What I'm about to show you is how, in 5 days, we made $579.42 and got over 1,075 new visitors to our brand new site. All by spending $165 on one Instagram Promo. And I'll show you how you can do the same. (With Templates) Background BestSelf Co. finished 2015 rocking and all of December we focused on getting over 10,000 Self Journals in the hands of our backers. Not an easy feat, especially for the Holiday shipping season. We knew we had to start working on obtaining new customers, but this time, we focused on the ones we did have and made sure they were happy and received their products they backed on our Kickstarter Campaign. Because of this, the marketing ideas we had and the channels we wanted to go after were on the back burner. We didn't even have a website completed yet. Then January 1st came, and we launched the new site. Finally, I could focus on driving traffic to the site and start testing the different ideas we had for acquiring new customers. Beginning The Process Know Your Customers We knew Instagram was a great way to promote our product, so I started looking for accounts that would have our target customers interests. For us: success, entrepreneurs, motivation, positivity, self-improvement Start Searching For Accounts That Relate To Your Customer You can start searching Instagram for handles, hashtags, or keywords.I just started to go down the list of terms I listed above. I would locate all the profiles that came up while searching and put their information into the spreadsheet. Most important was to find their email address. Compile The Information I started by gathering all the profiles data into a spreadsheet- It will make your life so easy, especially when you're reaching out to dozens at a time.Here's what I wanted to know Handle Name Follower Count Contact Email Reach Out To Account Owners I then sent a template email (I use aText for this, which makes life so much easier) to all the accounts I thought would be great to target.Here's What I said: Their Response They would normally reply with an auto response with their cost per post, bulk rate, advertising times, and add ons (links in bio).I then took all this information and put it into the spreadsheet. I used all this information as a way to evaluate the target market, costs, and potential reach. Compile Your Ads and Ad Copy Before you can decide on which profile you want to use for your promo, you need to compile your ads and your caption text.I used picMonkey to create, crop, & add text to our product pictures. Here's What Our Ads Looked Like:Each picture had a different message overlaid on it. Therefore, each caption text needed to be different for each one. I made sure to label each picture with a number, and then put all the caption texts into one .txt file. For the Caption Copy, I made it very easy for the publisher to find the caption copy for the appropriate picture and choose one of 2 options for the caption. 1. If they didn't have the link in their bio2. If they put the link in their bio Sending It I put all the images and the text file into a Dropbox folder. I then shared the folder after discussing the promotion process, schedule, & costs with the owner. Tracking Your Data If the Instagram owner used the link in their bio (which I highly recommend paying the extra fee for), I would create a unique URL for them to use for analytics tracking. I used a tool called Google Analytics URL Builder to help streamline this process. I then gave the Instagram owner both the long string URL as well as the Bit.ly URL Here's the exact email I used: (Side note: I must admit as far as "best practices" goes, I did not use the UTM parameters correctly per-say. You can learn about the URM parameters here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1037445?hl=en) The Results We ended up doing a 5-day promo w/ @SuccessDiaries for the total amount of $165 including a link in the bio for all five days. (disclaimer: our cost are what we paid, the prices for Instagram promos change on a daily basis per account- do not be surprised if there is an increase, and SuccessDiaries is not obligated to offer these prices for your promotion) I was unsure about what the results might be because this was our first Instagram promo.Once I looked into the data, I was shocked about how well it actually did. Traffic:This promotion was the third highest source of traffic for us that week. Resulting in 10.10% of traffic and a total of 1,075 unique visitors over the 5-day stretch. This is excellent for only launching our new site a few days before. Revenue:The revenue was one of the best aspects of this. Over the same 5 day stretch, we made a total of $579.42 which was the 4th highest source of revenue for us that week. The total Return On Investment (ROI) was 251.16% Keep in mind, this does not include any revenue that we generated from people seeing the ads and coming back to us on their own. These results and metrics are strictly through the link inside SuccessDiaries Bio Now it's your turn to schedule your Instagram promotion. To make your life easy, I put together everything inside this Instagram Promotion Cheat Sheet. Including Spreadsheets, all our images and caption copy we used, and the email templates I sent to the Instagram Owners.

A sneak peek into the journey we travelled when designing the customer experience for the Self Journal. From the packaging design, to the mailing box to everything in between. When developing BestSelf from a Kickstarter-funded company into a business and e-commerce store, Allen, myself and the BestSelf team were very conscious about crafting every piece of the customer experience. From the design of the store to the product packaging to the mailing box it was delivered in. How could we make every step of the journey a pleasurable experience? Don’t underestimate how much these things matter. Think of a company that has an excellent customer experience. Apple. Nothing is too small to be beautiful. Every inch of the packaging is thoughtfully crafted enough that many of us even save the box because it seems a shame to throw out. (Essentially since I’m living in New York City I pay a portion of rent for my Macbook Pro box.) When designing the Self Journal, our flagship product, we knew we wanted to create a similar experience to Apple from the moment our product arrived at a customers door to actually opening the package. Some questions we asked: - How can we build anticipation before the Self Journal box is opened?- How do we create an experience to remember?- Can we tell a story through the packaging? Why Packaging Was So Important: Over the past several years I’ve dealt with the postal service enough through my another e-commerce venture to know that sending books, or in this case, beautiful journals in a package without external protection would only end in disaster. Additionally, with the 13 Week dry-erase wall calendar we included with each Self journal it seemed the only answer was a box. While the box was a practical answer for these problems, it could also serve a greater purpose - it was an opportunity to create an experience and tell a story. The Box Design Creating Packaging with Purpose Our mission was to design a beautiful box that people would keep, but we didn’t want it stored in the back of a closet somewhere gathering dust, it should still serve a purpose.The Self Journal chronicles your goals and serves as a physical representation of your achievements. These goals should be celebrated and put on display which is why we designed the box the way we did. On each side of the box is a visual representation of the book that sits within. It was minimalist yet tells you what you need to know. Some rough original sketches: We used this water image from Unsplash by Kate Chikina to serve as the base of the book texture on each side of the box. This water theme distills a sense of focused calm. The Design: By using a spot-gloss coating on the side of the box it could be used to label the journal box for your own records, which becomes a way to chronicle your goals. The Final Product: The Box Outside The Box The beautiful Self Journal box would need to be sent within another box to avoid damage. We had a two options; - a standard box (boring)- designing custom boxes with our branding on the outside (fun!) We liked the idea of designing a custom box, however, due to the economies of scale, this didn’t seem very sensible. With a few different product offerings, we’d be paying for high costs low minimums for different sizes of boxes. What if someone purchased a bulk order that needed a larger box? Essentially this is a valued customer, yet we would need to use a regular box, and so they would not get the same experience as someone who bought less. Every customer should receive the same care, consideration, and buying experience - without breaking the bank. Then I got an Amazon package through the mail and had my a-ha moment. Custom kraft packing tape that could be taped on any shape of any box, mailing tube etc. We got to work, sourced a supplier close to our fulfillment center in Minnesota and got a template. The template was 14“ x 3” wide so the key was creating a design that looked good in a repeating pattern. While our logo made sense for branding purposes, I wanted to make it more than just a promotional design. Much like our other design elements, it could and should serve a dual and greater purpose. Could we somehow positively affect someone who’s not even the intended recipient? That’s where the idea for quotes on the packing tape came from: The End result: Hand-Lettered by a founder Getting postcards or promotional material inside a product case isn’t anything new, we knew this. However, we wanted to create something with high touch that showed how grateful and thankful we were to our supporters and customers. A design element that couldn't be re-created easily by just anyone. I had been playing around with some hand letting for a while and decided to see what I could come up with for Best Self so in the weeks after the Kickstarter ended I started sketching and brainstorming ideas. The Pencil Sketch & Inked Letters; After digitizing the original sketch and cleaning it up, this was the final result: Composition: The last piece was working on a composition and how everything fit together. While designing the interior insert to go within the box I created some small sketches to show the manufacturer how each journal should be placed within the box with the calendar and the insert. The yellow bookmark serving with a secondary function so as to easily lift the book from the box. The Final Product: Customer Experience: We knew we were onto something when within minutes of people receiving the product we were getting tweets, Instagrams and emails from Kickstarter backers and pre-order supporters:

I was recently visited by a good friend I went to university with. He’s still in the field of architecture, and it was the first time we’d seen each other since I’d given up on the industry in favor of entrepreneurship. During his visit we talked a lot about the Architecture industry as a whole, our biggest problems with it, and why I ultimately decided it wasn’t what I wanted. I described moments at my job when I was working on designs for a high-end luxury apartment in the Lower East Side and thinking, “If I stay in this job, I will never be able to live like this.” Not that I dreamt of luxury penthouses and a $70,000 custom millwork closet (yes, this happened), but I did dream of financial freedom and travel, as well as working for myself. As I mentioned in my previous post, when I was working at my job in architecture, I started a side project, Very On Brand, which after 18 months of work was making decent money, especially compared to the $40,000 I was making at my job (which does not stretch far living in New York City). I was only able to work on Very On Brand on weeknights and weekends, which slowly became harder and harder as I juggled this new life. In the 6 months prior to quitting my more stable job, I kept thinking what if I had the time and resources to make my newer venture full-time. What could I create if it was my only focus? Then the negative thoughts would kick in. I don’t have an MBA. I never took a business studies class in high school. What do I know about running and growing a business? I wasn’t about to quit my job, join an MBA program, and then start a business. I didn’t have the time, patience, or money for that. I needed to learn the basic principles of business, both running and growing one. I made a reading list for myself of all the business books I had heard about from people I admired or that had been recommended to me personally. I spent $237.91 on 22 books, a hefty investment for me at the time and got reading. The Reading Challenge I must read my list of 22 books before I was allowed to quit my architecture job. In January 2013, when I made the list, I was already itching to get out of the corporate world, so it was the perfect fuel for me to consume as many books as possible. Every morning and evening on my subway commute I would consume as much knowledge as possible, knowing that this could be my escape from the 9–5. I quit my job November 26, 2013. Here’s the list of books that made it possible to build not just one, but two businesses: Personal Mindset & Inspiration: 1. Outliers — Malcolm GladwellUnderstanding the true stories of success and how people have thrived.Malcolm Gladwell presents the idea of it taking 10,000 hours to master a skill. I loved the great anecdotes of how hard work and luck (family background, birthplace, or even birth date) can play equally into success. 2. The Tipping Point — Malcolm GladwellMalcolm Gladwell explores the moment when a trend or idea reaches the magic “tipping point” when it spreads like wildfire. 3. The Millionaire Fastlane — MJ DeMarcoBecome a producer instead of a consumer to attain wealth, and stop trading your time for money. This book partners well with the concepts from Rich Dad, Poor Dad (in the Finance section below). 4. Good to Great — Jim CollinsA 5 year study on what differentiates good companies from great companies.This is a great book for playing the long-game with your company as opposed to a quick fix. Productivity: 5. The Four Hour Work Week — Tim FerrisTakeaway: Making more money by working less — an alien concept, especially coming from architecture where we tend to work many more hours than we’re compensated for. I also learned the power of outsourcing.This alone has has helped my productivity immeasurably. I recommend this book to everyone whether they’re an entrepreneur or not. 6. The Compound Effect — Darren HardyTakeaway: I’m using the formula laid out in this book to become the best version of myself. This book is a basic manual for success and living an extraordinary life. 7. The 80/20 Principles -Richard KochTakeaway: Focus on critical tasks which require only 20% of efforts and create 80% of results. Hugely powerful concept, and I’ve found it to be generally true with my businesses. I used it with Calm the Ham to define my top customers — the 20% that give me 80% of revenue. Then I asked myself, How can I better serve these people? 8. The Ultimate Sales Machine — Chet HolmesTakeaway: Stop doing 4,000 different things in my business. Through pigheaded discipline and determination I should do 8 specific tasks perfectly 4,000 times instead. The time management chapter of The Ultimate Sales Machine was very helpful as I used to struggle with this. I took the advice from Chet Holmes and made an awesome planner to organize according to my most mission-critical tasks which later evolved into the Self Journal. 9. The Power of Habit — Charles DuhiggTakeaway: Through learning the science of habits creation, I’ve learned how to break some of my bad ones. There’s also great stories of how corporations have used habits to sell products. (The toothpaste one was my favorite.) Business: 10. The Personal MBA — Josh KaufmanA great overview of everything I needed to know (and more) about business without any fluff or buzzwords. 11. The Lean Startup — Eric ReisAllocating resources as efficiently as possible so your business is organized for fast learning. Great book for how to make best use of limited resources. 12. The $100 Startup — Chris GuillebeauTakeaway:Startup inspiration: You don’t need much money to begin a life of adventure and purpose. Proof: I started Calm The Ham with less than $500. 13. Crush it — Gary VaynerchukGary Vaynerchuk wrote this great book on turning passions and interests into real businesses. He explains how he uses passion, social media, and transparency within his businesses to crush his competition. 14. The E-Myth Revisited — Michael E. GerberTakeaway: Putting things in place so I’m working on my businesses instead of in them. This has allowed me the freedom to grow revenue and have more free time. 15. Purple Cow — Seth GodinHow the key to success is to stand out among my competition and avoid distinction in today’s economy. 16. ReWork — Jason Fried & David Heinemeier HanssonShort yet impactful read by the thought leaders of 37 Signals. Stay small, embrace constraints, and build less. 17. This Book Will Teach You How To Write Better — Neville MedhoraThis short read by Neville Medhora of Appsumo is a great introduction to copywriting and learning how to write better, converting people into customers and mind-hacks that make it easier to simply write. Sales: 18. To Sell is Human — Daniel PinkTakeaway: “Selling” is not a dirty word. This book helped me become comfortable with the idea of selling. This book is great for understanding concepts behind sales and how to approach them. 19. Pitch Anything — Oren KlafA great introduction of how to structure sales calls or presentations to ensure prospects are engaged enough to buy in. Coming from a non-sales background, I found this especially interesting. Finance: 20. Rich Dad, Poor Dad — Robert T. KiyosakiTakeaway: This book really drilled in the concept of wealth, liabilities and assets. I remember sitting on the subway commute and thinking, Why didn’t I read this book 10 years ago? Better late than never. 21. I Will Teach You To Be Rich — Ramit SethiTakeaway: Personal Finance doesn’t have to be boring. I applied savings and negotiation tactics from this book to my life which both made and saved me money. 22. Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion - Robert B. CialdiniTakeaway: Focus on the people and what drives them to make the decisions they make.  Originally posted on LittleMight.com