What does it really look like to get good at marketing? Especially at the beginning of the year, many of us set lofty goals: add a new channel to our marketing, spend less time marketing, finally be consistent, or create better content. But what does that actually look like? How can we actually get better at marketing?
One of the things I wanted to bring to you early this year is an interview with a real business owner about how they finally got their marketing act together. If you’re on the Instagram hustle train or just wondering where to start, you’re going to love this interview with Danison.
This episode is less of a training and more of a candid discussion about what marketing looked like for Danison before and how he’s improved it. I first noticed Danison, to be honest, after he took my Blogging for Bingeable Brands course. Now, I’m not taking credit for his success—that’s not what this episode is about—but when people buy from me, I tend to become obsessed with them.
I saw him take the course, implement it (which, by the way, is my favorite thing ever), and then do so many new and exciting things. It’s been incredible to watch his journey. He’s a natural, charismatic character—you’ll hear that in this episode—but he’s also expanded his marketing efforts and created something truly intentional and sustainable.
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Table of Contents
Who is Danison Fronda-Tietz?
Danison is the heart behind Bowtie & Brush, blending his love of art and business to create stunning watercolor guest portraits, personalized details, and meaningful stationery for weddings and events.
With a background in accounting and a passion for learning, Danison is all about encouraging fellow business owners, sharing what’s worked for him, and celebrating their wins. Whether he’s painting live at an event or helping others level up their biz, his goal is to make every interaction matter.
At Bowtie & Brush, it’s more than art—it’s about connection, creativity, and helping others shine.
What did marketing look like for you a year ago? And then what prompted you to really lean into your marketing over the last 6-12 months?
About a year ago, my marketing wasn’t great. It didn’t completely suck—it was okay because I’m a creative business owner, and I’ve always been drawn to the pretty details. My Instagram feed, for example, looked great because I focused on aesthetics. But honestly, my marketing was mostly limited to social media.
I was stuck in the Instagram hustle—trying to figure out the algorithm, posting constantly, and relying on that to bring in leads. Alongside that, I did a bit of networking and made an effort to get my face out there, but that was pretty much it. It was also the stereotypical approach you take when you don’t have a formal marketing background.
My real marketing journey started just six months ago, around June. To backtrack a little: I was listening to a podcast hosted by some local Florida industry folks. They had an episode (episode 50) featuring Tayler from Enji, where she talked about enhancing your marketing strategy. At the time, I was deep in wedding season. I thought the information was interesting but didn’t apply it—I just kept falling back into my social media bubble, posting all the time.
Then, another podcast caught my attention. It was your (Kara’s) conversation on the Calligraphy Biz Corner podcast. I heard you talk about long-term marketing and SEO in an episode titled Get Discovered with Long-Term Marketing and SEO (episode 12), released on June 25th. That conversation really shifted my perspective on marketing.
At that point, I was based in Florida and it was a slow season. I felt exhausted and decided something needed to change before fall arrived. Coincidentally, on the same day, you released an episode with Tayler titled How to Stop Marketing by Accident (episode 27).
When I saw the name Tayler, it rang a bell. I realized I’d heard about her software way back in February, but this second encounter sealed it. I loved your interview with her—it just clicked for me. That’s when I really dove in. I got your mini-course on blogging for bingeable brands, started a trial with Enji, and began figuring out my strategy.
Since then, I’ve been implementing everything I learned, and it’s been a game-changer. I’m excited to keep building on it as I move forward.
So true how sometimes we need to hear the same message over and over again (I love that). I think a lot of us want to get better at marketing… how do you market your business now?
I’ve definitely started to focus more on long-term marketing which has helped me get better at marketing. One of the biggest areas I’ve prioritized is SEO and blogging. Before, blogging wasn’t even on my radar because I’m not naturally a blogger. But I gave it a try, and I’m getting better at it. Now, I post once a month.
Initially, I had a goal of blogging biweekly or even weekly, but I stepped back and asked myself, “Is this sustainable?” From what I’ve learned from the marketing experts I follow, a lot of people dive in full force without much background in marketing. Then, when life gets busy, they stop altogether.
For me, posting once a month feels manageable—at least until I get really good at it or decide to outsource it in the future. That’s been my approach, and it works for now.
Another major focus has been improving my website. This includes blogging and making it a reliable source for Google by optimizing things like image file names. I didn’t even know that optimizing file names was important until I started researching. One day, I spent about two hours renaming and re-uploading all my images. Over the next month or two, I noticed a pretty significant uptick in traffic.
Do you use AI to help you be consistent with blogging?
I use it for blogging, mainly for creating outlines. I’m not an expert, but from what I’ve learned and believe, it’s important not to just copy and paste what AI creates. That said, it’s been incredibly helpful for me.
The cool thing is that, over time, I’ve become less dependent on AI. When I first started, I relied on it a lot. But now, by giving it prompts—like asking it to organize my thoughts into a cohesive story—I’ve actually improved as a blogger.
Reviewing and refining the AI-generated content has been a learning process for me. It’s taught me to structure my thoughts better, and blogging has become easier the more I practice.
Your current marketing strategy consists of Instagram, blogging/SEO, and networking, correct? How does instagram still fit in as you’ve expanded your marketing efforts?
Instagram is probably still my favorite platform. It’s still crazy to me how many people feel this internal dread when you mention Instagram. They say things like, “Ugh, I hate it,” or “I hate showing up,” or “I don’t want to show my face.” They struggle with posting consistently, and ghosting is such a common issue. I’ve noticed this a lot in conversations with local wedding pros. It doesn’t have to be that way.
I’ve developed my own formula for Instagram, focusing on sustainability. I created a posting schedule and a plan for my content. I’ve even helped a few others build a similar system. It’s all about taking a step back, looking at your business services, and breaking them down into content pillars—essentially the key aspects you need to market.
For example, in my case, I offer watercolor portraits, calligraphy engraving, and day-of details. So I split my posts into three categories and post three times a week—Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each day highlights a different type of content: one post might feature my actual work, another might show behind-the-scenes content, and Friday could be a simple FAQ graphic.
By pulling from your portfolio and rotating this content consistently, you create a solid baseline for your social media. Everything else—like trends and reels—is extra. Trends can be fun occasionally, but they’re not sustainable for most wedding pros. Having a basic, manageable social media strategy saves so much brainpower while still keeping you visible.
How did you create a marketing routine for your small business?
I think there’s a bit of a personality caveat here—I’m naturally very good with schedules. I’m a planner through and through, which is why I love helping others with this too. For me, it started by sitting down and breaking things out to figure out what I really wanted to do without feeling overwhelmed.
I’d look at a calendar and ask myself, “Does this look manageable?” Then I’d follow through by setting aside specific time to plan. I generally plan my content a quarter in advance. I use a monthly content calendar where I outline the days and times for posting. Then I also review the entire quarter’s calendar to ensure I have a rhythm and can schedule breaks when needed.
Having just one dedicated day to plan a content calendar is usually enough, especially if the content is simple and exciting—something you genuinely want to share. The process should feel easy and enjoyable.
That’s how I approach it. Of course, I also consider best practices, like how frequently to post, the best times to post, and making sure that my content is helpful to my ideal client.
So you start with a planning day, and then what does creating and posting schedules look like for you?
I primarily create static images or carousel posts for my content. For my business, I have plenty of photos from previous weddings that I can share. I also create posts from testimonials or reviews, and then one key aspect of my strategy is investing in brand photography.
Finding a great brand photographer who matches your vibe is so important. It’s a game-changer because, when you run out of product or service content, you can use those photos. It helps your audience see your face, which is essential. I know many people avoid behind-the-scenes (BTS) content because they think, “My face looks awful,” or “My setup isn’t perfect.” But with brand photos, you have a polished, on-brand option that you can use year-round.
Investing in a branding session gives you a library of high-quality content to post, even on days when you’re feeling unmotivated. It keeps everything looking cohesive and professional.
When I plan content, I sit down and review my feed using a scheduler—I personally use Enji. This helps me see what’s missing. Is my face not showing up enough? Have I neglected a particular service? I batch-create and schedule all my content over one or two days, depending on how much I need to get done.
You have so many great branding photos! What advice do you have for people who are thinking about getting branding photos?
Yes, branding photos are my bread and butter. Personally, I’m not shy in front of a camera, so that part was fun for me. My advice is to start by doing some homework to really define the brand you want to project. Get crystal clear on the style and vibe you want your brand photos to reflect. Once you have that locked in, it becomes much easier to find a brand photographer who aligns with your vision.
For example, my style is bright, elegant, and true-to-color with a fun twist. Because of that, I wouldn’t hire a moody brand photographer—it wouldn’t fit my brand identity. It’s important to choose someone who not only matches your style but is also excited to work with you and collaborate.
I worked with my brand photographer, Sydney Morman Photography, and loved her approach. She helped me create a Pinterest board and mood board with ideas for the shots I wanted. During the planning session, she also brought a ton of creative ideas to the table.
For instance, I told her I didn’t just want photos of me sitting at a desk because, as an artist, that doesn’t fully represent my work. She listened, understood my brand, and offered suggestions that aligned with my vision. The Pinterest board and mood board were incredibly helpful for visualizing everything ahead of time.
I highly recommend hiring a brand photographer who offers this kind of collaborative process. In my opinion, it’s a standard you should expect. If a photographer doesn’t engage with you in planning or doesn’t offer ideas, that’s a red flag. Run away!
Read my interview with my branding photographer to get better at marketing: Building a Strong Personal Brand as a Service Provider (and Multi-Passionate Entrepreneur) with Sarah Beau
How did you prepare for your branding photos? Did they help you get better at marketing?
Yes, I completely agree. When we invest money into something, there should also be a part of the process where we do the work ourselves. It’s important to understand the process—not only so we can vet the professionals we’re working with but also so we don’t show up unprepared and confused.
As CEOs, even if we’re far removed from the day-to-day tasks, we need to have a clear understanding of what’s being presented to us. This helps us identify whether something is a red flag or not. You brought up a great point. For me, this was my first branding experience, and I had no idea what to expect. But I quickly learned the importance of asking the right questions, like: What do you need from me?
That included creating a must-have shot list, gathering inventory or content, and planning what I needed to bring to the shoot. For example, I had to bring all my art supplies, pre-make pieces of artwork, and organize outfits ahead of time.
Even small things, like bringing a phone or laptop, were part of the preparation. While no one wants their branding photos to only feature them sitting at a computer, those basic shots are still important. It’s all about planning and building your business content effectively to ensure you’re prepared for the shoot and get everything you need out of it.
You use Enji (just like me!). Can you explain how you use Enji marketing software?
Sure, I’m happy to share about Enji—it’s been my favorite tool. I don’t log in every day because I operate on a 90-day rolling window. I hop in at least once a month to track my KPIs. It’s great for monitoring things like how my business is performing, how my website is ranking on Google with certain keywords, and my overall progress.
Primarily, though, I use Enji as my content scheduler. It’s helped me develop a marketing strategy with structured campaigns. For example, I have campaigns for building my social media presence, SEO and blogging, and I’m planning to add email campaigns as well.
As someone without a marketing background, I had no clue where to start—whether it was understanding the timeframe for a marketing campaign or what KPIs to track. Enji has been incredibly helpful for simplifying that process. Recently, they added a feature that allows you to input how much time you realistically have for marketing each week. It adjusts your schedule and campaigns accordingly, which has been a game-changer for managing my time.
Like with everything there is a learning curve, but the cool thing about Enji is that it actually helps teach you. There are a bunch of other schedulers out there, but that’s kind of all it is. Unlike other schedulers, which simply schedule posts, Enji incorporates your brand voice and strategy right from the onboarding process. That’s been super helpful for someone like me—I know my brand, but I didn’t know how to turn that into a marketing plan.
It also has an AI copywriter tool, which I use regularly.
Do you use Enji’s AI Copywriter for Blogs? Or for Social Media Content?
Both! It has blogging capabilities, like creating outlines and helping me write in my brand voice. I use other AI tools, like ChatGPT, too, but Enji feels more aligned with my brand because it integrates what I input during onboarding. Unlike ChatGPT, where you have to keep reminding it about your brand, Enji pulls that information automatically.
I use it for Instagram, Pinterest, and recently started incorporating it for LinkedIn as well. Social media and blogging are where it’s been most helpful for me when it comes to creating and scheduling content.
I personally love Enji to get better at marketing, and I love that you’re using a lot of the features. Do you use the to-do list?
Absolutely, the to-do list is amazing. It’s so helpful because it doesn’t just give you a goal—it gives you specific tasks, like building referrals by reaching out to local vendors, with due dates to keep you on track. It’s like having a built-in accountability partner.
Last words of advice for people who want 2025 to be the year they finally get their marketing sh*t together? How can we all get better at marketing?
Okay, yeah, definitely a loaded question when it comes to trying to get better at marketing. I guess it really depends on seasonality, but the main thing is to just get started now. One thing is to find someone to be an accountability partner, either for the whole year or on a quarterly basis.
The first step to make your marketing easier is to start investing in and looking for a brand photographer. That way, you can get that out of the way early because it will help you create content for social media and refresh your website—which we all need to do at least once a year. You should be keeping an eye on that.
From there, take a step back and think about three types of things you can post about weekly for your business. For example:
- A fun fact about you.
- One of your key signature services.
- An FAQ about those services.
Even just posting three times a week with that plan can help build your confidence. That’s how it worked for me—I started with the basics until I got a good handle on it, and now I feel more comfortable posting freely.
The goal is to start now, but also give yourself a quarter to plan things out without feeling pressured to start right away while you’re planning. Otherwise, it might get jumbled, and you could lose momentum.
Then, when things slow down—maybe in Q2—you can invest in education. Look for experts or resources from people who are where you want to be. Whether it’s marketing, your website, or blogging, there’s so much material out there, and investing in education is essential.
What’s next for Bowtie and Brush?
So definitely, through learning from all these podcasts and wanting to go full-time, plus people reaching out to me for advice, I’m planning to launch a side business or separate brand called Bow Tie and Biz. It was originally supposed to launch earlier this summer or late spring, but with my upcoming move to the West Coast in the spring, it’s been pushed back.
Bow Tie and Biz will focus on accounting and bookkeeping, which I think is a huge need for small business owners who are just starting out. It’s great to focus on things like marketing and creating a beautiful logo, but when tax season rolls around, everyone panics.
Accounting comes naturally to me since I’m an accountant, so I want to create easy, accessible templates as low-ticket offers to help people get better at their bookkeeping. Down the line, I’d like to expand into the education space, sharing knowledge from both my experience and insights from experts like you (Kara) and other marketing professionals. If you’re interested, you can check out Bow Tie and Biz. It’ll be a space for sharing tips and tools for running a small creative business.
You can find me sharing all of this on Instagram and Threads under @bowtieandbrush. I love voicing my thoughts there. You can also find me on TikTok, where I mostly post time-lapse sketches and watercolor guest portraits while sharing fun, crazy stories from my experiences as a live artist.
And of course, my website is www.bowtieandbrush.com, where you can find more about what I do.
LINKS MENTIONED
- Learn more about Danison at Bowtie and Brush
- Follow Danison on Instagram
- Learn more about working with our marketing agency here
- Follow me on Instagram
