Marketing on a Budget

[by Rosh Sillars]

If you don’t have money for marketing, the next best thing is investing your time. This is not a bad thing. Most photographers will tell you referrals are one of their best sources of business.

Attend free and low-cost local events. Check the local listings for chamber of commerce, advertising club, and trade organization events. Get out there and shake hands, but don’t go empty-handed.

If cost is an issue, design a 4×6 portfolio photo card, which can be printed inexpensively. Tailor the cards specifically for the event. In other words, focus your work on the type of people attending the event rather than presenting your whole portfolio.

First, hand people your card and give a short elevator pitch, which is who you are, what your specialty is, and how they would benefit from using your service.

Next, listen. Then, ask questions about them. Find out who they know who could use your service. Listen some more. The more you let people talk, the more they will like you. You will be amazed at the opportunities that come your way just by asking questions and really listening to the answers.

Take the time to follow up. Send an “it was nice to meet you” card, or if someone offers you tip, lead or suggestion, send a thank you note. These gestures are some of the most powerful, low-cost marketing tools on the planet.

Rosh Sillars is a professional photographer, the co-author of the book Linked photographer, consultant, university instructor and host of newmediaphotographer.com

Social Media

[by Rosh Sillars]

Imagine it is 1995. You are sitting across from a prospect with your portfolio laid out. She flips through the pages of your book and stops at one of your beautiful images. “Wow!” she says. “This is an incredible photograph.”

At this point, she might call a few people to her office to see your work. Chances are, they will not be available. Imagine if she could have pushed a button and sent a copy of that incredible picture along with a big endorsement to all her friends in her business and beyond? In 1995, that button wasn’t available.

Of course, as you leave her office you bump into a familiar face. It’s one of the many photographers you know who is also presenting work that day. The next question you ask yourself is how do you follow up on a regular basis without being a pest?

What about the clients that disappeared, lost their jobs or moved? Where did they go? How could you keep in touch for future opportunities?

What about competing with the photographers on the coasts who always seem to know the latest styles and equipment in 1995? Wouldn’t it be nice to have access to that information without waiting months for the photography magazines to publish? How about easily accessible, in-depth how-to information from the top professionals — anytime or place – with the option to ask follow-up questions?

What about the ability to share your images around the world without a large marketing budget, or the power to monitor the local or international markets for people in need of your service? None of this was possible in 1995.

This is 2010 and what I’ve described is what social media does for individuals and businesses. The magic buttons for people to share your portfolio with all their friends is available. The ability to have buyers subscribe to your latest images, purchase select images at 3:00 a.m. at your price or view your photographs passively at their leisure is a reality. Access to the newest information and the world is here.

Are these stupid and a waste of time?

Rosh Sillars is a media and corporate photographer, host of www.newmediaphotographer.com and co-author of the book Linked Photographer.

The Best Way to Compete with Amateurs is… Don’t!

[by Rosh Sillars]

Trying to compete with someone whose purpose is to make a little extra money on the side without the overhead of a professional business is not realistic. It is a quick path to business failure.

Technology has set the bar lower then ever for entering the field of photography as a hobby, part-time job or career. The mystery of the photographers’ black box has been made simple and easy for anyone to use. The best way to build a career in photography today is create new mystery and magic that cannot be easily replicated.

Today’s professional photographer must set himself apart from the pack by offering advanced style, unique concepts, and an incredible photographic experience.

It’s easier said than done. Professional photographers cannot market solely on 20 years of business experience, great service and a portfolio of famous clients. If people don’t see the magic in your portfolio, they will be unwilling to pay the premium price you deserve.

Rosh Sillars is a media and corporate photographer, host of www.newmediaphotographer.com and co-author of the book Linked Photographer.

Guide Them in for a Landing

[by Rosh Sillars]

Create special landing pages for your marketing activities. A landing page is designed to receive incoming advertising traffic and is generally not linked directly to the rest of your Web site.

Make sure you install Google Analytics to help track landing page activity.

Use these special Web pages for all your promotions. If you advertise in a magazine, at a trade show, by e-mail or use social media, make sure the landing page relates to your marketing effort. For example, if you advertise in a construction trade magazine, create a URL that looks like this: www.yoursite.com/construction.html

Make sure the Web page relates to the prospects you are driving to it. In other words, the example page described above should talk about construction and display construction-related images.

Make sure your landing page has a call to action and a request for e-mail or contact information.

Test and tweak your pages until you earn the performance and goals desired.

Rosh Sillars is a veteran photographer, digital marketing consultant, host of www.newmediaphotographer.com and co-author of the book Linked Photographer.

Keep Your Blog Safe

[by Rosh Sillars]

Someone hacked the New Media Photographer site last week. It was a high-level attack through the GoDaddy.com servers.

These attacks have occurred in last six weeks to blogs and Web sites large and small. You might want to enlist a service to monitor your site such as sucuri.net . If you discover your site has been hacked they have scripts and tips to help clear your system.

I was able to clean out my site in forty-five minutes using their recommendations.

What tips would you share to protect your site?

Rosh Sillars is a veteran photographer, digital marketing consultant, host of www.newmediaphotographer.com and co-author of the book Linked Photographer.

An Old Salesman’s Secret

[by Rosh Sillars]

Early in my career I worked at a furniture store to earn extra money.

One day an older salesman came in to buy a chair. We began talking and before long I sensed that he had taken a liking to me. Naturally we talked sales. He asked me if I wanted to know the secret to his sales success. Of course, I answered.

It’s quite simple, he explained. The secret to success is all in what he called “the ol’ follow up.”

Although the advice seemed obvious, something about it clicked with me.

The more I thought about the older salesman’s words, the more I realized that many of us fail to follow up. Do you make sure your prospects’ questions are answered? Do you ask your customers if they are satisfied with your work/product/service? Do you confirm appointments? Do you say “thank you” to your clients?

Failing to follow through is a bad habit. Inaction often is rooted in fear.

Sometimes we are frozen in place because we don’t know what to say. It is hard to ask a prospect or client the following questions?

* Did I get the job?
* When are you going to call me back?
* Did you like my portfolio?
* Where is the information you promised?
* Are you ever going to pay me!?

Try this instead: “Hello, I’m just following up.”

The magic of these words is in their simplicity. I use them all the time when I make phone calls, send e-mails and texts. Following up is non-threatening and is a little more subtle than “Did I get the job?”

If you have you any questions, please, feel free to follow up.

New Technology = New Opportunity

[by Rosh Sillars]

Using new technology, photographers can test drive and implement new business models. One such way is the selling stock or print images directly to buyers without meeting in person, the assistance of agents or agencies.

Sites such as PhotoShelter offer great image display options and delivery systems that make it easy for Web site visitors to purchase your photography. You can set up a private gallery that gives buyers the opportunity to purchase prints and products based on their schedule.  A custom stock library of photographs can be created for your clients to download as needed.

If you want an e-commerce solution, but don’t want customers to leave your site, Fotomoto is a good option. Visitors can view your images on your Web site or blog and  purchase them without leaving the page. All you need to do is install a little bit of code or a plug-in to make your site capable of handling sales transactions.

Imagine placing a simple QR bar code next to your beautiful photographs on display in a coffee shop. (Create a QR code at qrcode.kaywa.com.) Customers in the coffee shop, who have smart phones and are interested in your photograph, can take a picture of the bar code using a special phone application that displays  the purchase information on their phone screen.  Purchase information  may include a Web site address that might offer one of the above options for instant purchase of the image.

I’m not suggesting that the above technologies are right for everyone. New technology develops at a fast pace; I recommend you use your imagination and plan out a new business model that would work best for you and your customers.  You might be surprised at what is possible.

Successful Marketing is Not About You, It’s About Them

[by Rosh Sillars]

The truth is your prospects really don’t care about your great photographs, your excellent service, or how long you have been in business.

They want your photography to make them look good. They want to  experience your excellent service. They want to see what exciting images you can create for them now.

Everything you do is marketing. Every element that involves the client has a marketing aspect to it: when you answer the phone, when you show your images, and when you deliver the final product. Let others talk  about your great service. Your photography assignments need to revolve around a great customer experience that makes each one feel like the center of their universe. hero.

When advertising your work, make sure it shows your audience what you can do for them. Design your Web site with clients’ needs in mind, not your own greatness.

Only a select few can get away with playing the role of the aloof, narcissistic or eccentric photographer.  There are too many choices in the market place. This might be hard to swallow for some photographers. If you are going to make a living in an over-supplied industry, you must be able to deliver more than a pretty picture.  Working with you must be an experience that focuses on them.

The Winning Path

[by Rosh Sillars]

People generally take the path of least resistance.  Opportunities arise all the time, but we don’t always follow through on them.

Think about the great opportunities you have missed.  What were your excuses? Did you have too much on your plate already? A scheduling conflict? You simply forgot? Most likely the root cause was that you didn’t have the information necessary to follow through quickly. Opportunity lost.

I’ll bet many of the opportunities you let slip away only required a few simple things. Maybe it was a biography, a photograph, pricing information or connections. You didn’t miss the opportunity for  business promotion or a unique job because you didn’t have these things. You lost the opportunity because they weren’t easily available.

Don’t let that happen again. Create a folder on your desktop.  Write three personal biographies.  One should be a quick paragraph, another should be about three paragraphs long and the last should be a full page of highlights about you and your career.

Next, make sure you have a current photograph.  Update it every few years.  It sounds funny to say that to a photographer, but you and I know the reality.

Place a least two lists in your folder. One list should contain your basic pricing for most expenses and every type of job you would accept.  This way you have a reference and will not procrastinate or delay trying to figure out where to start.  Most importantly, you don’t want to undervalue your work.

The other list should contain names and phone numbers of people you’ve met with specialized services that may be of benefit when a unique job becomes available.

Last, create a folder within your folder of images for both Web and print of your best photographs for promotion.  Make sure you have at least five to share.

Knowing you have this information will give you the confidence to act quickly. Now, when opportunities arise, you will be prepared to respond immediately.  Don’t give your prospects the chance to take the path of least resistance and call on someone else who is prepared.

Future Success

[by Rosh Sillars]

The last decade brought the standardization of digital photography, an increased interest in the craft and the commoditization of photographic images.

Many of the bread-and-butter jobs that once fed our families are now gone. Let it go and don’t look back.

Change is constant. Turn around and face the future. Technology, which has taken our opportunities, now offers new possibilities.

Photographers can be more creative than ever with higher quality image capture, unbelievable post processing and multimedia opportunities.

The Internet and social media have eliminated the barriers to sharing your vision with an international audience.  Photographers are connecting with people in cities, states and countries not even on the radar just a few years ago.

Over the next year we will hear more about real-time applications and augmented reality. People will become more connected, social and mobile.

In the future, photographers will need more creativity, communication and marketing skills to succeed.  One thing that will not change: people and relationships. They are and will continue to be the foundation of a photographer’s success.

Got Google Goggles?

[by Rosh Sillars]

For those still in doubt about the growing importance of social media, please consider the following ideas.

Approximately 80 percent of people with Internet access use search engines to find or review products and services. Google, the No. 1 search engine, recently announced that social media activity would be displayed along with the traditional site links in search results.

This means up-to-the-minute posts on blogs and popular social media platforms such as Twitter will be prominently displayed. This action, along with similar upgrades from the search engine Bing, will draw a larger audience to social media platforms and communities.

What about the offline world?

As smart phones continue to grow in popularity and applications become more powerful, social media will continue to impact traditionally offline businesses.

Smart phone applications such as Yelp allow users to photograph a row of businesses along a city street and within moments, obtain business names, social media ratings and reviews.

Google just released Google Goggles, a smart phone application that lets users photograph an object such as a book, logo, business card or landmark in order to obtain information about that object.

Additionally, Google Goggles can read easily accessible bar codes, which business owners can display in creative ways, such as placing them on street-side windows, packaging or marketing materials, to share additional information for smart phone users about their products or services.

People will continue to seek guidance and opinions from social media communities they trust. This includes searching for and hiring a photographer.

Good Data Supports Good Choices

[by Rosh Sillars]

Your opinion can cost you money.  The colors you choose for your Web site, the words you use, and the images you select all pay a role in the success of your site.  It is important to use good data to help you construct a Web site that attracts and retains your target market.

One of the most common methods of creating and tracking data is to install Google Analytics. Use Analytics to follow traffic sources to and bounce rates from your Web site. If you have not yet installed this, you are doing yourself a disservice.

There are additional services available on the Web that may answer questions you have not even thought to ask, such as:

How are your competitors doing? You can find the answer at www.compete.com.

What are the demographics of the people visiting your Web site? Are you attracting your target market? www.quantcast.com can help answer these questions.

If you are interested in one of the most current Internet analytic applications that offers a rich user interface and real-time data, you can sign up as a beta tester for www.woopra.com.

Be careful; don’t overwhelm yourself with useless data. Ask yourself questions first, then use the best tools available to gather quality data to help you make good decisions.

Routines Keep Me More Productive

[by Rosh Sillars]

If you are an independent photographer, routine may not be in your vocabulary.  I enjoy my freedom. To me, the word routine conjures up images of restrictive cubicles, repetitive tasks and stressful commutes.

But, in order to keep my life on target I employ what I call my mini-routine.  It contains specific action items I do every business day.  Each of these actions only takes 10-20 minutes. My goal is to accomplish these tasks in the morning.

Each day is different and I need to be flexible. My only personal mandate is that each item in my routine be completed by end of day.  My list contains the same six to eight things every day. Every few months I reevaluate the mini-routine and make adjustments where they are necessary.

What is on my routine list? Everything that I traditionally don’t like or let slip away as a best practice: exercise, accounting, sending thank you notes and home repairs.

The idea is to prevent small things from turning into big problems or projects. In the past I’ve left my accounting unreconciled for months. By spending just minutes each day on minimal tasks I stay on top of the game.

If you like exercise and find it to be a favorite pastime, then it doesn’t belong on your list. If you’re really good at keeping on top of your accounting — find something else to put in your routine.

I know that if I don’t eat a good breakfast each morning I’m not as productive during the day.  Sometimes I need to put eating in my routine just to keep on the right path.

What are five or six things you don’t like or avoid that affects your business success or quality of life? If you create a mini-routine you will find it ultimately relieves stress, improves productivity and life harmony.

First Day at PPE

[by Rosh Sillars]

Why am I so excited about Photo Plus Expo?

While I’ve photographed many trade shows in my professional career, I have never attended a major photographic industry show.

This is an opportunity to learn from some of the top people in our field and to see some of the latest equipment and technology, which will keep me on top of my game.

Based on experience, I also understand that one of the greatest benefits of a show like this exists outside of the exhibition hall and classrooms. The chance to meet new people in the hallways and at social events can lead to new information, education and opportunities.

If you are attending Photo Plus Expo, take the opportunity to say hello to as many people as possible. Ask questions. Remember, you can learn from people at all levels of photography.

Attracting Readers to Your Blog

[By Rosh Sillars]

Attracting new readers is a big part of the blogging game.

Many people keep blogs for their own satisfaction. It’s a place to share their thoughts or show off their creative efforts. But deep down inside most bloggers want more readers and subscribers. They want their blogs to be successful.

In order to be a successful blogger, you need a plan. You need to develop a theme and focus on the type of audience you want to attract. Here are a few suggestions that will help you grow your reader base:

First, comment on other blogs. Be authentic and engaging. Don’t make the comments all about you; develop a voice that will attract your audience.

Second, make sure your headlines and posts contain key words related to your blog and theme. We live in a key-word world. If you have a Twitter account, use the same key words on Twitter to help drive traffic to your blog. Don’t be afraid to share relevant older posts with your social media followers. In many cases, the posts are still new to them.

Third, create a group related to the theme of your blog. You can use Facebook, Linkedin, Yahoo, Google or Flickr to attract your target audience. In some cases, you should create a related forum under your blog domain or use a site such as Ning.com to develop a community.

Some people prefer to receive blog updates via e-mail. Make sure you have an easy-to-find RSS (Real Simple Syndication) subscription button and an e-mail subscription invite box. Do do this, you can use services such as FeedBurner.com or Feedblitz.com.

The most important action you can take is to reward and champion the followers who support you. These are the people who will help make your blog a success.

Developing a Social Media Plan

Social media does not replace what already works in your marketing plan. It’s an addition. The key word is planning.

Many people mistakenly approach social media like it’s direct marketing. They look for the ROI with every action. In the world of social media, ROI represents Return On Influence. It’s about becoming an expert and developing a community of people around you who admire your work and tell other people. It’s more like public relations.

If you’ve been in sales long enough, and we are all in sales, you understand the power of good people who refer your work. They can direct a lot of business your way. One of the foundations of social media for business is to attract, encourage, and champion your evangelists. Reach out to them and give them the ammunition they need to send more opportunities your way.

I like to think of the development of a social media plan as a solar system.

In the center of your solar system is your sun or your Web site. The Web site is your brochure. Nearby, your blog orbits like a moon. Your blog is designed as a center point for your community to gather and develop a deeper understanding of you and your work. Your Web site is where you sell.

Next are the inner planets. These are hybrid sites such as YouTube and Flickr. Share and connect ideas on these sites. Since they are hybrid sites, you can also blog, comment and share deeper insights into who you are as a photographer.

Finally, there are the outer planets. Sites such as Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn cultivate and develop your community. While all of your sites should attract new community members, your outer plants are your front line for engagement.

The goal is to use the outer planets to direct people to your inner planets, moon and sun. As people travel deeper within your solar system, they likely will become fans or evangelists of you and your work.

What Web sites do you develop and place within your solar system? The answer is it all depends on your target market. Many of the standard sites mentioned above are a good start, but look deeper for Web sites, communities and forums where your target market actually hangs out.

Talking shop with other photographers is the slow way to develop a community of new prospects and clients – unless your target market is photographers.

Develop a plan, earn trust, and grow your business through engagement with people who care about you in your personal solar system.

Free Isn’t New

Does the concept of free economy mean anything to you? What if we replaced the word free with low-risk? Is the concept of low-risk economy easier to understand?

One of the most powerful companies in the world, Google, offers its core services for free. There is no risk involved in Google. There is no risk when you click on the ads that feed their coffers. Software developers have been using the low-risk economy concept for years. The idea is to allow you to try the product for free or use a “lite” version in the hope that you see the value and want to purchase the full software package later.

Unfortunately, many companies have used this concept poorly. As a result, they have devalued their product or service. They failed to present the product’s value up front. The impression is that the service isn’t worth the price.

If you offer free services to attract clients, make sure the true value is stated or implied. Retail portrait photographers have used this technique for years by waiving the sitting fee in order to reap the value of their work through reprints.

When implemented properly, the Internet’s free economy works the same way. Offering free products or services can increase visibility, attracts fans and create buzz. Often, only a small percentage of new prospects may be willing to upgrade. But, if the product or service offers value, quality sales will result from the low-risk offer.

I Don’t Have Time For Social Media!

The belief that social media is a waste of time is one of the biggest objections I hear when talking to people about the subject.

Social media is a communication platform.  A cell-phone is also a communication tool.  I can assure you my teenager doesn’t use it very efficiently, but this doesn’t diminish the fact that it’s an important part of my business.

Social media Web sites are the training wheels for how we will be doing business in the future. Corporations are employing and implementing collaborative business models to support creativity, efficiency and improve their bottom line.  Social media platforms are the foundation of these new models. Photographers will need to know how to plug in.

As mass media continues to decline, word of mouth and referrals become more important to business. Social media offers the tools for a photographer to establish themselves as expert to a larger audience.

Social media networking allows photographers the ability to communicate effectively and develop deeper relationships with current clients. Even more impressive is the ability to earn new prospects, evangelists and clients well beyond the borders of your local community.

Who doesn’t have time for that?