Happy Fourth of July, Friends!

We hope you are enjoying some time off with your family and friends.

Your Squarespace Tip—

Did you know you can send client invoices through Squarespace?

This is an incredible new tool for service-based businesses. Here are some of the best features —

Intake Forms: Capture potential client information directly on your website.
CRM Integration: Store and manage client details in one place.
Lead Management: Track and follow up with leads effectively.
On Brand Invoicing: Send branded invoices that make a strong impression.
Flexible Payment Options: Offer clients various payment methods like credit cards, Afterpay, and Apple Pay.
Project Tracking: Use dashboards to manage project milestones and invoicing seamlessly.

This tool can eliminate the need for other invoicing systems like FreshBooks and QuickBooks!! What a win.

Your Shopify Tip–

If you aren’t using the Shopify Search and Discovery app, you NEED to!

It's basically like offering a personal shopper for each customer. The app tailors search results and product recommendations to each user, helping your products shine and boosting your conversion rate.

But it's not just about search. With customizable filters, you can let shoppers hone in on exactly what they're after. Launching a new product or special promotion? Use product boosts to spotlight these items in search results. Plus, by adding related and complementary products to product detail pages, you're inviting customers to explore more of your offerings and increase their order value.

And the cherry on top? Detailed analytics. Get a peek into your customer's shopping journey and discover how to fine-tune your store's performance. It’s all about making sure your customers find exactly what they need while you boost your sales.

Watch this video from Shopify on how to use this for your store.

This week’s Q&A: Holly Schumpert

on how to capture your brand in imagery

Q: How can I best prepare for a brand photo shoot to set us up for success?

To best prepare for a brand shoot, think through how to express a cohesive feeling through your brand’s imagery. The best place to start is simply by listing adjectives that describe the first impression you wish to make. Would you say your business is “approachable” and “playful”? “Sophisticated” and “elegant”? Words like these help begin to narrow down the direction you and your photographer will take for your session. This can influence the kind of poses you do, the outfits you wear, the setting you choose, and other visual decisions. All of these will impact how you will portray your brand.

Find inspiration and share what you love with your photographer! Make a Pinterest board or some kind of document with a collection of photos that go toward the “feeling” you’re aiming to create. Of course, it’s helpful to add headshot ideas you think you’d like and examples of props and locations that are familiar to your field of work, but make sure to include some things that show your specific aesthetic as well. These can be photos completely unrelated to what will actually be captured during your session. All of this helps your photographer have a greater sense of your general style!

Establish a list of nonnegotiables, but leave room for spontaneity and creativity during your session. I always love when a client gives me a list of 4-5 must-have images and specific do’s and don’ts. It helps me to focus on the exact things they want while also avoiding the things they do not want. You can be assertive and straightforward with these things, but it is best to trust your photographer even when you can’t see their vision or if they stray away from what you had in mind. You will, more often than not, be pleasantly surprised with the outcome!

Q: How can we capture unique content that actually captures the essence of my brand/personality?

It is important to go beyond classic headshots and neutral backdrops and truly create a scene—an atmosphere that clients are stepping into when they experience your brand, thus bringing character and life into your imagery. I always like for my clients to accompany their simple, clean headshots with wide angle shots of them interacting with their work. For example, if I were to capture an interior designer within a room they designed, I would stage them lounging in the space, or finalizing decorative details such as setting down a vase of flowers, a coffee table book, or adjusting a curtain. Depending on what your business is, it could be great to show an example of client interaction. So, photos of what will realistically occur when meeting and working with you.

As you capture the feel of your brand through scenes, find ways to thread these scenes together to form a narrative. We get to know people and brands through shared experiences, so crafting a story around the service or product you offer and inviting people into the process makes your brand feel personal while building a sense of trust with your audience.