Podcast Summary: This Can’t Be That Hard

Episode 358 – “March Marketing Madness!”

Guest Host: Dana Schaaf
Original Host: Annemie Tonken
Date: March 3, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode launches "March Marketing Madness": a special themed month on strategic marketing for photographers. Annemie hands the hosting reins to Dana Schaaf, longtime marketing director at This Can’t Be That Hard and co-host of the Consistency Club. The pair banter about common marketing challenges, introduce a unifying “marketing bracket” metaphor inspired by March Madness basketball, and break down a four-quadrant marketing strategy. Listeners are encouraged to gamify their own marketing and access the episode's downloadable bracket tool.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Why Marketing Feels So Hard for Photographers

• Paralysis by Analysis: Many photographers feel overwhelmed by the advice to “just market,” not knowing where to focus effort and often trying random tactics without results.
• The “Gamble” Feeling: Marketing can feel like an all-or-nothing gamble—investing time/money and feeling crushed if there’s no direct payoff.
  • Annemie’s Cautionary Tale (05:00–08:00): She invested $1,000+ into a letterpress campaign for a creative project but didn’t land any paid sessions, leading to embarrassment and self-doubt.

2. The Importance of Persistent, Layered Marketing

• Success doesn’t come from a single tactic, but from an ecosystem: “It’s never just one thing. …It’s always…a combination of all of those things working together.” —Dana (09:16)
• Clients usually experience a mix of touchpoints (referrals, blog, Instagram, etc.) before reaching out; rarely is the client journey linear or memorable.

3. The “Marketing Bracket” Metaphor (March Madness Style)

• Brackets Explained (11:03): Like NCAA tournaments, client journeys can be visualized as branching paths that narrow in. Focusing on only one or two “entry points” limits new bookings.
  • "If you're only focusing on a couple, then...your odds go down. You're gonna miss out on all these people out there who may have found you some other way." —Annemie (12:43)
• Annemie and Dana frame marketing as four key “quadrants” or buckets to diversify client acquisition.

4. The Four Marketing Quadrants

A. Rock Marketing — Growth & Visibility (15:05)

• High-energy, high-impact, often in-person strategies that introduce you to new audiences
• Examples: teaching classes, workshops, collaborating with local businesses, mini-sessions via your child’s school, networking events
• “It's networking...People are really looking for that know, like, and trust factor and that is really something you build in person.” —Dana (16:58–17:47)
• Contemporary relevance: In-person trust is even more valuable in the AI era

B. Pebble Marketing — Building Authority (19:14)

• Validating expertise and professionalism for both humans and search engines/AI
• Examples: blogging, Google reviews, testimonials, vendor referrals/mentions
• “Pebble marketing…building authority not just with the humans… but these days also with search engines and LLMs.” —Annemie (19:14–20:25)
• Pebble marketing “shortens the cycle” between discovery and booking

C. Sand Marketing — Nurturing via Email (23:16)

• Consistent, non-salesy communication (“2 emails a month” recommended)
• Should offer value (books, recipes, local events) to keep top of mind
• “You’re being more annoying by only sending an email when you want people to buy something.” —Dana (23:48)
• Even unopened emails serve as “little billboards” in inboxes

D. Water Marketing — Social Media Presence (26:47)

• High-frequency, lower-effort, broad-reach visibility (“spray it everywhere”)
• Serves as both a discovery tool and a trust signal (Instagram as mini-website)
• “Very rarely does one specific post make or break anything…you’re just…building trust…” —Annemie (26:47–29:02)
• Social reinforces authority and keeps your name algorithmically present

5. The Case for a Cohesive and Balanced Strategy

• Not One-Size-Fits-All: Most photographers work solo; you don’t need a thousand tactics—just representation in each quadrant.
• Systems Are Key: Balance is built over time and via systems to “tag all these bases.”
• Consistency Club Plug: Annemie & Dana’s Consistency Club offers content for water, pebbles, and sand—helping photographers stay consistent across quadrants.
• “It’s fine to be like, ‘I am a social media girly’…but I’m gonna utilize all of these systems that let me hit the other four quadrants as well.” —Dana (30:24)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On failed marketing gambles:
  “The lack of immediate return felt like, well, this was just a gamble. And that is what I hear from people all the time…” —Annemie (06:15)

• On the ecology of marketing:
  “It’s never just one thing. …It’s always…a combination of all of those things working together.” —Dana (09:16)

• On the value of in-person encounters:
  “I think especially right now, you know, in a post Covid rise of AI world, people are really looking for that know, like, and trust factor. And that is really something that you build in person.” —Dana (17:30)

• On email marketing anxiety:
  “Actually you're being more annoying by only sending an email when you want people to buy something.” —Dana (23:48)

• On the real impact of email:
  “Her name comes into my inbox, and so it’s like a little billboard for her business. Even if people are not opening your emails, they are seeing your name in their inbox…” —Dana (25:53)

• On building sustainable marketing:
  “This does not happen in a day and it doesn't happen by chance. You do have to build systems that allow you to…build out this whole big beautiful bracket in a way that is still doable with life…” —Annemie (29:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 04:45 — Biggest struggles photographers face with marketing
• 05:00–08:00 — Annemie’s “failed” Written and Illustrated marketing campaign story
• 09:16 — Why effective marketing isn’t just one tactic
• 11:03 — Introduction of the March Madness “bracket” metaphor
• 12:54 — Why diversifying your marketing is key
• 15:05 — Introduction to the four quadrants/brackets (rock, pebble, sand, water)
• 15:05–18:19 — In-depth discussion of Rock Marketing
• 19:14–22:18 — Pebble Marketing: sites, authority, and vendor referrals
• 23:16–25:53 — Email (Sand) Marketing: nurturing leads the right way
• 26:47–29:02 — Social Media (Water) Marketing: being visible everywhere
• 29:02–30:24 — Building systems to “hit all four quadrants”

Segment: The March Marketing Bracket Tool

• 32:17 — Announcement of the downloadable “March Marketing Madness Bracket” tool for listeners, complete with actionable ideas for each quadrant

Takeaways

• Balanced, consistent marketing across the four quadrants dramatically increases booking odds.
• The “marketing bracket” is a practical visualization and gamification tool to ensure all bases are covered.
• Listeners are urged to download the bracket from the Dark Room (the podcast’s companion app) and fill in their own “teams” (strategies) for each quadrant.
• Upcoming episodes will spotlight specific success stories and actionable tactics for every marketing quadrant.

Next Episode Teaser
Tune in next week for a deeper dive into “Rock” marketing strategies.

Resource Reminders

• Download the free March Marketing Madness Bracket in the Dark Room app
• [Join the (free) Dark Room app for more tools and community]

Hosts:

• Annemie Tonken – @annamietonken
• Dana Schaaf – Marketing Director & Consistency Club Co-Host

This summary covers all actionable takeaways and core strategies presented in the episode. For listeners wanting to jump right into making their marketing more consistent and effective, start by downloading the bracket tool and mapping your own four quadrant plan.