New tactics helped this drone pilot triple business growth

Steffanie Rivers didn’t originally set out to change her business model — she simply wanted smarter ways to promote her drone photography company, TCB Drones, in Dallas, Texas. But after taking free courses from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, Rivers found new strategies that not only boosted her company’s visibility, but also helped her rethink what the business could become. Over the past nine months, she says the company has grown threefold and expanded into new services, including a global drone pilot training academy.

When she first launched TCB Drones, Rivers focused on drone video and photography for utility line and infrastructure inspections. She knew there was room to grow, especially online and through social media, but struggled to find the time and confidence to market her business consistently. “I was told you have to post at certain times of day, a certain amount of times a week, and who’s got time to do all that?” she says.

Through virtual, self-paced courses and live events from Digital Ready, Rivers learned digital marketing strategies that led her to rebuild her website and expand her storytelling online. Those changes quickly boosted her visibility. “If you do it effectively, or at least build a team around you to help you, then you can make it happen. And I saw the results,” she says. After the website redesign, visits increased by several hundred percent.

Rivers believed her business had potential for international expansion but needed guidance exploring the possibilities. Through Digital Ready, she reached out to experts with international experience who gave her tips and contacts for overseas expansion. They also suggested she lean into her idea for a drone academy to help others learn drone piloting and prepare for the certification exam required for commercial drone pilots.

Rivers knew the concept resonated, in part, because she didn’t pass the exam on her initial try. "I failed it the first time. But as people started to realize that I am one of the few Black women who is a drone pilot, they started to come to me and ask, ‘Wow, how can I do it? Can you help me to do it?’ I want to help people to realize their dreams of doing this,” she says.

She shifted her focus to expanding the academy — now teaching students worldwide, both online and in person. To connect with those customers, Rivers learned to personalize her marketing pitch in the course Selling with Storytelling: Unlock Your Business Superpower, a self-paced Digital Ready course. “Talking to people as if you’re telling a story means a lot more than just trying to do a commercial and sell them something. They want to have that connection. So understanding that was important,” she says. This new marketing approach — supported by her refocused business model and strategically rebuilt website — led to a threefold increase in inquiries for services and classes.

Rivers continues returning to Digital Ready to stay on top of new technology and to find time-saving tools, including AI and project management software she learned through Ask the Expert live events such as Hustle 101: Maximize Your Productivity. “We only have 24 hours in a day,” she says. “And the better I can use my time, the more successful I can be.”

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with free resources to help them succeed. To sign up, visit Verizon Small Business Digital Ready. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.