EP 53: Mini Mentoring with Kayla Victor moving from Michigan to Dallas, TX

00:00:00 [Alison]
Down your list of places you need to experience.
00:00:02 [Alison]
Go down a list of, like, date night ideas you found and, like, experience the town, your suburb, your little corner of Dallas, and be an expert in it and be social.
00:00:10 [Alison]
Hey.
00:00:11 [Alison]
I’m Allison, family photographer, military spouse, and business mentor for photographers.

00:00:16 [Melissa]
And I’m Melissa, also a military spouse, lifestyle newborn photographer, and SEO expert photographers.
00:00:21 [Melissa]
Between the two of us, we have a combined twenty seven years in photography and have lived through nine business relocations.

00:00:27 [Alison]
We’ve coached each other through all these challenges privately challenges privately on Marco Polo, and now we’re bringing our polos public.
00:00:32 [Alison]
On this podcast, we’ll give you actionable steps to help you keep it moving.

00:00:39 [Melissa]
Hey, guys.
00:00:39 [Melissa]
Welcome back.
00:00:40 [Melissa]
This week, we are doing another mini mentoring episode.
00:00:43 [Melissa]
So this is one where we help either a small business owner or a photographer who is facing a move or has already moved and just need some help getting their business re stirred.
00:00:52 [Melissa]
So this week, we have Kayla Victor from Kayla Marie Photography.

00:00:56 [Melissa]
So welcome to the podcast, Kayla.
00:00:58 [Melissa]
Hey.

00:00:59 [Kayla]
Hello.
00:00:59 [Kayla]
Hello.
00:01:00 [Kayla]
Hello.
00:01:00 [Kayla]
I’m really excited to be here.

00:01:02 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:01:03 [Alison]
Tell us a bit about yourself.
00:01:04 [Alison]
What are you what do you do?
00:01:05 [Alison]
What do you shoot?
00:01:07 [Alison]
Where are you going?

00:01:07 [Alison]
Where are you coming from?

00:01:08 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:01:09 [Kayla]
Sure.
00:01:09 [Kayla]
Much like everyone else, I am a digital and film photographer.
00:01:13 [Kayla]
Right now, I am currently based out of Traverse City, and we are moving to Dallas, Texas.

00:01:20 [Melissa]
Oh, nice.

00:01:21 [Kayla]
How far

00:01:21 [Alison]
of a move is that?

00:01:22 [Kayla]
I think seventeen and a half hours.

00:01:24 [Alison]
Oh, wow.
00:01:25 [Alison]
Okay.
00:01:25 [Alison]
Yeah.

00:01:25 [Kayla]
That’s pretty

00:01:27 [Melissa]
She’s not going back on weekends to shoot at her old location.
00:01:30 [Melissa]
No.

00:01:31 [Kayla]
No.
00:01:31 [Kayla]
Unfortunately not.
00:01:32 [Kayla]
But I specialize in, like, families, motherhood.
00:01:35 [Kayla]
I really love maternity, like, solo maternity, I think is super beautiful.
00:01:39 [Kayla]
Oh,

00:01:40 [Melissa]
Oh, nice.

00:01:40 [Kayla]
So I’m really excited to try and, like, hone in on that during this move.
00:01:44 [Kayla]
But Yeah.
00:01:45 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:01:45 [Kayla]
That’s the gist of me.

00:01:48 [Alison]
What do you what do you

00:01:48 [Melissa]
shoot camera wise for film?

00:01:50 [Kayla]
I shoot on, Canon EOS three, and then I also shoot on a Pentax 45 n two.

00:01:57 [Melissa]
Okay.
00:01:57 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:01:58 [Melissa]
I had a Pentax for a while, and then I think I had an EOS no.
00:02:02 [Melissa]
I had the one v.
00:02:03 [Melissa]
I started off in college shooting films and then made the switch to digital.

00:02:06 [Melissa]
So it’s always fun to hear, like, what film cameras people are using.
00:02:09 [Melissa]
Now mine just starts behind me collecting dust.

00:02:13 [Alison]
So what prompted this change, Kayla?
00:02:15 [Alison]
What’s or sorry, this move?

00:02:16 [Kayla]
It’s funny.
00:02:17 [Kayla]
Ever since I’ve met my husband, we’ve moved let me think.
00:02:20 [Kayla]
This will be our fifth move in three years.
00:02:23 [Kayla]
So you’d think I’d be, like, super accustomed, and I am certainly not.
00:02:28 [Kayla]
So I started in photography ten years ago, and I actually started in sports photography, which is a lot different than most people.

00:02:36 [Kayla]
Uh-huh.
00:02:36 [Kayla]
But I’m very grateful for it because it’s I feel like it’s given me the opportunity to be a little bit more aware of my surroundings.
00:02:43 [Kayla]
You become accustomed to moments, like, transpiring before they transpire, if that makes sense.

00:02:48 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:02:48 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:02:48 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:02:49 [Alison]
Anticipation.

00:02:50 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:02:50 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:02:50 [Kayla]
Exactly.
00:02:51 [Kayla]
So I started in sports and then, I met my husband and we started building a family and that’s when I transitioned into more of a family photography style.
00:03:01 [Kayla]
So he is actually in the golf industry, and he’s just very good at his job.

00:03:06 [Kayla]
And everyone wants him to go to places.
00:03:10 [Kayla]
So, initially, we actually were in Texas three ish years ago, a different part of Texas, but we had to leave.
00:03:20 [Kayla]
We only lived there for less than a year, and his mom passed away really suddenly.
00:03:24 [Kayla]
Oh.
00:03:25 [Kayla]
Oh, no.

00:03:26 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:03:26 [Kayla]
We moved back to where his family is and where his dad was.
00:03:31 [Kayla]
And our daughter was very young at that point, so we thought it was really important to be closer to his family while she could remember them and and Yeah.
00:03:40 [Kayla]
Get a little bit more.
00:03:41 [Kayla]
And then, unfortunately, this year, his dad passed away very suddenly.

00:03:46 [Kayla]
And crazy enough, he passed away three years to the date that his mom died.
00:03:51 [Kayla]
Oh, no.
00:03:52 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:03:52 [Kayla]
So it was a rough winter.
00:03:55 [Kayla]
And I think, honestly, we were just looking for a fresh start.

00:04:00 [Kayla]
He experienced a lot of big losses.
00:04:01 [Kayla]
I had a couple big losses in my life this past year.
00:04:05 [Kayla]
Just a fresh start.
00:04:06 [Kayla]
We moved a little bit around in Michigan.
00:04:08 [Kayla]
He was going from different courses, trying to get them in a better place, financial, different things.

00:04:12 [Kayla]
And now he’s at a different course, and we’re starting fresh.
00:04:15 [Kayla]
So, yeah, long story long.
00:04:17 [Kayla]
But

00:04:18 [Melissa]
I feel like that’s interesting because usually when people moved a lot, Allison and I are used to, like, military.
00:04:22 [Melissa]
Oh, okay.

00:04:23 [Alison]
Yep.

00:04:23 [Melissa]
That’s just that’s interesting to hear a different type of job that can move further a lot.
00:04:27 [Melissa]
Yes.
00:04:27 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:04:29 [Melissa]
So Awesome.
00:04:29 [Melissa]
When are you moving?

00:04:31 [Kayla]
So we are officially moving on April 1.
00:04:33 [Kayla]
He has actually already there.
00:04:35 [Kayla]
So Oh, okay.
00:04:35 [Kayla]
I am Okay.
00:04:37 [Kayla]
Solo parenting.

00:04:38 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:04:38 [Alison]
Absolutely.

00:04:39 [Melissa]
I feel that.
00:04:39 [Melissa]
Yep.

00:04:40 [Alison]
And when it comes to your business, you’ve made whole things hinted at honing in on a new genre.
00:04:46 [Alison]
What is the biggest thing on your mind, the biggest challenge hurdle about this move for you?
00:04:52 [Alison]
What is stressing you out the most?

00:04:53 [Kayla]
I so like I was saying, I’ve moved quite a few times.
00:04:56 [Kayla]
So the idea of I guess my biggest hurdle right now is I’ve gone from, like, small town to small town.
00:05:03 [Kayla]
So I’m used to a different approach, whereas I could rely on a lot of word-of-mouth and meeting people, which by all means is I’m introverted.
00:05:13 [Kayla]
I don’t love going to, like, socialize, but I’ve just made an effort to do and now going from a smaller town, we’re in Traverse City.
00:05:20 [Kayla]
So it’s a very touristy

00:05:22 [Alison]
Mhmm.

00:05:22 [Kayla]
A a metroplex is certainly

00:05:25 [Alison]
I’m like, oh gosh.
00:05:26 [Alison]
I don’t

00:05:26 [Kayla]
there’s so many different avenues to take this.
00:05:29 [Kayla]
Off the bat, I’ve been really trying to figure out my SEO.
00:05:33 [Kayla]
And I think, Melissa, you were actually the one who told me or I might have seen this somewhere, maybe in the TMA, but the motherhood anthology was doing the SEO basics course, and she’s a mentor.

00:05:44 [Melissa]
Yeah.

00:05:44 [Kayla]
And I’ve you mentioned show much better in those bigger cities, and I was previously on a Wix site.
00:05:52 [Kayla]
Oh.
00:05:53 [Kayla]
So now I’ve switched over to Showit.
00:05:54 [Kayla]
I still have my old site to still bring in some traffic to my old city, which eventually I would like to maybe bring on some associates and only travel back in the summer since it’s, like, a a big seasonal increase and decrease on both sides.
00:06:11 [Kayla]
So, like, Traverse City, the big peak seasons are in the summer, and Texas is so hot in the summer.

00:06:16 [Kayla]
Ideally, I I would still work both of those, and it’s usually direct flights in the summer.
00:06:21 [Kayla]
But I guess making sure my my website’s doing the best that it can and understanding that from a Showit perspective and then just like different marketing tactics too.

00:06:33 [Alison]
Mhmm.

00:06:33 [Kayla]
Because obviously, I have a further reach here because it’s a smaller population.
00:06:38 [Kayla]
But you’re very, like

00:06:39 [Alison]
smaller pond.

00:06:40 [Kayla]
Exactly.
00:06:41 [Kayla]
Like, just trying to figure out the best way to navigate those changes there.

00:06:45 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:06:45 [Alison]
That’s a lot.

00:06:47 [Kayla]
I know.
00:06:47 [Kayla]
I’m so sorry.

00:06:48 [Alison]
Not at all because this is the exact kind of stuff that I’m used to.
00:06:52 [Alison]
Like, leaving my military community and going to my first civilian community, and it’s the exact same problem you’re having right now.
00:06:58 [Alison]
Like, when you don’t have 30 to 60% turnover every year and everybody looking for all the different things and you move to a city where everybody knows everybody and has known everybody since high school and doesn’t need a new stylist or photographer or nail person

00:07:10 [Kayla]
Mhmm.

00:07:10 [Alison]
How do you break in?
00:07:11 [Alison]
It’s the same issue.
00:07:13 [Alison]
But you’re on the right track.
00:07:14 [Alison]
Like, SEO is where it’s at for sure.
00:07:16 [Alison]
And having a any website other than Wix is a step up.

00:07:20 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:07:20 [Alison]
Like, you’re winning there.
00:07:22 [Alison]
You’re in the right place, and you can do this.
00:07:24 [Alison]
It will take time, but it will be work, and it’ll take time.
00:07:27 [Alison]
So as long as you’re willing, to put that effort in and then go back a little bit, I I foresee you, like, maybe not needing to go back after a year.

00:07:34 [Alison]
Like, I think it’d be good.
00:07:36 [Alison]
Before we get any further deep into that, though, what’s your business structure?
00:07:40 [Alison]
Are you IPS, all inclusive?
00:07:42 [Alison]
How are

00:07:44 [Kayla]
you Great question.
00:07:45 [Kayla]
So I have I I’m not technically in person sales, but I do an a la carte kind of method.
00:07:51 [Kayla]
So they’ll they fee.
00:07:53 [Kayla]
And then what I was doing here was just, like, you can essentially pick your own destination.
00:07:59 [Kayla]
I think, like, you could do a full gallery or you could do a set of digitals or you had the option to pick different print products, which I didn’t necessarily have a problem with people understanding that, but I felt like it it could be a little overwhelming when I’m advertising myself as a done for you kind of service, and then they have to make all these decisions.

00:08:21 [Kayla]
What do I exactly want after I’ve seen all these?
00:08:24 [Kayla]
I am planning to do more of a so there’s still a session fee, but they’re more collection based.
00:08:30 [Kayla]
So, like, you’ll have a set framed wall art collection.
00:08:34 [Kayla]
You’ll have a set album collection, and then you’ll have a set digital collection where, hopefully, it does feel like more of a it’s a one decision and done versus, like, I’m being thrown all of this.
00:08:45 [Kayla]
And, like, I don’t it’s just decision fatigue to me.

00:08:48 [Alison]
A 100%.
00:08:49 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:08:49 [Alison]
That’s really I mean, think about if it’s decision fatigue for you and you know this stuff and this is, like, your industry and your forte, how much more overwhelming and confusing it’s up for people who don’t do this on a

00:09:00 [Kayla]
Right.
00:09:01 [Kayla]
Right.
00:09:01 [Kayla]
Yeah.

00:09:01 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:09:01 [Melissa]
Exactly.

00:09:02 [Alison]
Okay.
00:09:03 [Alison]
So we’re changing locations.
00:09:05 [Alison]
We’re changing website.
00:09:06 [Alison]
Mhmm.
00:09:06 [Alison]
We need to get new clients marketing and eyeballs on said new website in New Town.

00:09:11 [Kayla]
Mhmm.

00:09:12 [Alison]
And you’re refining your process.
00:09:14 [Alison]
You’re not completely overhauling it.
00:09:15 [Alison]
You’re just refining it.
00:09:16 [Alison]
Is that right?

00:09:17 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:09:18 [Kayla]
Yeah.

00:09:19 [Alison]
Okay.
00:09:19 [Alison]
Where are you at in all this?
00:09:21 [Alison]
What have you already done or accomplished?

00:09:23 [Kayla]
So my website’s pretty much done, I’d say.
00:09:28 [Kayla]
I’m pretty positive all of the SEO back end stuff is done.
00:09:31 [Kayla]
I think there’s probably, like, a few alt what is it?
00:09:34 [Kayla]
Alt image tags?

00:09:35 [Alison]
Alt tags.
00:09:36 [Alison]
Yeah.

00:09:36 [Kayla]
Alt tags that probably see, like, flip flopped out.

00:09:39 [Alison]
And that’s in show it.
00:09:40 [Alison]
Is it live?

00:09:42 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:09:42 [Kayla]
It is live.
00:09:42 [Kayla]
Yep.
00:09:43 [Kayla]
Okay.
00:09:43 [Kayla]
Cool.

00:09:44 [Kayla]
Okay.
00:09:44 [Kayla]
Okay.
00:09:45 [Kayla]
Yep.
00:09:45 [Kayla]
It’s live.
00:09:46 [Kayla]
And I’m just trying to, like, build up the blog right now.

00:09:50 [Melissa]
And are you blogging things for Dallas, like, local Dallas things?

00:09:55 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:09:55 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:09:56 [Kayla]
I’m trying to it’s hard because I’m not there and I’m not in that area.

00:10:00 [Melissa]
I totally get that.
00:10:01 [Melissa]
Yep.

00:10:01 [Kayla]
Right now is generic blogging things that I think my ideal client would find useful.
00:10:07 [Kayla]
But as far as family funds in Dallas, Texas, I hate to chat GPT then.
00:10:12 [Kayla]
It’d be, like, totally, like, off base.

00:10:14 [Alison]
Like, that’s the only thing I need.
00:10:15 [Alison]
Family.
00:10:16 [Alison]
Like, you start with what you need for your family.
00:10:18 [Alison]
And as you are finding things for you, you plug it for everybody else who’s like you wanting to find out the same things.
00:10:23 [Alison]
Right?

00:10:24 [Alison]
Like, where am I gonna take my kids to ice cream?
00:10:25 [Alison]
Where am I gonna take them when it’s for Easter?
00:10:28 [Alison]
Where am I gonna when it’s raining outside, what are we gonna do?
00:10:31 [Alison]
What restaurant can I eat out at because I don’t wanna unpack any more boxes?

00:10:34 [Melissa]
Like, a

00:10:34 [Kayla]
great idea.
00:10:35 [Kayla]
Yeah.

00:10:35 [Alison]
That one for me is in Virginia Beach still going crazy.

00:10:38 [Melissa]
Mhmm.
00:10:39 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:10:39 [Melissa]
And the good thing is with those blog posts, always come back and update them later with more specific stuff and swap things out.
00:10:45 [Melissa]
If you get there and you’re like, oh, turns out this place is not the best place for taking kids for a restaurant or whatever.
00:10:51 [Melissa]
Yep.

00:10:51 [Melissa]
But I found this new one.
00:10:53 [Melissa]
Let’s go you can always swap that out.

00:10:54 [Alison]
So Oh, you’re usually, Google and TripAdvisor are the worst recommendations for those things.
00:11:00 [Alison]
Really?
00:11:00 [Alison]
That’s interesting.
00:11:01 [Alison]
Oh, yeah.
00:11:02 [Alison]
Yeah.

00:11:02 [Alison]
Google or TripAdvisor’s top 10 or top five for restaurants with kids in Virginia Beach were ones I would never take my children to.

00:11:08 [Melissa]
Oh, gotcha.

00:11:08 [Alison]
I was like, no.
00:11:09 [Alison]
I’m not doing that.
00:11:10 [Alison]
And so I had a and my tag, get the information Google won’t tell you, like, from a real live home.
00:11:15 [Alison]
So go into Facebook groups and do some research for mom.

00:11:18 [Melissa]
I actually just did that recently.
00:11:19 [Melissa]
Because even though we’ve been in Charlottesville for a while now, we haven’t taken the kids in for dinners very much.
00:11:25 [Melissa]
And so I posted it to a mom’s group, and I was like, hey.
00:11:27 [Melissa]
I’m actually looking for places to take my kids to dinner because Allison said, I don’t wanna cook tonight.
00:11:31 [Melissa]
Like, it’s I’m solo parenting while my husband’s deployed.

00:11:33 [Melissa]
And so there’s some nights I’m like, I hate cooking.
00:11:35 [Melissa]
I don’t wanna do it.
00:11:36 [Melissa]
Let’s go out to eat.
00:11:37 [Melissa]
And so I went and looked everything up kind of thing.
00:11:39 [Melissa]
So that’s definitely something you can do.

00:11:41 [Melissa]
And I was gonna say too, with moving to Dallas, the good thing of that where you were before is there’s gonna be plenty of traffic.
00:11:46 [Melissa]
There’s plenty of keywords to to research and things like that and things to target.
00:11:50 [Melissa]
Sometimes when people are in smaller cities, they’re like, oh, I don’t know what to do, but you’re not gonna have that problem in Dallas.
00:11:55 [Melissa]
Yeah.

00:11:55 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:11:55 [Kayla]
No.
00:11:56 [Kayla]
I definitely have appreciated that fact when I was doing, like, the the SEO different, like, h ones that I could use.
00:12:02 [Kayla]
I was like, oh my god.
00:12:03 [Kayla]
There’s, like, a billion more than what I’m used to seeing.

00:12:06 [Kayla]
I was like, oh my gosh.
00:12:07 [Kayla]
Possibilities are endless.
00:12:09 [Kayla]
This is great.

00:12:10 [Alison]
Girl, are you still struggling to get profitable?
00:12:12 [Alison]
Are you relaunching your business or trying to refine your Allison here, and I’ve been there.
00:12:17 [Alison]
As a military spouse for fifteen years, I’ve moved my photography business seven times, effectively launching a new business with each move.
00:12:23 [Alison]
I’ve never worked anywhere longer than three years.
00:12:25 [Alison]
I’ve had all inclusive, hybrid, and virtual IPS structures, and I know what it takes to adapt and thrive.

00:12:30 [Alison]
I went from barely supporting my hobby in the early years to generating consistent 6 figure sales, supporting my crazy family along the way.
00:12:38 [Alison]
If you’re ready to break through the roadblocks, attract dream clients, and finally see the profits you’ve longed for, let’s work together.
00:12:45 [Alison]
Visit alisonbell.com and more or DM me on the grant at keep it moving pod.
00:12:50 [Alison]
Links in the show notes.
00:12:51 [Alison]
Let’s do this.

00:12:53 [Melissa]
So, yeah, I think SEO wise, it sounds like you figured out what keywords to target.
00:12:57 [Melissa]
You’ve got your website going, you’re getting blog posts and stuff.
00:13:00 [Melissa]
So we all know that’s gonna take some time to bake in.
00:13:03 [Melissa]
The only other thing I might recommend SEO wise is taking some of these blog posts that you are making and turning them into a lead magnet and getting that on your website as a way to capture email addresses.
00:13:13 [Melissa]
So if somebody’s landing on, like, restaurants for kids or something else that’s related to motherhood, that you capture their email address, get them on your email list.

00:13:20 [Melissa]
Because the quicker you can start building that email list in that new location, it’s gonna be better for you on advertising family sessions and stuff like that to clients and stuff.
00:13:28 [Melissa]
So I would definitely say get that going, try and work on the email list.
00:13:32 [Melissa]
But I think it’s gonna be more of what are some other local things that you can do to start drumming up while the SEO bakes in.

00:13:39 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:13:39 [Alison]
And I think, one, for sure, you need to start your wait list or an email list for Dallas, and that would be great with what what Melissa said about doing the lead magnet.
00:13:47 [Alison]
You also I would consider, depends on how to put towards this, a retargeting ad.
00:13:51 [Alison]
So make sure one, you have Search Console installed on your website.
00:13:56 [Alison]
Right?

00:13:56 [Alison]
Your new website?

00:13:57 [Kayla]
I’m pretty positive I do.

00:13:59 [Alison]
Okay.
00:13:59 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:13:59 [Alison]
Double check that.
00:14:00 [Alison]
Then get the Facebook pixel installed and do a retargeting ad for that with some content.

00:14:05 [Melissa]
And you can do those pretty cheap too.
00:14:07 [Melissa]
Like, it’s it’s not that yeah.
00:14:08 [Melissa]
A couple dollars a day kinda thing.

00:14:10 [Alison]
And then from there, you really do wanna hit the ground running and be social in your new space for multiple reasons.
00:14:17 [Alison]
One, you just wanna meet people.
00:14:18 [Alison]
You need to build your community.
00:14:20 [Alison]
I would join I would consider joining a Chamber of Commerce, getting in a to a local photography group, local photography, like, chapters.
00:14:27 [Alison]
Maybe it’s a PPA chapter.

00:14:28 [Alison]
Maybe it’s, like, NAPCP has their events are coming up in April.

00:14:32 [Melissa]
Dallas and I are both ambassadors for NAPCP.
00:14:34 [Melissa]
And the week of April 14, which I think this might air after that, I don’t remember.
00:14:38 [Melissa]
But it’s mandatory.
00:14:39 [Melissa]
We all have to have an event that week.
00:14:41 [Melissa]
So you may look into Dallas and see who’s having an event, and then there’ll be one in September too.

00:14:45 [Melissa]
Like, the September, we’ve gotta do one.

00:14:47 [Alison]
This is gonna be hard for your introverted soul, but it’s time but it’s time to be someone to build that virtual community too while the virtual thing takes place.
00:14:56 [Alison]
So you’re, retargeting ads, keeping people coming back who have found you, and then the chamber, NAPCP, LinkedIn, and see what kind of LinkedIn groups are actually in person groups that just formulate on LinkedIn.
00:15:08 [Alison]
So that was something I did in Virginia Beach where it had, like, a Hampton Roads networking group.
00:15:13 [Alison]
And this would be a fun date night where we’d meet up, like, kind of Pahana, happy hour in the Mainland Pahana in Hawaii where it’s, like, a five to seven and me and my husband would go to this networking group and meet people and it was all business related, but, like, you’re being social, you’re seeing the town, and you’re getting research in person, real life experience in all these places that you could then use this blog to help support your SEO.

00:15:37 [Kayla]
Right.
00:15:38 [Kayla]
Yeah.

00:15:38 [Alison]
That’s big symbiotic.
00:15:40 [Alison]
That and that’s what you really wanna do hardcore while you’re like like, when you’re in the middle of that actual move, your husband’s already there.
00:15:48 [Alison]
So while you’re exhausted, like, you need to make a list of places you need to check out and take those off.
00:15:53 [Alison]
As you’re exhausted, as you’re, like, needing to eat restaurants, go down your list of places you need to experience.
00:15:57 [Alison]
Go down a list of, like, date night ideas you found and, like, experience the town, your suburb, your little corner of Dallas, and be an expert in it and be social.

00:16:06 [Alison]
Maybe a mom or your kids?
00:16:07 [Alison]
Maybe Mops?

00:16:08 [Kayla]
Do you She’s gonna be four.
00:16:10 [Kayla]
So Yeah.

00:16:11 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:16:11 [Alison]
Join the Mops group, make friends, church, whatever it is, and don’t be afraid to talk about yourself.
00:16:16 [Alison]
Like, when people ask what you do or if you work, yes.
00:16:20 [Alison]
And this is what I do.

00:16:21 [Kayla]
Okay.
00:16:21 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:16:22 [Kayla]
I I think I could definitely do better at that.
00:16:24 [Kayla]
I just almost don’t wanna be awesome.
00:16:26 [Kayla]
Come off as, like, a cheesy car salesman.

00:16:28 [Kayla]
Hey.
00:16:28 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:16:29 [Kayla]
Do you want family photos taken?

00:16:30 [Melissa]
No.
00:16:30 [Melissa]
It’s not even that.
00:16:31 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:16:31 [Melissa]
It’s more about what do you do kind of thing.
00:16:33 [Melissa]
Yeah.

00:16:33 [Melissa]
Yeah.

00:16:34 [Alison]
Like, if you ask them, if you show interest in them and then they might you know, yeah.
00:16:38 [Alison]
I’m a family photo I’m a motherhood photographer.
00:16:40 [Alison]
I love shooting.

00:16:42 [Melissa]
But I think and also that can be a good they’re like, what’s a motherhood photographer?
00:16:45 [Melissa]
Because even though us in the TMA community know what that means outside of that, people are like, what is that?
00:16:49 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:16:50 [Melissa]
And then the other thing I would say also thinking about that is as you’re meeting people and stuff and you’re introducing yourself and then maybe you’re following just make sure, like, your Instagram’s updated, your Google business profile’s updated, that all of that has your new Oh.
00:17:03 [Melissa]
Location.

00:17:03 [Melissa]
Because the last thing you want is, like, people because I know Allison and I have talked about this that when people inquire with me, I typically find the Instagram kinda thing.
00:17:10 [Melissa]
So you wanna make sure that your Instagram even though I don’t get clients from it, I I almost feel like people get like, vet you a little bit.
00:17:17 [Melissa]
So make sure that’s got all your updated location information and stuff too.

00:17:20 [Alison]
I would go ahead and kill the Wix site so that you’re not getting inquiries.
00:17:24 [Alison]
Remember, keep coming.
00:17:25 [Alison]
You wanted to keep going.
00:17:26 [Alison]
Okay.
00:17:27 [Alison]
You would need to update that to make sure that they know that you’re not here locally, that you’re only gonna be there whenever whatever those dates are.

00:17:34 [Alison]
And then Okay.
00:17:35 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:17:35 [Alison]
Update all those little things.

00:17:37 [Melissa]
Or and then find a photographer now.
00:17:40 [Melissa]
So

00:17:40 [Alison]
And then as you’re being my last recommendation, your so your SEO is baking in, you’re doing all the research and blogging like a mad woman in the meantime.
00:17:47 [Alison]
And while that’s baking in and you’re being social and you’re meeting all these people at MOPS who want their own family photos, I would suggest putting together some sort of promotional event.
00:17:57 [Alison]
It could be a model call for pregnant mamas.
00:17:59 [Alison]
It could be in which case you would just do these sessions as people are pregnant and available and the timing’s right.
00:18:05 [Alison]
It could be free mini sessions where you are you’re getting something out of it.

00:18:09 [Alison]
Right?
00:18:09 [Alison]
You’re gonna do these free mini sessions where the session itself is free and the five images are free, but they can upgrade later so that maybe you’re getting some compensation.
00:18:16 [Alison]
But the goal is not the compensation.
00:18:18 [Alison]
The goal is meeting people, getting Dallas content, and testing out new locations if you shoot Yeah.
00:18:24 [Alison]
On on location.

00:18:26 [Alison]
So I’m putting together something like that where you can say, hey.
00:18:29 [Alison]
I’m actually looking for some models.
00:18:31 [Alison]
Would you mind being one of my models as you’re being social to help keep you busy, give you fresh content, and do all that stuff.

00:18:38 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:18:38 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:18:38 [Melissa]
Get familiar with the area.

00:18:39 [Alison]
That makes sense.

00:18:40 [Kayla]
I do yeah.
00:18:41 [Kayla]
That makes perfect sense.
00:18:42 [Kayla]
I did organize, I think, a four different model call sessions Oh, that’s all good.
00:18:47 [Kayla]
Different spots.
00:18:48 [Kayla]
So I am excited about that because I I know right now my feed doesn’t exact like, I do quite a bit of studio work, but, obviously, the beautiful Lake Michigan is not in yeah.

00:18:57 [Kayla]
I can understand that would be a little confusing for someone coming down to my page.

00:19:01 [Melissa]
No.
00:19:01 [Melissa]
It’s hard.
00:19:02 [Melissa]
I remember going from Virginia to Miami.
00:19:04 [Melissa]
I was like, I don’t have anything beach related.
00:19:05 [Melissa]
Like, I have Potomac River, which is not the same thing.

00:19:08 [Melissa]
No.
00:19:09 [Melissa]
It’s not.
00:19:09 [Melissa]
Right.
00:19:09 [Melissa]
I was like, I need something water wise.
00:19:11 [Melissa]
But then coming back, I was like, oh, I’m good.

00:19:13 [Melissa]
I got a bunch of pictures of fields from years ago.

00:19:16 [Alison]
Like Sounds like you’ve got like, you’re doing all the right things.

00:19:19 [Kayla]
Yeah.

00:19:19 [Alison]
It’s just a matter of doing them well and doing them in the right time and waiting it out at this point, keeping it up, keeping up Yeah.
00:19:25 [Alison]
And not being discouraged as it comes along.
00:19:27 [Alison]
So do you have four model calls?
00:19:29 [Alison]
You have the call set up.
00:19:30 [Alison]
You have the model set up and everything?

00:19:32 [Kayla]
Mhmm.
00:19:32 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:19:32 [Kayla]
I honestly just reached out to the mom group to see if anyone was interested, and I got flooded with people, which was was great.
00:19:40 [Kayla]
But I was like, oh my gosh.
00:19:41 [Kayla]
I can’t do all of these.

00:19:43 [Melissa]
Okay.
00:19:43 [Melissa]
But also on that is after you do them, if you can get them onto your email, you can’t just add them.
00:19:48 [Melissa]
But

00:19:48 [Kayla]
Yeah.

00:19:49 [Melissa]
You even in something of, hey, emailing them and be like, I’m opening up dates for the fall.
00:19:53 [Melissa]
I know you were here’s the next my session stuff.
00:19:55 [Melissa]
Like and you’re not obviously, most people are looking for a free session.
00:19:58 [Melissa]
That’s what they’re looking for kinda thing.
00:19:59 [Melissa]
But you never know.

00:20:00 [Melissa]
There may be a few in there that are like, okay.
00:20:02 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:20:02 [Melissa]
Let’s

00:20:03 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:20:03 [Alison]
I would actually so you’ve selected your four.
00:20:06 [Alison]
One, make sure they wear your word they wear a wardrobe that’s suitable to you, and it is exactly what you can use.
00:20:11 [Alison]
Right?
00:20:11 [Alison]
You know, on what you’re trying.

00:20:12 [Alison]
But there’s other people you were flooded with, you email them back and you say, I’m so sorry.
00:20:17 [Alison]
We I was overwhelmed with and I can’t shoot everybody.
00:20:19 [Alison]
I wish I could, but I’m doing these mini sessions that are x, y, and z at the state and location.
00:20:25 [Alison]
This is the price.
00:20:26 [Alison]
If you’re interested, feel free to sign up and then try to flood those people in need somewhere else, in which case it’s not necessarily free.

00:20:32 [Alison]
Maybe it’s less than you normally do.
00:20:33 [Alison]
You’re just trying you can serve them, test out a new location, and, again, get them on your email list.

00:20:39 [Melissa]
Or just get just send them back an email and say, hey, if you join this VIP email list, you’ll be notified the next time I have sessions coming up, that kind of thing.
00:20:47 [Melissa]
And it doesn’t have to continue to be free sessions at that point.
00:20:49 [Melissa]
It can be like you’re just they’re just getting added to your email list for the next time you have availability kind of thing.

00:20:54 [Kayla]
And that’s a really smart idea.
00:20:56 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:20:56 [Kayla]
I Mhmm.

00:20:56 [Melissa]
About that.

00:20:57 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:20:57 [Alison]
It’s all those little things together.

00:20:59 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:20:59 [Kayla]
I did have a question on nurturing and building that email list.
00:21:04 [Kayla]
So I’ve been trying to brainstorm different, like, freebies and things that I could then use as ads to build my email list in that area.
00:21:13 [Kayla]
And I’ve started running a few, and I wouldn’t say necessarily the problem, but what I have come to realize is a lot of those ads, I don’t know if it’s based off of just the different verbiage that I’m using or just the content or my page in general, but it’s it seems it towards other family photographers versus, like, actual moms and families, if that makes sense.

00:21:40 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:21:40 [Alison]
It’s probably your verbiage.
00:21:42 [Alison]
Because what I haven’t seen the ad, so I, like, take this with a grain of salt.
00:21:45 [Alison]
But just like what Melissa just said, like, in the photography industry, we understand the motherhood verbiage.
00:21:51 [Alison]
So only other photographers are gonna be if that verbiage is in there.

00:21:54 [Alison]
Right?
00:21:54 [Alison]
So, like Yeah.
00:21:55 [Alison]
Photographers will be using that, but your ideal client may not be using that same word.
00:21:59 [Alison]
Does that make sense?

00:22:00 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:22:00 [Kayla]
No.
00:22:01 [Kayla]
That makes sense.

00:22:01 [Alison]
Any ads, so I don’t know if that’s actually the

00:22:04 [Kayla]
It was more like, like, when should you schedule your session kind of thing, which I could have very well maybe used verbiage that wasn’t.

00:22:11 [Melissa]
That might be better on Pinterest than on Facebook ad like that.
00:22:16 [Melissa]
I don’t know.
00:22:17 [Melissa]
That’s a good question though, on a lead magnet for Facebook.
00:22:19 [Melissa]
Like, I have a lead magnet for, like, blog topics that goes to photographers.
00:22:23 [Melissa]
But I don’t know.

00:22:25 [Melissa]
I’d like to think a little bit more about that on what’s a good lead magnet for Facebook for a photographer looking for an audience kind of thing.

00:22:34 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:22:34 [Alison]
So I used to did some experimenting with putting a lead magnet out on Facebook, and it didn’t work well.
00:22:39 [Alison]
But it was my what’s where for beach photos.
00:22:41 [Alison]
It was just like a generic what to wear guide for the beach, which was one of my big blog posts.
00:22:47 [Alison]
And I have come to find that for me anyway that retargeting ads are the best and it’s Yeah.

00:22:51 [Alison]
People who are already on my website, they don’t really need to know what to wear.
00:22:55 [Alison]
But it’s just little things about my process like the shooting at the beach versus the mountains or my favorite locations or my print products.
00:23:03 [Alison]
What makes me different?
00:23:05 [Alison]
Because if they are gonna cheat them to say yes faster, but if they’re not, I also want them to say no faster.
00:23:10 [Alison]
So that print is really that kind of turning point.

00:23:12 [Alison]
Are people really interested in this full service experience or they’re not?
00:23:15 [Alison]
So I retarget with that focusing on gallery reveal album, printed wall art perspective, if that makes sense.

00:23:22 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:23:22 [Melissa]
I think, actually, I liked more of the idea of a retargeting.
00:23:25 [Melissa]
Like, if they’ve already come to your website and read something like that, but then they didn’t inquire, then retargeting with an ad that’s basically about your photographer.
00:23:32 [Melissa]
Hey.
00:23:32 [Melissa]
Are you looking for a photographer?

00:23:34 [Melissa]
Are you looking for this style?
00:23:35 [Melissa]
I think that’s gonna do better for you than just that, hey.
00:23:38 [Melissa]
When to book a a maternity session kind of thing.
00:23:40 [Melissa]
Because when you’re putting it out on Facebook at that point, most people aren’t looking for that.
00:23:44 [Melissa]
If they’ve Googled it and then they’ve landed on your website and now you’re serving them a retargeting ad, they’re a bit warmer of an audience.

00:23:50 [Melissa]
So I think that’s the biggest difference is you got a cold audience versus a warm audience.
00:23:54 [Melissa]
So I would rather put my ad dollars behind the warm audience, somebody who’s already been out to my website, and they’re coming out to your website because of the blog posts and stuff that you’re doing.
00:24:02 [Melissa]
So I would think about it that way.

00:24:04 [Kayla]
So the retargeting is basically that is through Facebook and it’s Mhmm.
00:24:09 [Kayla]
Based off of website clicks that have already occurred.
00:24:12 [Kayla]
Am I understanding that correctly?
00:24:13 [Kayla]
Okay.
00:24:14 [Kayla]
Okay.

00:24:14 [Alison]
So it’s not necessarily all clicks.
00:24:16 [Alison]
It’s off of, oh, this IP address has been tracked to be on your website again.
00:24:20 [Alison]
I will serve this ad this many times according to what your budget is set.
00:24:23 [Alison]
It’s all about the if they’ve been there before, not necessarily clicks.

00:24:27 [Kayla]
Okay.
00:24:27 [Kayla]
Okay.
00:24:27 [Kayla]
Makes sense.
00:24:28 [Kayla]
Okay.

00:24:29 [Alison]
So awesome.
00:24:29 [Alison]
Bella, you’re already doing really well.
00:24:31 [Alison]
You’re starting a new site in a new town.
00:24:34 [Alison]
You have already gotten model calls set up.
00:24:36 [Alison]
You’re blogging, and you’re gonna do awesome.

00:24:38 [Alison]
Let us know how it all goes.
00:24:40 [Alison]
You’re gonna do great.
00:24:41 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:24:41 [Alison]
Do you have any last questions for us?

00:24:43 [Kayla]
I was gonna ask one quick question about Yeah.
00:24:45 [Kayla]
You.
00:24:45 [Kayla]
Melissa, you had mentioned something about that being a better for, like, Pinterest marketing.
00:24:49 [Kayla]
I honestly the only marketing I’ve done on Pinterest is all link blog links.
00:24:55 [Kayla]
Is that physically

00:24:56 [Melissa]
Yeah.
00:24:56 [Melissa]
Kinda what you’re saying?
00:24:57 [Melissa]
Yeah.

00:24:58 [Kayla]
Yeah.
00:24:58 [Kayla]
Yeah.

00:24:58 [Melissa]
Okay.
00:24:58 [Melissa]
Just posting that kind of stuff on Pinterest.

00:25:00 [Alison]
Huge long game.
00:25:02 [Alison]
It’s six to nine Yeah.
00:25:04 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:25:04 [Alison]
Do what you can, but don’t stress about

00:25:06 [Kayla]
that one.
00:25:06 [Kayla]
Okay.
00:25:07 [Kayla]
Okay.
00:25:07 [Kayla]
I will Yeah.
00:25:08 [Kayla]
Start practicing all those other things you’ve given me, which I greatly appreciate.

00:25:12 [Alison]
Thank you.
00:25:12 [Alison]
And congratulations on being in such a good spot already.
00:25:16 [Alison]
Thank you.

00:25:16 [Kayla]
And track

00:25:16 [Alison]
your use something to track your SEO and your search results.
00:25:20 [Alison]
We like to use SEO Edge, but search console is helpful too.
00:25:23 [Alison]
So let us know where you’re at now and then or take note of where you’re at now so you can see how well you grow in in the future.

00:25:29 [Kayla]
Sounds good.
00:25:30 [Kayla]
Thank you guys so much.
00:25:31 [Kayla]
I really appreciate it.

00:25:32 [Alison]
Yeah.
00:25:33 [Alison]
Absolutely.
00:25:33 [Alison]
Thanks for making you, Kayla.
00:25:34 [Alison]
Thank you.

00:25:36 [Melissa]
Thank you so much for listening.
00:25:37 [Melissa]
If you’re enjoying the show, would you do two things for us?
00:25:40 [Melissa]
First, leave a review.
00:25:41 [Melissa]
Just Just stars would be awesome.
00:25:43 [Melissa]
And two, forward this episode to a biz bestie, mil spouse, or anyone facing moving their business.

00:25:48 [Melissa]
We’d love it if you shared this episode with even just one person.
00:25:52 [Melissa]
If you have questions, you can reach out to Allison on Instagram, senbelle photog, or you can find me, Melissa, in my Facebook group, Picture Perfect Rankings.
00:26:00 [Melissa]
Check the show notes for links, and we’re so excited to have you guys here.