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For Family Photographers who want to build a trusted, booked brand!

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All you need is good light and emotion. And tea. Must have tea.

fionamargo

“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention.

“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
Mary Oliver

If you are a family photographer in growth mode, y

If you are a family photographer in growth mode, you need to be marketing off this garsh forsaken app!
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What is this app even doing?! No one knows. But it’s certainly not doing a great job of showcasing the static images that make up our work 😤
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Sooooo, what to do!
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First, find other business owners who are helping the same group of humans that you are helping. This used to be a common practice when I started but with the advent of social media and the global panini, photographers have been pulled into individual avenues.
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But collaboration is extremely powerful. Who is the last mom you worked with and loved also paying for services? Come up with a collaboration idea and reach out to that person.
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Even if you don’t market together, you can meet up and brainstorm ideas! Yay! Fun! Coffee! Friends!
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Pinterest. K. Pinterest is literally a visual search engine. I can say factually, as a factual scientist of facts, that family photographers are massively underutilizing Pinterest.
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Many photographers begin a small exploration into Pinterest, get overwhelmed and back away. But! It’s not that confusing and once you come up with a plan (like pinning everything you create in Fridays), you can be well on your way.
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Unless you making tons of reels targeting towards booking sessions (key differentiator there) or going live or creating carousels, I’m giving you permission as the family photographer marketing fairy 🧚‍♀️ that you may, and should, focus your marketing efforts OFF this app.

Back in the swing of sessions as some elusive sun

Back in the swing of sessions as some elusive sun has arrived in the PNW!
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Even better when it’s sessions with old friends. This mama I’ve known since she was born ❤️ I’ve connected and re-connected with so many people through photography. So much fun to watch families grow!

In marketing, stories are important. But this post

In marketing, stories are important. But this post isn’t about marketing, it’s about your brain 🧠.
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What stories are you telling yourself about:
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🌳yourself as a photographer. Are you internally describing yourself as someone who is “failing” or who “isn’t as good as the others”?
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🌸yourself when you market online. Are you internally telling yourself you “are going to annoy people” or that you “have nothing to contribute” or you “don’t want to turn people off”?
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🪷yourself as a business owner. Are you letting yourself dream a bit then immediately stamping those dreams out with “I’m not organized enough” or “people won’t pay what I’m worth” or “I don’t deserve success because I’m not that good”.
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Yeesh. If any of those are true, you aren’t alone. In fact, that was ME for years.
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The stories you tell yourself + the resulting actions from those stories are the foundation of your ENTIRE life. The content, feeling + emotion of these resulting stories are directly responsible for your actions.
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This is hard because the content of those stories is engrained in you from your childhood and society.
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Start paying attention. Here’s a quick way to promote change: when you are washing your face in the morning or evening or engaging in care taking of your body that could be a slower + calmer experience but you find you rush through it, slow down + tune into your thoughts. Here were mine before I slowed down:
-“ugh I need to hurry, it’s already so late!”
-“I’m definitely getting old”
-“blah! Is that a zit forming?!”/
🙈
Now, I wash my face slowly and delicately. I say to myself:
-“you did such a good job of finding joy today”
-“your skin is feeling so clean”
-“can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings”
🤗
My task to you: try this. In one tiny moment of your day, examine the story.
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Work on this can turn thoughts like this:
“I’m not a good marketer, my voice is annoying + no one watches my reels”
TO
“I am learning so much about marketing + I’m excited to be getting better at talking about my work to others. I’m excited to try new things”
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Same person. Different thoughts. Different actions. Different outcomes.
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Sometimes I cross post important topics from the FPMS.

Swipe to see this cute recreation. 2022▶️2019

Swipe to see this cute recreation. 2022▶️2019

Are you struggling with marketing as a family phot

Are you struggling with marketing as a family photographer? It’s kind of a frustrating time right now. Social media is constantly changing, reach is in the pooper- the marketing you are doing is starting to feel fruitless.
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This struggle is why I created a small society of family photographers who are interested in going from random IG posting and hoping for views to building a marketing plan from a solid foundation based on what they want to shoot + which type of content their audience resonates with the most.
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The entire society takes place right here on IG. I made it that way because I know you don’t need yet another site or app to check.
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Each week, we chat about 2-3 marketing topics and I answer any personalized questions on the Friday live. A 5 Day Content Planning Guide and my Marketing Blueprint Mini Course are also included.
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Everything stays on the account so you can learn at your own pace.
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This week we covered:

- Marketing Habits- specifically how to shoot sessions with reel creation in mind
- Whether to offer one type of session or many
-How to identify skills you need to build more confidence
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The week before we covered:

-Identifying and releasing the types of marketing you don’t want to do
-A review of Spring and how to prepare now for Spring 2023
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It’s not a course because marketing is constantly changing. It’s not group coaching because I know you are busy.
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There’s no pressure to participate but if you need support, I’m there as well as the other growth-minded family photographers who are facing the same challenges as you.
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Our goal is to go from frustrated and invisible to seen, trusted and booked.
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Come join! Link in bio. ⭐️

A sweet little newbie up in the editing queue!

A sweet little newbie up in the editing queue!

“Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the

“Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”
—Mary Oliver

What kind of marketer are you? - Family photograph

What kind of marketer are you?
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Family photographers lack direction when marketing because while they know the type PHOTOGRAPHER they are (they love shooting snuggly families at sunset at the local park) they are not sure who they are when they show up online. If you can decide who you are going to be when you market, it can make messaging + content creation easier.
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Let’s go one by one:

🌷INFLUENCER: this is one is often the most coveted, but very rare. An influencer is a natural sales person who has shown up online + they are not afraid (or they operate through fear) to persuade others to buy things. An example of a influencer/photographer is someone who feel connected to because they let you into their life + they are extremely good at knowing what to show + how to make things desirable. Trust is built through fomo or scarcity. Many family photographers WANT to be this marketer, very few actual are + that is because this type of marketing is rarely successful and not easily to replicate. Consuming the content of this type of marketing also causes the MOST imposter syndrome.
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🪷EDUCATOR: this photographer loves to create helpful/how to/thought reversal content so they client feels supported. They build trust through stepping into the role of expert. When you are in growth phase, this is a great way to build trust with potential clients.
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🌾STRATEGIST: this photographer is doing many types of marketing + looking at all the data to see what works best. This can be a slower process to build trust but once this marketer has the data, they can lean into what really resonates with their audience + see fast results. The trouble is that a lot of trying + failing involved + the successful strategist cannot take it personally when a post tanks.
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An ideal marketer is combination of all three: a photographer who is open enough to let their personality shine, steps into the role of expert to help potential clients + builds future marketing efforts from the data showing what their audience *actually* responds to. Instead-many of us are chasing the influencer model- you don’t need to. The majority of artists aren’t influencers. Be an expert strategist instead. ⭐️

I so, so wish I still had mountain availability th

I so, so wish I still had mountain availability this summer but most of those spots booked on Black Friday!
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I hate having to turn people away 😭 especially of they were really hoping for a spot.
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If that’s you, put “Fiona Margo Black Friday sale” in your calendar right meow! 🐈

How can we joyfully pivot to other marketing chann

How can we joyfully pivot to other marketing channels as instagram morphs into TikTok 2.0?

Last night I got to frolic (literally - check my s

Last night I got to frolic (literally - check my stories) and each sessions after this long period of limited sessions reminds me how much I love the work that I do. I don’t know another job where I could a)wear whatever I want b)hike, explore and play with friends old and new c) have zero bosses 👀 d)be my true + extremely silly self

Comparison is a dream killer. That’s the cold, h

Comparison is a dream killer. That’s the cold, hard truth. More beautiful dreams fail due to the FEAR of failure rather actually failing.
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The first thing to recognize is that we have created a really nerve wracking way to share our heart-centered art. We create it and IMMEDIATELY throw it out to the judgement (or so we perceive) of other artists, many of whom we also perceive are “better” than us.
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But you aren’t putting art here for other photographers. You are putting your art out here to attract *mostly* non-artist humans who want to hire you.
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YOUR feed looks like 10,000 photographers. Their feed looks wayyyyyyy different. They see mostly the posts of friends, family, brands and random likes. Your art to them is ALREADY beautiful. So stop competing with Susan from Salt Lake (made up human) because you two ARE NOT COMPETING for the attention of your local client. -even if you are there’s plenty of business to go around-
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Comparison is based in fear. You putting yourself out here on social media is terrifying for your brain. This is your brain on fear: what if we fail 😩😫🤯what if that girl from junior year sees us talk on our stories 🤮🥴😵 what if we are ignored 😧😑😬 omg. None of this is helpful.
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Here let me help: you WILL fail. You will flop on your face and be invisible. That’s NORMAL for anyone putting themselves out there. Remember- you are a rare breed for even trying.
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⭐️ so proud of you ⭐️
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Lastly, there is only one person on planet earth with your unique combination of: personality, compassion, style, artist eye, use of light, sense of humor. You are one of kind, baby. So there’s no competition until cloning is mainstream.
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So! Eyes on your own road. Your very own bumpy, beautiful road. We need you out here ❤️

You don’t need anyone’s permission to start ex

You don’t need anyone’s permission to start except your own.
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We’ve all heard that quote and I feel like it can go in one ear and out the other, but it’s extremely valuable. Women especially are often taught to wait until they are invited to the stage. But the chances of someone inviting you into the future you want is low. SO LOW!
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What to do then?
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Step over the nice little velvet rope (your fears) blocking the path to the stage and invite your own damn self on the stage and speak.

“Fear is a bad advisor” especially in this spa

“Fear is a bad advisor” especially in this space. You belong here. You can speak here. You are free to try anything and everything you want to try. The challenge: next time you bump into a fear wall, override and do the damn thing anyway! This will give you sooooo much confidence the next time you face a year.
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Always wanted to go live? Try it!
Want to put together a styled shoot? Do it!
Want to rebrand and start saying no to sessions you don’t love? Goooo!

Fear is not your best advisor ❤️

Thinking about being a Mother to daughters today.

Thinking about being a Mother to daughters today. I feel… weird sometimes being a woman. I don’t like feeling undervalued, I don’t like the thought of my own wants and needs and the wants and needs of my daughters decided by other people.
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My job as a mother this year is harder than last because I have to explain hard things to my daughters about what motherhood might mean in the future: an experience forced by voters rather chosen joyfully when they are ready.
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I am a mother. I’m mad.

Instagram is annoying for family photographers. -

Instagram is annoying for family photographers.
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There, I said it.
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It used to be really fun and I think many of us remember those days and definitely took them for granted. Not only is the app moving away from static photos 🥲, they are pushing video and even then engagement is hit or miss.
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These days, Instagram requires you to be data scientist. You must unemotionally try and fail and succeed at many different types of content - which is super freaking hard when the thing you sharing is your art (and your heart).
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I’ve found that leaning into a plan that is built from individual content pillars and hyper focused on what I’m actually trying to book in the coming months, removes a lot of the negative emotion that comes with feelings of invisibility that can often pop up on this app.
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That is why I made this simple document to help you plan out each week!
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The document is available to students in the Family Photographer Marketing Society - my monthly marketing membership for family photographers!
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It’s only $21/mo includes my foundational marketing course, access to the private Instagram where we talk about everything marketing from SEO, to messaging to utilizing reviews in content and over 150 other topics. Plus weekly lives and access to me for more personalized help!
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Check it out!
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❤️link in bio❤️

This job requires quite a few hats:
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•artist
•content creator
•editor
•copy writer
•accountant
•marketer
•gallery uploader and deliverer
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It can be both extremely overwhelming and often extremely scary to juggle all these tasks because you have a lot on the line: your success as a family photographer.
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Before I had productivity systems in place, I would look at this tiny mountain of tasks, get overwhelmed and scroll on Instagram for hours instead- which let me tell you, NOTHING feels better than scrolling Instagram in a crappy headspace 👀🙈🥴
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Here was the game changer for me: when I have a chunk of time to devote to working ON my business, I focus on results-based tasks ONLY. These are tasks that l lead to a result (a marketing email, a helpful post about upcoming sessions, going live on social media to chat about upcoming offerings, sending invoices) The opposite of this would be passive tasks (editing, market research, scrolling and feeling sad lol).
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Once you’ve decided that you are going to focus on these tasks, know this: you’ll likely run headlong into some fear blocks (fear or judgement, fear of showing up). Prepare for these feelings and get ready overcome them. Your brain is trying to protect you but this time your brain doesn’t know better. Trying, failing and trying again is the foundation of this industry. Your brain is trying to protect you from “failure” but failure is the only way to get vital marketing data.
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These tasks are so important because they lead to confidence, sessions on the calendar and clarity.
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The thing that will make you actually do these tasks is that you’ll need to keep the promise to yourself that you’ll stick to your list. Growth comes in action just as much as thought work. The difference between where you are now and where you want to be is action. It’s easy to write a list, harder to execute. You are likely good at keeping your word to your friends, family and colleagues but this is your chance to keep the promise that you’ll do these “scarier” tasks even though it’s easier to go back to the scroll instead.
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Be a productive employee to your business by focusing on the tasks that lead to results ❤️❤️

Spring sessions are under way! Wellllll…. About

Spring sessions are under way! Wellllll…. About half of them are continually being rescheduled due to rain. WASHINGTON- get it together!!!
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Ever so thankful for flexible clients ❤️

If you are struggling with WHAT to say, think abou

If you are struggling with WHAT to say, think about this: “how could I make $100 today”. This pushes you to focus on messaging and marketing that has an end point in mind- my booking fee is $100. How can I get a booking today? That marketing is totally different than passive marketing that doesn’t ask for a sale.
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Struggling with where you want to market? Lean into your strengths and work to become the master of THREE and three alone marketing channels.
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Maybe that’s email list, ig stories and Pinterest. Maybe it’s Reels, blogging and TikTok. Pick three, ignore the rest!

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