There are subtle tweaks that you can make here and there to take your email success rates from average to outstanding.  For my SBC directors, you should start calling our classes "live events" instead of "webinars."

Let’s play a quick game.

Pull up your website. Don’t overthink it. Just look at it like a potential customer would.

Now ask yourself one simple question: “What do these photos say about my business?”

I recommend email marketing to business owners.  Then comes the question: Where do the email addresses come from?  This isn't an exhaustive list but it'll certainly get you started.

Buffer is one of my favorite tools and has one of my favorite blogs.  That's not why I'm sharing this.  Their openness and vulnerability have earned them raves from clients, and more importantly, dollars from new clients.  I'm not sharing this so that you can learn Buffer's backstory.  Rather, I want you to imagine your business doing the same thing and what that could do for you.

You finally did it. You booked your branding session, nailed your shoot, and now you’ve got a gorgeous gallery of photos and videos sitting in your inbox.

And then… nothing.

A fascinating read.  I'll warn you though, it's extremely research-heavy and very long.  My most shocking takeaway: Video, photo, text, and link posts all have the same median engagement on Facebook.  What this report didn't include, and what I'd like to see, is the reach associated with each of these post types.

Still on the fence about video marketing?  Check out this research and then get back to me.

Here’s the deal: a branding photo or video shoot can either be a smooth, confidence-boosting experience that makes your business look amazing, or a stressful blur that leaves you muttering, “Well, that could’ve gone better.”

One of the concerns that I hear from small business owners who are hesitant about email marketing is that nobody reads email.  Not true.  The data proves it.

There are some good-looking tools in here.  MarketingBlocks looks particularly interesting to me.  Also, I see some of my class attendees use Otter.ai.

Let’s be honest. “Investing in professional photography or video” sounds like a nice idea until it’s time to actually write the check. That’s when a lot of business owners start asking, “Can’t we just use stock photos?” or “My cousin has a nice camera, maybe she can do it?”

Not all of this advice is practical for your typical small business, such as posting a short video daily.  Still though, I'm sharing because it may have inspired a new video series for me.  Maybe it'll do the same for you.

It's brutal to drop in Google Business rankings.  Trust me, my views got cut in half when I moved from New Bern, NC to Greenville, NC.  I bet they go even lower once I update my location to where I just moved in Winterville, NC.

There are some gems here.  You've definitely heard some of them before ("Video is Still King") but some of these will be fresh to you.  Be authentic and make a genuine connection with your audience.

Let’s get this out of the way first: you don’t need everything all at once. You don’t need a full-blown video campaign, 500 edited images, drone footage, and a behind-the-scenes documentary just to post something decent on Instagram.

Excellent article featuring a unique look at marketing for small businesses.  These are tips that you can take, implement, and actively use.  I use #2, #3, and #4 in my photo business marketing, but don't sleep on #1 either.

Love this article.  This hits on a lot of subjects that I talk about in my social media classes and much more.  It's a must-read for anybody looking to grow their following on social.  (That should be all of you.)

You did it. You booked the shoot, smiled your way through it, and got a folder full of amazing branding photos that make you look like you’ve got your act together. Now what?

AEO is becoming increasingly important but it still has a way to go in finding local small businesses.  I did three ChatGPT searches about photographers in Greenville, NC, where I live.  Here's what I found:

This is critical.  Share your testimonials if you have them.  Share your accolades if you have them.  Share your social proof.