Your 90-day plan.
A synthesis of Modules 1–8 into a dated action plan, an AI authenticity guardrail card, and a 2026 trends watchlist.
Start inspiring.
Three phases. Thirty days each.
Each phase has a theme, a small set of measurable outcomes, and weekly tasks. Don't optimize early. Don't skip ahead.
Foundations & momentum
Days 1–30 · 8 posts cumulative
Get the engine running. Don't optimize yet. Setup, first content sprint, twice-daily reply rhythm, broadcast channel seeded.
Quality & discovery
Days 31–60 · 16 posts cumulative
Tune the carburetor. Caption SEO live (hook + middle + CTA), keyword bank built, first UGC repost, first analytics review & one adjustment.
Amplify & scale
Days 61–90 · 24 posts cumulative
Lean into what works. First small paid boost, optional second platform, six-month tentpole calendar mapped, Phase 4 plan written.
Twelve weeks, on a single page.
Skim it. Print it. The whole 90-day plan is below.
Phase 1 · Days 1–30 · Foundations & momentum
| Week | Task |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Module 1 setup. Switch IG to Business, create FB Page if missing, link via Meta Business Suite. Bio with category words + location. 3 saved replies, 1 instant reply. |
| Week 2 | First content sprint. Run Module 4's 12-Idea Exercise. Block 90 minutes for a batch shoot. Edit and schedule 4 posts (one per pillar). Publish first post by week's end. |
| Week 3 | Establish reply rhythm. Twice-daily inbox check (10 min morning, 10 min afternoon). Create Instagram Broadcast Channel. Send first welcome message. |
| Week 4 | Second batch shoot (4 more posts). Phase 1 review: posting 2×/week? Replies inside 24 hours? Bio clean? |
Phase 2 · Days 31–60 · Quality & discovery
| Week | Task |
|---|---|
| Week 5 | Module 6 deep-dive. Build keyword bank (5–8 phrases). Audit your last 4 captions; rewrite using hook + middle + CTA. |
| Week 6 | Continue weekly batch shoot. Apply new caption structure to every post. Update hashtags to the 3–6 rule (geo + category, no dumps). |
| Week 7 | UGC capture week. Watch mentions feed daily. Reshare tagged Stories within an hour. DM-permission and repost the strongest UGC piece. |
| Week 8 | First monthly analytics review (Module 5, §9). Pull top 5 by reach, engagement, saves, sends. Identify the winning pillar. Make ONE calendar adjustment for Phase 3. |
Phase 3 · Days 61–90 · Amplify & scale
| Week | Task |
|---|---|
| Week 9 | Identify your top 1–2 organic posts of Phase 1+2. Run first paid boost (Module 8, Start #1): $20–$50, 3–5 days. Track results. |
| Week 10 | Optional. Set up your category's discovery platform (TikTok if food/beauty/fitness, Pinterest if boutique/gallery/home). Cross-post 3 pieces with platform-appropriate tweaks. |
| Week 11 | Second monthly analytics review. Look at the three Mosseri signals: watch time, likes per reach, sends per reach. Which posts won on which signal? |
| Week 12 | Wrap-up. Map next 6 months of Carmel tentpoles. Build Phase 4 (days 91–180). Refresh keyword bank. Acknowledge your team. |
The AI authenticity guardrail card.
Read it every Monday morning until it's reflex. Consumers in 2026 are allergic to AI slop — the brands winning look more human, not more produced.
The brands winning in 2026 look more human, not more produced.
What's out (don't)
- AI-written captions with no voice
- Over-edited, over-filtered photos
- Generic trend-chasing
- Posting and ghosting
- Auto-posting AI without reading it
- Stock or AI photos of food/products you don't have
- AI replies to upset customers
- Captions that sound like ChatGPT
What's in (do)
- Phone photos with natural light
- The owner's voice in the caption
- Behind-the-scenes moments
- Replying to every DM and comment
Sanctioned AI uses
- Generate 10 caption options, pick one, edit into your voice
- Brainstorm Reels ideas through competitor pages
- Brainstorm content calendars
- Rewrite posts for different platforms
read this and recognize my voice?”
The 24-hour reply pledge.
A second small card. Tape it next to the register.
Every comment. Every DM. Every mention. Within 24 hours. In our voice. Even if it's just “thank you.”
The 2026 trends watchlist.
Five emerging signals. Not yet codified into the modules — but worth tracking through 2026 and into 2027. If a trend goes from “watch” to “act on,” it gets added to your strategy.
AI disclosure mandates
Signal52% of users worried about undisclosed AI content (Sprout 2026). EU AI Act enforcing labels. FTC on the cusp.
WatchWhether Meta or TikTok rolls out mandatory AI disclosure in 2026 H2 / 2027.
DoPre-emptively disclose. “Drafted with AI assistance” is the trust-building move.
Broadcast channels
SignalDeepest engagement now in semi-private spaces (Sprout). IG broadcast channels grew 4× in MAU 2025–2026. Threads added them late 2025.
WatchWhether Meta surfaces broadcast growth as a Business Suite priority metric. TikTok / Pinterest equivalents.
DoHit ~100 broadcast subscribers in Phase 3, then refine.
Search-first captions
SignalIG captions indexed by Google since mid-2025. TikTok added searchable transcripts in 2026. Pinterest's text search holds.
WatchPlatform “SEO score” indicators. New keyword-suggest tools at post-time.
DoTreat the keyword bank (Module 6) as a living doc. Refresh quarterly.
Authenticity premium
Signal2026 platform statements about boosting authentic content. Sprout's data on AI fatigue.
WatchWhether Meta or TikTok formalizes an authenticity classifier. “Creator-shot” vs. “studio-produced” metadata.
DoLean into Tell pillar (owner voice). Lean into UGC. Treat “iPhone in good light” as a feature.
TikTok replacing Yelp
Signal60%+ of product discovery now on TikTok / IG / YouTube (Sprout 2026). Travel-trip-planning behavior shifted sharply on TikTok.
WatchWhether Yelp / Tripadvisor lose meaningful local-restaurant share. Carmel-area visitor queries on TikTok.
DoFor food tenants, TikTok is no longer optional starting 2027. At minimum, monitor what surfaces for “Carmel restaurants.”
What this will. What it won't.
Within 90 days of disciplined execution — here's the honest forecast. Numbers depend on baseline, category, season, execution.
- Lift per-post reach 30–80% over baseline
- Climb engagement toward 1%+ on IG, 2%+ on Reels
- Grow followers 5–15% in 90 days
- Double DM volume as customers learn you reply
- Bump foot traffic on days following Invite-pillar posts
- Surface your shop in Google for category + Carmel
- Reliably produce viral content
- Replace Saturday foot traffic on the Crossroads
- Compensate for poor product or service
- Show measurable change in 2 weeks — 90 days is the floor
- Be set-and-forget. 2.5 hrs/week, indefinitely.
Your next twelve months.
The natural progression for a Crossroads tenant after Phase 3 closes.
| Months | Focus & outcomes |
|---|---|
| 0–3 | This plan. Foundations, momentum, first analytics review. |
| 3–6 | Refine the calendar based on Phase 3 analytics. Optionally add a discovery platform. Stabilize the 2.5-hour weekly rhythm. |
| 6–9 | First major tentpole campaign (Concours, holiday) with paid boost. Begin email-list building for future lookalike audiences. |
| 9–12 | First UGC-driven campaign. Year-one analytics summary; plan year two. |
Four next-level capabilities.
Once year one is in the rear view, the academy's second-wave layers become available.
Start inspiring.
Three dates on the wall.
Setup
IG to Business. Meta Business Suite linked. Bio rewritten with category words + Carmel.
Phase review
Posting 2×/week? Replies under 24 hours? Bio clean? Adjust before Phase 2 kicks in.
Plan Phase 4
Map the next 6 months of Carmel tentpoles. Refresh the keyword bank. Acknowledge your team.