From Stager to Lifestyle Designer

ChatGPT is Recommending Stagers to Clients. Is it Recommending You?

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are changing how people find and hire home stagers — and most of the content stagers create to market themselves is completely invisible to these tools. In this episode, Heather breaks down what AI actually looks at when it decides whether your business is worth recommending, and what you can do right now to show up in those results. In this episode: * Why a beautiful Instagram feed does nothing for your visibility on AI tools — and what does * The five things AI uses to evaluate whether your business is credible enough to recommend * Why your Google Business Profile is the single highest-impact place to start * What "brand consistency" actually means across platforms and why inconsistency costs you * How to use written content to get in front of clients who are skipping Google entirely * Why Google reviews are one of the most powerful AI visibility signals — and how to start getting more of them * The priority order for tackling this without doing everything at once Resources mentioned: * Website design for home stagers: https://socialsavvystagers.com/website-design [https://socialsavvystagers.com/website-design] * Join the Stagers Circle: https://thesocialstager.myflodesk.com/stagerscircle [https://thesocialstager.myflodesk.com/stagerscircle] Connect with Heather: * Instagram: @socialsavvystager * Website: socialsavvystagers.com [http://socialsavvystagers.com]

Why Pinterest is an Effective Marketing Platform for Stagers

Most home stagers are pouring time into Instagram, only to wonder why their website traffic is flat and their inquiries are inconsistent. The problem might not be your content. It might be the platform. In this episode, I sit down with Pinterest marketing strategist Annie Russell of Annie Russell Media to talk about why Pinterest is one of the most underused and misunderstood marketing tools for home stagers, and what it actually takes to use it in a way that builds real, compounding visibility for your business. IN THIS EPISODE: * The mindset shift that changes everything: why Pinterest is a search engine, not a social media platform, and why that distinction matters for how stagers get found * The number one Pinterest mistake that is costing stagers leads and traffic, even when they are already posting consistently * Why auto-publishing your Instagram content to Pinterest is not a strategy, and what to do instead * The seasonality trap: why posting fall staging content in September means you have already missed your window, and how to plan ahead using a free Pinterest tool * Whether Pinterest can work for stagers who do not have a blog, and the honest answer about what you actually need to make it worth your time * How one food blogger’s Pinterest traffic outperformed her Instagram by 26 times, and what that means for visual service businesses like home staging * Exactly where to start if you are setting up or refreshing your Pinterest account today, including the two places keywords matter most RESOURCES MENTIONED From Annie: * 200 Pinterest keywords for home stagers — grab the list here [https://annierussellmedia.myflodesk.com/home-stager-pinterest] * Visibility to Growth Checklist — annierussellmedia.com/visibility [http://annierussellmedia.com/visibility] * Leads on Repeat — Launching in June for business owners who want a sustainable strategy for getting consistent leads with paid ads. Learn more here [https://www.annierussellmedia.com/leads-on-repeat]. Club members have access to a $500 discount. Join the Club today to get access to your discount. Affiliate disclosure: I am an affiliate for Leads on Repeat, which means I earn a small commission if you join through my link that I give Club members. I only ever share things I genuinely stand behind. CONNECT WITH US The Social Stager: * Instagram: @socialsavvystager [https://www.instagram.com/socialsavvystager/] * Instagram (Club): @thesocialstagerclub [https://www.instagram.com/thesocialstagerclub/] * Website: socialsavvystagers.com [http://socialsavvystagers.com] * Join The Social Stager Club: socialsavvystagers.com [http://socialsavvystagers.com] Annie Russell: * Instagram: @annierussellmedia [https://www.instagram.com/annierussellmedia/] * Website: annierussellmedia.com [http://annierussellmedia.com]

Rethinking What a Staging Business Can Look Like with Catherine Lewis-Brown

Only 18% of sellers actually hire a stager — which means most stagers are fighting for the same small slice of the market. In this episode, Heather sits down with stager and coach Catherine Lewis-Brown to talk about why that doesn't have to be the reality, and what it looks like to build a staging business that serves more clients, charges what it's worth, and isn't limited to physical staging alone. In this episode: * Why stagers keep competing on price (and what's actually driving it) * The difference between marketing staging and marketing your specific value * How packaging your services can eliminate negotiation entirely * Why the consultation is one of the most underpriced offers in the industry * The gaps your competition is leaving open — and how to step into them Resources mentioned: * Home Stager Business Strategies Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themodernstager [https://www.facebook.com/groups/themodernstager] * Catherine's website: https://themodernstager.com [https://themodernstager.com] * The Social Stager Club: https://socialsavvystagers.com/the-social-stager-club [https://socialsavvystagers.com/the-social-stager-club] Connect with us: * Catherine Lewis-Brown: @catherinelewisbrown * Heather Cook: @thesocialstager

Why Your Marketing Isn't Working

Why Your Marketing Isn't Working If you've been showing up consistently on social media, posting your work, and still not getting the leads and inquiries you want, this episode is for you. Heather Cook breaks down why the advice most stagers have been given was never designed to get them results, and what it actually takes to build a marketing strategy that gets you leads, not just likes. In this episode: * Why posting for likes and posting for leads are two completely different things — and why that distinction matters for your business * The difference between a posting habit and a sales strategy, and why one grows your business and one doesn't * How to turn your before and after content into conversion content that showcases your expertise and gives clients a real reason to hire you * The Connect + Convert Method — the four types of content every stager needs and the specific job each one does * Why a strong brand foundation makes your content more impactful, more reflective of your brand, and better at attracting the right clients * How Heather built a multiple six-figure staging business by marketing her thinking, not just her results Resources mentioned: * Join The Social Stager Club [https://socialsavvystagers.com/the-social-stager-club] * The Standout Stager: Launching in April inside the Club * Episode: The Four Types of Content Every Stager Needs [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/four-types-of-content-every-stager-needs/id1862300289?i=1000747860756]: * Episode: The Real Reason You Keep Losing to Cheaper Stagers [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-reason-you-keep-losing-to-cheaper-stagers/id1862300289?i=1000752879675] * Episode: From Stager to Staging Authority [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-stager-to-staging-authority/id1862300289?i=1000758417251] Connect with Heather: * Instagram: @socialsavvystager * Website: socialsavvystagers.com [http://socialsavvystagers.com]

From Stager to Staging Authority

Most stagers believe authority is built through their portfolios, certifications, and years in business. It's not. In this episode, Heather Cook breaks down what brand authority actually is — and what it actually takes to go from being just another stager to being the obvious, go-to choice in your market. She covers the three building blocks of brand authority, why mindset is the piece most stagers skip, and what the shift from vendor to strategic partner looks like in practice. ---------------------------------------- LINKS MENTIONED * The Social Stager Club [https://socialsavvystagers.com/the-social-stager-club] — The Standout Stager brand clarity course drops inside the Club in April. Six lessons built around helping you build your identity foundation, see your own value, and start showing up as the authority you already are. * Brand Development Services [https://socialsavvystagers.com/brand-development] — For stagers ready for deeper one-to-one work building their brand authority from the foundation up. * The Real Reason You Keep Losing to Cheaper Stagers [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-real-reason-you-keep-losing-to-cheaper-stagers/id1862300289?i=1000752879675] — The companion episode referenced in this conversation. If this episode resonated, start there. * RESACON [https://www.resa-online.org] — Heather mentions an upcoming session on this topic at RESACON that is worth signing up for.