Ep. 29 | The TWO Funnels You Need in Your Business with Jenn Robbins

Today on the podcast i'm chatting with Jenn Robbins. Jenn is a conversion copyrighter who supports established women business owners, especially photographers, with high converting website copy and sales funnels. We're talking all about what a sales funnel is, the type of funnels that work with photographers, and which ones you need to implement into your business!

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Transcript

spk_0:   0:08
Welcome to the brain your way. Photography podcast. I'm your host, Bert Jefferson. I'm a wife, Mama to two and full time photographer in business. I created this podcast with the inspiring photographer in mine to bring you inspired stories. Strategies to help you go from zero to mostly figures and tips and tricks to get one step closer to work. Life harmony. Are you ready to bring your way to your dream career? Let's dive in.

spk_1:   0:41
Well, hey, Gin. Thank you so much for agreeing to come on the show today. I'm excited to dive into this whole idea of funnels and copy writing that actually helps our clients convert. So go ahead and on. Why should introduce yourself to my listeners?

spk_0:   0:59
Sure. Thank you so much for having me. So I'm John Robbins. That's John with humans and Robin's Tootie's. I'm a convergent copy writer. I support established women business owners, especially photographers with high converting website coffee and sales funnels. So I know we're gonna talk today about exactly what a sales final is and the type of funnels that are gonna work for photographers. I developed a framework of three funnel, but I think every business needs. But today we're gonna talk about the two funnels that I think photographers, especially people who listen to your podcasts, are gonna need to implement in their business.

spk_1:   1:29
Oh, I'm so excited. And just a preface. This I I did ask Jin the breakdown what a funnel is so that nobody gets lost or turns off this episodes. Before you think this above your head, we are gonna break down what we're talking about today. But I wanted Thio breathe The idea of why I'm bringing this to you guys, I think so often photographers get stuck on the social media, the going to the sessions, the shooting, the editing that a lot of times we forget how to bring leads into our business and convert them into clients. And if you are listening to this podcast, you probably have a long term goal of a long term business. In order to do that, you ate a funnel, which is what we're gonna break down and talk about, but even more so not just what a funnel Is that how to write copy that allows your leads to convert to clients. So, Jim, why don't you tell us what is the definition of a funnel. And what does that look like?

spk_0:   2:29
Sure, So a funnel is super simple. It's a customer journey. It's taking someone from like a rain, a person off the street, or more like, accurately, probably Facebook or instagram and turn them into a beloved flying who comes back to you. It's really a simple is that and everybody has a funnel where they realize it or not is just kind of an unintentional one. That's probably not very effective. But when you sit down and actually create a funnel, so much could happen for your business. And it's important to note that you can't really do have funnel wrong unless you're not doing one like, other than that, you can do it right. That's

spk_1:   3:02
a really good point. I think once we can break down the different types of funnels and what that looks like, people are gonna either think Oh my goodness, I don't have a funnel at all or I have Peace is they're just not all connected. So that's what I'm most excited about. So why don't you go ahead and tell us the two types of funnels we're gonna be chatting about today and how that relates to a photography business.

spk_0:   3:28
Sure, so the first tunnel is one that I think every single business needs. I call it the White Rabbit funnel because it's kind of Elsa little inspired. And it's about your audience becoming a client because they follow the white rabbit down like the radical into your business. So that's all about building the no love and trust factor with your audience and turning them into clients. So that kind of starts with, um, usually it's like a Social Media post. It can be ads that most people don't need to start with. Facebook ads. I feel like some people come in with finals and, like, oh, spend money on ads. Don't do that yet. It really is a simple as your Facebook post. Um, moving into called action, which is gonna lead so much a landing page and landing page is literally what sounds like it's just a single page. It could be on your Web site. It could be a separate thing. I mean, it could be really anything you want, but somewhere where you can gather email addresses is really the goal of this next step because you want people on your email list. Um, there are other ways to do it, but this is kind of the best way because as you grow your business, you need a list to keep going to keep doing these funnels to keep your business growing. So the goal for most of these finals is getting people off Facebook instagram onto your list so you can customize and personalize for them. So from the social Media Post to go to that landing page, get their email address, and you're gonna do that with some sort of free offer on that could be some sort of challenge that could be like a downloadable. PdF, It could be a video of you talking about how to dress for the foam, Any session that you have coming up. Just something super simple. You do want to keep it a little broader. Zai get specific with the foam a session, but probably just more like how to just your family. Just something a little generic because this one will something that we're gonna use over and over again. This is like your timeless funnel. This is your intro final. Do you want to keep it simple. Once they get on your email list, that's when you're gonna have a 3 to 7 he male sequence that you sense them every calm down. That's not as intimidating as it sells, because you're not doing that every single time. Like you want to sit down when you do this. I know in October we're talking about, like, how to build your business that way. You want to spend like an afternoon and write this down or hire somebody do it for you? Um, and it can be super simple. It could be three miles. The goal, like I said, is to build that No love and trust. So you want to introduce yourself that first email should be Hi, I'm Brooke. I'm a photographer. I specialize in this and kind of a little bit about your story. Your next email. You want to introduce a case study? A testimonial? I was a civilian photographers. You want to show your pictures because that's like if you're gonna hire you. So let's say you're a wedding photographer. You'd want to share pictures of that. Tell a story of how you captured the 98 year old grandma dancing on a table at someone's wedding, something that's gonna make people remember you like, Oh, she's like she would be there for us, that she would be able to be awesome at this and then your next emails. You can kind of repeat doing that. Just build up that no love and trust, but eventually you're gonna want to close that with some sort of offer. So because this is a timeless funnel, that's usually to maybe get on a call with you, especially for talking about a wedding photographer who needs you. Typically closed out on a call is like a mini session or someone like give you $75 or whatever. Um, so book a call or whatever it is, your goal is that keep it small. Keep it simple for this one because this is your ongoing funnel you wanted to be not time sensitive, however you do in a limited urgency, So the offer can always be going. But you do want to kind of give them Hey, for the next 48 hours, maybe I would take you would get an extra like five prints or something if you go ahead and book a call with me. Some sort of offered to, like, get them actually booking. Um, And on that last offer, you can send them to a sales pitch if you want. But photographers, that's usually not a necessary unless you have, like, a booking page that you want to send them to. A lot of Times photographer just say, Hey, hit, reply, and we'll schedule a call or just something as simple as that.

spk_1:   7:19
I love that. So, as you were talking, I was visually creating a imaginary funnel and my head just so that I could tie it all together for those listening. And I'm gonna keep on with the wedding example just because that is what really stuck with me. So if you're a wedding photographer, your goal, Your action step here is to create a freebie, some type of awesome offer that a bride would want. So someone that is engaged planning their wedding, what type of free value can you offer them that they will exchange their name and email address for? So this could be five shots that your photographer has to have at your wedding, giving them an idea of the kind of knowledge you have. This could be I mean, really any type of wedding planning service. Maybe it five tips to hiring your wedding vendors, and then you can list yourself as one throughout the freebie or drop a hint that that could be you. I'm just get really creative with this and then after they often for the freebie that you're gonna nurture them with this 3 to 7 email sequence that Jen was explaining. And basically, you're just you're making it a point to get connected to them. So you're delivering the freebie. You're introducing yourself and you need thio. Also, add in these 1st 2 e mails that they're gonna open why you are different than every other wedding photographer out there. And we've talked about this. I have other podcasts on this, but I really want you guys to understand that you if you guys were gonna, like, copy and paste the same copying, it's not gonna work like And that's something, Jen, I promise you she'll eventually touch on this like you can't just copy and paste and use the same wording every other photographer is using. So this is your time to speak in your voice and and again, I'll let Jin elaborate on that. But once you take them through your email sequence, you need to make sure that there's always a called action. And all that means is what is your direct ask, What action do you want your reader to take? Do you want them to book a call with you to chat about how you could be their wedding photographer? Do you want them to go ahead and book an engagement session? Is your agency offer If they book a call with you and the next 48 hours, we're gonna give them a complimentary engagement session with their wedding package? Just I mean, the list goes on, you guys, so I hope that breaks that down a little more visually into what Jen is talking about. And if you're not a wedding photographer because you guys know I'm not anymore, I can easily change this for the mold of my family photography business. All right, Jen, back to you

spk_0:   10:08
on. And that's a great point. Like you can just copy and paste emails for other people. You have to customize it. I'm very much about funnels of feeling that's kind of empathy, marketing, like customizing everything. So you want to personalize those e mails When you're writing the emails, make sure using some sort of male platform that lets you customize it so it says Dear name like and throughout it, you can have, like, insert name. Q. You're but you do want to make sure on your lady pager capturing their first name, because otherwise it's gonna just have, like, the insert name here. And that's not what you want because that definitely is not feel. It makes people feel personal. Yeah, definitely put. Put your stories and make it very You use your voice. You don't have to be like some professional like let yourself shine through because that is what is going thio. Reach people, and you might turn people off, too. And that's OK. You want to find the right customers, right? Clients for you. So be you in all these e mails, that's a super important tip toe add. So that's kind of the general 1st 1 So that is one that you'd want to have running all the time on your website that would want to be like your main like opt in on your home page or wherever you have it. That is where people are becoming a constantly that's we're gonna get leads coming in. So it's if you're a family photographer, you would keep that a little more general, so we're gonna move on to the next, which is the Cheshire Cat one, because it's kind of a summer funnel. But it's always changing, so and it can be based on the initial like White Rabbit final. You could actually kind of cannibalize some of the e mails that he wrote there and repurpose them for this one. So this one, you could take people from the people in the existing list. But you can also have, like, a special offer like let's say, your family photographer and you're playing Christmas sessions coming up and you want a book out a few weeks of that so you probably write a Facebook post about it, right? So I'm gonna be offering these this day, So instead of just saying like comment below, like, have them join your list and then you can kind of walk them through and it's gonna be a similar format. They can come from the social media post to a living page. They could also be just coming straight from your email list. So that first email be the way that you're gonna be coming back to an email list. Is that what this is all about? I'm gonna do another kind of short Siri's. This doesn't need to be quiet as long, but 3 to 5, depending on what you're offering. And you kind of go through again and remind them who you are, especially if they're gonna becoming new or even if they've been on your list. If you're not regularly emailing people what you should be doing. But if you're not reminded of who you are Hey, I'm broke. I'm a family photographer. Like, here's some of my beautiful photos. This is kind of where the area that I specialize in gonna share more photos, tell we just did Fourth of July photos. I know it feels like it was not that long ago, but really, that was July and care of the work we did here is kind of how it works, and that makes you have a needle that breaks down like these Are the dates available? This is the time you show up This is what you should wear. This is how you, Kay. This is what you get afterwards. Like, make it very clear. So that way, when they get to the final email and you're gonna ask them to actually book with you, they don't have any more questions. Make sure overcoming all the objections throughout that email sequence and again you could send them to a landing page. I mean, it's always a good idea to use some sort of booking software if you don't, but you can always have email you, but just something that you're walking them through and this can be customized differently. You can do it the basic messenger if you want. But honestly, the email list is kind of the East. The best way to get everybody on there because you have them on there, and then you can take this sequence that you're gonna write for this like Christmas session, let's say and then you copy it and then just change it out for Easter or for whatever it is, and you obviously gonna want to change things that make it a little different. But you can use the same basic emails you're gonna be getting the same people. But do you remember the people who e mailed you three months ago? Six months ago? You probably don't remember the exact same email. So a lot of times we feel like we have to write something brand new every single time. But trust me, I work with some big name copywriters. Like writing copy for them. They re purpose their own stuff. So as a photographer, you totally can do it too.

spk_1:   14:01
Absolutely. And I would just also want to say a lot of you are probably thinking you email marketing. Why? Why do I need to be e mailing my clients and my signal be clients and all? And you know all of that. And it's because if you wake up tomorrow and Mark Zuckerberg is like all right, I've had enough of this. I'm done. I don't We're taking down Facebook were taken down instagram and you lose everything. All those likes you work so hard to get all those followers that you spent years trying to build their gone. You have no way of getting in a contact with them. And if you would have been building your email us this entire time and teaching your people to open your communication through their email because guys email was going nowhere. I don't know if you guys noticed, but you know, it was around before social media and it will be here until the end of time, I promise you. So what Genesis saying is totally relevant, and I know it's not the most exciting topic, but I'll be honest. It is the most exciting topic for me. I'm I just like, I absolutely love talking about this stuff, but I just think it's the nerd part of me, and it's that business mindset that I have, and I know for a lot of people it's not. The exciting stuff. Is booking the people getting paid, photographing them all of those things. But you guys need to understand, like if you are not collecting emails, you're not growing an analyst and you're no emailing your list. Frequently, you're wasting space and your army and potentially losing a lot of money from email marketing. So I just had to say that toe help Jin's case out here on, and I we talked about objections a second ago, but I only want to accept because I feel like there's gonna be one objection that my listeners might have. And that is what it's to number one confusion. They don't know where to start and two would be. This sounds like a lot of time, and I'm just gonna put it on my never ending to do list, and I'll get back to it when I feel like it. So what do you What do you have to say about those objections in particular?

spk_0:   16:10
So, I mean, we we never have time to do everything, But you have to even mind. This will save you time down the road. Because if you go ahead and do this and have especially the 1st 1 set up, it will be running for you constantly. You're not having to constantly troll Facebook groups and like see what's happening whenever you have a ball in your business, you have this list of your If you're building your email marketing list, you can send out a random blast. After you have all of this going, people are gonna know who you are, and you can say, Hey, like, I have some free time coming out like schedule. So many sessions and you already have a warm audience. They're not having to go and find them. Like you said, Um, Facebook's not always gonna be there like email is is where it's at. So finding the time can be tricky. But seriously, just work often afternoon and, like, sit down and do it. Use voice to text. If you don't like writing, you can do it like a voice memo and have it transcribed like there's a lot of options. If you really, really, really don't wanna do it, hire someone to do it for you. And here is a secret that copywriters are always looking for photographers to work with because we need photos to go with our words. So I have bartered with a couple of photographers, and I actually just talk to someone today about I'm gonna reduce and stuff for her, actually create a funnel just like this for her, and she's gonna do some new voters for me. So that's kind of the big secret is that you don't have to do this yourself if you don't want to.

spk_1:   17:32
Yeah, that is awesome news and Jen, don't tempt me with a good time because I actually every doing my entire website right now, and I will be needing some copy writing on a upcoming course that's launching in the next month or so, so I may be in touch with you about that as well. But before we go off on a tangent in here, I also once I want to hear your copy writing tips because I know that's your sweet spot. So how can we take some of your tips and apply it today, or even when we get ready to spend that afternoon, either writing emails or creating our freebie? What are some tips that you have for us to help make it converting but also, um, customized or personality?

spk_0:   18:25
Sure, Don't Don't be afraid of personality, like definitely going out in and tell stories like Tell the story of your birth photographer. Tell the time of the little boy peeing in your mouth because that's something people gonna remember like, You want something that's gonna make you memorable because there are more and more photographers every day out there in your niece in your area, you want to stand out, and as I said earlier, like it's okay to stand up and people not like you like that means that you're talking to the right people. If you talk to everybody, nobody's gonna listen. You just kind of blend in. So make sure using voice tell stories throughout, in every email, you wanna have some sort of like personal element to it, like we don't need to hear like that you had a sandwich for lunch or something, unless it's relevant. List. You took a photo of it, and I got somebody likes, but definitely tell a story. Make sure we know kind of who you are. Tell above your why, especially in that like first email sequence, where you're explaining more about who you are. If you were a firefighter wife, which I am, too, don't talk about that and how you are photographer because you're supporting your family that always makes you're doing it in context of the reader, that is. The big being is that people tend to like dive into who they are, especially let's goto about Peter's on websites. They should be about who you are, But everything from your website copy to your funnels is actually about your audience, your reader. So your story should always be mindful of who you're talking to and what their goal is. I think my last tip when you're writing copy and I learned this from Joanna, will you? I want to give her credit is the role of one, so there should always be one goal on your home page. The one goal is to get them to go to the next page. Now that might be different, depending on what your goal is on the website. That could be the about. Paige could be booking. It could be Service's, but that's one goal. You're talking to one audience. So you're not trying to talk to everyone at once. You're talking Thio. Well, you're both talking, talking to moms who are pregnant. There may be six months out or whatever. You just pick whatever your audience is, that's who you're talking to and what one called the action. So home pages are a little different, but every other page you only wanna have one place for them to click on. That is especially true in your e mails. People tend to like send an email that, like following on Facebook. Leave me a review here book here that just overwhelms to people. So like, especially not email sequence. The first email. Introduce yourself. Ask them to follow you on Facebook or INSTAGRAM. The second email asked them to look at your website. The third email asked them to book with you or whatever it is that just pick one thing at a time. That is the biggest biggest thing I can recommend is just follow the rule of one.

spk_1:   21:03
The role of one I haven't heard it explains that way. But that concept is honestly, what changed everything for me and just to go back and give you guys a tangible example of how successful email marketing and funnels are is. I created a funnel one month ago on two brand new platforms, which that's a whole another podcast episode, and you guys will hear all about it if you haven't already. But what I want to say is I sacrificed two full days to create a funnel to create all my email. My copy. I made sure that everything I did I was asking one direct ask and asking for one direct action in return. And you guys, I booked out the rest of the year every session on my calendar was booked. I had to go back and open more spots up because it was that simple. And the cool thing was, I wasn't chatting back and forth with all these people through messenger through text message. It was automated. I already wrote it one time, and everybody followed the funnel after. So this is why funnels are so crucial. So when you go to sit down, you choose your day that you're going to create all of this. Jim's right back earlier when she said that if you'll invest the time now, you will absolutely save time later. And I'm seeing that because now when I open my email, I'm getting notifications. So in so booked a session so and so booked a session, and I don't have to worry about sending them a custom email. It's already on auto, and it's awesome because I get to sit here and go on about my day, and I know they're being taken care of every clients being treated the same. So when you go to sit down and you create your funnel and your e mails, do the one rule. Okay, so you're talking a one person So if you're one goal is to prep them on what they should wear for your upcoming session, then prep them. And don't talk about anything else. We don't need squirrel moments. I don't need you to give them three different blonde close to go, too. If you want them to read a blogger, give him one button one linked to a blogger and tell them to go read the block. Just keep this in mind. And I promise you guys will see, like how crucial funnels are. And then you know it. When you start creating this, you might sit down and be like I have no idea what to say. Well, that's where Jin could come in for you guys. She does this for a living, and I know she would love to work with some of you guys. So And if you don't choose Jin, go hire somebody else. Ask somebody in the copy writing field to help you. And if you don't know anyone in the copper writing filled or you don't want to reach out to Jen for whatever reason, then ask somebody else to read over your language and help craft the right message. because a lot of times that I've seen this so many times when I sit down to have a business consulate with another photographer in their head, it was completely clear the goal was clear. The action was clear, but I'm like, so confused on what? They're asking me to do what they're talking about. So just make sure that you always have another set of eyes that can read over your work. So, Jen, what else do you have for us?

spk_0:   24:19
Um, on that last note. So you always have somebody look over things I found. When I do cover it in sections of people, we get into it. And I spent almost half the time with him, like ex like, Well, no, that doesn't make sense like you need. Like Thio. We need to make it explicit when you're inside the bottle. To be hard to read the label. It's hard for you to kind of understand what people are seeing, what people don't understand. So, yeah, definitely. And if preferably have somebody that's not in photography, help you. Um, it's not super helpful to have somebody outside, like the industry that he work in to come in and be like, I have no idea because it's not any other time for hiring you. It's gonna be random brides or mom's or families. So yeah, I have I have another set of eyes on your coffee, for sure.

spk_1:   25:03
Yeah, that's so huge. I just hope everybody takes this information and implements it because this is huge anin funnels and e mails and copy and all of it tied together actually worked to save us time and then to give us more energy, more clients, more money. And that's how businesses stay relevant. And that's how they stay successful. And I'm super appreciative of you coming on and just opening us up to your expertise. And I know that you have something that my client's Congar Oh, takes What? Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

spk_0:   25:40
Sure, yes. Oh, I have a quiz. So in this big just will help you understand the fed a little bit more. So my white rabbit funnel is that I have a quiz that I have some people take and then they get set on two paths and they get emails from there and then I have a special special offer for them, But that's my general funnel. So if you know you work with, like, multiple Lizzie, you have your family photos and you do Bertha tog ra Fi. You can have a general one or you could do it. I did, and I basically clones that first funnel and I have one just photographers now. So if you go to jen Robbins dot com slash frame, that will be a final created just for you guys and you can take a quiz. It'll tell you which funnel is right for your photography business. Right now it's me based on kind of your audience, where your ads and you'll get either probably the white rabbit funnel or the Cheshire cat funnel on. Then they get a series of emails kind of explaining what those are in more detail. Tell me who I am telling you what you can do next, and then it'll be a specialized offer just for you guys. So if nothing else signed up for it so you can see what that funnel looks like, because then you could kind of like backtrack it yourself. If you really want Thio and figure it out that way, also share. I'm kind of funnel maps within that you must sequence so you can see exactly what it looks like mapped out. So it's definitely a great resource for you guys to go check out. And it's totally free yourself. Designed that, given your email, because that's what funnels air all about.

spk_1:   27:00
Oh my goodness, I love this so much. I'm probably going to go take it just to see what it is. But thank you for providing this resource. I think it's gonna be very helpful, especially because this episode was loaded with information. And if by listeners are like me, then they're going to want to see it visually. Eggs. I'm a visual learner, and so that is super helpful. So thank you so much. Where can we connect with you on social media and find out more about what you offer?

spk_0:   27:30
Sure, my website is General Binns dot Compliments John with Two Ends and Robin's of two B's, and then I'm pretty much the Gene Robbins all of the social media's Instagram fees book Twitter lengthen. I'm not all night. I guess I am old sound trite, but I don't do something I do.

spk_1:   27:47
I don't do Snapshot either. I just can't. I've tried. And it's the one thing that makes six year old and I'm not old at all. But Snapchat is not for me. So let's hilarious. Well, thank you so much, Jen, for coming on. Everybody, please make sure you check her out. Social Media, Her website At least go check out the free resource that she took time to go create just for this audience. Thank you so much. This was awesome. And I can't wait. Thio, talk with you later about copyrighting for me.

spk_0:   28:19
Awesome! Thanks so much.