Archive for Business – Page 21

Starting a Photography Business: Part 25 – The Fun of the Fair

I’m just back from a trade show, Focus on Imaging; the biggest in Europe. My first time was last year when I pretty much just wandered around in a daze until I had an afternoon shot of espresso. My eyes were popping; cameras to play with – even if they were attached to the counter by a metal wire, lenses to fiddle with and gadgets and equipment to convince myself I needed to put on my wish list. Incidentally they are still on my wish list!

Everywhere I looked, another new toy or piece of information was waiting to grab my attention and fire my inspiration. I’ve been to shows like this before, well hmm, agricultural shows! So I’m a wise browser now, I only collect leaflets from a stand that I really need information on, or by the end of the day my arms are dragging the floor, weighed down with the bag full of brochures.

This year the equipment on display was just as fabulous. Though as it was year 2 for me, I used a bit of tactical knowledge.

10:20 am Arrive at show

10:30 am Sit down with espresso and browse the show guide and daily show newspaper to see who was exhibiting, where they were located and what seminars were available.

10:50 am Advance into the fray with purpose avoiding all people with arms outstretched holding out leaflets that I don’t really need. Read More→

2011 WPPI Coverage – Pinhole Pro

Pinhole Pro Logo

I had the chance to meet with Bart Robinson, VP Digital Technologies Group of Pinhole Pro, at the 2011 WPPI Trade show and Conference, to talk about their new web service. Pinhole Pro provides another revenue stream for photographers. Now you can shoot, burn and earn additional income when your client’s purchase premium products from Pinhole Pro using your unique code.

Simply shoot the event, burn the images to disc and give the client your special code. They upload the images to Pinhole Pro to create beautiful products and you continue to earn money long after the event has passed.

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Starting a Photography Business: Part 24 – Photography Tours

As the site gets closer and closer to being ready for business – hopefully I will be giving you a guided tour around it this time next week – I’m starting to think and plan for alternative sources of income.

Photography courses seem like a good option they require little outlay in terms of finances; it’s more a question of time and planning to make sure the guests get value for money. The difference between the research for setting up a photography website is that I was pretty much able to do from sitting in front of a computer, this time for some parts of it any way, it’s about getting out and doing a dummy run.

I’m really enjoying the process of starting to put it all together. In the main they are going to based in Europe, I’ve lived in a few areas of mainland Europe, so my tours will draw on that local experience. Hidden gems of the towns and countryside that I spent hours exploring, restaurants used by locals that serve good tasty food with great service, and a knowledge of locations for sunrise and sunsets, alluring alleyways and hidden coves.

An exciting tour with a twist I’m looking at, working in partnership with a friend who owns a travel agency is, a photography cruise holiday. This all sounds exciting doesn’t it? And it is, yet to make sure a worthwhile course is delivered there are some important structures that need to be in place, not least that the content I give is useful and moves people forward in their photography. Read More→

Marketing Campaigns for Photographers – Getting Press

This is the eighth in our series looking at different marketing campaigns for photographers.

Also in this series:

Marketing Campaigns for Photographers #8 Getting Press

It’s nice to be talked about but don’t be fooled into thinking that your local paper or photography magazine is going to call you up out of the blue and ask if you’d like a 6 page feature!

Read More→

Starting a Photography Business: Part 23 – A Helping Hand

On our mastermind group call last week, we started talking about marketing and how best to do it. We all put our heads together sharing tips, with different people talking about marketing courses they are doing that incorporated social media promotion. I’m not quite sure if there is a right way, or simply a way that you feel more comfortable with.

For my part, this week I’ve started listening to a teleseminar series about marketing, called, ‘know, like, trust’ with Bill Baren, (I will put all links I mention in this article in the notes). The purpose of the series is that marketing is changing and it’s more important than ever, particularly if you are an internet business, to build a relationship with your potential customer so they come to know, like and trust you and finally buy from you. The first interview was with duo, Jeffrey Van Dyk and Suzanne Falter-Barns, of Spiritual Marketing Quest, talking about the best way in a service business to connect with your customers is by using language that they can relate to.

I’ve got an eye on this with a view to a second business – photography related yet more practical – and in this arena doing as they suggest, remembering a pain that has brought you to this point and using that same language from the things you experienced at that time to relate to others is easier in the spiritual market, but can it be transferred to a sales site? Read More→

Marketing Campaigns for Photographers – Keyrings

This is the seventh in our series looking at different marketing campaigns for photographers.

Also in this series:

Marketing Campaigns for Photographers #7 The Humble Keyring

Last week our marketing campaign suggestion was a fairly large one and involved a fair amount of expense….. this week couldn’t be more different!

Read More→