Podcast Summary: Grow Your Local Business – Episode 139

"The Power of Zooming Out in Your Marketing"
Host: Leslie Presnall
Date: November 11, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Leslie Presnall—the local marketing expert and life coach—dives deep into the concept of “zooming out” in your marketing strategy. Leslie explores how broadening the perspective in your visual and strategic marketing gives potential clients a sense of the whole experience of working with your business. The episode highlights why clients need more than just pretty details, offering actionable advice for local business owners to boost engagement, trust, and conversion rates by making their marketing more immersive.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

What Does "Zooming Out" Mean? (00:21)

• Literal Zooming Out:
  Using wider shots in photos and videos to show more than just close-ups—include your environment, workspace, or process.
• Strategic Zooming Out:
  Allowing potential clients to envision themselves in the entire experience so they feel more comfortable reaching out or purchasing.

Why Zooming Out Works: Buyer Psychology (01:10)

• After working with hundreds of business owners, Leslie emphasizes that:

  "People are way more likely to buy when they can see themselves in the experience." (Leslie, 01:18)

• Clients Subconsciously Ask:

  • What’s it going to be like to visit or work with you?
  • What should they expect?

• Familiarity = Comfort = Sales:
  Making your business feel familiar removes fear and hesitation.

Real-Life Client Examples (02:45)

• Two coaching clients:

  • A flower farmer: Account full of close-ups of flowers and bouquets.
  • A wedding venue owner: Feed filled with details like cakes and couples.

• Leslie’s Feedback:
  Both accounts lacked context about the overall space and experience. New followers couldn’t picture what it truly felt like to visit.

• Leslie notes,

  "When new people find you online...they are subconsciously trying to figure out what it’s going to be like." (Leslie, 03:22)

Relatable Anecdote – The Millennial Experience Anxiety (04:00)

• Leslie illustrates the point with her own experience, saying,

  "I'm a millennial, and us millennials are terrified of going anywhere new alone. Like, we still use the buddy system..." (Leslie, 04:20)

  • She talks about feeling anxious when going to unfamiliar places, checking Google images, trying to figure out details like where to park or which entrance to use.

• This everyday anxiety mirrors potential clients’ nervousness about engaging with a new business.

How to Apply Zooming Out to Your Marketing (06:45)

General Advice

• Move away from “details-only” marketing—show the full context.
• For restaurants, for example:
  • Show seating, patio, order process, ambiance—not just food close-ups.

Industry-Specific Examples (07:30)

• Flower Farm:
  “Don’t just show the bouquets, show the full farm too...Give me a quick tour, show me around in reels.” (Leslie, 07:42)
• Wedding Venue:
  Showcase the property, ceremony, reception—allow viewers to imagine their whole event.
• Gym:
  Walk through what happens from the entrance to the exit—equipment, layout, amenities.
• Hair Salon:
  Not only hair results, but the full salon, waiting area, etc.
• Physical Therapist:
  Display the clinic, areas where clients stretch, and the whole process.

The Core Takeaway (09:10)

"Because when people can see themselves in your space, their brain registers the safety and the familiarity and that comfort helps them make a buying decision faster." (Leslie, 09:12)

• Ask yourself:
  • How can I show the entire experience?
  • How can I create comfort to buy through my marketing?

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Why Details Aren’t Enough:

  “Instead of just like showing me the closeups or the details, it’s like, zoom out, show me the entire restaurant, show me the seating, show me the patio, show me what the order situation looks like. Let me see the full experience that creates comfort to buy, comfort to show up.”
  (Leslie, 06:54)

• On Buyer Mindset:

  “Like that’s what our clients feel like too. So in your marketing ... let me see the full experience. It helps me make a buying decision. It lets me know what to expect.”
  (Leslie, 06:46)

• On Overcoming Client Hesitation:

  “That creates sales. So you can apply this same zooming out concept in any industry.”
  (Leslie, 08:54)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Details | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:21 | Episode Theme Introduction | Leslie introduces "zooming out" as a concept. | | 01:18 | Buyer Psychology | Why showing the whole experience matters. | | 02:45 | Case Studies | Flower farmer & wedding venue Instagram audits. | | 04:20 | Anecdote – "Millennial Anxiety" | Relatable story about visiting new places. | | 06:46 | Applying “Zoom Out” in Marketing | Tips for showing the full experience. | | 07:30 | Industry Examples | Concrete suggestions for several local business types. | | 09:12 | Core Insight: Familiarity Breeds Comfort | How the strategy results in increased client action. |

Action Steps for Listeners

• Reflect: Where are you only showing close-ups or details?
• Experiment: Use wide-angle shots, walkthroughs, and “day in the life” content.
• Reassess: Make sure your social media and website show what it’s actually like to visit or work with you.
• Ask: How am I making my clients comfortable enough to choose my business?

For more coaching and tailored feedback, Leslie invites listeners to her LocalPreneur Academy, where she coaches business owners on creating impactful, "zoomed out" marketing that gets real results.