Archive for Business
Diary of a Photographer, The Discomfort of Networking
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These last few weeks have seen a mixture of things going on in my life, mainly new and uncomfortable things, though my business coach keeps telling me that being in discomfort is where you have to be to keep going forward. Hmm! He’s probably right, and it’s reassuring to know that it’s ok to feel uncomfortable at times.
So the first dabble into the unknown came at a networking meeting, and I would be really interested to hear your comments on organised network meetings, not just for me but for other people who are starting to dip their toe in or are trying to work out whether to have a go and if it would help them. It would be good to know if you’ve found them useful, if they have brought you in any extra business or if contacts that you’ve made there have helped you to go forward in your work. So please do leave your thoughts below.
My experiences so far with just one under my belt and another coming up next week; have been good. I have to confess to not being over keen to go when the afternoon came around, just a wee bit of nerves of having to work a room. However, this meeting was lovely and informal and within a minute of walking in I had found a person who is a virtual P.A. meaning that now when I take a few days off I have someone that I can get to check my emails twice a day and respond to any queries. Now I can have a proper holiday and switch off knowing my correspondence is in good hands. Read More→
A Photographer’s Diary, Business All Day
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Last week saw me attending my very first business conference which I really enjoyed. I still do find myself walking around either taking photographs on weekdays or at an event like this and realising that this is what I do now for work and it’s really exciting.
So what did I learn? Well firstly, if I’d gone on the first day there had been a free bar, which considering I’d gone by train would have been ok with me. I turned up early expecting the venue to be heaving yet strangely it was very quiet all day and there were hardly any trade stands there, and of those that were there, very few that had any relevance to me, though I suppose with Healing with Photography I have quite a niche market. Read More→
A Pricing Strategy That Actually Works: by Chris Horner
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Pricing has to be one of the most volatile topics – next to Nikon vs Canon – that photographers discuss. There are numerous schools of thought on this subject. A scan through any photography forum will show heated debate from every side imaginable. Even seasoned photographers can grapple with this question.
On the subject of pricing, I’m only passionate about one thing – if you truly produce quality work then you should be properly compensated. Period. Stop giving away your talent for free. That’s not going to help anyone, least of all yourself. So just stop it.
As I was going through various pricing scenarios, I read a piece by Rosh Sillars. He argued to sell photography to clients on a per image price. Think of it like working on straight commission. Your client only pays for the images that they want from your shoot. It was an intriguing thought. And it’s a thought that made a lot of sense.
Think of it from a clients point of view. What are they worried about? They’re worried about you not performing, having to pay for something they’re not happy with, and then having to explain to their boss/client why they chose you and all they now have is subpar work coupled with a lot of wasted time and money. Do that too many times and you’ll find yourself unemployable. Often too they may balk at many ‘fees’ that can get tacked on – sitting fees, setup fees, fees for showing up, fees for breathing etc. The fees can begin to look like a bank brochure. The end result is an unpleasant conversation where feelings get hurt.
Per image pricing removes all of that. Read More→
A Photographer’s Diary, Overcoming Fears and Anxieties
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This week saw a step further in my integrating Healing with Photography into the local community. I was invited to an open day at a group called Smile; a support organisation for people suffering from postnatal depression, and set up and run by mothers who suffered from it themselves.
For me personally, that I attended, represented a big marker and flag waving moment in how far I’d come in my recovery from depression and low self-esteem. A year or more ago the thought of a room full of strangers who might all want to talk to me would have made me refuse the invitation with a host of excuses as to why I couldn’t attend. That I quite happily drove over and even though I had difficulty find the centre and car parking, it was a real turning point that I didn’t take that as a sign that I wasn’t meant to go. A year ago I’d have turned tail and headed for home full of relief that I didn’t have to speak to lots of people.
As I walked into the room filled without about 25 people many heads swivelled in my direction to greet me with warm smiles. I saw the number of people and hesitated, just long enough to give the lady, strategically placed by the door, selling raffle tickets time to pounce. Lightened of some money it was time to move in and meet some of people with those friendly smiles.
By the end of the meet and greet and refreshments, did I mention lunch was included? Well you know me by now, I do enjoy some sustenance. I had spoken to everyone in the room and left giving myself a big pat on the back. Read More→
Marketing Campaigns for Photographers – Email Triggers
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Firstly I’m hoping that you use database management software to organise all of your lovely clients. If not put it at the very top of your shopping list as it will make you more money than any lens, Photoshop action or whatever else has caught your eye at a trade show.
You might only have one client and think its not the right time to invest in software that you’ll not really be using that much for a while. In fact it’s the perfect time as you don’t have to waste hours inputting old data from a spreadsheet and you’ll have time to develop your system and processes.
If you can’t afford much then you can’t go far wrong than the free version of Studio Cloud to start you off. Although the email triggers are a paid upgrade ($30 per month) to the free service but it’s done as a monthly subscription which will certainly make things more affordable.
Marketing your business can be a tiresome affair so it’s a delightful relief when
- Things are automated
- You don’t have to look for new clients because you already have a database full of them.
One of the best things about photography is that it’s not a one off event. Weddings are arguably one offs but they’ll probably have kids and want pictures of them at some stage. The point is that just because you sold a £1000 wall art to someone last year doesn’t mean they’re not going to want another one this year.
A Photographer’s Diary, What’s Your Block?
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You know I have started putting into each week a slot with a video from a business coach and not only does it kick me out of procrastination, it is helping me to look at things afresh.
Moving on from last week taking five minutes each day to visualise how I want my life to go, I sat down and thought hard when in training with a business coach Jack Canfield he asked, ‘What you could you all day every day for a month that would move your business forward?’ The instant answer was get on the phones and speak to people.
When I was sending out invitations for the presentation I did a few weeks ago, I found that I got a better response from people who I rang and spoke to than those that I simply sent an email of introduction. As busy as we are we still do like that personal touch don’t we? A human rather than a machine. I also discovered that by speaking to people they would quite often say, oh have you thought about trying this person or this company. And I also found one person who did some of my marketing for me by passing on my information to many different departments and organisations.
For me it comes back to, what’s stopping me from picking up the phone and making calls? Am I rejecting myself, with reasons why the courses won’t suit a particular company, before I give them the chance to? And the majority of the time it’s a yes. Though not this week, motivated by a video I watched of Anthony Robbins on Friday which helps you to remove your blocks, (the link to it is at the bottom of the article), I have done his exercises and am inspired to call the list of people that I need to. Read More→
Marketing Campaigns for Photographers – The Pinterest Competition
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There’s no denying that in regards to social media, 2012 is all about Pinterest. Everybody seems to be racking their brains to find a way to make it work for them as a marketing tool. There has also been a lot of talk about copyright and the Pinterest terms and conditions so before you sign up you might what to check this article published recently on Mashable -http://mashable.com/2012/03/21/pinterest-copyright-legal-issues/. It is also worth noting that Pinterest have since updated their T&C’s which will go into effect for all users on April 6, 2012
One simple idea that I’ve seen is a competition in which participants aim to create a board in order to win a prize.
The Competition
Create an inspirational Pinterest board (on your own account) that reflects the theme [insert theme]
The board must be named [Your competition title] and finished by [insert end date]
To enter your board share a link [via email/on your Facebook page/in the comments of a blog post]
We will choose the best board that reflects [insert theme] and the winner will receive [insert prize]
What you do
Follow all competition boards and creators.
Comment on pins you like that reflect your style (the theme for the competition should already reflect that anyway).
Share boards on other social media sites and your blog
Marketing Campaigns for Photographers – Create a Competition for Charity
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I’ve seen lots of different promotions from photographers who have run different competitions and many that do charity work but this marketing campaign is a little different.
The biggest difference is that you will be raising funds for charity but you’ll also be making some money for your own pocket too.
What you need
1. Friends
Not just any friends, but lots and lots of what my wife likes to call my “photo friends”. To be more specific, you need a network of photographers either locally or nationally that photograph the same sort of subject as you (babies, pets, seniors etc).
The next thing you have to do is convince them all that you have a wonderful idea for a marketing campaign and it’s not going to cost them too much time or money.
You will need to have all the photographers on board before you begin the promotion of the competition.
2. A Charity
It does help if you choose a charity which will help you with your marketing and promotion. Ideally your charity needs to reflect your area of expertise so if you are a pet photographer then work with animal shelter, if you’re a baby photographer then a children’s hospital might be your choice.
3. Judges
They don’t have to be celebrities but it’s certainly wouldn’t hurt if they were. Obviously they can’t be the photographers entering images but if you manage to sign up a couple of industry experts with judging experience all the better. Read More→
Marketing Campaigns for Photographers – Be a Fool
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“There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on –shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”
There’s something about April Fools day which I love. It’s not recognised as a national holiday, Hallmark don’t sell ‘happy fools day cards’ (then again I could be wrong about that one) and there’s no real target market as adults and children both equally participate.
But it is jolly good fun and these days it’s not restricted to silliness in the playground or fake stories in the newspapers.
Google (or should I say Topeka) have led the way online in recent years but its not just the larger companies that have been noticed. The viral effect of social media means that any small business with the right prank can generate themselves quite a large amount of exposure very quickly.
So why shouldn’t a photography business be any different?
Well, be aware that there is such a thing as bad publicity and if you’re a family portrait photographer then tread very carefully.
3 golden rules for creating an effective Aprils Fools prank Read More→
A Photographer’s Diary; The Bigger Picture
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I’ve started putting some more nurturing activities into the end of my day to help me unwind and relax; a steam room, sauna and whenever I feel like it, the gym upstairs.
A day sat at the computer as you no doubt know yourself, doesn’t give you much chance for exercise. So a quick walk on the treadmill whilst watching, what is fast becoming, my favourite comedy and then retiring to the leisure facilities with a good book, has become a cherished part of my day.
My old back garden
The one thing though that has become a bit tricky is recognising people that I meet in the steam room or sauna once I’m out of it! Let me explain; I wear contact lenses though remove them before going to gym as lenses are uncomfortable in the steam room. So I wear glasses, though obviously not in the steam room or sauna and this is where the problems begin. Read More→
