#Ep 89: How To Create Scroll Stopping Content So You Can Sell More Products with Chef Irena Aristigueta

Summary

Baking For Business Podcast - Episode 89 Summary

Title: How To Create Scroll Stopping Content So You Can Sell More Products with Chef Irena Aristigueta
Host: Chef Amanda Schonberg
Guest: Chef Irena Aristigueta
Release Date: October 2, 2024

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Introduction

In Episode 89 of the Baking For Business Podcast, host Chef Amanda Schonberg welcomes back a special guest, Chef Irena Aristigueta, to discuss the art of creating scroll-stopping content that drives sales. This episode delves into actionable strategies for home bakery business owners to elevate their visual marketing, attract their ideal clients, and stand out in a saturated market.

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Understanding Your Audience

Timestamp: 02:05

Chef Irena emphasizes the importance of knowing your audience to create content that resonates. She states:

"Know your audience. I know a lot of us want to attract luxury clients, but our brand is not portraying that in our content." [02:05]

To attract luxury clients, Irena suggests enhancing visual marketing with high-end backdrops and props, such as marble surfaces or gold cake stands. Aligning your brand's aesthetics with your target clientele ensures that your content speaks directly to the desired customer base.

Chef Amanda's Insight:
Amanda concurs, highlighting that the visual elements should reflect the lifestyle of the target audience. For instance, wooden tables might not appeal to luxury clients accustomed to elegant marble countertops.

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Planning and Preparation

Timestamp: 02:56

The second tip focuses on the necessity of planning and preparing content creation schedules:

"Pick a plan and be prepared. Knowing the days that you are going to create that content." [02:56]

Irena advises setting specific days for content creation to avoid procrastination. By batching tasks—such as baking, decorating, recording, and editing—business owners can streamline their workflow. Additionally, she highlights the importance of repurposing content to maximize effort and maintain a consistent online presence.

Chef Amanda's Insight:
Amanda adds that regular content posting attracts customers and leads to more orders, countering the common misconception that lack of recent orders means there's nothing to share.

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Repurposing Content Effectively

Timestamp: 05:01

Irena discusses the benefits of repurposing top-performing content:

"Look at your top performing content or your best sellers... what people are engaging with, what viewers are engaging and recreate those." [05:35]

She advises using insights and analytics to identify which content resonates most with the audience. Instead of chasing every new trend, focusing on what already works for your brand ensures better engagement and avoids diluting your brand message.

Chef Amanda's Insight:
Amanda echoes the sentiment, stressing the importance of aligning content with business goals over fleeting trends to maintain profitability and brand integrity.

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Adapting Content Formats for Different Platforms

Timestamp: 07:13

The third tip addresses the necessity of adapting content to suit various platforms:

"Each platform has their own preferred format. So for example, vertical or horizontal." [07:13]

Irena explains that content should be tailored to fit the specific requirements of each platform, whether it's Instagram reels, website banners, or Facebook posts. This adaptability ensures that the content maintains its effectiveness regardless of where it's shared.

Chef Amanda's Insight:
Amanda admits to sometimes forgetting to capture the necessary formats and appreciates Irena’s reminder to consider different platform specifications during content creation.

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Creating Engaging and Dynamic Content

Timestamp: 08:12

The fourth and final tip centers on making content engaging to retain viewer attention:

"Stop making boring content. You have three seconds to capture your audience attention." [08:12]

Irena advises incorporating changes in scenes, angles, or movements within videos to keep the content lively and prevent viewers from scrolling past. Dynamic content that evolves within the first few seconds is crucial to maintaining engagement and encouraging longer interaction times.

Chef Amanda's Insight:
Amanda acknowledges her own need to improve in this area and highlights how dynamic content can differentiate a business in a crowded market.

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Introducing Chef Irena’s Course

Timestamp: 09:39

Chef Irena introduces her course, "Video Content Made Easy," designed to simplify the process of creating compelling content:

"I've taken all the things that I've learned to create good content that has attracted brand deals and that have landed me to be a columnist with American Cake Decorating magazine." [09:39]

The course is beginner-friendly, requiring minimal equipment such as a smartphone, tripod, and backdrop. It provides step-by-step guidance on producing high-quality visual marketing materials that can help businesses attract more clients and enhance their online presence.

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Recommended Tools and Resources

Timestamp: 10:43

Irena shares her favorite apps that aid in content creation:

• Instagram: For posting and sharing content.
• Canva: For designing graphics and visuals.
• Lightroom: For photo editing to enhance images.
• Capcut: For video editing to create polished videos.

These tools are essential for both beginners and seasoned content creators to produce professional-looking content with ease.

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Choosing the Right Props

Timestamp: 11:15

Addressing the earlier discussion on props, Irena offers a free guide titled "The Perfection of Props," which provides detailed instructions on selecting and using props effectively. This guide covers:

• Setting up scenes with appropriate props.
• Where to purchase high-quality props.
• Tips on integrating backdrops to enhance visual appeal.

This resource is invaluable for bakers looking to elevate their visual marketing without overspending.

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Lightning Round: Getting to Know Chef Irena

Timestamp: 12:34

To add a personal touch, Chef Amanda engages in a fun lightning round with Chef Irena, covering topics like favorite 90s artists and cartoons, holiday traditions, and personal preferences. This segment humanizes the guest and strengthens the connection with listeners.

Notable Highlights:

• Favorite 90s Artist: Backstreet Boys and NSync.
• Favorite Cartoon: Rugrats.
• Holiday Tradition: Celebrating on December 24th with family, roasting pig, and sharing memories.

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Timestamp: 14:00

Chef Amanda wraps up the episode by reiterating the importance of visual marketing in establishing perceived value and attracting customers. She emphasizes that even if the market is saturated, unique and high-quality content can make a bakery business stand out.

Key Takeaways:

• Perceived Value: Visual content is often the first interaction potential customers have with your brand, shaping their perception before tasting your products.
• Responsibility: Business owners must assess and enhance their content to ensure it aligns with their brand and attracts the right audience.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly updating and refining visual marketing strategies is essential for sustained business growth.

Amanda encourages listeners to utilize the tips shared, engage with the provided resources, and consider Chef Irena’s course to enhance their content creation skills.

Final Quote:

"Visual marketing is such a huge form of branding, and that's really what it is all about. How will you stand out in the marketplace instead of blending in?" [14:00]

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Resources and Links

• Chef Irena’s Instagram: @Iria (link provided in show notes)
• Website: learnwithiria.com
• Free Guide: "The Perfection of Props" (available in show notes)
• Chef Irena’s Course: "Video Content Made Easy" (details in show notes)

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Closing Remarks

Chef Amanda encourages listeners to tag her and Chef Irena on Instagram if the episode was helpful, fostering a community of bakers striving for excellence in their visual marketing efforts. She expresses gratitude to Chef Irena for sharing her expertise and reminds listeners to access all resources through the show notes.

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For more information and to access the free resources mentioned, visit https://stan.store/amandaschonberg.

Transcript

[A]

Hey sweet friends. My name is Chef Schomburg. I started my baking business with a bottle of Di Sereno and one bundt cake pan. Fast forward to today. From news to magazines, speaking on national stages and more, I can truly say that baking has changed my life. So now as a bakery business coach, I get to help others have the same success. I've helped hundreds of my students across the world and my global membership program creates six figure businesses mainly from home. The the Baking for Business podcast is an extension of that. From actionable tips to valuable tools and resources that can impact you as a business owner. I truly believe y'all, we would never have been given a gift if we couldn't profit and prosper from it. So come on darling, what are you waiting for? Hey sweet friends and welcome back to the Baking for Business podcast. It is such a delight to have you here today. We have a guest in the house and I'm so excited because this is actually her second time here. This is the second person who's had a repeat appearance and today she's here to talk all about how to create scroll stopping content that helps you to sell more products. Right. Because we know that content is paying, the market is saturated, there are a lot of choices that people have out there and we know that you want to get your customers attention. And so if you are not familiar with Chef Irania, Chef Irania is a classically trained chef. She is also a columnist for American Cake Decorating magazine. She's worked with tons of brands and is always sharing tips on how you can up level your visual marketing. So Irinia, welcome back to the podcast.

[B]

Hello.

[A]

Hello.

[B]

Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here for the second time.

[A]

Absolutely. We're so excited to have you. And so I know you have four tips for us, amazing tips and I'll go ahead and let you get into it. So what is one of the ways that people need to create scroll stopping content? What's one of the things they should pay attention to?

[B]

So number one will be know your audience. I know a lot of us want to attract luxury clients, but our brand is not portraying that your content. So in order for you to attract those luxury clients, you have to have a certain level of content in your visual marketing and that will be elevating your content with like backdrops. You can use like let's say like a marble backdrop to portray luxury clients and attract those clients. You can use props such as like a gold cake stand or anything that you know your luxury clients enjoy. You should be including those in your visual marketing to attract those clients. And if luxury clients are not your clients, then that's okay. You just want to make sure you align your brand with the type of clients that you want to attract.

[A]

That's, that's so true. Because I hear so many bakers saying all the time, I wish I had high paying class, wish I had high paying clients. And I'm like, well, the way for you to speak to them is they have to take notice in you. And you're right. So things like pictures on a wooden table or an old desk, that doesn't really speak to them because like you said, they're used to having like marble countertops, things like that in their home and they want to see themselves in your products. So I love that. Tip. So tip number two, what do you have for us?

[B]

So tip number two is pick a plan and be prepared. So knowing the days that you are going to create that content. I know a lot of times we procrastinate and or we say we don't have time to actually create this content. But if you pick a day and you prepare, you'll have a better plan. So for example, with me, when I badge content, I do it on a Monday or Tuesday. I'll record everything, I'll bake everything, I'll decorate, and then I'll take the other days to actually edit and create my content. And just remember that once you create content, you can also break it up into pieces and you don't just have to post that one piece of content you created that one day.

[A]

Yeah, because so many people always say, well, I don't have any orders this week, so I don't have anything to post. And I'm like, but you don't post in the moment. Like you need to post things to attract people so that you can get orders.

[B]

That is correct. Yeah. The key is preparing and planning ahead. Really, because you want to be able to use that content to repurpose. So once you go ahead and plan ahead, you can create the content and break it up and repurpose it and reuse it over and over again so you don't have to actually sit there and record every single week or feel like the only thing you do is create content.

[A]

And I think that's so valuable because too often we get in the cycle of always creating that we don't actually curate. So you share a really good tip about how often is it that we can actually recycle and repurpose content. How often do you do it?

[B]

I usually do it every couple of weeks, but honestly, your followers are not on social media every single day. So you can repurpose once a week if you really wanted to, because they won't even notice. I usually do it every couple of weeks, so. But yeah, pretty much anytime you want to do it, you can repurpose it. And the hooks that you use or the captions that you use could be different. So even if you use the same video, you can just say something different along the lines with that video and that will capture your audience attention.

[A]

I love that, man. Yeah, I definitely am guilty of not repurposing things. And so you are right on the nail with that one. And so in terms of repurposing though, what are some things that you think people should repurpose the most?

[B]

So you want to look at your top performing content or your best sellers as far as like your menus. So if you have a best selling cake or flavor, you want to make sure that you're always showing those because that is what's going to attract your customers as well as, like I stated, your top performing content. So you want to look at your insights, you want to see what people are engaging with, what viewers are engaging and recreate those. You don't want to recreate the ones that are not top performing because continuously they're not going to perform as well.

[A]

And that's what I see a lot of people doing. Trends. And I'm like, okay, is this attracting your client? Like, are you doing this to laugh? Like, do you want people to smile at you or do you want to make money? Because I prefer to be profitable. So I like how you said that we should repurpose our top performing content.

[B]

Yeah. Because what works for us may not work for another company. So you can look at another content creator and say, oh, that really worked for them. But depending on your audience and what you're selling or what your brand represents, it may not align with your brand and it may not perform as well with your brand.

[A]

That is so true, darling. And so tip number three, what tip do you have for us?

[B]

So for tip number three, it would be create different formats for your content. Each platform has their own preferred format. So for example, vertical or horizontal. And even like your website, you can post a vertical reel on Instagram and do very well. But obviously when you post it on your website, you're going to have to go horizontal or it just may be different. So just be mindful of the different platforms where you're going to post them. So when you are creating. You don't sit there and create content. And when you go upload it somewhere else, it's not going to work. So just be mindful of that.

[A]

I'm guilty of that. Because I'll be recording a video and I'm like, oh, shoot, I forgot to get a photo. But the photo is like what you need for like thumbnails or like you say, like your, your website. We don't want to upload long videos to our website. That's definitely. I got one. I gotta remember. So thank you for that. And tip number four, what is your last tip for us?

[B]

So first tip number four is stop making boring content. You have three. You have three seconds to capture your audience attention. And in order for you to have a reel or a video that is going to be engaging is to constantly either change the scene or change the angle or add some type of movement. They don't want to just see you pipe, you know, a border for three minutes. You want to be able to see it for two to three seconds and then you move on to another section of the cake. And that just keeps them engaged because if they see that it's continuous, they're just going to go ahead and scroll on and you want them to stop the scroll and engage and stay on your content longer.

[A]

And you have just honestly, so many great tips. I'm always going through your course and jumping in and trying to apply it to my content. Because like we stated earlier, you've worked with these brands and your content is always printed in magazines and things like that. So for anyone else who's more visual and they're like, okay, this is me. You're speaking to me. I'm guilty. I really do need to change my content. What things do you go over in your course? Because you have a new course that came out that I'm really loving. It's really helping me sell my products. So tell us about your course and how can we learn more if we're the person that needs to change our content.

[B]

Well, I am super excited that you are enjoying the course. The course is called Video Content Made Easy. So what I've done is I've taken all the things that I've learned to create good content that has attracted brand deals and that have landed me to be a columnist with American Cake Decorating magazine. So I put all of that together and simplify it and give you all the steps that you would need to also succeed, attract more clients to your business, land brand deals if that's what you like. But ultimately Just increase your visual marketing so you can have your audience stop to scroll and engage in your content.

[A]

And for someone who's new, do you find it beginner friendly? Would you definitely recommend it?

[B]

Yes, it is definitely beginner friendly. You don't need expensive equipment, you really just need yours, your cell phone, a tripod and a backdrop and you're ready to go. All the other stuff, it's added things that you can add in there. But yeah, it's very user friendly and beginner friendly.

[A]

I love that. And what are some of your favorite. You said a tripod and a phone and you're good to go. I like that. What are some of your favorite apps too that help you to create amazing content?

[B]

So for apps you can actually. I know Instagram is one that you can actually use. I know a lot of people may not think Instagram, but Instagram is one. Canva, Lightroom, and Capcut, those are a couple of apps that you can use to edit your videos or photos and help you along the journey.

[A]

And you mentioned props earlier. I know when you were going over tip one, you said like, if you want to attract high end people, think about the props and things like that. And so do you have anything to help a person with? Like how do I choose props or what do I put in my photos?

[B]

So actually I do. I have a free guide as a step by step guide that goes over props. It's called the perfection of props. You can also download that and it goes over everything. You really need to know how to set it up, which ones to buy, where to buy it. It talks a little bit about backdrops. So it's, it's a very intensive step by step guide that goes over props.

[A]

Yay. Well, we love a good freebie and from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for coming on and for sharing your tips with us. I know it is very much needed because a lot of people struggle with content. Even if they don't think they struggle, those are usually the ones who like, no, my pictures are perfect. My logo, I don't need help. But if you're not getting those views, chances are this podcast was for you. So thank you so much for sharing those tips. I really do appreciate them. But before I let you go, you actually get the remix version because like I stated, you've already been on here. So are you ready for Lightning Round?

[B]

I am.

[A]

Awesome sauce. All right, who is your favorite 90s artist?

[B]

My favorite 90s artist. Let's see. I enjoyed listening to Backstreet Boys before and Another boy band was NSync.

[A]

I love NSync. All right, what is your favorite cartoon?

[B]

My favorite cartoon. In the 90s or now?

[A]

Just. Just in general.

[B]

Well, since we're Talking about the 90s, I will go with the Rugrats.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Angelica. I love Angelica. All right, are you team Pumpkin or are you team Sweet Potato?

[B]

I actually like both because it really depends on your mood, but I like them both just the same.

[A]

Okay. Ain't nothing wrong with being an equal opportunity lover. I appreciate that. And what is the holidays are coming up at the time of us recording this. So what is one of your favorite holiday traditions?

[B]

Favorite holiday traditions for us Latinos, we like to celebrate on the 24th of December. So that is very iconic for us. We just get together, roast the pig, share some family memories and games. But, yeah, that's my favorite family tradition. Spending the 24th together with family.

[A]

Awesome. From the bottom of my little Southern heart, Irania, thank you so much for taking your time to come on and to speak with us today. I really appreciate you.

[B]

Thank you so much for having me.

[A]

And for those who don't follow, where can we find you online?

[B]

You can find me on Instagram at Iria, which is super long, but I'm sure she's going to post it here on the show notes. But you can follow me there on Instagram or Facebook and online, you could find me on my website at learn with iria.com Absolutely.

[A]

And for those listening, we have all of our details in the show notes, as well as how you can grab that freebie that she mentioned and also how you can get information on her course so that you can uplevel your content. You guys. So how awesome was Irenia? You know, one of the things I learned early on in culinary school is that people eat with their eyes. I meet so many bakers, and whenever they make something, they're always trying to tell me how it's so much better because, oh, I made it from scratch. Or even if it's a box mix or the extracts I used, or. Or this or that, or I'm telling you, I taste so much better than my competition. And all that is fine and dandy. But here's the thing. Online, we don't know that. So before we even have the opportunity to taste something that you make, the first form of contact that we have is your content. Content is the contact that people interact with you that really leads to a conversion. And so those are some of the things that I want you to keep in mind. You know, it May suck, but people place the value on you solely by how you look. In marketing, this is what we refer to as perceived value. So when you put something out there and you say, okay, well, these people may not want to pay for it, or these customers are cheap or this or that, sometimes it just could be that they don't see the worth in your product because of how you position your product in your content. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news. I always hate when I have to rip the band aid off of this or that. But there are times where I literally tell people, and I know they. They assume they tried their best, but I'm like, this could be. It could be a little better. And this is the look that you're giving off. Your friends around you may not tell you that because they love you and they don't want to hurt your feelings. But if you're not getting views, if people aren't clicking, if you feel like you're struggling to get followers, something is going on there. As a business owner, it's your responsibility. Responsibility to kind of tend to that and say, okay, what is it that I'm doing? And I need help. And so I hope these tips today helped you, especially with the holidays coming up, because people are right. You know, bakers are telling me, oh, the market's saturated. Absolutely. The market is saturated. Everybody in their mom and I wants to be a baker. Why? Because we're living in a day and age where people want extra income. They want to do something with their gifts and their talents. So now if the market is saturated and if everyone does love to bake, what are you going to do to stand out? Because visual marketing is such a huge form of branding, and that's really what it is all about. How will you stand out in the marketplace instead of blending in? I hope these tips today helped you. And I know that everything Irene has shared and everything that is in her course, this one is really designed to help you do, is to stand out so that you can stop the scroll. As always, I appreciate you guys tuning in. I love y'all to the moon and back. If there's something I can help you with, let me know. And as you listen to this episode, tag me. Tag me on Instagram. I love meeting you guys. Tag me at Baking for Business. And I'm going to include Chef Irinia's tag in the show notes so that you can tag her as well if this episode helps you. All right, you guys take care, and bye for now.