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Upon listening to my recent conversation with my guest, photographer and business strategist, Jasmine Star, it will become quite apparent why I felt as though we could have continued to talk for hours more. Her story (so far) will have you hooked and feeling the serendipitous pull of it (not to mention all the social media strategy knowledge she drops here).
In 2005, Jasmine walked away from a scholarship to UCLA law school to follow her heart. The path led straight to her mother's bedside as she battled brain cancer for the second time. Wanting to be at her side as she fought, she dropped out of law school (fully intending at the time to go back). Praying for her mom to be able to walk her down the aisle at her wedding to her high school sweetheart, she planned a wedding in three months to ensure that this hope became a reality.
Against all odds, both her mother and father were able to escort Jasmine down the aisle on a sandy beach in Hawaii. Shortly after, wedded bliss faded into the reality and she discovered she was jobless, broken, and desperate to follow her mom's earlier instructions of doing something she loved. On a beach, barely a tan line on his ring finger, Jasmine confessed to her husband that she didn’t want to be a lawyer, she wanted to be a photographer.
With no experience or a camera for that matter, Jasmine’s husband supported her decision. That Christmas he gifted her a camera and the permission to pursue her passion. Though not extraordinarily talented at the time, she tapped into her self-awareness, slowly building a brand and community, marketing her services, and transforming from a “doubtful photographer to a savvy entrepreneur.” Four years later, she was voted one of the top photographers in the world.
“As a byproduct of pushing through and consistently ending up on the other side, other entrepreneurs, quiet observers, are paying close attention to what you’re doing. They develop an allegiance not for the perfection, but for the sheer will to succeed.”
Amazing, right? Interview over. Kidding. I wanted to dig deeper and see just how Jasmine is able to teach her programs, keep up with her own social media AND stay inspired.
The first tip Jasmine offers is that you can’t just sit around and wait for creativity to hit you like a bolt of lightning (you’ll be waiting awhile…). 😉 She feels that she’s most creative and inspired when she’s working through something. Whether she’s unhappy or looking but not finding a solution – those are the moments when things tend to fall into place without evening knowing it’s happening.
“Inspiration is like a small drop, and all of a sudden you realize the bucket is filling – and that’s when you shift.”
So once you’ve locked in your passion, how do you attract your audience? Jasmine likes to create her “ideal” client by asking roughly 20-30 questions. Really tune into WHO you want to serve. Once you’ve figured that out (and this can take some trial and error), you can create content that’s specific to those followers. Jasmine often uses her own social media accounts to help her fill in gaps with her content. Keep in mind that when people comment on your posts, they often are telling you what problems they need help with.
Wait now… Jasmine still monitors her own social media accounts? Yep. While she does have a small team to help, she feels it is super important for her to manage her accounts so she’s able to keep a pulse on her followers. While some struggle with the tremendous discipline and time management skills this requires, Jasmine thrives.
Many days, her time is planned down to the minute. For example, her marketing is roughly planned out at 10 hours per week. That’s broken down into 600 minutes… and 20 minute increments from there (IG, FB, FB groups, hashtag follow-ups, plus an hour of research a day to keep up on algorithms and trends).
“We always have these high aspirations, but if we’re not clear on our trajectory, there’s a good chance we’re going to miss the mark.”
Jasmine also encourages entrepreneurs to add to this by making it a point to understand their audiences and bring more of themselves. If your audience likes long posts, write them, but know that unless engagement is high, the algorithms will suppress views (IG and Jasmine prefer shorter posts about 86-112 characters). Get real with your audience. Selfies do very well as do stories about your personal background. Show your workspace…let people get to see the REAL you!
“People want to see the simplicity and the grandeur.”
Lastly, Jasmine advises that it’s not all about you. Nobody watches TV, listens to the radio or surfs social media to see commercials, so don’t make all of your posts about your products or services. Instead of focusing all of your attention on selling your product or service, you must first build your followers’ trust.
“The more you show up and the more you build trust by providing valuable content, the better off you’ll be and the faster you’ll transfer them to customers.”
At the end of the day, Jasmine stresses the importance of people knowing that “you see them, you hear them and that you want to know them.” Make sure your brand is more than a website, product or business… Make your brand an experience for your customers.
With a successful and ever-growing business, I think this is the perfect advice. For more tips, be sure to follow Jasmine at the links below.
In This Episode You Will Hear About:
- Photography
- Self-awareness
- Making creativity a habit
- Turning followers into customers
- Branding
Resources:
- IG: @jasminestar
- FB: facebook.com/JasmineStarPage
- JasmineStar.com
- Insta180 (registration is currently closed)
- The Path to Profitability
Go to jasminestar.com/freestockphotos to receive FIVE free stock photos.
Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook.
You can also see more at my website: LoriHarder.com
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