The Social Stager

Heather Cook
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  • Marketing
  • Updated Biweekly

The Social Stager Podcast helps home stagers and design professionals simplify their marketing, strengthen their brand, and show up online with confidence. Hosted by Heather Cook, this podcast blends real-world experience from over a decade in the staging industry with clear, practical marketing insight. You’ll learn how to prioritize your marketing, create content that positions you as an expert, and build a brand that supports long-term business growth. This podcast is for stagers who want marketing that feels intentional, sustainable, and aligned with the business they are building.

  1. 6 hrs ago

    The Biggest Mistake Home Stagers Make Before Running Pinterest Ads with Annie Russell

    What actually needs to be in place before you start paying for Pinterest ads? It’s easy to think that paid advertising is the answer to getting more traffic, leads, and clients for your home staging business. But ads won’t fix a weak marketing strategy. They amplify the one you already have. In this episode of The Social Stager Podcast, I’m joined once again by Pinterest marketing expert Annie Russell for the first of a two-part conversation about Pinterest advertising. We’re talking about what needs to happen before you invest in ads, from setting up your Pinterest account and tracking properly to creating valuable content, building your email list, and developing a lead magnet people actually want. Annie also breaks down some of the biggest misconceptions about paid advertising, including why boosting a post isn’t the same as running a strategic ad campaign and why sending more traffic to your website won’t accomplish much if you don’t have the right marketing foundation behind it. In this episode, we discuss:• The biggest misconceptions about Pinterest advertising • Why boosting a post isn’t the same as running an ad campaign • What you need in place before investing in Pinterest ads • Why organic Pinterest and paid advertising work better together • The role your website and content play in your advertising strategy • Why growing your email list matters • What makes a lead magnet worth giving your email address for • Why your expertise needs to be part of the content you create This is Part One of my conversation with Annie. In Part Two, we’ll dive into what happens after someone clicks your ad, including landing pages, email sequences, campaign budgets, tracking, and how to build a Pinterest funnel that turns traffic into qualified leads and paying clients. Connect with Annie RussellIf you’d like to connect with Annie or learn more about how she helps businesses use Pinterest to generate leads, you can find her here: • Annie Russell Media (website) • Leads on Repeat: Learn how to run paid ads the right way • Free Guide: 200+ Pinterest Keywords for Home Stagers • Listen to our first conversation about Pinterest marketing for home stagers Connect with Heather• Website: The Social Stager • Instagram: Social Savvy Stager and Six-Figure Stager

  2. Aug 11

    How a Top Realtor Creates Marketing that Builds Trust and Gets Clients with Lance Nielsen

    What makes someone trust your business enough to hire you? For many business owners, marketing is all about visibility. More content. More followers. More platforms. But what if the real purpose of marketing isn't simply to get noticed? In this episode of The Social Stager Podcast, I'm joined by realtor and entrepreneur Lance Nielsen to talk about how successful businesses use marketing to build trust, strengthen relationships, and stay top of mind long before someone is ready to buy. From creating educational content and embracing AI to using video and staying curious in an ever-changing industry, this conversation is packed with practical insights that home stagers, Realtors, and service-based business owners can apply to their own businesses. In this episode, we discuss:• Why trust is the foundation of effective marketing • How educational content helps build credibility • Why video creates stronger relationships with your audience • The opportunities and challenges AI presents for business owners • How curiosity fuels innovation and business growth • Why consistency matters more than chasing trends • Practical ways to market your business with authenticity Connect with Lance NielsenIf you'd like to connect with Lance or learn more about his work, you can find him here: • Visit his Website • Follow him on Instagram Learn More About My Coaching ProgramsIf you're ready to build a stronger, more profitable home staging business, I'd love to help. Whether you're looking to clarify your positioning, strengthen your marketing, or design a business that's built for long-term success, my coaching programs are designed to help you grow with confidence. Learn more about my coaching programs here.

  3. Aug 4

    What it Takes to Build a Successful Staging Business with Michelle Minch

    Building a successful staging business isn't about one great marketing strategy or getting lucky with the right client. It's about making hundreds of decisions that strengthen your business over time. In this episode, I'm joined by veteran home stager and industry educator Michelle Minch. Michelle shares the story of how she built one of the most respected staging businesses in Southern California, from taking on her very first staging project to growing a thriving business and becoming a mentor to home stagers across North America. Along the way, we talk about marketing, pricing, referrals, differentiation, community, and why building a successful business requires far more than knowing how to stage a beautiful home. In this episode, we discuss:• How Michelle accidentally discovered home staging and turned it into a thriving business • The power of referrals and relationship marketing • Why marketing is about educating and building trust, not just promoting your services • How to communicate your value so clients understand why you're worth more • The role pricing plays in positioning your business • Why competing on price is a race you'll never win • The importance of finding your own lane instead of trying to compete with every other stager • Why building relationships with other home stagers can become one of your greatest business assets Connect with Michelle MinchMichelle is passionate about helping home stagers build stronger businesses through coaching, education, and community. You can connect with Michelle here: • Facebook: Staging Success Center Million Dollar Stager • Email: michelle@movingmountainsdesign.com Ready to build a stronger staging business?If you're ready to stop guessing and start intentionally building a staging business that's profitable, sustainable, and known for something specific, I'd love to invite you to learn more about the Six-Figure Stager Mastermind. Inside the Mastermind, we focus on the business behind the staging, including positioning, branding, marketing, pricing, systems, leadership, and the strategies that help you build a business designed for long-term success. Learn more here.

  4. Jul 28

    The Systems Every Stager Needs for Sustainable Growth with Lori Fischer

    What happens when your staging business starts growing... but you feel like you're holding everything together with sticky notes, memory, and late nights? In this episode of The Social Stager Podcast, I'm joined by Lori Fischer to talk about one of the least glamorous, yet most important parts of building a successful staging business: systems. If you've ever felt like you're constantly answering the same questions, reinventing your process with every client, or struggling to step away from your business without everything falling apart, this conversation is for you. We talk about why systems aren't just about organization. They're about creating consistency, protecting the client experience, and building a business that supports your long-term goals. In this episode, we discuss:• Why so many home stagers wait too long to build systems • The biggest misconceptions about SOPs and documentation • How strong systems improve the client experience • What happens when your business depends on you for every decision • Simple places to start if your business feels disorganized • Why operational excellence becomes a competitive advantage as your business grows Whether you're a solo stager or preparing to hire your first team member, this episode will help you think differently about the role systems play in building a business that's sustainable, scalable, and easier to run. Resources Mentioned• Learn more about Harlowe • Learn more about the Six-Figure Stager Mastermind • Join The Stager's Circle free community • Subscribe to The Social Stager Podcast so you never miss an episode

  5. Jul 14

    How to Attract the Staging Clients You Actually Want

    How to Attract the Home Staging Clients You Actually WantHave you ever noticed that every city seems to have "that" home stager? The one Realtors always call for luxury vacant staging. The one known for model homes. The one who's built a reputation around something specific. It might look like luck from the outside. But it isn't. In this episode, we're talking about how home stagers intentionally build businesses that attract the clients and projects they actually want. You'll learn why positioning comes before promotion, how your reputation is shaped long before someone contacts you, and why every decision you make is either reinforcing the business you're trying to build or pulling you further away from it. In this episode, you'll learn:• Why people are already forming opinions about your business before they ever inquire • The difference between brand perception, positioning, branding, and brand reputation • Why attracting the right clients starts long before your marketing • How to intentionally build a business that's known for something specific • Why every business decision either strengthens or weakens your positioning • The mindset shift that separates reactive business owners from intentional business leaders • Why positioning isn't something you announce. It's something you earn. Questions to reflect onAfter listening, take a few minutes to think about these questions: • What do you want your business to become known for? • If you asked ten Realtors in your market today, what would they say your business is known for? • Does your website, portfolio, pricing, messaging, services, and client experience all reinforce that answer? • Is every part of your business pointing in the same direction? Ready to build the business you want to be known for?If you're ready to stop reacting to your business and start intentionally building it, I'd love to invite you to join the Six-Figure Stager Mastermind. Inside the mentorship, we focus on the business behind the marketing, including your positioning, branding, offers, pricing, systems, leadership, and the decisions that help you build a sustainable, profitable staging business. Learn more here. Mentioned in this episode• The Six-Figure Stager Mastermind See all business coaching packages here. Connect with The Social StagerFind us on Instagram Visit our website

  6. Jun 30

    Your Staging Isn't the Problem. Your Business Is.

    Most home stagers believe their business isn't growing because they need better marketing, more services, or another certification. I don't think that's the problem. In this episode, Heather explores one of the biggest misconceptions in the home staging industry: the belief that becoming a better home stager naturally leads to building a successful staging business. She shares the patterns she's observed after working with home stagers across North America, why so many talented stagers get stuck competing on price, and the mindset shift that changes everything. If you've ever wondered why your business isn't growing the way you hoped, this episode is for you. In this episode: • Why becoming a better home stager doesn't automatically build a better staging business • The biggest misconception keeping talented stagers stuck in the early years of business • Why marketing isn't usually the real problem, and what your coaching conversations should actually focus on instead • How adding more services can dilute your positioning and make your business harder to grow • Why the strongest staging businesses become known for one thing before they expand • The business question every home stager should answer before investing more time, money, or energy into marketing • The difference between learning how to stage and learning how to build a sustainable six-figure business • Why your brand is the foundation of your business, and how every decision you make should reinforce what you want to become known for Resources mentioned: • The Booked Out Stager Blueprint (Free) Connect with Heather: Instagram: @socialsavvystagers Website: www.socialsavvystagers.com

  7. Jun 16

    What Your Staging Certifications Didn't Teach You

    Your staging certification taught you how to stage. What it didn't teach you is how to build a business that stands out, attracts the right clients, and grows past a certain ceiling. In this episode Heather breaks down the three gaps the staging industry consistently leaves open and why closing them is the difference between a staging business that struggles and one that becomes the obvious choice in its market. In this episode: Why finishing your certification program is just the beginning and not the whole roadmapWhy so many stagers build their brand before doing the identity work that should inform every decisionThe three gaps keeping stagers stuck: identity and positioning, a real marketing system, and authority and thought leadershipWhy posting consistently without a strategy produces activity but not leadsThe difference between being visible and being known as the authority in your marketWhy your value isn't in the spaces you produce, it's in the knowledge and expertise you bring to every projectHow the Six-Figure Stager Mastermind was built to close these gaps in the right order Resources mentioned: The Booked Out Stager Blueprint (free three-video training)Six-Figure Stager Mastermind waitlist Connect with Heather: Instagram: @socialsavvystagers Website: socialsavvystagers.com

  8. Jun 2

    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 doesThe five things AI uses to evaluate whether your business is credible enough to recommendWhy your Google Business Profile is the single highest-impact place to startWhat "brand consistency" actually means across platforms and why inconsistency costs youHow to use written content to get in front of clients who are skipping Google entirelyWhy Google reviews are one of the most powerful AI visibility signals — and how to start getting more of themThe priority order for tackling this without doing everything at once Resources mentioned: Website design for home stagers: https://socialsavvystagers.com/website-designJoin the Stagers Circle: https://thesocialstager.myflodesk.com/stagerscircle Connect with Heather: Instagram: @socialsavvystagerWebsite: socialsavvystagers.com

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About

The Social Stager Podcast helps home stagers and design professionals simplify their marketing, strengthen their brand, and show up online with confidence. Hosted by Heather Cook, this podcast blends real-world experience from over a decade in the staging industry with clear, practical marketing insight. You’ll learn how to prioritize your marketing, create content that positions you as an expert, and build a brand that supports long-term business growth. This podcast is for stagers who want marketing that feels intentional, sustainable, and aligned with the business they are building.

Information

  • Creator
    Heather Cook
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Heather Cook
  • Show Website
    The Social Stager

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