At the end of 2025, I shared two podcast episodes breaking down my best and worst Instagram content from the year. And when I teased those episodes on Instagram, I got a lot of questions about how I actually decide what makes a post “good” or “bad.”

The obvious answer is data. I look at analytics, engagement, and performance. But the deeper answer (and the one that’s mattered way more for the long-term growth of my business) is that there’s a metric I care about even more than what Instagram shows me.

For years, I’ve relied on what I call my ground beef metric to gauge whether my content is actually doing what it’s supposed to do: building connection, trust, and relationships that eventually lead to inquiries and bookings.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what my ground beef metric is, why vanity metrics don’t tell the full story, and how to tell if your Instagram content is actually working, even when the numbers feel confusing or discouraging.

We’re talking:

1. Why Instagram metrics matter (but shouldn’t control your emotions)
2. The real reason posts sometimes don’t perform, even when they’re good
3. What the ground beef metric is and how to use it to gauge audience connection
4. Why Instagram Stories play such a big role in building trust
5. How connection compounds over time into inquiries and bookings
6. What to focus on if you want Instagram to feel easier and more fun again

If you’ve ever felt frustrated looking at your Instagram analytics, questioned whether your content is “working,” or wondered why posting feels so emotional sometimes, this episode will give you a totally different way to measure success.

Links & Resources

1. 📱 Join my free Instagram Consistency Challenge: maddiepeschong.com/ig
2. 💻 Get coached in Rebrand, my 12-month program for photographers ready to book more brand photography clients
3. 📝 Blog: Read more tips and tools to grow your brand photography business
4. 🔄 Listen to my Best & Worst Instagram Content episodes (and how I evaluated them)
5. 💬 Questions or episode ideas? DM me on

I’m going into 2026 with the goal to scale my business. And that means I’m creating a lot of content.

Not just to create more content, but because I know, from years of data and experience, that when my content is done well, it actually moves the needle in my business.

For most people who end up working with me, their journey starts on Instagram and then leads to my podcast. That tells me everything I need to know about how important content is. The problem is that creating more content can feel overwhelming fast, especially when you’re already wearing all the hats.

In this episode, I’m walking you through how to repurpose content as a photographer so your content can go further in 2026 without burning you out.

We’re talking:

1. What content repurposing actually looks like for photographers
2. How to create one primary piece of content and break it into more pieces of content
3. Why long-form content is the foundation of a strong content strategy
4. The biggest mistakes I see photographers make with micro content
5. How often you should really be posting and emailing

If content has ever felt like a hamster wheel, or you’ve found yourself staring at Instagram wondering what to post, this episode will give you a much clearer, more sustainable way to approach it. 🎧 Press play to learn how to make your content work harder for your business in 2026.

Links & Resources

1. 📱 Join my free Instagram Consistency Challenge, starting January 5: maddiepeschong.com/ig
2. 💻 Get coached in Rebrand, my 12 month program for photographers ready to book more brand photography clients (and get access to Rebecca - a customGPT to help with content!)
3. 📝 Blog: More tips and tools to grow your personal brand photography business
4. 🔄 Learn about the Vicious Visibility Cycle (Apple podcast; blog)
5. 💬 Questions or episode ideas? DM me on Instagram!

Let's Connect:

1. Website: maddiepeschong.com
2. Instagram: @maddiepeschong

If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.

It’s easy to feel like you’re constantly behind on your marketing, especially during busy seasons of life and business. When client work piles up, marketing often becomes the thing you promise you’ll “get back to later”… until later never comes.

In this episode, we’re talking about why your photography business needs a real marketing system and how something as simple as a weekly Marketing Monday can completely change the way you show up, attract clients, and create momentum in your business.

Marketing Monday is a dedicated, non-negotiable block of time each week to work on your business, not just in it. It’s the system that helps you stop panic-marketing, stay consistent even when life is chaotic, and build demand year-round instead of reacting when inquiries slow down.

We’re talking:

1. Why relying only on referrals eventually stops working
2. How weekly marketing time keeps your pipeline full
3. Why consistency matters more than doing “all the things”
4. What actually counts as marketing (even when you’re not posting)
5. How to reduce decision fatigue and mental load around content
6. What to do during a Marketing Monday (and what not to stress about)

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a feast-or-famine cycle, struggled to stay consistent, or wished marketing felt simpler and more sustainable, this episode is for you.

Links & Resources

1. 📱 Join my free Instagram challenge, starting January 5: maddiepeschong.com/ig
2. 💻 Get coached in Rebrand, my 12 month program for photographers ready to book more brand photography clients
3. 📝 Blog: More tips and tools to grow your personal brand photography business
4. 💬 Questions or episode ideas? DM me on Instagram!

Let's Connect:

1. Website: maddiepeschong.com
2. Instagram: @maddiepeschong

If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.

I almost didn’t record this episode.. not because I didn’t want to reflect on the year, but because I was making it bigger than it needed to be. So instead of overthinking it, I sat down with a post-it note and recorded a simple, honest 2025 wrapped: brand photography edition!

This episode isn’t data-driven or trend-heavy. It’s a real reflection on what actually defined my year as a brand photographer, educator, and coach - including what worked, what changed, and what I’m carrying with me into 2026.

Before you plan for what’s next, you have to understand what just happened. This episode walks through the three things that shaped my business in 2025, why returning to the basics made everything easier, and how slowing down created more clarity and capacity.

We’re talking:

1. The three things that truly defined my brand photography business in 2025
2. Why I intentionally booked fewer brand sessions
3. How prioritizing profitability changed the way I make business decisions
4. What hiring more intentionally unlocked in my business
5. Why my content worked better than expected this year
6. What I’m leaving behind in 2025 as I look ahead to 2026

Links & Resources:

1. 📱 Join the free 14-Day Instagram Challenge (starts January 5): maddiepeschong.com/ig
2. 📸 Learn more about working together in Rebrand or Behind the Shot: maddiepeschong.com
3. 📝 Explore free resources for brand photographers: maddiepeschong.com
4. 💬 DM me on Instagram with your biggest takeaway from 2025

Let's Connect:

1. Website: maddiepeschong.com
2. Instagram: @maddiepeschong

If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.

We all love talking about what worked on Instagram, but what about the posts that totally flopped? In this episode, I’m breaking down my “worst” Instagram content from the year, what those posts had in common, and why I’m actually not upset about any of it.

This is the second part of a little two-episode series - last week I walked through my best content and this episode is taking a looking at my worst performing content. Spoiler: a lot of my “worst” content is also some of the most important for building trust, deepening relationships, and growing my brand long-term.

We’re talking:

• Why my lowest-performing posts are almost all talking head reels
• How longer, more thoughtful content can still be wildly valuable even with low reach
• The difference between content creator goals and business owner goals
• How I’m using my Consistency Cure series, even though it’s not topping my analytics
• Practical ways to improve “bad” posts without scrapping the idea completely
• How to look at your own worst-performing content without making it personal

Links & Resources:

• 📉 See my "worst" performing content stats: on the blog
• 🎧 Check out last week’s episode on my best Instagram content from the year
• 📱 Connect over on Instagram: @maddiepeschong
• 💻 Learn more about twelve month program for brand photographers who want to attract and book more clients: Rebrand

Let's Connect:

• Website: maddiepeschong.com
• Instagram: @maddiepeschong

If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.

Instagram has been my thing since before I even had a photography business, but this year, my content looked a little different. I hired a social media manager, leaned into more nuanced topics, and started paying closer attention to what was actually working instead of just guessing. And spoiler: my best-performing posts were not the perfectly designed, “Pinterest-worthy” ones.

In this episode, I’m breaking down my best Instagram content from the year and what all of those posts had in common.

You’ll hear what kind of posts actually did the best for my brand photography and education business and how you can also use those patterns to create better, more strategic Instagram content of your own.

We’re talking:

• Why I finally hired help for Instagram, even though social media has always been “my thing”
• How I identified my best-performing posts (and what those posts actually were - see them on the blog!)
• What my top content had in common: 5 main things
• How “I” language and personal stories can still be super valuable for your audience
• Why leaning into hotter topics made my content more fun
• How behind-the-scenes and milestone posts ended up in my top performers

Links & Resources:

• 🏆 See my top performing posts & stats on the podcast blog post
• 📱 Come hang with me on Instagram: @maddiepeschong
• 📸 Learn more about Rebrand and my education for brand photographers on my website: maddiepeschong.com
• 📝 Binge more educational posts, past podcast episodes, and resources for brand photographers on the blog

Let's Connect:

• Website: maddiepeschong.com
• Instagram: @maddiepeschong

If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.

We’ve all had those moments where we know we need to post something…but have absolutely no idea what to say. In today’s episode, I’m breaking down the simple mindset shift that will help you create better Instagram content without feeling like you have to reinvent the wheel every single time.

Creating great content isn’t about being clever. It’s about being accurate, relevant, and empathetic. And one of the fastest ways to build trust is by speaking to your clients in the same words they use. Today I’m sharing where to find that language, how to use it, and why this approach works so well for brand photographers who want to create content that genuinely resonates.

We’re talking:

• The real reason you get stuck wondering what to post
• Why client language is the foundation of strong messaging
• The exact places to collect content ideas
• How to stop writing for photographers and start writing for your actual brand clients
• Why vague, AI-ish captions don’t convert...and what to do instead
• How to use repeated questions as your content roadmap

Links & Resources

• 💻 Join Behind the Shot: my course that teaches you how to price, plan, shoot, and deliver brand sessions that attract more dream clients: maddiepeschong.com/behindtheshot
• ✔️ When you join Behind the Shot, you'll be able to join the 3-day portfolio-building challenging I'm hosting December 15-17 (live training + replays available!)
• 📸 Grab the Brand Photography Questionnaire Template: www.maddiepeschong.com/shop
• 📝 Blog: More tips and tools to grow your personal brand photography business
• 💬 Questions or episode ideas? DM me on Instagram!

Let's Connect:

• Website: maddiepeschong.com
• Instagram: @maddiepeschong

If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.

Almost every brand photographer has said it at some point: “My clients only want a one-hour session.” And honestly? I get why that feels true; I used to believe it too. But one-hour brand shoots are keeping so many photographers stuck, exhausted, and wildly underpaid.

In this episode, we’re getting into why short sessions are creating chaos (for you and your clients) and why introducing a signature session is one of the fastest ways to elevate your work, raise your prices, and get clients the results they actually want.

This episode walks through what a signature session includes, how to position it, and what it takes to confidently remove “time” from your packages, so you can finally price based on value instead of minutes on your watch.

We’re talking:

• Why one-hour brand sessions lead to chaos, over-delivery, and burned-out photographers
• The #1 mindset shift photographers need to stop undercharging
• What a signature session actually looks like
• How to confidently push back when clients say they “only need an hour”
• Why time shouldn’t be on your pricing/services page
• A peek inside the brand-new pricing module inside Behind the Shot (and the Black Friday deal!)

Links & Resources

• 💻 Join Behind the Shot: my course that teaches you how to price, plan, shoot, and deliver brand sessions that attract more dream clients: maddiepeschong.com/behindtheshot
• ✔️ When you join Behind the Shot, you'll be able to join the 3-day portfolio-building challenging I'm hosting December 15-17 (live training + replays available!)
• 📸 Grab the Ultimate Personal Brand Session Shot List: maddiepeschong.com
• 📝 Blog: More tips and tools to grow your personal brand photography business
• 💬 Questions or episode ideas? DM me on Instagram!

Let's Connect:

• Website: maddiepeschong.com
• Instagram: @maddiepeschong

If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.