We were lucky to catch up with Kristen Achziger recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

As many online business owners will tell you, social media marketing takes a significant amount of time and energy that doesn’t always feel like it yields comparable results. In 2021, I took a massive risk hoping to change that.

From 2018-2020, I had been posting photos, carousel posts, videos, and graphics 3-5 times weekly to my Instagram feed using hashtags. Like many online entrepreneurs, I had seen a steady decline in post/hashtag engagement due to changes in the algorithm.

Stories were my primary source of engagement, networking, word of mouth referrals, and sales. I watched my Stories engagement continue to increase even if my feed posts didn’t have hashtags, but I began feeling burnt out from the feed post hustle that wasn’t yielding any results.

‍I had hit a wall… and I realized I was so sick of slamming into it over and over again.

Feed posts weren’t directly responsible for any of my engagement or sales, so why was I continuing to put my effort there when clearly, my Stories were driving my ROI?

I was about to delete my Instagram for good when I had a wild idea.

So late one night in September 2021 as most of my followers were sleeping, I archived every single post on my Instagram profile (over 300 posts, gone in an instant!) and replaced them with a strategic 9-post sales funnel as an experiment.

Each post in my new feed led brand new audience members through a “journey” or “funnel” to learn more about me, my business, my values, and my offers. By the time they finished reading these 9 posts, they would know if they wanted to hit the follow button, engage with me, and start getting nurtured.

I casually called this strategy “the 9-Grid” and thought nobody would really notice. But the very next day I woke up to handfuls of direct messages from my followers asking me what I’d done, why I’d done it, and how they could do it too.

Those messages didn’t stop. Word of mouth spread like wildfire.

I began to receive dozens and dozens of follows and messages daily — consistent engagement that didn’t let up for over a year. Because I spent more focused time showing up on Stories after posting my 9-Grid, my Stories engagement shot up 330%. I attracted hundreds of followers organically as word about my strategy kept spreading, with NO ad spend. And I made dozens of qualified sales that year that could directly be tied back to my 9-Grid (which is totally new for me, as my clients came mainly from word of mouth — not social media — prior to this change).

My creativity no longer feels stifled and I no longer feel trapped by the Instagram algorithm. I get to pour my focus and time into the parts of Instagram that I actually love, knowing that my strategic sales funnel is doing the heavy lifting of conversion.

This risk truly paid off and I’m so glad I took the leap.

Kristen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve been writing for brands since 2012 after getting my start in entrepreneurship as a brand film creator. I’d write scripts and film promotional videos for small businesses and nonprofits. I loved telling stories that united brands with customers and led to more qualified sales!

After retiring from the world of film, I knew I still wanted to bring my love of storytelling and the beauty of honest humanity into my work. I could never have guessed where my passion led me.

I launched my copywriting business Going Ultraviolet in 2018 as a direct response to the manipulative, hollow marketing ads and pitches I saw filling my inbox.

What started as frustration-fueled research on ethical persuasion led to an epiphany: sales can be easy if you just treat your reader like humans, satisfy their need for information, and serve them to the sale.

I’ve been developing and teaching more ethical, humanized sales copywriting techniques ever since. It’s my joy to help small business owners sell their offers in a way that feels more aligned with their values (without having to resort to sleazy marketing tricks that push consumers away).

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Honestly, showing up as my full self in business has helped build and solidify my reputation in my industry. I know that might sound really cheesy, but it’s the truth!

I’m an extremely innovative, curious human but for a long time, thought I needed to confine myself to the “typical” in order to get noticed in my business. I wasted so much time trying not to cause ripples.

Today I have actual data that proves I consistently get the BEST ROI when I build offers, share ideas, or invent concepts that buck tradition and lean into experimentation without apology. I’ve become known as the strategist who asks, “Who says so?” “Why?” and “Why not?” and people know me (and refer me) for my creative takes on old techniques.

Now that I walk in alignment with who I am without trying to prove that I’m like everyone else, my customers can sense that integrity and are much less resistant and hesitant to work with me.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

A major lesson I’ve learned in my seven years of business is that there is ALWAYS another way, another option, another idea for ANY technique or business strategy you really hate.

The most popular trends aren’t the only ones that exist. Do your research and you’ll find other people with similar questions and feelings creating different paths that might suit your business better.

You never have to settle for something that doesn’t feel good. You always have permission to choose something that is more aligned for yourself. Alignment is out there. Go seek it out or go create it!

Contact Info:

• Website: goingultraviolet.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/goingultraviolet
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenachziger/
• Other: Read more about how I created the 9-Grid: bit.ly/9-grid

Image Credits
Dawn & Delight Creative