are where you'll build out your content strategy.
3 | The 90 Day Strategy Session
You'll create an easy guide of what you need to cover and when.
We'll look into five areas to ensure your business is covered and you're never left with the dreaded feeling of 'how did I miss that?'
4 | Create Your Content Strategy
We'll start with three lessons that talk about the types of content we're creating and how to position your brand messaging.
Those lessons include Writing Captions That Matter, How to Convert Shop Lurkers into Customers, and the 4 Content Pillars Every Instagram Account Needs.
I share 4 methods for creating captions that matter
We'll discuss the 5 call-to-action (CTA) categories you should be using (and what to do if you're hearing crickets), plus give you over 20 examples of CTAs to use
The theory of getting your customers to 'know, like, and trust' you, but more importantly, how to actually put them into practice
The four types of content you need to be sharing to naturally turn your audience from casual onlooker to excited fan to loyal customer.
It wraps up with an easy walk-through on how to use the prompt worksheet and gives ideas on how to structure each month.
And that's when the real work begins!
This course was created to be actionable. It's not designed to create extra work, but instead make the work you're already doing more intentional.
Starting with a caption, you’ll learn how to easily create images that stand out and speak to your brand's messaging.
I’ve created over 100 caption prompts specifically for product sellers.
You'll receive a copy with some actual examples so you can see how to inject more of your personality and start brainstorming your own. As well as a blank version with prompts for you to complete and fill in based on your own brand and research (spreadsheets are Excel based, also work with Google Sheets).
Have an image you can’t wait to share first, but not actually sure what to say? No problem, you can do that too! You can easily sort to find caption ideas or categories to create a compelling caption that matters.
You'll also receive a monthly content calendar that pulls from these categories so you know exactly what to post each day. (Plus it's customizable, so if you don’t like a caption? Toss that idea and grab the next.)
Two Bonus Lessons:
Promotion/Event Strategy - plug and play promotion sequences so you're prepared with an Instagram strategy for your next sale or launch
Engagement Checklist - a monthly, weekly, and daily list so you can keep track of what to do when and how to put your new strategies to use
Plus, you'll learn the secret sauce of Instagram. Yeah really, I went there.
The strategy behind this whole course is designed to save you time and help you create intentional images that support your brand message.
Are you ready for a clear, approachable method to planning your Instagram?
Then you’re in the right place my friend.
IG90: Creative Instagram Plans is the ONLY Instagram course specifically created for online shops and Etsy sellers that helps you:
gain a deeper understanding of who your customer truly is and why she’s buying your product
create meaningful captions with over 100 prompts just for online shops, so you can create content and messages that will matter to her and get your audience talking
plan your content ahead of time so you never miss a holiday, key selling season, or special announcement
naturally sell without feeling like you’re pitching your products constantly
Get started now!
If you've been around The Shop Files for awhile (or heyyy girl if you're new!), you know I don't like fluff.
This is not another Instagram 101 "How to create a killer bio" type of course.In fact, I didn't even want to call it a course, because it's an actionable, repeatable plan. It's legit. You can use and re-use these strategies and prompts for an entire year. And then start all over again.
IG90 helps you show up for your customer every day.
Here's what students are saying...
The IG90 is a game changer!
I was working though the IG90 at lunch and I'm excited to implement what I've learned! I really am blown away with all the info. It will literally change my business!
- Rachel, @nixxenrayneboutique
Find her shop (and the cutest mobile boutique!) at Nixxen Rayne
I'm loving your resources. You really digest things down to something I can absolutely grab onto and run. Your inverted method to creating content is SO much more accessible to me.
Thank you so much for putting all of this together for us. I've finished writing out the whole month of April for plans, I know what I'm going to say each day, I know what I'm targeting each day - including two promotions during the month and how I can manage to both hard sell and soft sell for them, and even better… I know what photos I need to take in advance so I don't need to scramble to come up with something! A whole month! Planned! What a weight off of my shoulders.
- Stephanie, @phylogenyartstephanie
Find her work at Phylogeny Art and her Etsy shop, Phylogeny
Your IG course is SO amazing! I honestly don't know why you aren't charging twice as much... and that's coming from someone with 50+k who got stalled out and needed help, not a beginner at all.
I'm so grateful I took it, and can't wait to launch into my new feed. This is DEFINITELY a course for the bigger accounts, where I see a lot of overwhelm once people grow and a lot is expected of them from fans. And while it's geared toward shop owners, it's honestly perfect for ANY account that wants to get to know its audience better and grow more quickly. You taught me so much about understanding my customer and follower lifestyles, tracking important events, knowing my brand message, scheduling my posts and more. You're a wizard, and I highly recommend your course to absolutely anyone who cares about Insta. Go Kate!
- Sarah, @newleafwriter
Find her at New Leaf Writing
Hey girl, just wanted to share with you that yesterday I had so many people stop by our booth and meet us at our market and I truly believe it's because I have changed my approach on my Insta captions! I'm so appreciative of all your help.
- Ericka, @trulyhandmadeeverything
Find her shop at Truly Handmade Everything
Get started now!
Your Instructor
Kate
Kate
HELLO, I’M KATE!
A retail buyer who helps creatives and shop owners understand the business side; so you can take care of the fun side! Because my guess is creating products and shop experiences your customers will love is what keeps you going each day.
While I went to school for marketing, I quickly fell into the retail industry and never gave marketing a second thought. Until one day. I was frustrated with the slow sales in my department and sick of competing on price (because going back to haggle markdowns with vendors was not a favorite part of my job).
SO I STOPPED.
Instead I focused on understanding who our customer is, what she was looking for (the problem we could solve), and learned how to speak directly to her in a way that:
grew our sales by over 70% (with the same old products we'd carried for years)
increased our profits (because I no longer needed to compete on price)
allowed us to stand out as an industry leader (we quickly saw our competition take notice + imitate)
And I want the same for you.
I love tacos, big dreams and d. coke (okay, so all the Mexican foods. and french fries. fine, all the food – maybe bring ice cream) and with over 9 years of corporate merchandising experience in both buying + planning roles, I’m here to spill the secrets of a buyer (let’s just call it SOB, right?) to help make your goals easier to achieve.
So if you’re looking for business advice tailored to the retail industry, this is the place to be!
Class Curriculum
Introduction
Start
Getting Started
Start
Real Quick Housekeeping!
Pre-Work #1: Positioning Your Product
Start
It's All About Her (or Him).
Start
Understanding Your Product
Start
Why Does Your Customer Want It?
Start
What You're Actually Selling
Start
Sharing Your Story Authentically
Start
Another Example
Pre-Work #2: Who is Your Customer?
Start
Profiling 101: Debunking the Big Myth
Start
Who Is Your Customer - Worksheet
Start
Customer Wrap Up
Frequently Asked Questions
Uhh, 90 days of content?! Sounds intimidating.
Don't worry! The 90-day content plan is to help give you direction and a goal for the next 90 days (so that your Instagram messaging aligns with your business - pretty important!) While you certainly can plan + write out your posts for 90 days (and some students have!), it's definitely not a "requirement" to find success with this method. The prompts provided will help you write captions faster + easier, so you just may find you are able to plan out a little further in advance. But the true "magic" of the 90 day roadmap is to provide direction and guidance for your business.
How is this course different from other Instagram courses out there?
This course is not a generic "Instagram 101" where I tell you how to set up your account or go over basic ideas to grow your following. Instead, we focus on how to leverage the Instagram platform to earn your customers trust, which turns into sales. I'll walk you through how to position your product + brand to tell your story through intentional messaging that speaks directly to your ideal customer. Plus, unlike other "one size fits all" approaches, this course was created just for product sellers, like you! When it comes to successful selling on Instagram, it takes more than just posting a photo. What makes IG90 different from others is how we create purposeful messaging to turn your audience from interested follower >>> to raving fan >>> into loyal customers.
Are the prompts lame or cookie cutter "fill in the blanks"?
No way! These were created as writing prompts and give you specific ideas to think about or include, but aren't a bunch of pre-written "fill in the blanks" or one worded prompts like "workspace". The prompts give you a starting point so you can craft your own version of storytelling for your brand, based on your findings from the Pre-Work modules. Plus I give examples for many of them so you can see how to weave in your own story and personality.
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. And the best part? It's never really "finished" as all the prompts can be re-worked and re-used!
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own. PLUS you'll always have access to updates and new additions at no extra cost.
Who is this course NOT for?
This course was designed specifically for shop owners + creatives who sell physical products (it's NOT a general course for bloggers, service providers, or other small businesses.) While many of the lessons can apply to other businesses, please reach out before purchasing if you're interested so we can determine if it's the right fit!
What if I am unhappy with the course?
I stand behind the work I put into this course, but understand it may not be the right fit for you. If you have questions prior to purchasing, please reach out so we can chat about whether it's a good fit! I've always been very honest with those who ask and would rather tell you "this won't be a good fit for you" (and the reasons why) then just say yes to get a sale.
Get started now!
Secrets of a Buyer
Login
Plan.Create.Celebrate!
FOR PRODUCT SELLERS + ETSY SHOPS: Sell confidently with your business planner + marketing BMFF (best marketing friend forever)
Planning for the holiday season starts in January.
Yes, really.
It starts with reviewing your past season, while the good, the bad, and the hot mess are still fresh in your mind.
And it improves every time you go through the process of planning a promotion, launching a mini collection, or making a 'big deal' out of even the little holidays throughout the year.
Don't head into the holiday season "trying email the first time" or overwhelming yourself by revamping your entire marketing process while also trying to keep up with shipping out orders.
The best product shops are prepping, testing, launching, and learning the entire year.
Then when the holiday season does roll around, you'll be a marketing boss.
A cool, calm, and cha-chiii-ing boss.
Plan your holiday season like a boss.
As a creative maker or shop owner, you're juggling A LOT. And one area you can't afford to miss is marketing your shop during the holiday season.
The average consumer plans to spend over $800 during the holiday/Christmas season. I want you to grab your piece of the business.
And you can.
Plan.Create.Celebrate! is your holiday business planner and new BMFF (best marketing friend forever).
No more missed opportunities or being late to the party (except for like, actual parties... I can't help you there because I'm definitely running late myself).
Plan.Create.Celebrate! is alllll about preparing for the crazy holiday season.
I want you to be able to focus on the right activities at the right time this season.
Girl, this guide/course is AMAZING. I'm great at dreaming up goals and the creative side of things, but really struggle with the organizational and business/financial side.
This will be BY FAR the most organized I'll be heading into a holiday season and I can already tell just from scanning through your guide that I'm going to feel so prepared and like I have a great plan to achieve my goals through the end of the year.
THANK YOU! I can't begin to tell you how helpful this is.
- Kaci Kersey, PS46, hand stamped jewelry shop
For most major retailers, November - December is when they finally start turning a profit. Hence the name "Black Friday", which signified when retailers traditionally went from operating 'in the red' at a loss to 'in the black' at a profit.
Operating a retail business can take a lot of up front investment - there's employees to hire, stores to operate, and one of the biggest offenders heading into the holiday season, stock to buy (or create).
And that stock has to be bought before the big sales are made and without any guarantee that the sales will come to fruition.
It can be a risky business!
And I've lived with that risk for almost 10 years in the corporate retail world. Each year we'd have to source new products, find ways to update existing, and grow our customer base with new marketing ideas.
For our biggest promotional events, we had an actual TRIBUNAL with our president. Yeah... you're probably wondering what a tribunal is.
Well, it was a meeting where literally all the senior executives of the whole company sat around a table and you had to present your holiday marketing plan for each of our big events.
You had to package up your offers and present your product ideas, pricing, and product marketing strategies in front of the entire division + this team. We went through THREE rounds of these meetings with multiple meetings in between to prepare.
These tribunal meetings usually consisted of some intense back + forth, challenges to go back to vendors on pricing, or just straight up -- 'that offer is no good' (our president didn't have the softest touch...) It was honestly terrifying as a young new working gal.
You HAD to be confident, know your product inside and out, what your competition did last year, and what you expected would be the new trends to take advantage of this year.
But it made sense - these were HUGE days for the company and we had to get it right.
From our product offer to our pricing, our holiday season depended on it.
It's from all of those meetings - the prep work involved, the research we did, the marketing ideas we came up with - that I created Plan.Create.Celebrate! to share with you.
Because the holiday season is BUSY, which doesn't leave you with a lot of time to go back + forth on offers, update all your promotional material and still create + ship your product.
This Course is For You if You're:
A product seller (Etsy shop owners, online shops, boutiques)
Not sure what actions to take to prime your customers to buy
Struggling to figure out when you should be doing each part of your marketing
Wasting time in-season piecing together a marketing plan, instead of focusing on providing good customer service, fulfilling orders, and product creation
Plan.Create.Celebrate! will guide you through:
Reviewing past holiday seasons (or planning for your first!) to make the right adjustments to easily maximize sales opportunities, capitalize on trends, and minimize losses
The 3 crucial steps to start taking before the holiday season
How to prevent bad reviews (at a time where many customers are brand new to you)
Setting financial goals that meet your desired *profit* numbers, not just sales
Product positioning or presentation adjustments to make customers see your shop as a go-to holiday destination (even if you don't sell "holiday" items)
Predicting stock needs by month to ensure you have the right amount (you'll be the real Goldilocks of inventory)
How to prime customers to buy and what they need from you before they'll purchase
How to plan your marketing efforts in advance:
what you should be prepping for
how to efficiently prepare all your marketing collateral
my exact blog post promotion checklist
a 'done for you' guide to manage your promotions on social media + email
You'll Come Away Feeling like a Bossss:
Confident in your marketing strategies with an actual plan in place for the holidays
Excited about your seasonal product and the opportunities you identified
Motivated and focused on improving your shop and merchandise to get it ready in time for holiday shoppers
I want you to enter the holiday season confident, focused, and ready to reach your full sales potential.
And that can't happen by accident.
So don't be late to the party! Start planning to have your best season yet (with less stress).
Get started now!
Your Instructor
Kate
Kate
HELLO, I’M KATE!
A retail buyer who helps creatives and shop owners understand the business side; so you can take care of the fun side! Because my guess is creating products and shop experiences your customers will love is what keeps you going each day.
While I went to school for marketing, I quickly fell into the retail industry and never gave marketing a second thought. Until one day. I was frustrated with the slow sales in my department and sick of competing on price (because going back to haggle markdowns with vendors was not a favorite part of my job).
SO I STOPPED.
Instead I focused on understanding who our customer is, what she was looking for (the problem we could solve), and learned how to speak directly to her in a way that:
grew our sales by over 70% (with the same old products we'd carried for years)
increased our profits (because I no longer needed to compete on price)
allowed us to stand out as an industry leader (we quickly saw our competition take notice + imitate)
And I want the same for you.
I love tacos, big dreams and d. coke (okay, so all the Mexican foods. and french fries. fine, all the food – maybe bring ice cream) and with over 9 years of corporate merchandising experience in both buying + planning roles, I’m here to spill the secrets of a buyer (let’s just call it SOB, right?) to help make your goals easier to achieve.
So if you’re looking for business advice tailored to the retail industry, this is the place to be!
Class Curriculum
GETTING STARTED!
Start
Quick Navigation Guide
Start
Recommended Tools
Start
Re-Imagining Promotions
Start
Is your shop ready to party?
MODULE 1 | Business Review + Goal Setting
Start
Lesson 1: Post Mortem Review
Start
Lesson 2: Financial Goal Setting
PREP WORK: PRODUCT
Start
Product Prep, Part 1
Start
Product Prep, Part 2
Frequently Asked Questions
What if this is my first holiday season, will it still be helpful?
Yes! If this is your first year, don't worry! The questions and tips can be applied to your current business trends or will spark ideas for you to take into consideration, giving you a leg-up on your first year!
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. Best part? You can use these same concepts to review year after year to continue to build your holiday success!
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own. You'll also be eligible for all course updates - free of charge.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 14 days with the work completed so we can understand what wasn't helpful or where there are knowledge gaps.
Get started now!
