October plan for your ceramics studio (Mon Oct 5 – Sun Nov 1, 2026)

Today is Wed Oct 7, so Week 1 starts mid-week. The Oct 10 class is only three days away, so that's the most urgent item.

1. Assumptions and open questions

Please correct any of these.

• Time: You have about 4 hours a week, and you do everything yourself.
• Audience: Portland-area adults who want a hands-on weekend activity. That includes beginners, date nights, friends' outings and gift-givers. Your mug and bowl buyers online are a second audience.
• Offer: Each Saturday class has 8 spots, and you have a booking link. I don't know the price, length, what students make, or whether you have a waitlist.
• Email list: You have a signup form on your site. I'm assuming you have no lead magnet yet.
• Photos: Your photo library has process shots, finished work and some class photos. I'm assuming you have no student photos with permission to share yet.
• Success for October: All four Saturdays are as full as you can get them, and the email list grows. I don't know your starting numbers, so write them down on Oct 7 as your baseline.

2. Content pillars

These are a starting mix to adjust after the review, not a rule.

3. Platform roles and rhythm

• Instagram (main job: fill classes):
  • 3 feed posts a week, mostly Reels and carousels.
  • Stories on class days and in the 2–3 days before each class.
  • 10 minutes a day replying to comments and DMs.
• Email (main job: grow and convert the list): 1 short email a week, plus a lead magnet.
  • Suggested lead magnet: "First-timer's guide to a pottery class". It's a one-page PDF covering what to expect, what to wear and FAQs.
  • Put it on a signup page and in your bio link.
  • Optionally offer early access to restocks or the next class dates.
• Optional second platform: Facebook.
  • Use it only for local reach: create an event for each class and share it in Portland community groups where posting is allowed.
  • Reuse your Instagram posts. Don't create anything new.
  • Check the current features and group rules yourself.
  • If it feels like too much, skip it this month. Email is your second channel.

4. Calendar

Roughly 75% of slots are planned. The "OPEN" rows are for reactive posts.

Week 1 (Oct 7–11): fill Oct 10 and set up the list

Week 2 (Oct 12–18): fill Oct 17 and Oct 24

Week 3 (Oct 19–25): fill Oct 24 and Oct 31

Week 4 (Oct 26–Nov 1): fill Oct 31 and plan beyond

5. Batching and reuse

Spend about 4 hours a week like this:

• Sunday, about 1.5 hours: Pick photos and clips from your library, write captions and hooks for the week, and schedule posts.
• Class days, 15 minutes each: Take a few phone clips and photos. These feed the following week's posts.
• Daily, 10 minutes: Reply to comments and DMs.
• Weekly, about 30 minutes: Write the email. Reuse the Instagram caption and add one personal line.
• Remaining time: Buffer, and the lead magnet in Week 1.

Reuse plan:

• One class-day clip can become a Story, a Reel and an email photo.
• The "what happens in a class" carousel can be reused for Facebook and as a pinned post.
• Keep a running idea bank of questions from DMs, Q&A answers and customer emails.

6. Review plan

Review date: Mon Nov 2 (about 20 minutes).

• Metrics that match your goals:
  • Seats booked per class, and where each booker said they came from. Ask at checkout or when they arrive.
  • New email subscribers.
  • Link clicks from Instagram.
  • Which posts got saves, shares or DMs, not just likes.
• Questions: Which pillar and format led to bookings? What should you stop? What should you keep?
• Two experiments for November (change one thing each):
  1. Post more process Reels, or more class-focused posts, depending on which drove bookings.
  2. Try an incentive for the list, such as early access to class dates.

One thing to do today: Post the "5 seats left Saturday" Story and send the short email to your existing list. That's the fastest way to fill Oct 10.

Platform features, group rules and the setup of your booking and email tools change, so check them yourself. Only share student photos and quotes you have permission to use.