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Maybe you’re about to start your first job or you’d like to finally launch that side hustle you’ve been thinking about. With this series, our Squarespace YouTube creators share their own stories and tell you how to get started. It’s time to embrace this next chapter and run with it.
As Jessica Whitaker was launching her career as a professional photographer, she recognized that “there wasn’t a place online for young photographers, beginner photographers, hobbyist photographers to come and receive education through a gentle guiding source.” So she created one: Build+Bloom began in 2016 as a Facebook community and quickly became one of the most engaged photography communities on the social network.
Whitaker knew that she needed to expand Build+Bloom in order to support those photographers. “The first thing I knew we needed to do… was create a website that would be a hub for us with all of our information outside of [Facebook].” That website became the digital home of Build+Bloom as Whitaker grew it into a non-profit organization. “In 2017, I decided to do workshops… we mapped out the steps that it would take to bring our community from online to in-person through these workshops via the analytics and data that we were given not only through the group, but also our Squarespace website where we hosted all that additional information.” Currently, the website’s primary purpose is “as a place for donors and partners to be able to see our various programs, and give financial resources to keep those programs up and running.”
Build+Bloom also has a networking group called SisterXSister, which meets in eight cities across the United States on the third Saturday of the month. “The website now, I'm so thankful, serves as a place where all of the girls can come and register for their city, and where the ambassadors who lead each city have a password protected portal where they can login, see the lesson plan, design assets, and everything else they need to serve in their communities.”
Whitaker encourages anyone with an idea on the backburner to get started—whether it’s personal or professional. “A lot of us put off these incredible concepts that we have because we are too nervous to hit publish... With Squarespace, though, you can truly put your best foot forward... This all in one platform will prove to you that your ideas are worthy of going live, and give you the intuitive tools to do so.”
After creating a website, Whitaker recommends building out an email list. “You need to begin building your email list as soon as possible… For every total follower count or member count that you have, you want to have at least three-quarters of their email addresses. Even if you don’t start sending out regular emails or other campaigns until later on, start today, start now.”
To get Jessica Whitaker’s tricks for building an email list, watch the video above.
To learn more about Jessica’s work, visit jessicawhitaker.com and buildandbloom.org.
To launch your own idea with a website and email campaigns, visit squarespace.com to get started.