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Customer Stories

The KOS Story

How KOS uses Link in Bio x Shopify to Build a Digital Storefront and Drive Sales from Instagram.

Sharing the benefits of a plant-based diet and keeping it fun – these are the foundations of the KOS mission.

And since 2017, they’ve been doing just that.

What began as a small team with a goal to promote plant-based living through nutritious blends and protein powders, has grown to a team of 31 (including 16 new members in 2020 – no mean feat in a tumultuous year).

But 2020 was a big year for them in other ways too.

They started using Later 😉, grew their online sales, and embarked on a brand new partnership with Feeding America®.

And Instagram has played a starring role in their online success. It’s the place new customers can discover the brand, learn about their mission, and buy their products.

275% year-on-year growth in direct to consumer online sales

Smoothie bowl with berries and bananas next to image of two containers of KOS plant protein in chocolate and vanilla

The KOS Approach To Social Media

When it comes to social media, KOS considers anyone who sees their content as a potential customer. And that influences both their goals and challenges on Instagram.

Their key aims are to create a good first impression, develop an everlasting relationship, and provide engaging content that educates their audience on their products and mission.

Making Sales on Instagram (Without Being Salesy)

Instagram might be a huge channel for driving sales at KOS, but that doesn’t mean their content takes a hard-sell approach.

Instead, they use the platform to build an engaged community and a hub of plant-based education and inspiration.

Rather than pushing sales, they create content that offers value to potential and current customers – such as healthy recipes that feature their products.

A stunning snap of a finished smoothie bowl helps them stand out on their followers' feeds, and also encourages them to save it so they can refer back to the recipe later.

We create a lot of recipes to show people how they can use our products.

Container of KOS' peanut butter powder next to a peanut butter based smoothie

Making user-generated content (UGC) a big player in their content strategy helps build trust in their products – especially for new customers discovering the brand via Instagram.

To make sure they have a stack of quality UGC to choose from, they rely on content created by brand ambassadors and happy customers. Not only does it add variety to KOS’ feed, but it strengthens their relationship with existing fans, and offers social proof to new ones.

Later makes gathering and managing that UGC content easy. KOS uses features like Search by Hashtag, Tags, and Mentions to find content shared by their biggest fans, and then saves it in the Media Library for reposting.

Collecting from tags and hashtags in Later makes it super streamlined.

Using Link in Bio to Make Sales on Instagram

To help drive and track sales, KOS uses Later’s Link in Bio feature with Shopify integration – creating a fully shoppable replica of their Instagram feed.

With Link in Bio, they can send customers directly from Instagram to Shopify product pages. This makes it easy for potential customers to find and buy what they’re looking for, rather than having to head over to the KOS website. And fewer clicks means a better user experience 🎉.

125% increase in traffic after implementing Link in Bio

Screenshot of KOS' Link in Bio page with a button to visit their website and a grid of their mostly shoppable posts

They click direct from Instagram to the product page — it’s instant.

Using Link in Bio also reduces the reliance on their website for sales. If a customer first discovers KOS on Instagram, they can learn about the business and make a purchase – all without having to visit their website.

Link in Bio makes it so much easier.

And when it comes to analytics, Later makes reporting streamlined and simple. KOS tracks Link in Bio clicks alongside the rest of their Instagram Analytics in Later – so they can get a clear overview of what’s working (and what isn’t) all from one user-friendly dashboard.

Using Link in Bio To Support Other Goals

But KOS’ use of Link in Bio doesn’t end there.

When they announce new stores that stock their products, they use Link in Bio to direct followers to the company’s store locator. Not only is it helpful for those that want to shop offline, but it also helps solidify their Instagram as the first port of call for news and customer support.

They also use Link in Bio when they’ve got more to say but want to keep their captions simple. If they're sharing detailed recipes or nutritional information, they’ll link to a landing page on the KOS website with more information.

Young woman holding small container of KOS' Latte Gold powder next to two lattes using KOS' matcha powder

We don’t want to bombard them with too much information in the caption.

They recognize that too much detail in the caption can be difficult to read – or worse, totally off-putting 🙅. So, sticking to a simple recipe and saving the detail for elsewhere makes for more engaging content.

Finding an Opportunity to Give Back

Along with their mission to promote a healthy, plant-based lifestyle, KOS have taken on a new goal. In 2020, they announced ‘Project 10 Million’ – their partnership with Feeding America®, a food bank charity providing meals to those in need across the US.

After three years of building the company, we’re looking forward to giving Back.

For every product purchased, KOS will donate 1 meal for a family in need. And, because Feeding America® partners with local food banks, the meal will be delivered to the customer’s nearest food bank – supporting local families.

Because of massive online sales, KOS has been able to grow their company, create ‘Project 10 Million’, and give back to their community – after just three years in business 🙌.

By using Link in Bio x Shopify, KOS has created a streamlined buying experience for their customers. And together with a social strategy that emphasizes education versus simply selling, they’re ready to continue their digital success in 2021 and beyond.

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