Priority Pursuit

009. What are keywords? How do you identify strategic keywords? How do you use keywords to improve your SEO?

Friend, these are the exact questions we’re answering on today’s episode of “Priority Pursuit”! 

This might sound funny, but I’m crazy passionate about SEO because I know search engine optimization has the power to give small businesses and creative entrepreneurs big results. 

In fact, every year, 40% of my clients find me on Google, meaning 40% of my annual income is a result of the fact that my website ranks well on search engines. 

If you haven’t tuned into “Episode 004: Five Ways to Improve Your SEO for Free” (https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/five-ways-improve-your-seo-free/) I highly recommend listening to that episode before diving into this one. 

But, in today’s episode of “Priority Pursuit,” we’re going to break down how you can identify and use strategic keywords to improve your SEO and get your website, blog posts, and other content in front of your ideal customers, so you can make more sales! 

For a written version of this podcast, visit https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/how-identify-use-strategic-keywords-improve-seo. 

 

If you’re a visual person, download “A Guide for Photographers: How to Identify Keywords for SEO that Will Help You Book More Clients”: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/how-to-use-long-tail-keywords/. This download includes screenshots to show you exactly how to identify and use your long-tail keywords on your website. 

 

Mentioned Links & Resources

• Show Notes: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/how-identify-use-strategic-keywords-improve-seo 
• “Episode 004: Five Ways to Improve Your SEO for Free”: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/five-ways-improve-your-seo-free/ 
• “A Guide for Photographers: How to Identify Keywords for SEO that Will Help You Book More Clients”: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/how-to-use-long-tail-keywords/ 

Do you feel pressured to answer your clients’ messages at all hours of the night? Do you have zero to no free time or time to spend with your loved ones because you’re arranging your schedule around your clients’ schedules? If so, this episode is for you! 

Today, we’re breaking down how to set boundaries in your business and how to communicate these boundaries to your clients in a way that is firm but still serves your customers well and doesn’t leave them feeling disappointed. 

For a transcribed version of this episode, visit https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/how-set-boundaries-your-business-get-your-clients-respect-them. 

Mentioned Links & Resources

• Show Notes: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/how-set-boundaries-your-business-get-your-clients-respect-them
• Join the “Priority Pursuit Podcast” Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/179106264013426
• Save $50 On Your First Order of $100 or more from KISS Books: http://victoriarayburnphotography.com/kiss/ 
• Get 50% Off Your First Six Months of Quickbooks Self-Employed: http://victoriarayburnphotography.com/quickbooks/ 
• Follow Victoria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorialrayburn/

008. When there are countless others out there who offer the same product or service that you do, how can you stand out in the marketplace? 

According to Photographer’s Edit CEO, Miilu CEO, and Bokeh Podcast Host Nathan Holritz, one of the most effective ways that your business can stand out in a saturated market is by crafting a unique brand position statement and strategically including this statement on your website, on social media, and in your other marketing materials. 

If you’ve read Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller (which Nathan and I highly recommend that you do), you may already be familiar with this concept. 

However, determining your brand position can be easier said than done. I mean, it was for me anyway!

Because Nathan knows how powerful brand position statements can be, in this episode of Priority Pursuit, he breaks down exactly how to define and communicate your brand position so you can stand out in your market and increase sales!

In this episode, Nathan answers: 

1. What is a unique brand position, and why is it important for creative entrepreneurs to determine what their unique brand position is?
2. What are examples of good and bad brand positions? 
   1. Establish a big picture view. 
   2. Look at the market & find a gap. 
   3. Develop a business model around this messaging. 
3. How can you determine your brand position?
   1. On your website above the fold
   2. On social media 
   3. In conversation
4. Once you know your unique brand position, how can you practically communicate it?

For a more detailed written version of this episode, visit https://victoriarayburnphotography.co

007. As a creative entrepreneur, your plate is full. Between serving your clients, marketing your business, and doing all the things you have to do behind the scenes, it can be difficult to find time to sit down and think about your brand. 

But, friend, you need to. Because, your brand should be the basis of all of your marketing efforts and the driving force behind almost all of your business decisions and systems. 

With this in mind, today on Priority Pursuit, I’m excited to discuss what a brand is, why your brand matters, and how to develop and communicate your brand as a creative entrepreneur with six simple strategies. 

Here’s a summary of what’s discussed:

What is a brand?

As a creative entrepreneur, your brand is:

1. How people perceive you, your business, your work, your services, and your products 
2. The gut feeling you, your business, your work, your services, and your products give your customers
3. What comes to mind when people think about you, your business, your work, your services, and your products

Why is it important for you to develop your brand? 

Taking time to define your brand is important, because according to Donald Miller, author of Building a StoryBrand, “clarity” or clear messaging is the key to both strategic marketing and making sales. And, in order to make your messaging clear, you have to determine your brand.

When you take the time to define your brand, you can decide: 

1. How you want your business to be perceived in the marketplace
2. What comes to mind when people think about your business
3. What problems you can solve for your customers 

Then, when your brand is developed, you can (1) use it as a basis for all of your marketing efforts to create consistency—which is key in establishing a strong brand—and (2) clearly communicate how you can make your customers’ lives better or easier. This consistency and clarity will help you stand out and be remembered when prospective customers are looking for your products or services. 

Basically, in order to make sales and for your marketing efforts to be effective long term, you need to develop and then communicate your brand. 

Six Strategies You Can Use to Define & Communicate Your Brand as a Creative Entrepreneur

1. Determine your brand story (I highly recommend getting a copy of

006. Every year, more than 50% of Indiana Wedding Photographer Arielle Peters’ couples find her as a result of vendor referrals. 

Arielle is an expert at cultivating vendor and industry relationships, and in this episode of Priority Pursuit, she shares exactly how you can form relationships with others in your industry in a way that helps your business grow! 

Arielle explains:

1. Why vendor relationships matter
2. The key to cultivating relationships with other vendors (It’s serving them!)
3. How you can “systematically love” other vendors by making caring for vendors part of your workflow

While Arielle is a wedding photographer, all creative entrepreneurs can use and adapt the processes Arielle explains in this episode. 

For a more detailed written version of this episode, visit https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/building-your-business-through-vendor-relationships-arielle-peters/ 

Mentioned Links & Resources

Show Notes: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/building-your-business-through-vendor-relationships-arielle-peters/

Greetabl: https://greetabl.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1PSDBhDbARIsAPeTqrfLCmBvrCu5Fp6CGzI2qnUlRDnOAAdl5pLbqG97oRhIZdhIr4--3rEaAggYEALw_wcB

Purple Cow by Seth Godin: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014101640X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=014101640X&linkCode=as2&tag=rayburnvict05-20&linkId=81d3facbf5a1f01f9e6bdac962168326

Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0718033329/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0718033329&linkCode=as2&tag=rayburnvict05-20&linkId=a0af0d788962a250f89e1ca03fa404d8

005. Photographers and creative entrepreneurs, have you ever thought about how much your business affects your spouse and other relationships?

Whether you’re full time or part time and even if your husband or wife isn’t part of your business, your business plays a big role in your spouse’s life and can take a toll on him/her.

To help us better understand (1) what it’s like for our spouses to be married to creative entrepreneurs and (2) what we can do to help them feel loved and appreciated, Zach (my husband) came on “Priority Pursuit” as the very first guest to spill the tea! 

Here’s a summary of what’s discussed:

1. How Your Business Affects Your Spouse
2. 1. Can result with less quality time
   2. Can cause your spouse to be nervous about money (even when you’re meeting your numbers) 
   1. Be clear about your goals
   2. Set boundaries to ensure you have time together
   3. Don’t expect your spouse to want to be part of your business 
3. Advice from Zach About Getting Your Spouse on Board with Your Business
4. How idols are at the root of every disagreement 
5. Why we don’t believe—in most cases—the term “self made”

You can find a more detailed version of this episode’s show notes at: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/what-like-why-hard-be-marrried-creative-entrepreneur/. 

Mentioned Links & Resources

• Show Notes: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/what-like-why-hard-be-marrried-creative-entrepreneur/ 
• “Five Ways to Help Your Spouse WANT to Support Your Entrepreneurial Dream”: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/help-your-spouse-want-support-your-entreprenuerial-dream/ 
• Join the “Priority Pursuit Podcast” Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/179106264013426
• https://victoriarayburnpho

004. Want to move your website up the Google ladder? Today, I’m excited to share five ways you can improve your SEO for FREE as a photographer or creative entrepreneur! 

Before I became a full-time wedding photographer, I worked at a marketing agency. And, a big part of my job was making sure that our clients appeared on the first page of Google. 

So, when I started my photography business on the side, I optimized my website just like I did for agency clients, and it didn’t take long before people were finding my website on the first page of Google, my calendar was packed, and I was ready to make photography my full-time career. 

Today, 40% of my clients find me through Google every year, and I firmly believe that I’m able to be a full-time wedding photographer because my website ranks well on search engines. And, because I have no doubt that SEO could do huge things for your business as well, I’m excited to share five ways you can improve your search engine rankings for free!

1. Add great content (such as blogs) to your website regularly. 
   1. Find your sitemap. 
   2. 1. For ShowIt users
         1. Yoast SEO Plugin
      2. For Wordpress & ShowIt Users (If you use ShowIt, your blog is built with Wordpress. This means you actually need to submit two sitemaps. Submit your sitemap for your blog with these instructions.)
      3. For Squarespace users
      4. For Wix users
      5. For Pixieset users
      6. If you use another web builder, don’t worry! A quick Google search should help you find the resources you need. If not, contact your web builder, and they should be able to help you. 
      1. Instructions 
      2. Google Search Console 
   3. Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console. 
2. Submit your sitemap to Google. 

002. Have you ever met someone briefly who told you far too much personal information far too fast?

Well, considering this is only our second episode together, that might be exactly about what’s to happen. Because, today, I’m going to tell you all about how my husband, Zach, and I ended up in marriage counseling right before our third wedding anniversary largely as a result of my photography business. 

I opened my photography business as a side hustle shortly after Zach and I got married. What I wanted to be a hobby that made a little money quickly became an all-consuming second job that added stress to our marriage. 

For more than two years, I filled my weekends with weddings and shoots and my evenings and every spare moment I had outside of my day job with editing and doing everything else I needed to do to run my business. During this season, I worked until 2 am most nights; I missed time with friends and family because I had shoots or weddings; Zach got used to attending things without me; and the phrase, “I can’t. I have to edit,” came out of my mouth more than anything else. 

A few months before our three-year wedding anniversary, Zach was fed up. And, looking back, I don’t blame him. 

After an argument that lasted so long we had to sit on the kitchen floor because we just couldn’t stand any longer, we decided marriage counseling was necessary, and I’m so glad we did, because counseling saved our marriage. 

Through counseling, I discovered that work and success are idols for me. Does this sound familiar? Because, as a creative entrepreneur, there’s a good chance you battle these idols too. 

I want to encourage you to battle these idols and protect your relationships (with your spouse and/or others) by: 

1. Watching for idol flare ups
2. Setting boundaries within your business 
3. Clearly communicating your goals with your spouse, significant other, and others affected by your business
4. Praying (or mediating) about your idols and priorities 

Whether you’re married or not (Your business still affects other relationships!), please check out this episode to learn from my mistakes and to protect your relationship. 

Find a more detailed version of this episode’s show notes at https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/how-my-photography-business-almost-cost-me-my-marriage

Mentioned Links & Resources

• Show Notes: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/how-my-photography-business-almost-cost-me-my-marriage
• Faith Biblical Counseling: https://www.faithlafayette.org/counseling 

003. Do you feel pressured to answer your clients’ messages at all hours of the night? Do you have zero to no free time or time to spend with your loved ones because you’re arranging your schedule around your clients’ schedules? If so, this episode is for you! 

Today, we’re breaking down how to set boundaries in your business and how to communicate these boundaries to your clients in a way that is firm but still serves your customers well and doesn’t leave them feeling disappointed. 

For a transcribed version of this episode, visit https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/how-set-boundaries-your-business-get-your-clients-respect-them. 

Mentioned Links & Resources

• Show Notes: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/how-set-boundaries-your-business-get-your-clients-respect-them
• Join the “Priority Pursuit Podcast” Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/179106264013426
• Save $50 On Your First Order of $100 or more from KISS Books: http://victoriarayburnphotography.com/kiss/ 
• Get 50% Off Your First Six Months of Quickbooks Self-Employed: http://victoriarayburnphotography.com/quickbooks/ 
• Follow Victoria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorialrayburn/

001. Welcome to the first episode of “The Priority Pursuit Podcast”—a podcast dedicated to helping creative entrepreneurs define, maintain, and pursue both their personal and business priorities! 

As a recovering workaholic, I’ve learned the hard way what loving your job too much can do to your personal life. While I don’t believe work-life balance exists, I do believe there’s power in determining your priorities—both in your personal life and in your business—and making choices and creating systems based around what’s most important to you and what’s going to lead to results.

Relationships, effective marketing strategies, setting boundaries, delegating, creating an incredible client experience, and keeping your priorities at the core of everything you do are exactly what you, experts, and I will be discussing every week. 

With this in mind, it only makes sense for the very first episode of “Priority Pursuit” to be about identifying your priorities and assessing how well you’re pursuing what’s most important to you both in your personal life and your business and getting all of this information down on paper.

How to Determine & Assess Your Personal Priorities

1. Make a list of the people & activities that are most important to you, & put them in order of most to least important. 
2. Use your calendar to assess whether or not you’re making time for what’s most important in your life. 
3. If you aren’t prioritizing your priorities, determine why. 
4. Get specific about what needs to change in order to make your hypothetical priorities your real priorities. 

How to Determine & Assess Your Business Priorities

1. Determine how your paying clients are finding you to figure out what your top business priorities should be. 
2. Make a list of all of your business tasks.
3. Compare your lists & determine which tasks are needed for your priorities. 
4. Stop putting tasks on your to-do list that aren’t moving the needle in your business. 
5. Use your new-found time to help your business grow!

Find a more detailed version of this episode’s show notes at https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/are-you-prioritizing-whats-most-important-your-personal-life-business 

Mentioned Links & Resources

• Show Notes: https://victoriarayburnphotography.com/are-you-prioritizing-whats-most-important-your-personal-life-business