183 - Laryssa and Liz on Instagram in 2026: What's Changed, What's Working, and Whether It's Still Worth Your Time

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #187! It might feel early, but Laryssa and Liz are here to tell you: now is exactly the right time to start thinking about holiday. From production timelines to marketing plans to setting realistic goals, the brands that have their best Q4s are the ones who started planning in August - not October. In today's episode, Laryssa and Liz cover: Why starting your holiday planning now gives you a creative and strategic advantage How production timelines for jewelry brands make Q4 planning more complex - and why that means starting earlier Why the logistical and "boring" stuff (shipping cutoffs, deadlines, lead times) is just as important as the creative marketing How to set a holiday goal - and why having one matters even if you're brand new to the season Why Q4 doesn't have to peak on Christmas Eve - and how to think about the full arc from now through the new year The post-Christmas selling opportunity that a lot of brands overlook Why planning ahead gives you the space to try one new thing this holiday season In the bonus segment for Insiders only, Laryssa and Liz share real examples from their current client work, what different Q4 strategies actually look like in practice, and how to build a plan that's structured but still flexible enough to move around. Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com. Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com. Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #186! We're wrapping up our Instagram series with the stuff you can actually change this week - your captions, your calls to action, your posting habits, and a few strategic tweaks that can meaningfully improve how your content performs. A lot of this is simpler than you think. In today's episode, Laryssa and Liz cover: The truth about hashtags in 2026 - and what you should be doing instead Why your captions need to sound like you, and what that actually means in practice How to write captions that are personal and scannable at the same time Why calls to action matter - and how to mix them up so they don't feel repetitive What to do in the 10 to 15 minutes after you post to give your content a boost Why most of your post views happen in the first three days - and why posts are lasting longer than they used to The moodboard content trend Liz has been noticing and saving - and why it works so well for jewelry brands In the bonus segment for Insiders only, they share a practical Instagram audit framework you can use to look at your account with fresh eyes and figure out exactly what to change first. Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com. Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com. Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #185! We're wrapping up our Instagram series with the format that often gets overlooked in favor of feed posts and reels - stories. And as it turns out, the data suggests stories might be Instagram's most underrated format in 2026. Laryssa and Liz dig into why stories deserve more of your attention, how they connect directly to DMs and real one-on-one relationships, and what a smart stories strategy actually looks like for an independent jewelry brand. In today's episode, Laryssa and Liz cover: Why stories are a gateway to the DMs - and why that matters more than reach How stories give you more control over timing than the feed algorithm does Why a segment of your audience may only be watching stories and never scrolling the feed What the data shows about story replies growing - and what that signals about how people want to connect How to use link stickers strategically in stories A new Klaviyo feature called K Social that lets you grow your email list directly from Instagram without anyone leaving the app What makes a good story versus a random, off-brand one In the bonus segment for Insiders only, Laryssa and Liz share how they're thinking about stories for their own accounts, tips for using stories to drive direct outreach, and one thing you can try this week if you've been neglecting stories. Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com. Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com. Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #184! We're back with part two of our Instagram series, and this week Laryssa and Liz are getting into the format question everyone asks: should I be doing reels? Are carousels worth it? Can I just post a single photo? They're pulling in data from a study of over 24 million posts to answer these questions - so it's not just opinions, it's backed by real numbers. In today's episode, Laryssa and Liz cover: What the data actually says about single image posts in 2026 - and why views going up doesn't tell the whole story Why reels are still the format with the most consistent across-the-board performance The carousel stat that might change how you think about your content: carousels outperform single image posts across every single metric, get more than double the reach and views, nearly four times the interactions - and yet they're used 37% less often Why carousels get nine times more saves than single image posts How photo dumps and multi-slide storytelling carousels are performing How often you should be posting - and what the data says about the sweet spot for smaller accounts Why consistency still matters more than format perfection In the bonus segment for Insiders only, Laryssa and Liz share what's going on in their own businesses right now, including how they're thinking about the lead-up to holiday season and what they're watching in their clients' strategies. Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com. Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com. Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #183! We're kicking off a three-part series on Instagram, because enough has changed in 2026 that it felt like time to take a fresh look at what's actually working. Today Laryssa and Liz start with the big picture - what's shifted on the platform, what it means for smaller accounts, and whether Instagram is still worth your time. In today's episode, Laryssa and Liz cover: Why a lot of people are still doing Instagram like it's 2016 - and what needs to change What a study of over 24 million posts reveals about how the platform is performing right now Why "views" replaced "impressions" and what that means for how you measure success How Instagram behavior has shifted - saves and shares matter more than likes and follows Why your posts are lasting longer than they used to (and what that means for time-sensitive content) Why smaller accounts actually have an advantage right now How the algorithm is changing the way content gets discovered - and what that means for jewelry brands In the bonus segment for Insiders only, Laryssa and Liz share the one shift they think every independent designer should be making on Instagram right now. Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com. Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com. Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #182! We're wrapping up our email marketing series with the topic that makes everything else work harder: segmentation. We've covered strategy, list building, what to send, and automations - now it's time to talk about how to stop sending the same email to everyone and start sending the right email to the right person. In today's episode, Laryssa and Liz cover: What segmentation actually means and why it matters even if your list is small The difference between a list and a segment - and why mixing them up creates a mess The easiest places to start with segmentation (hint: your craft show attendees are a great first segment) How to use your e-commerce store data to send smarter, more targeted emails Why segmenting out your disengaged subscribers can actually improve your results How to avoid over-complicating segmentation - and what "segmentation for show" looks like A note on A/B testing subject lines and when it's actually worth doing In the bonus segment for Insiders only, Laryssa and Liz share the specific segments they recommend jewelry brands build first, plus how to use segmentation inside the most popular email platforms. Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com. Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com. Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #181! We're back with part three of our email marketing series. We've covered strategy, list building, and what to send - now it's time to talk about automations. These are the emails that go out even when you're not at your desk: the ones that welcome new subscribers, follow up after a purchase, and bring people back when they've gone quiet. In today's episode, Laryssa and Liz cover: What automations are and why they matter for independent jewelry brands Why the welcome email is the single most important automation you can set up What a welcome series looks like and how many emails it should include Abandoned cart emails - best practices and how to avoid feeling spammy Win-back sequences: what they are and when to use them How to know if your automations are working and how often to revisit them Which platforms support automations and how to get started If you're interested in checking out Laryssa's in-depth report, you can download it here. In the bonus segment for Insiders only, Laryssa and Liz share the specific automation sequences they recommend to jewelry brand clients - including what to say in each email and how many to send. Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com. Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com. Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #180! We're back with part two of our email marketing series, and this week Laryssa and Liz are tackling the question they hear most often: what do I actually say in my emails? Because this is where so many jewelry brands get stuck — they have a list, they know they should be sending, they open up their email platform, and then they just stare at it. In today's episode, Laryssa and Liz cover: What makes an email worth opening — and why having a point of view matters more than being creative How often you should actually be sending (Laryssa and Liz have slightly different opinions on this one) Why sending emails only when you have a show or a sale is not a strategy How to plan your email content so you're never starting from scratch Why repetition is not annoying — it's actually essential How to write in your brand voice and avoid sounding generic or salesy Subject lines: why they're harder to write than you think, and when AI can actually help How to know if your emails are working In the bonus segment for Insiders only, Laryssa and Liz share their email content calendar framework for jewelry brands, plus the specific email types they come back to again and again with clients. Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com. Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com. Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #179! Liz sits down with Alyssa Downey, owner of Amp'd Designs, a brand and web designer with over a decade of experience helping small businesses build websites that don't just look beautiful — they work for everyone who visits them. Alyssa studied at Pratt Institute, has worked at NYC design studios, as an Art Director at a high-end print company, and in the Art Department at Atlantic Records, and has been running her own design business full time since 2018. In today's episode, Liz and Alyssa break down website accessibility in a way that actually makes sense for independent jewelry brands — not the intimidating technical version, but the practical one that helps you make sure the customers who want to find you and buy from you actually can. In today's episode, Liz and Alyssa cover: What website accessibility means and why it should be a priority for every jewelry brand The legal side of accessibility — and why it's worth paying attention to even as a small business The most common accessibility mistakes Alyssa sees on jewelry websites Why heading structure matters way more than most designers realize (and it's not just about design) Text legibility, tiny fonts, and script typefaces — what's hurting your website and what to do about it Color contrast explained: how to check yours and what to do if it fails Alt text: why it matters for both accessibility and SEO, and how to write it correctly How to audit your own website for accessibility without hiring a developer In the bonus segment for Insiders only, Alyssa shares the accessibility fixes she sees jewelry websites need the most — including a live look at a few well-known jewelry brand websites — and where to start if this all feels overwhelming. Learn more about Amp'd Designs: https://www.ampddesigns.com/Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ampd_designs Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com. Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com. Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!

Welcome to the Success With Jewelry podcast, hosted by Laryssa Wirstiuk and Liz Kantner, two experts passionate about helping independent jewelry artists thrive. Welcome to episode #178! We're kicking off a four-part series on email marketing, because as much as we've talked about it on this podcast, the landscape has changed enough that it felt like time to start fresh. Whether you've been doing email marketing for a while and it's starting to feel stale, or you've been putting it off because it feels overwhelming, this series is for you. In today's episode, Laryssa and Liz cover: Why email marketing matters more than ever in 2026 - and why social media alone just isn't cutting it anymore The mindset shifts that hold jewelry brands back from getting started (you're not bothering people, we promise) What's changed about the email landscape and what's stayed the same The biggest mistakes jewelry brands are making with email right now How to think about frequency - and why consistency matters more than volume Simple, beginner-friendly ways to get started if email marketing feels overwhelming Substack versus email marketing: what's the difference and which should you focus on In the bonus segment for Insiders only, Laryssa and Liz share how they're thinking about email strategy for their own clients right now, and the shifts they've made in the last year that are making a real difference. Liz Kantner works with independent jewelry artists to help them find their unique voices and succeed in today's marketplace. With over ten years of experience in jewelry marketing and sales, Liz offers consulting services and digital strategy. She's also the founder of the Stay Gold Collective, a private group providing live training, industry insights, and personalized feedback. Learn more at https://www.lizkantner.com. Laryssa Wirstiuk is the founder and creative director of Joy Joya, a digital marketing agency for the jewelry industry. She's the author of Jewelry Marketing Joy and the creator of JoyDeck, a platform designed to make marketing accessible for jewelry makers and designers. Discover more at https://joyjoya.com. Tune in to hear Liz and Laryssa share valuable insights, tips, and strategies for success in the jewelry industry!