Apple Crushed Their Ads So They Learned SEO and Hit $10M ARR

Apr 16, 2025

Jennifer Tsay and Jennifer Yeh, co-founders of Shoott, share their journey from startup struggles to hitting $10 million in annual revenue. They discuss the challenges posed by iOS 14.5 that skyrocketed their ad costs and how they pivoted to master SEO and diversified marketing strategies. Their innovative approach to democratizing professional photography and supporting gig photographers is inspiring. They also emphasize the importance of AI, referral programs, and financial guidance in scaling their business. Get ready for a deep dive into entrepreneurial resilience!

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ANECDOTE

Shoott's Unique Free Photo Shoot Model

Shoott offers free 30-minute professional photo shoots where clients only pay for the photos they love.
Photographers are stationed at specific locations and clients book short sessions, improving efficiency for both sides.

ANECDOTE

Navigating AI Headshot Competition

Shoott faced AI-generated headshot competition but focused on authentic, professional photography.
They now partner with Dreamwave to offer AI headshots as an affiliate service for business clients.

ANECDOTE

Initial Market Discovery Journey

Shoott started by testing with friends and family and first targeted influencers.
They discovered young families in Hoboken booked more sessions, guiding their target demographic pivot.

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E651: After 7 years building their business, they just hit $10 million annual revenue and $1 million net income. Most founders would’ve quit long before - but they stuck with it.

One of their biggest setbacks: iOS 14.5 took their cost per acquisition from $20 to $200.

As a result, they taught themselves real marketing.

Programmatic SEO, conventional SEO, email marketing, remarking, public relations, conversion rate optimization, and much better Meta ads and Search Engine Marketing.

Still testing new marketing ideas and hoping to double the business in the next year.

This is their playbook after constant testing and a lot of success.

⭐️ About Shoott (https://shoott.com): the AAPI female-run, NYC-based startup Shoott provides “Insta-worthy” mini photo sessions with talented local photographers where the sessions are free to book and clients only pay for the photos they love! A 4.9-star rated experience on Google, Shoott's mission is to democratize access to professional portrait photography by disrupting the traditional business model for freelance photographers. Shoott's business model works because they aggregate demand at specific locations, which allows them to pass along the benefit to both clients and photographers. Shoott is proud to offer their photographers a minimum pay guarantee per shooting hour, flexible scheduling, tips and regular paychecks.

Shoott IG: https://www.instagram.com/shoottphotos Jennifer Tsay IG: https://www.instagram.com/jenjentsay Jennifer Yeh IG: https://www.instagram.com/rebelthis Jennifer Tsay LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-tsay/ Jennifer Yeh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhjenniferyeh/

💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/

00:00 Introduction and Revenue Milestone 00:44 The Business Model of Shoots 02:34 Early Challenges and Market Validation 03:33 Impact of AI on Photography Business 07:12 Scaling Up: From 800K to 10.2 Million 09:18 Navigating the Pandemic and Remote Hiring 12:58 Marketing Strategies and Facebook Ads 18:05 Experimenting with Different Advertising Channels 21:24 Customer Reviews 24:58 The Free Photo Shoot Hook 27:32 Building a Scalable Booking System 32:15 SEO and Local Marketing Tactics 45:06 SEO Interlinking Strategy Discussion 47:43 Backlink Strategies 48:03 Press and Media Features 48:45 Share Features and User Engagement 50:10 Affiliate Programs and Partnerships 58:15 Impact of iOS 14.5 on Business 59:15 Navigating Financial Challenges 01:00:51 Finding the Right Marketing Agency 01:02:24 Building Custom Data Trackers 01:03:20 Feedback and Adaptability 01:07:10 Founding Story and Early Challenges 01:15:16 Email Marketing Strategies 01:21:20 Final Thoughts and Advice for Entrepreneurs

The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#entrepreneurship #indiehackers #digitalmarketing #marketingstrategy