Today we are talking about Instagram and Reels! The transition to video-focused content on social media platforms has been a big change for a lot of brands.
My guest has all the tips on how to keep your brand authentic through this content transition. Meet Stephanie Rose, Creative Director & Founder of Westrose Media - a photography/videography company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners revolutionize their brand.
Genumark ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐. From promotional products, custom uniforms, and clothing, to sports co-branding, web stores and warehousing - Genumark is your #1 partner for creating brand awareness. And being ISO certified โ you can rest assured ethical sourcing and sustainability are front and centre. If youโre looking for help with your next project, email brandingmatters@genumark.com.
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating along with a brief review. And don't forget to order your BADASS T-shirt here.
About Me
Hey there, I'm Joelly - the Branding Badass. My BADASS superpower is helping you build a brand that matters. From branded merch to keynote speaking, when you work with me, you get results!
Need help telling your brand story?
Learn more here.
To advertise on the show click here
Let's stay connected!
instagram - @Branding_Badass
linkedIn - Joelly Goodson
website - BAMKO.NET
Today we are talking about Instagram and Reels! The transition to video-focused content on social media platforms has been a big change for a lot of brands.
My guest has all the tips on how to keep your brand authentic through this content transition. Meet Stephanie Rose, Creative Director & Founder of Westrose Media - a photography/videography company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners revolutionize their brand.
Genumark ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐. From promotional products, custom uniforms, and clothing, to sports co-branding, web stores and warehousing - Genumark is your #1 partner for creating brand awareness. And being ISO certified โ you can rest assured ethical sourcing and sustainability are front and centre. If youโre looking for help with your next project, email brandingmatters@genumark.com.
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating along with a brief review. And don't forget to order your BADASS T-shirt here.
About Me
Hey there, I'm Joelly - the Branding Badass. My BADASS superpower is helping you build a brand that matters. From branded merch to keynote speaking, when you work with me, you get results!
Need help telling your brand story?
Learn more here.
To advertise on the show click here
Let's stay connected!
instagram - @Branding_Badass
linkedIn - Joelly Goodson
website - BAMKO.NET
Hi I'm Joelly, your Branding Badass, and welcome to Branding Matters - a podcast I created and host to help you create brand equity. My guest today is Stephanie Rose, Creative Director and Founder of Westrose Media, a photography and videography company that helps entrepreneurs and business owners revolutionize their brand. I'm excited to share this as Stephanie's very first podcast episode, but I have no doubt it will not be her last. So you may not recognize her name - just yet. But based on how talented and driven this woman is, I have no doubt it's only a matter of time unril Westerose Media is a brand you will know and not forget. I invited Stephanie to be guest on my show today to hear about her unconventional journey. I wanted to learn what inspired her to start a branding business. And I was curious to get her point of view on Insta reels, and the important role they play in building a brand. Branding Matters is brought to you by Genumark, one of North America's most trusted branded merch makers for over 40 years. Did you know branded merchandise is one of the best ways to create brand awareness? It's true. Whether with your team or your fans, there's no better way to show your appreciation, connect with your audience and build community than by combining thoughtful design with great products that tell your brand story. When you partner with Genumark you get more! More personalized service, more creativity, more innovative solutions. And more importantly, you get it all from a talented team of branding experts who have the experience and know how to make your job easier and more fun. From promotional products, custom uniforms and clothing to sports cobranding web stores and warehouses, Genumark makes it happen. And being ISO certified, you can rest assured, knowing ethical sourcing and sustainability are front and center. Genumark is big enough to matter, but small enough to care. So if you're looking for the right partner to help you create brand awareness, email BrandingMatters@genumark.com. That's BRANDING MATTERS @ G E N U M A R K.COM. And now on with our show, Stephanie, welcome to Branding Matters!
Stephanie Rose:Thank you for having me. I'm really excited. It's my first podcast. So I'm very excited.
Joelly Goodson :I can't believe it's your first podcast. I'm really excited as well. And and I have no doubt it's not going to be your last.
Stephanie Rose:No I'm sure I'll do many, many after my stunning debut.
Joelly Goodson :Exactly. So I'm super honored. Before we get into it. I want to share with the audience a little bit how we met because I think it's such a great story. I was at a hotel in town, my partner and I were doing a little staycation. And we were out at the pool and we saw a bunch of girls or not a bunch I think there was just three at the pool and hanging out and you were definitely stood out. You're all beautiful and fit. And you just we you caught my eye anyway. And then later on, I think was the next day because it was pride in Calgary. So the next day, I went to the pride parade. And I was there by myself because my boyfriend was back at the hotel watching soccer. And I remember I told you that and I'm just walking, then I see these gorgeous women on the street and they stood out and I just thought I have to meet them. So I went over to you and introduce myself. And I think within the first 30 seconds, we started talking about branding. And I tell you, Stephanie, and I mean this you have such a bright light, and you're so charismatic and you you weren't magnetic and I was just so drawn to you. And after talking for a few minutes. I just had to have you on my podcast because I have a feeling you have an incredible story. So I'm really really honored that you said yes and that you're here today. So that's how we met right?
Stephanie Rose:No, that was perfect. It was Yeah, I think one of those connections that was meant to happen for sure.
Joelly Goodson :Yeah, Okay, well let's get right into it and don't be nervous because this I know you said this your first podcast but I'll be gentle with you. Okay, so first let's talk about Westrose Media. What is Westrose Media and what inspired you to start it?
Stephanie Rose:Okay, so Westerose Media is basically what I call myself is the creative director of iconic brands. So I do branding in the sense that I do photo I do video and a lot of in depth training and mentorship for mostly women who want to build an amazing stunning brand and not just you know a nice logo and a cute font and a color scheme like actually embody this amazing iconic brand. Be the brand but kind like you're talking about like you're walking down the street and people like Oh, I know you and they know what you do. They know what you're offering. So doing that I do a lot of VIP packages where women like fly from out of country to come and do photo and video with me. And then we also do experiences to help them really feel like the boss CEO that they are. And we do a lot of like one on one training. So I was just chatting with the ones in my mastermind right now, just before this call and planning out like how they're going to do their next social media posts and me fact checking them being like, Hey, does it stick with the brand? Does it make sense, that kind of things. So my business is very much focused on brands and on really like solidifying it and not just in one asset, but like, the whole thing, like making all of it match together. Because the worst thing is, when you do something, and you know, you're at a party, you see somebody and you're like, Oh, what do you do? And you tell them that they're like, I didn't picture that. That's like the opposite of what we want, right? You might be able to be like, Oh, I can see that. Like, every time somebody meets me, they're like, You do something artistic, don't you? And I'm like, yes, yes, absolutely. You can tell because I embody all of it. My brand is all about pushing your limits, my brand is all about digging deep and finding what's inside of you and bringing that out into your business. And I require my clients to do that. And I do that every single day too. And I show it and leading by example is a big part of it.
Joelly Goodson :So okay, so let's talk about photography. I read a quote somewhere where you said, it's about more than pretty pictures. It's about content that makes sense and makes you money. So can you elaborate on that? Do you remember saying that?
Stephanie Rose:Yes. Okay. And I still stand by that. So there's a lot of things I've said on the internet outstanding anymore, but this? Yeah, so absolutely. I think there are so many photographers who are talented and wonderful, but they don't make any money. And then they do pictures for people who pay them. And then those people don't make any money. And they're all being like, well, we all have a good heart. And we all really want to do a good thing. But none of us are making any money. And then it's just like this little martyr circle of like, well, boohoo business is hard, and you can't be creative and make money. And I think that's the biggest load of bullshit in the world. I think that if you start the creative process with the plan of this is to make money this is to make revenue, this is to grow my business, it would be wrong of me to take a creative passion of mine and focus on it and not also provide for my children. And I found a way to do both. And that's what I'm really sharing as I go into every situation. And when I asked them questions before shoot, I'm always like, Okay, what's the plan? What's the big goal? And they're like, Well, what does that have to do with photos and like everything. Because if your big, giant goal is to make a million dollars, and this is what you have planned for the shoot, we have to change our plan here, we need to focus on who are you going to embody in this shoot? Even if you don't feel like the big boss CEO? How are we going to make you feel like that so that when you post you can get in the mindset of okay, no, I am the CEO, I am the boss, I am going to make money, I am going to change the world. So the photos show that and then your social media shows that because you're working with the, you know, crafting these things. Basically, we're taking like a part of yourself, and we're really, really amplifying it through the content, so that you can grow your business and you can attract the right customers. So many of my clients, they always have like really big leaps in their business after we do a shoot because it cracks them open in a way that they never thought possible because they're being creative. They're getting into the feeling of their brand. They're getting into the feeling of growth mindset of being like okay, no big things are possible. Look, we can take a simple brick wall and a person and make magic out of it. Think of what I could do in my business. So to me the process of that and really digging into what are people really after is so important. That's why I don't really do one off shoots anymore. I want to work with people long term. I want to like dive in. We always have a face to face before and I'm like, Okay, what are we going to do? Like, tell me the big hairy, audacious goal, like people cry on our calls all the time. So like, I've never told anyone that and like, well, that's what I'm here for man. Like, let's make it bigger. And let's not just take pictures, anybody can take pictures. Let's change the world. That's what
Joelly Goodson :I love that! If you're gonna dream dream big. And yeah, the reality is, that's the difference between a hobby and a career is hobbies you do for fun on the side and careers or you got to pay your bills unless your nonprofit, right? I totally agree with that. That's the goal. I think that goal is your initial goal. But there's also you talked earlier about your purpose, right? And your purpose is helping people and help them change their situation. Is that because based on your own experience that you went through it and you kind of did this? I don't know, metamorphosis. So now you want to help other women do the same thing that you went through? Is that your purpose?
Stephanie Rose:I think my purpose is changing how people see themselves and how they express themselves for sure and helping them make these huge leaps and yeah, it's been crazy for me. Part of my story is I went from growing up super religious, being married to a man and then coming out realizing Wait a second, there's a lot of things that I didn't admit to myself all my life. And having this huge moment of all the things I was told as a kid that were wrong about me are actually the things that are the best about me and a humongous humongous battle inside of me being like, Okay, can I really be myself? Would my children be better off with a mom who just kept her mouth shut and went with it? Or, you know, better off without me at all? Like, I went really up and down for a while there, it was very hard for me because I, I grew up so religious, I was married to my best friend. And I was like, What the hell am I doing? I can't, what am I going to do? What am I going to do? Say no, sorry, I promise forever, and I can't. And that's what I ended up doing. And it's heartbreaking. It's terrible. But also, it's the most liberating amazing thing that has ever happened to me. And I don't shut up about it now, because I'm like, Look at me now. Look at me. Now. There are so many things I didn't think were possible. And now because I took one baby step after another being like, Nope, this isn't right. I have to try something that self loyal. Nope, that's not right. I have to try something that's self loyal. And all of these things together have brought me to here, which I never thought was possible.
Joelly Goodson :Wow. That's so amazing. What a story. So if you don't mind me digging a little bit deeper. I mean, you two, did you come out after you and your husband split? Or did you come to this sort of epiphany while you were still married?
Stephanie Rose:We were still married. Yeah. And you just thought I can't make everything. And I was like, I think I know something that I don't want to say. And he's like, What the hell? So do you always know? Or I think that's a question. I'm still answering for myself. I don't know. I think a part of me knew. But like I said, I grew up very, very religious, like, Christian school or church. And no, I literally didn't even know one person who wasn't a Christian. I never knew any gay people. And not one. Like, I didn't even get to watch movies where they were there.
Joelly Goodson :Well you probably did, but you just didn't know it. Right?
Stephanie Rose:Yeah. Right? Exactly.
Joelly Goodson :When people say"I don't know anyone whi is gay"
Stephanie Rose:Yeah, so nobody who was out? And so I guess oh, you probably do. maybe part of me knew. And like, as you know, I do more and more therapy, things come up and like, oh, yeah, cuz we should have known but I couldn't admit it to myself. Even if I did. No, I couldn't have admitted it. Because it would have been meant the loss of everything. My community, my parents, my family, everything. That's what I thought. My parents had been amazing. Most of my family has been amazing. I've lost a lot of friends and family. It's true. But nobody who was truly there for me before. And yeah, it's been a huge, it's been really hard to be able to say something like, yeah, so I did promise I would bury you and love you forever. But now I stand by that. And it was incredibly heartbreaking. But also, I think, you know, they say there's no such thing as one way liberation, now he can be free also.
Joelly Goodson :And you're all better off you and your kids and your ex. Absolutely. So well. I mean, it sounds like a really brave story. And I'm so proud and impressed that you went through it. And we're finally true to yourself. Because we always talk about authenticity. This is a great segue, because, you know, you hear all time experts always talking about being authentic, especially when it comes to branding, right? And here we are talking about branding. And that's so important. So you're obviously very authentic. After I met you, I went and started stalking you. And your reels are amazing. I love them so much you like the best I've seen and I see a lot on there. You're just so authentic. And you're so real. But you also like I said have this energy. Do you ever think there's a bit TMI on social as well? Like, what's the fine line between being authentic, and then sharing too much?
Stephanie Rose:Yes. Okay. I talked about this all the time clients, because I definitely did this wrong. At the beginning, when I first came out, I was like, Okay, I'm now I'm finally knee, I'm gonna share everything. Oh, okay, I still have my heart to protect, I still have my kids protected, I still have my ex to protect, because I didn't want him to be collateral damage in this. And so there was a lot, a lot of figuring out, okay, how can I be me? And how can I show myself but not give everything away? Because there are parts that are just for me, and I'm going through humongous growth stage, right? When you're raw from growing and big life changes. You can't just lay it all out there because one mean comment will completely derail you. But I just I knew that being myself was so important. I knew it was so vital to me, and I knew the changes that could make in me. And so I started sharing more of how it changed my life and less every detail of my life. I'm not going to hide parts of myself to make people feel more or less comfortable. And I'm always going to say it like it is, especially with my business. the more that I just show up as myself, the better fitting clients show up. So for me, it's all about being who I am so solidly behind the scenes that I get to share pieces, and it doesn't derail me anymore.
Joelly Goodson :that you would give them as far as what's being authentic. And what's TMI?
Stephanie Rose:Say, the more that you are solid within yourself, the more you're going to know this, and the more you practice it. So I would start with big picture, think of three people in your life would I share this with my grandma, when I share this with the random on the street, and what I share this with my partner, and if you wouldn't share it with any of them, then don't be stupid on the internet. And if you would keep it a secret from one but not the other, then just think about it. And if you still don't know, then follow it through, say, Okay, if I share this, who will it affect? And then follow the trail? It takes a lot of actual self realization and a lot of being super honest with yourself, does this serve my audience? And am I going to feel okay, after I post it? And if none of that is true, then just leave it on the cutting room floor? You don't have to post every idea you have?
Joelly Goodson :Yeah, you know, it's interesting, you said something that I wanted to talk about a little bit or go back to this where you say, not hurt anyone. And I think that's really important, because I think you can talk about pretty much anything, and you can share a lot as long as you're not cutting anyone down, you know, again, same thing with you, me going through a very acrimonious divorce. I have kids and I, you know, they're my number one priority. So I always think, how are they going to take anything, so I never cut anybody down in my life that I think is going to impact someone that they love, or that loves them. And their thing, too, I read somewhere, once many years ago, and I thought it was such great advice is that before you post anything, ask yourself, so what? So by posting this, what are what is your motivation? And there's always like, you know, when they say, Okay, well, if you're Are you entertaining? are you educating? Are you inspiring? And if you're not doing any of those three things, then why are you posting right? So when someone is vulnerable and shares about something that's happened to them, that's inspiring for someone who might be going through the same thing as them. And right. So that's how you're connecting with your audience, or I love to entertain because I like humor. And so if I see something funny, I'll post it funnier. I do you know, anything. But again, it's being yourself and being authentic. And you can do all that and you can share and you can help your audience and serve your audience without having to be critical and put someone else down right and affect them. So I liked that you said that about not hurting anyone. I think if you keep that on the back of your mind, when you're on social, I think that would be very valuable. Okay, so I want to talk about perfection. Actually, I want to talk about imperfection. What does being imperfect on social mean? And how does it get you your dream client?
Stephanie Rose:Oh, good question. Well, I would say, if you're starting a business, you're probably an expert at what you do. And you're probably learning how to sell it. And you're not going to do that perfectly. And if you want to work with clients, who everyone is not perfect, so they are going to be imperfect, how are you going to make yourself? How are you going to show yourself as an expert, and also give them permission to not be perfect. So I would say, the best thing that I do, I would suggest is that I give lots of examples of what I do. I'm an expert, look at what I've done. And then I show a lot of the process, the behind the scenes, my life and show that I'm not a perfect person, I do amazing work, but there are ups and downs throughout it. And that gives them permission to so that people if they come to me and they want to hire me, they don't think, oh, do I have to have all my ducks exactly in a row before I can work with Stephanie. I'm giving them permission that no, this is a process we're going to grow together, I show them some of my growth so that they know we can grow together. So that unaccessible by not being perfect, but also I show a lot of examples of my work and then know that I'm a real badass at it, and that I'm going to deliver great content, but nothing is perfect. Does that right question?
Joelly Goodson :Yeah, no, absolutely. I love that. I think the thing that's so common right now is everybody's striving for perfection all the time. And it's it's an unrealistic, unattainable goal, right. And we're all human beings, and we're not perfect. And I think when you show your imperfections, that's when people become endearing to you. And that's, again, how you build connections. And I talk about all time and branding about branding is really about making connections with people getting people to fall in love with you and fall in love with your brand. And then they're going to become loyal to you and they're gonna not only buy from you but they're gonna be loyal fans and tell everyone else to do business with you as well. Right? They're gonna become your brand advocates. I read a really really great quote I want to share with you "Don't compare your behind the scenes to everyone else's highlight reel". And I think that's such a good quote, because that's what we see. Or that's what we used to see a lot more on social media and you still see it to some degree. And I think the more that we see people that are real and that show their imperfections, the more people aren't going to have comparative itis or whatever you call it. So I think being imperfect is exactly that is don't, it's not a highlight reel, like be yourself and show the warts and all.
Stephanie Rose:Absolutely. And also, like when I'm talking with clients about like, actually using physically using Instagram for this space, like there's different parts of Instagram, like your static posts, that's where you want to show like the best because you're trying to grab people in but then your stories is people are already following you, they're not going to see your story unless they're already slightly invested. And that's where you can show a bit more of yourself, like show some of the behind the scenes get a little more vulnerable. Show yourself, like being a little goofy, on my stories the other day shared that I take my work very seriously. But I try not to take myself too seriously. Because that's where you can show a little bit more, I think people get a little confused. When they see Instagram, they're like, everything's the same. And you're like, Well, no, it's actually like, it's kind of like a living, breathing thing, right? It's got trends, and it's got like people, and there's people there that you have to like talk with. And there's different parts of it that work differently. And they get show to people differently. And you got to really leverage all those different parts, so that you're showing the good picture of yourself. But you're being authentic. And you're not also like just laying it all bare. Yeah, it's like quite a balance. And it takes a lot of practice, I think this is the biggest thing that people are like, oh, I'll just, I'll get one photo session. And then I'll post the pictures. And I'll go viral, and I'll be famous. Not at all how it goes. And they don't realize that it takes time. And it takes effort. And then it takes vulnerability. Like I had a client the other day who posted something vulnerable about her success. And then she had some friends kind of treat her poorly about it. They're like, Oh, you think you're so good, high on your horse and blah, blah, blah. And she was like, I didn't expect this to be hard. And I was like, it's a lot of emotions. being visible online, takes emotional stamina, and people aren't expecting it. And then they do get some visibility. And then they're like, Screw it promote, I'm not going to do this anymore. So if you're really actually committed to growing your brand and your business, you have to realize that being visible, takes a lot of vulnerability, and it takes a lot of emotional stamina, and that you have to prepare yourself. Your Instagram is a business tool. If you had a storefront, you wouldn't just put your favorite couch in the window, because it's your favorite couch. If you weren't selling couches, you have to think of okay, this is a business. Does this make sense here? And a lot of people like that analogy of thinking, okay, so your Instagram page is like, it's like your little store? What are you going to put in your store? Does it all make sense together? And I think that's how you can be authentic. But you don't have to share every part because it doesn't all match up.
Joelly Goodson :Yeah, no, definitely. So I love everything you just said. And I totally agree. I want to dig deeper into reels. I mentioned those a little bit earlier. Your reels are amazing. I mean, you're so lucky because you're an a fantastic photographer videographer. And so you have the best subject ever yourself and what you offer. So why are real so important when it comes to branding on Instagram? And what's more important when it comes to reels likes or views and why?
Stephanie Rose:So I would say they're super important because you get to show more of yourself you to show movement, you get to show like quirkiness which I think that interest don't always get to capture. You also get people for longer. So if somebody sees a picture, they scrolled past, right, but if the real, you can hook them and you can have them for longer. So I like that because I get more face to face time with people. So I really liked them for that reason. I also like being able to show more my personality, I like being able to show like some of the reels I do are like my content that I make for others. And some of them are just me. So I'm kind of able to showcase two different things in one space, which I really, really like. I like to showcase kind of like what it's like to work with me. Nobody ever shows up to a shoot with me and is like, I was not expecting you to look like that or act like that because they know what I'm like. So I get to weed out people who maybe wouldn't be a good fit to work with me because I'm showing my personality online. And I think that's really important. Especially if you're doing one on one type of work, maybe less so if you sell products, I can kind of go to anybody. But if you're doing one on one kind of
Joelly Goodson :Well, hold on, hold on, hold on. I want to stop you right there. I don't agree with you. I don't think selling products you can go anybody I think it listen, if you're a brand doesn't matter what brand new Are you are encompassing an experience. And you can tell I'm very passionate about this because I'm in an industry where I sell T shirts and hats and jackets and you can get them from a million other people. But why do people come to me it's because of the experience that I provide the expertise that I provide. It's all of that that's why I'm so passionate about what it means to create a brand and branding, because that's exactly what it is, is what are you going to do with your branding that is going to get your audience to choose you first, no matter what it is that you're selling no matter what it is that you're doing. It's a service or product. So I just want to say that.
Stephanie Rose:Oh, no. With both of those things, you're selling yourself and you're selling the product. So my product is other people, like you're selling your experience exactly.
Joelly Goodson :There's a million photographers out there. I know. There's tons of them. So the reason people are coming to you is because of your brand that you've created, and that you the experience that you're offering them, it's everything above you, you know, it's your whole personality. That's that's what this show is all about. And that's why I bring on people like you and that's why for my listeners, who are all small business owners, entrepreneurs, business leaders is really to understand that because people are scared, they'll be like, Oh, well, you know, I there's so much competition out there and i There's no way I'm gonna be able to compete. And that's what's like, No, you can like Be yourself, figure it out. What do you have special that no one else has? Lean into that and then find your tribe and connect with them. And they're gonna be, they're gonna fall in love with you, and they're gonna buy from me no matter what, whatever it is that you sell or offer.
Stephanie Rose:Absolutely. I think all of this comes back to authenticity, because the more you are yourself, the more you attract people who are actually for you, right?
Joelly Goodson :That's why branding matters!
Stephanie Rose:Exactly. That's why it matters. Right? So if you're just pretending to be someone else, or being in this like little spot where you're like, Oh, well, I don't want to be super hot. So I'm gonna stay in this little spot. And people are like k cool, whatever, like, you're not triggering anything in them. I piss people off so often. But the people who liked me or like, I liked that about you.
Joelly Goodson :Well, they love it. Passion
Stephanie Rose:Exactly.
Joelly Goodson :You know, you don't want to if you're all things to all people, that you're nothing to nobody like me, basically, you'd rather have, you don't I've actually had guests on where we really talked about this. I don't know if you know who Jay Baer is, he's a really very well known branding expert and speaker and he talked about that, like, it's better to piss off people and have a small group of people, but those people are loyal, and they love you, and they will defend you and they will show your praise out to everybody, then try to not piss off anybody and have everybody like you and be saturated, but then not really get that loyalty and people will switch on a dime. And then it comes down to who's cheaper or pricing or whatever. And you never want to compete on that.
Stephanie Rose:No, because anything that you do or sell somebody could get down the street or on Amazon, everything, including what I do, right? There are 1000s and 1000s of people who do what I do. But people want to work with me because I show up, I show them who I am. You know, that's why the reels are so important, because they get a little taste of me. And then they're like, Well, I want more of that. Like exactly how you get it, you pay for it.
Joelly Goodson :Okay, we went on a bit of a tangent there, sorry, but I just you know, I this is the way things go. Right. I go Yeah. And then I love to go on it. So what's more important, though, with reels, likes or views?
Stephanie Rose:I would say likes, because I have had reels that have had 100 views, but a whole bunch of people liked and then those people bought. And I've also had reels where like, I think my biggest one was 68,000 views. And what blows my mind is that it had nothing to do with my business. This is actually something that really changed how I made reels. Because it's funny, it had nothing to do with my business. So all those 62,000 people who saw it, it didn't matter. Nobody bought anything. And there was no conversion. Nothing. Yeah. So I was like, okay, so it's funny, and it got used, but what does it matter? And that that actually that real, I made it kind of this time last year and had like a big flipping point for me sounds like every single time I post again, going back to what you said about like, why what why does it matter? Every single piece of content has to have a purpose. So that's why I run it through my filter of this is what I'm talking about this week. Does this make sense? Because you never know when your next client is going to show up. I have some clients who I've literally worked with since I was doing baby photos 10 years ago. And I also had people who have signed up for a $10,000 package after following me for two days. So you have to have all of the info on there for both those people. You have to build enough of a brand that if somebody wants to cruise through in 10 minutes and decide if they want to or not. There's got to be enough of you on there for them to get a picture of okay, so who's Who who are you? What the heck are you doing here? Behind the curtain? Yeah, yeah. And people say, Oh, I don't want to repeat that. I'm like, repeat it over and over and over again. Say it again. like Taylor Swift can take all of her albums and rerecord them and make Bay you can reuse your content all the time. Like, come on, say it again. Introduce yourself again. Say what you do again, do it again. And again.
Joelly Goodson :I just did a post about that. It's funny that you say that is a famous quote David Ogilvy who was one of the founding fathers of advertising, where he said, "You're not advertising to a standing army, you're advertising to a marching parade." Right. So you think, you think you're marketing and every one that you want to see sees it. But have you ever said to anyone? So did you see my post? And they're like, No, I didn't see it. Right? You don't know you people aren't seeing them. So yeah, I totally just talked about that. I agree with you. 100%. So staying with reels, what are some do's and don'ts when it comes to making real? So let's start off with some don'ts.
Stephanie Rose:Okay. Don't take yourself too seriously. Because if you're trying to be perfect, and people are like, Okay, moving on. Definitely don't do like super scattered, get rid of 90% of the things you want to talk about. Talk about one thing, don't overcomplicate it, and don't have it be messy. Make sure that you are the focal point and what you are trying to say gets across multiple times.
Joelly Goodson :Do you mean visually cluttered? Or do you mean just they're saying too many things in one, there's too many messages in one reel?
Stephanie Rose:Both. So I would say like visually like some people are like they want to show everything they want to throw everything into one real quick be like I showed everything islands make one real this week? No, make that into four. Yeah, they can be short. People watched them on a loop. I like to do ones that are really short people like what is that? And then they have to watch it again. And then it gets more views, and then it gets more traction. So I would say keep it visually and on topic. Super short, super, to the point. And I would say also don't follow every trend. Like there's lots of trends. And yes, some people go viral on remaking a trend. But if it doesn't work with it, you do don't do it. You know, there's lots of things that like, yeah, I could pull that up, I could remake that reel. But if it doesn't work, then just skip it.
Joelly Goodson :I love that. Okay, so what are you dos?
Stephanie Rose:Okay, my dos are, make sure it's to the point, make sure it's super eye catching. And there's movement, there always has to be movement. So like, even if it's just you talking as you're starting, like move in or move out or something, you know, clipping different pieces, something so that it's eye catching, because people are so quick to scroll, there's got to be something that grabs you, especially if it's like really your face, people feel more of a connection. So I would say make sure it's clear for your face. And there's some kind of movement. And then also, almost always use some kind of text to bring them around to what you're trying to say, or say read the caption something to get them to stay longer. So sometimes people do a beautiful photo, or a beautiful like scene. Maybe they're like panning across something pretty, and then a beautiful long caption. But if nobody knows who's good caption, then they're not going to read it
Joelly Goodson :put in the real, like, read the caption?
Stephanie Rose:Yeah, or below or give them a teaser, and then say, find the rest down below or something, you know, like a hook in it. And then make the very first line of the caption that same thing so that they can continue on the journey of reading and understanding what it is because the other thing about captions is while they're reading your caption, your reel is still playing. So you're getting more views.
Joelly Goodson :What about making reels into stories? Do you recommend taking your reel and then putting it into your story as well?
Stephanie Rose:Always! So I would make your reel and then share it to your story rather than taking that same video and putting it on?
Joelly Goodson :Why?
Stephanie Rose:Because then every time someone sees it in your story, it also counts as a view. Okay, yeah, so sharing it to it. And then I always put something like a text overtop you, like, go watch the whole thing or click on this or something like really simple. So like, picture your person's like, kind of like half zoned out scrolling, right? You want them to tell them what to do. People like to be told what to do. So if you say click this,
Joelly Goodson :not all people have you met my teenagers?
Stephanie Rose:But if you prompt people over and over again, so I always if I'm doing a reel, especially if it's like about a certain thing, if it's just about my brand in general, I'm not as specific on this, but say I'm launching a new program. So I chatted about it a little on stories, I have the real I post the reel, and I'm like go look at a reel. And then they read the caption. And then after that I summarize what I talked about in the reel. So that I'm really like, like you said, it's marching audience, like you want to make sure that all of this like, say it again and again and again and again. And then even if I'm talking about something like a week or two later, and the reel is irrelevant, I'll share it again. Because I think people think, Oh, I have to post and if it doesn't get 10,000 likes in the first two hours, then it's worth nothing. But they don't disappear. The likes and like things still count. I've had reels that had maybe like 100 views, and then two weeks later all of a sudden if I get 10,000 Because somebody picked it up and shared it and it's still relevant content. So again with the feel free to use your content over and over again. Yeah, and then like that, it also breaks up stories like if you feel like you're drawing on and on like talking on stories or something. It breaks it up with it gives some interest.
Joelly Goodson :Yeah. Oh, that's great advice. I love that. What's your take on filters? I'm curious. I mean, everybody talks. Listen, everybody talks about filters. I hear a lot of people say they hate them. They hate them. Full disclosure, I just did one yesterday and I use the sparkly one. And it was fun. I mean, it's so obvious. It's not me. I mean, then you can see if you look on my Instagram, I look like this. I am right now. And you can see. And of course it is and I'm just having fun. I'm like, yeah, it's just I saw sparkly one, I felt sparkly. And I wanted to do it. What do you think about filters?
Stephanie Rose:I think as with all the things I've said, it has to match what the plan is, does this actually match my brand? So my brand is authenticity, I don't use the ones that change the structure of my face. Also, when I do photos, and people asked me to make them skinnier, it's huge notes in my contracts. I'm like, No, I will fix this. Anything that shouldn't be there. So I'll yeah, I'll fix your zip, that's fine. But I'm not going to make your boobs bigger. I'm not going to make your waist smaller, none of that. So that's kind of my same concept with filters. If it's going to fix the bags under my eyes, because I don't feel like you know, makeup. Sure. I could do that with makeup in five seconds. And that was still authentically be me. But I'm not going to use the one that like sucks in your cheeks and gives you the Beatles lips. Yeah, exactly. I literally I saw somebody the other day, who is a very big account. And she has amazing branding. And I wanted to message her but I was like, It's not my monkeys, not my circus. She used a filter that changed her face so much that I didn't recognize her. And I was like, Who is this? She looks kind of like so and so. But yeah, I to literally click on it to be like, Why do that you're gorgeous. You're wonderful. Don't mess with your face. So I would say as long as it doesn't mess up who you actually are, then go for it.
Joelly Goodson :Yeah, and you know what I mean? You hear a lot of times vote especially and I trust me, I totally get it when it comes to young girls and self conscious. When you're not comfortable with who you are and what you look like and you feel you need a filter to go on social media. I'm 100% against it. And I think it's terrible. And it's fake. But like with anything. I mean, I think it's how you look at it, it's what you use it for. And if you're it's fine, and you very honest. And you say yeah, I'm using it, and it's no big deal. That's my opinion. I mean, there's probably I'm gonna get a lot of hate probably for this. But I just you know, I like to have fun. And I just think some of them are fun to use some time.
Stephanie Rose:And also with photo editing as well, people, a lot of people, they filter out everything, right? Like I post pictures of stretch marks pictures of how my body actually looks, because I think it is important because we need to show what bodies actually look like. And so much of my work is showing people's bodies and they're used to I think the biggest part of it filters that affects my work is people are used to seeing their own face in a filter. And then when I take a photo of their actual face, they're like, Oh, that's not what it looks like. Actually, that is what you look like.
Joelly Goodson :Yeah. And it's beautiful.
Stephanie Rose:Yeah. It's hard.
Joelly Goodson :Yeah. You know, it's funny, I'll just share this with you. I took my boys to Mexico for my birthday last year, but I had two humongous babies. So I have the you know, any woman who's had a lot of babies understands. And so there was a picture taken of us on the swing of one of the you know, in Mexico, and I have like wrinkles on my stomach, right from having humongous babies. And I looked at it and at first I was horrified and I wasn't gonna post I'm like, You know what, this is me. I'm a mom, this is my badge of honor. And I posted it and I was totally fine with it. And I thought, You know what, I find it to be real. And I'm going to say that I am real and authentic. This is part of it. And that was it. You know, so it's I mean, like, you have to be able to be comfortable with who you are, and be okay with it. But if you're trying to hide, like if I would have filtered it out or smoothed it out, or then that's lying, and that's BS, right? But I was like, No, this is what it looks like. And so anyway, yeah. conversation about this, what were you gonna say?
Stephanie Rose:I think that comes back to being authentic, right? You could have looked at a picture of and like, Oh, I really don't want to share that and identify your own. And that's okay. And you're allowed to authentically share a picture of you and a T shirt instead. But it's when you alter reality. I think that's where actually not being authentic. You don't have to share every single thing. But it's when you're screwing up with what's actually real Ya exactly. And I did it to not to prove a point. But I want it to be honest. I'm like, You know what, this is a fun picture. Because I'm with my two boys. And we're in my school together. And I looked at it and I'm like, You know what, totally put your money where your mouth is, you know, you talk about being authentic. And this is it. And so I did it. And it was fine. But I was Yeah, I was a little bit insecure. But you get over it. And I think the more I think that's with everything, I think the more you do it, and the more you show who you are, I think the easier it gets, and the better it gets. Absolutely. I think that authenticity. It's like having a big jar, and every time you're authentic, you put a pebble in and they get stronger and sturdier every time you fill it up. And it's easier and easier. And the more you do it, the easier gets and then the easier it gets, the more you do it. And I think it's so much a practice and that's why I so much tell people that consistency. That's the thing that's gonna get you it's not how perfect it is. It's how often you do it. And then it'll matter less and also, it'll get better,
Joelly Goodson :and I'll get easier.
Stephanie Rose:Yeah,
Joelly Goodson :right?
Stephanie Rose:Yeah, exactly.
Joelly Goodson :Wow. Well, I have just enjoyed talking to you so much. I'm not surprised because I knew it would you're you're so awesome! You're are extremely talented. I'm honored that I'm your first podcast because like I said, now they're gonna be beaten down the doors to get you on. So if people want to know more about you and if they want to follow you because honestly, her Instagram is one of the best. I've seen what's best for them to find you?
Stephanie Rose:Go hit me up on Instagram. It's Westerose media.
Joelly Goodson :And are you anywhere else?
Stephanie Rose:I'm on the other places, but Instagram is where the magic happens.
Joelly Goodson :So Instagram is your home base?
Stephanie Rose:That's absolutely my homepage.
Joelly Goodson :Yeah. Okay, perfect. Do you have a website?
Stephanie Rose:Yes, I do. It's westerosemedia.com.
Joelly Goodson :How'd you come up with the name? I was gonna ask you that earlier.
Stephanie Rose:Well, my last name is Rose.
Joelly Goodson :And you live in the West?
Stephanie Rose:I live in the west! And, that's where it came from.
Joelly Goodson :I love it. Awesome. Well, thank you so much. Do you have any closing words before we say goodbye?
Stephanie Rose:Just yeah, come follow me. Come say hi. Jump in my DMs. Tell me you heard the podcast. I would love to hear that and can jump in my world.
Joelly Goodson :Okay, great. Well, thank you so much. I hope we're gonna see each other again in person.
Stephanie Rose:I think we probably will.
Joelly Goodson :Yeah? Okay. That'd be great. All right. Well, enjoy the rest of your day and we'll chat again soon. Okay?
Stephanie Rose:sounds good.
Joelly Goodson :Okay, bye. And there you have it. Thank you so much for tuning in. I hope you enjoyed the conversation and maybe learned a few things to help you with your branding. This show is a work in progress. So please remember to rate and review on whatever platform you listen to podcasts. And if you'd like help creating brand awareness for your business, please reach out to me on any of the social platforms under, you guessed it, Branding Badass, I promise you I reply to all my messages. Branding Matters was produced, edited and hosted by Joelly. Goodson - also me! So thank you again and until next time, here's to all you badasses out there!