MARKETING, DESIGN + PHOTOGRAPHY INSIGHTS FOR NZ BUSINESSES.
Welcome to the Shout + Co. journal. As an Auckland-based creative agency, we share our latest tips, behind-the-scenes projects and expert advice to help you grow your brand. Browse our articles below covering everything from custom web design and SEO, to commercial photography and social media strategy.
Posting Schedule
Time is money, so they say. And when it comes to social media - this is definitely the case. Posting at the wrong time could see your reach plummet, while posting at key times of the day and week will ensure your business gets noticed by potential customers. Employing a strategy of sorts when it comes to your posting schedule will be instrumental to your social media activity.
Red Curry Noodles
This is one of my favourites: not only does it taste amazing, but it shoots beautifully too! You can make this as hot as you want - because we have a little one, I tend to go very light with the hot stuff, but hubby adds on fresh chillis when he preps his bowl.
Your Social Media Tip for the Week
Pinterest is a key yet under-utilised tool when it comes to social media management. If you rely on images to sell your product or tell a story of your offer, then you need to be using Pinterest.
In a previous life...
Last week, I was paging through the latest edition of Woman's Day, having a good look at the food styling on the recipe pages. I opened up to this double page spread and thought "huh - that looks familiar...And so does that....Wait a minute..."
The week that was
To say it's been a busy week here at SHOUT & Co. HQ would be a massive understatement! Between shooting cocktails, toothpaste and new recipes for the blog, I've been getting up to quite a lot! These are the things that I've been focusing on.
Chickpea Biryani
Since I spend so much of my time prepping, cooking and shooting food, I've decided to start a new series on the JOURNAL where I share some of these delicious recipes with you.
Diagnostics
Your profile is the first that potential clients will look at when they consider working with you. If it's a mess, chances are they'll be driven away. A well presented, thought out and considered social media profile will undoubtedly impress your new clients or shoppers and make them eager to strike up a conversation with you. Think of it as your passive income generator: if it looks good, people will want to work with or buy from you - simple as that.
Product Styling Handbook
Product Styling is such a powerful thing: it can literally make or break a sale. So to help small business owners who are on a tight budget, I've put together a handy PRODUCT STYLING HANDBOOK. Best of all, it's totally free! In it, I chat about lighting, angles, the rule of thirds, props, backgrounds - the whole thing. It's basically a Styling and Photography 101 which is easy to follow and explains the key things you need to know to start producing beautiful imagery of your offer.
Video Services
Did you know that not only do I do still styling and photography but I do videos as well? Yup that's right! Given the recent algorithm changes on certain social media platforms, I realised that video was going to be an integral part of a winning digital marketing strategy. Apart from paid advertising on these online platforms, video is the easiest and best way to ensure your brand's reach remains intact.
The power of Backgrounds
I wanted to represent the power and impact of a background using this very simple yet iconic food pairing. It details beautifully how a choice in a background can totally change the look and feel of a product shot.
When do you need to hire a product stylist?
You might be wondering what exactly a product stylist does. Seeing stylists post beautiful pictures all day long - what for? Well it's pretty simple: engaging images sell products.
How much is too much?
Social Media is a crazy ride: first there's the algorithm that underpins how the whole thing works, then there's the followers, hashtags, content, captions, tagging etiquette, etc etc. The list of things to take into account seems exhaustive and in my opinion - is.
The Week that was
It's been a while since I checked in with my latest projects, so it's about time I update you! These are the awesome brands I've been working with and photographing - it's been a busy week, so there's a ton to show you:
Creating a Story
You see a pretty picture on Instagram or Pinterest and you might give it a quick glance and perhaps a double tap if you feel like it - but have you considered that a ton of work has probably gone into capturing that image? I thought I'd give a bit of a run down on how I go about planning, shooting and editing a shot: it's a lot more work that you might initially realise!
The Week That Was
It's been a good week: clothing, skincare, bread, tablescapes - it's been a busy 7 days of photographing, styling and editing.
Here is a recap of all the good stuff I've been getting into over here at Shout & Co. HQ:
It's Giveaway Time
I'm really excited for this because it's my first giveaway as Shout & Co.!
Want all new, fresh product and / or food photography for your business? Here's your chance to nab it for free!
Behind the scenes
In my latest round of Instagram stories I asked what type of content you wanted to see more of and you were resounding with your feedback: BEHIND THE SCENES. So you asked, I deliver.
Nailing Instagram Captions
So you've selected your beautifully styled image (hopefully shot for you by Shout & Co....) and you've posted it to Instagram, waiting for all of those likes and comments to come flooding through. But they don't. Crickets. You might get a dribble through of likes but the comments from followers are few and far between. Not a big deal, right? WRONG. Not getting much engagement on your posts could mean 1 of 3 things:
Recent work
Today I thought I would mix things up a bit and show you some of the shoots that I've been working on lately. Ive signed on 2 new clients in the last week or so so things are a bit manic at times, trying to juggle a 4 year old, a 1 month old, a household and a styling business.
Follower Growth
If you read my previous post about calculating engagement, you'll know that tracking how engaged your audience is is vital to understanding how well you're doing at this social media gig. A low engagement rating (or ER) suggests that your content is not resonating with your followers. A high ER indicates that what you're posting is what your audience wants to see - so continue the good work.
NEED HELP IMPLEMENTING THESE STRATEGIES?
Reading about marketing is one thing - executing it is another… Let our team handle the heavy lifting. Book a free 30-minute discovery call to talk about your next project.