Social Media: Relax…

[by Thomas Werner]

Much has been made of social media and it’s importance in terms of building your market and creating greater visibility for yourself and your business. While I agree social media has become essential to a well-rounded marketing a program, I find the emphasis many have placed on this topic a little extreme.

While giving lectures I often hear people say they have been told to spend one hour a day on social media. That is an extraordinary amount of time to devote to what should become a consistent but casual interaction in which relationships are developed over the course of time. If you spend a couple of hours a week reaching out, creating new connections, and letting people know what you are doing via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, you should find your network slowly growing and the benefits to yourself and your business growing as well.

Leave the five or seven hour a week to those who want to become online  “experts” in this field. Get out, create images, have lunch with an old client, find new ways to partner with an expanded network of creatives in your city.  Develop your marketing plan and relax when it comes to social media; grow your social network in a manner that you are comfortable with and your “friends” and “contacts” will be comfortable as well.

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.

Why Define Your Ideal Client?

[by Carolyn Potts]

Once you define your ideal client, you will have better focus finding and working with them

The most essential step in creating an effective marketing plan is to first decide who you want to work with. If you don’t have a specific answer to that question, you won’t know where to begin to look for them.

Almost every photographer who calls me for photography marketing help has the same basic issue: “I want more work. How do I get it?” I wish there was a simple solution to offer them; but like any goal worth going after, it first takes some understanding of what the end goal actually looks like.

One of the first things I do is first ask them: “What kind of client do you want to work with? What kind of work brings out the best in you?” or the corollary “What kind of work does NOT inspire you on any level?

Many times I get “I don’t really care. I just want work!” While I totally sympathize with that generalized need (in this economy especially!), any viable photography marketing plan MUST begin with narrowing down what might be the best client/market niche for YOU to pursue.

The narrowing down process I go through with my clients is, of course, far more individualized and in-depth, but here are a few key questions that will go a long way in helping you choose strategies and tactics to reach YOUR ideal prospects. They’re simple questions, not easily answered, but ones which are critical to your success.

When you’ve found the answers to these questions you have the beginnings of a road map that can help you eliminate or avoid marketing activities that will not give you as high a return on your investment of time and money.

•What kind of clients could most benefit from what I bring to the table?
•What do I do that an advanced amateur photographer could not do as well–or at all?
•What market segments will NOT appreciate my level of professionalism?
•If it’s an uneducated market segment, am I willing to do “”whatever it takes” to help those potential clients understand the real value I add to their business?
•What kinds of assignments/projects do I always love doing?

You’ve probably heard the advice “it’s important to first know where you want to go before picking up a map.” Knowing that destination will determine which marketing map you actually use. Many marketing resources discuss this concept in depth, but I prefer the succinct wisdom of Lily Tomlin: “I’ve always wanted to be somebody, but I see now I should have been more specific.”

What’s the Difference?

[by Judy Herrmann]

Focusing on differentiation is a great way to improve your marketing efforts.   Make a list of 10 really good reasons why someone should hire you instead of someone else.  Your images don’t count – producing good images is a given these days – this is all about added value.

While you’re making and prioritizing your list, do some research!  Come up with creative ways to find out what your prospects and clients care about most when hiring a photographer. Incorporate what you learn into this exercise.

Once you have your prioritized list of differentiators, make sure your marketing materials clearly communicate them.  Make a cheat sheet to keep by the phone to remind you what your key selling points are so you don’t forget to bring them up when talking with clients or prospects.  Obviously, you can’t be too heavy-handed here but keeping your value points by your side will make it easier to spot appropriate moments to mention them.

Killer Contradictions

[by Leslie Burns]
You can’t be a high-value (and thus higher priced) photographer if you are cheap and disrespectful to other creatives. Sadly, far too many photographers behave like this. Some squeeze a penny until Lincoln screams and their vendors cringe. They do this under the guise of being wise businesspeople, and while saving money is good, they end up looking low-end to their targets and nasty to other creative pros.

One big area where I see this is in their websites. Too many photographers do some form of DIY with their sites and it always, always shows. If you think you are the exception whose site looks and works great, you are not. Sorry to be harsh, but there it is. I see it every day. You are not a designer, and most certainly not a web designer, so stop fooling yourself.

The worst part about this is what it says about respecting other creative professionals. How can you tell your targets that what you do is of great value and that they can’t do it themselves when you are behaving towards other creative professionals (web  design pros) exactly like those who say to you “I shouldn’t have to pay so much for this– I can use a camera and this isn’t that hard”? You can’t. It’s rank hypocrisy.

I hear photographers complain about not owning their sites after they pay for them—this is the same as your targets complaining about not getting the copyright to the images for almost no money. Or photographers saying they shouldn’t have to pay more for design changes or hosting.

If you treat other creative professionals as valued partners, you will not only help their bottom lines, but your own. They are and/or know your targets! They can bring you business. And, in your marketing, you will also elevate your brand perception to everyone because you will be getting better design.

So please, stop being cheap and hypocritical. Instead, be open, treat others as you would like to be treated, and open your wallet in situations like this. A small investment in respect and money will pay for itself in no time.

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.

What About Flickr?

[by Thomas Werner]

Art buyers and art directors look for photos in the places they are most familiar and comfortable with. Put your photos up on Flickr, a large number of art buyers and photo researchers look for, and purchase, images there.

Great Idea for Your Holiday Promo

[by Leslie Burns-Dell'Acqua]

As we head into the holidays, photographers are trying to think of holiday promos. I have the perfect solution: next year plan ahead and decide what to do in, say, July or August.

Sorry. I know that sounds harsh, but the reality is, if you haven’t planned out your promo by now, you are throwing something together and it will likely not be very successful. If you are lucky, you may get a little bump in web activity, but it is unlikely that you’ll get the payoff you could get from a well planned promo.

The pressure to think up something this late is an extra roadblock you just do not need. Also, if you do come up with a good idea, the short time frame for execution is another hurdle. So often, when you make last-minute promo plans, you will get so busy with work-work (not a bad thing in many ways, of course) that you won’t have the time to execute your promo plan correctly.

So, here is what I suggest: if you don’t have a promo ready to go, take the ideas you are getting now and write them in your calendar as a tickler to pop up in July of next year. Instead, make this holiday one where you just give and don’t try to make anything marketing-ish out of it. Contribute to your favorite (non-religious) charity and shoot your list an email letting them know that is what you are doing this year. Thank your clients for making such gifting possible.

In fact, you can make that your traditional promo for each year instead of spending on self-promotion. Not to toot my own horn, but this is what my company does every year. I  buy a big pile of toys (mostly games) and contribute them to Toys for Tots. Doing so helps those who would otherwise not have a very happy holiday season and, honestly, the response I get from my list is always incredibly positive. No one misses getting another holiday promo.

But doing a great holiday promo can be fun, your targets can love it, and it can help your business. So next year, plan on doing something fabulous. Maybe a motion photography holiday “card.” Maybe have a party for your local targets where you also can gather contributions for the local food bank. Maybe make great t-shirts or develop a holiday app. But if you don’t have plans yet this year, don’t panic, and help others instead.

Three tips for Holiday Promos & Gifts

[by Judy Herrmann]

1) Don’t get lost in the “Holiday” shuffle – this time of year, everyone’s getting way too much stuff from way too many people.  Do something simple for the Holiday-with-a-capital-H season then pick a different date to show your clients how much you value and appreciate them.  You can use a smaller holiday or even just pick a random date.  A thank you gift when you’re not expecting it or another box in the pile of stuff on your desk in December, which would you remember more?

2) Research gift policies before sending – many corporations, educational institutions and government agencies have strict policies prohibiting employees from accepting anything worth more than $25.00.  Be sure that your clients can accept your gift before placing them in the awkward position of having to send it back.

3) Make it personal – if all you’re sending is a preprinted card with your name scrawled somewhere, well, all I can say is when I get those cards, I don’t think “Wow, this person really values their relationship with me.”  Instead, address the envelope by hand, write a personalized message, pick an image you know they’ll really love – do something to let them know they matter enough for you to spend a moment thinking about what matters to them.

Make it Personal or It Isn’t a Gift

[by Thomas Werner]

When giving a gift to client don’t give something that is too expensive and don’t give something that is a self promotion. Expensive may make a client nervous, and self promotion really isn’t a gift.

Try a small ten or twelve dollar book of photography. It feels more personal, can be tailored to each client’s personal taste, and relates to your business without saying “business.”  The goal is to say thank you and connect in a way that your self promotion does not.

Good luck, and the best to all over the holidays!

Navigating the Gift-giving Minefield

[by Charles Gupton]

This time of the year between Thanksgiving and Christmas draws our attention to not only giving thanks for the rich blessings in our lives, but saying “thank you” to people who’ve helped us make progress in our lives during the year. But it can be a very awkward time because of the potential implications that can accompany the gift-giving process. Where company guidelines don’t set clear boundaries, what seems like a simple act of saying “I appreciate you!” can become a minefield.

While reading “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman many years ago, I quickly realized that understanding how to show someone that they are appreciated had implications far beyond trying to improve my own marriage. The premise of the book is that everybody has a primary means of “hearing” that they are loved or appreciated, and that they tend to use their primary language as they communicate their feelings to others, as well.  The five languages are:
•    Words of affirmation
•    Receiving gifts
•    Acts of service
•    Quality time
•    Physical touch

Although it takes some observation, learning how to communicate to the people around us that they are appreciated can help build a deeper, trusting relationship with them. For example, if a client you want to say “thanks” to values quality time with her spouse, she may appreciate a gift card to a quiet restaurant more than a beautiful vase of flowers or a signed print. For someone who values acts of service, a gift of ten hours from an errand service would probably mean more than a case of wine.

This may seem to be a no-brainer, but in our rush to get something done, we often look at the solution based on what we value rather than what the receiver might deem most significant. What do you think?

‘Tis the Season …

[by Gail Mooney]

When my daughter was a young child she always used to draw a picture for our Christmas card.  Most times they were quite abstract and if we hadn’t titled her illustrations and written a Christmas greeting, the receiver might not have known it was a holiday card at all.  As she got older and her artistic ability improved, the cards became less abstract but still had the charm and the whimsy of a child.

Putting together these cards used to take a lot of time and wasn’t cheap.  We had to bring the original drawings to a prepress house for scanning and printing.  These days it’s a snap and I could get them done in house in less than a day’s time.

My daughter just graduated from college and is on her own now so we’ve had to come up with new ideas for holiday cards but to this day I still get comments from art directors who received those holiday cards so many years ago.

Here’s a question for you: How many clients do you need?

[by Judy Herrmann]

No, really – 1,000?  500? 50? 10?

If you’re like me, the number’s a lot closer to the right than the left.  In fact, what I really need, what I really want is a core group of repeat clients who I like and respect and who like and respect my work.

If you’re dying to be EVERYBODY’s photographer, read no further.  But if you, like me, are looking to build relationships with like-minded people with whom you can produce creatively satisfying work then I’ve got a crazy idea for you.

What if we stop scattering seeds to the wind in the hopes they’ll land on fertile ground?

What if we stop the mass mailings and emailers and broadcast marketing blasts that go to faceless, anonymous people who are already receiving thousands of these things from a multitude of faceless, anonymous photographers?

What if we take the time to find those individuals whose aesthetics and visual communications needs really resonate with what we love to do.

What if we took that common ground, mixed it with a little creativity, ingenuity and good-old fashioned chutzpah and used it to build relationships with those individuals instead of marketing to them?

Maybe, just maybe, we’d actually get what we want.

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.

Web Design Essentials

[by Carolyn Potts]

What’s the business objective of my web site? As visual artists we’re primarily drawn to the play of
light, shadow, color and contrast as they often serve as the basis of our sheer delight. We’re also easily distracted by bright, shiny, and pretty things.

A marketing trap that one can fall into is to simply emulate the web design of a photographer whose photos and web site we admire. Award-winning web sites with lots of stunning visuals suck us right in and lead us to ‘be inspired” (i.e., copy them) when creating our own site; often there’s  little if no attention paid to asking if the design is resonant with our own branding and the needs of the people we want to attract.

An ironic liability of a too-over-the-top web design, is that it risks alienating a market segment who you could have served; they can end up thinking “they can no longer afford you.” (Yes, that’s actually happened).

Your best site design strategy is one that reflects both YOUR brand and what YOUR target audience needs. The photographer you admire may be serving a completely different market.

You must define who your “ideal client” is before you can build a site that will appeal to them.
Here are some questions to help you define your “ideal client.”

What do I know about my target customer’s needs when they first arrive on my site?
E.g. If you’re targeting ad agencies, your site must have features that serve the needs of the time-pressed and collaborative work environment. Some way of displaying thumbnails are a must.

The timeline in wedding photography is usually a lot less deadline-driven (shotgun weddings not withstanding..;-) and therefore the wedding market visitor arrives at a more leisurely pace often looking for an experience (usually romantic) from your imagery E.g. they might respond favorably to interactive and experiential features (e.g. music)–ironically the same ones which usually alienate business clients.

The corporate market customer may require more copy to about your services to gain purchasing approval from colleagues outside of the creative department. Some features (e.g. light-boxes) also might require more instructional copy in one market than another.

But what if either by geography or economic necessity you’re trying to reach several markets with one site?
You can. Just don’t try to be all things to all people all the time.
Develop a targeted web strategy to drive different market segments to specific areas of your site or to sub-domains.

You are essentially a service business. So are your insurance company and your bank; they have different marketing plans–and related web pages– to reach both the sports car driver and the soccer mom. Their marketing strategies are different based on the different needs of each market. You can do that too. Unless your target market is other photographers, design your web strategy accordingly.

Gaining the admiration of your fellow photographers–while it sure feels nice–might not be the best business goal for your bottom line.

Start Pounding the Pavement

[by Leslie Burns-Dell'Acqua]

Jump start your marketing by calling three targets every day for the next two weeks. Not the same three, of course. If local, try to get a meeting. If not, ask if you can send your book.

(you can keep doing this after two weeks, but commit to that time to start)

If you don’t have a book, don’t do this. Instead, your assignment is to draw up a plan to produce a great book. Several, in fact. Priority.

Remember, personal meetings are the most effective way of getting work. You have to have a real book to do that. And you have to make the calls.

Blog Smart

[by Judy Herrmann]

In the past few months, I’ve worked with a number of photographers who are struggling with their blogs.  Their technology is fine – they’ve been successfully managing their blogs for several years and have worked out the kinks.  They post regularly and have a rhythm down.  Their site analytics reveal lots of unique visitors who leave lots of nice comments. Their blogs are perfect in every way except one.

The community they’ve spent all this time cultivating will probably never spend a dime supporting their families.  Why?  Because instead of posting information of interest to the client side, they’ve focused on what interests them. As a result, they’ve built a strong, vibrant community ofŠcompetitors.

Now, I’m not saying that everything you do has to be rooted in a profit motive.  If the compensation you’re getting takes another form (like giving you a platform to push yourself creatively) that still counts.  These photographers would tell you, though, that after awhile the novelty wears thin and as much as they’ve enjoyed the ego strokes, the effort they’ve put into building this community has used up a lot of time, energy and elbow grease that could have been tapped more profitably.

In times like these, few of us can afford the luxury of investing time or money in places where the return on investment is low to none.  These photographers now have a tough choice to make. They can come up with a way to generate income from the community they’ve built or start over and focus on building a new community of people who’ll pay cash money for what they already sell.  Either way, they’ve got a lot more time to invest before they’ll see much return.

If you’re gonna blog, blog smart.  Make your blog interesting and useful to the people who need what you sell.  Show them your value.  Show them how you can help them.  If doing this consistently seems overwhelming, consider guest blogging as a way of reaching the right audience.  As these photographers have learned, blogs can be a powerful marketing tool but that marketing doesn’t help you much unless it’s reaching the right people.Blgo

Your Blog As A Client Resource

[By Paul S. Bartholomew]

Blogs are a great extension to a website. They keep people updated on recent activities and are a great way to bring up some constructive discussion. Another great way to use a blog is to educate and inform.

For me it comes down to the topic of the week and what’s on my mind. If I have a great photo shoot or personal project, I may share some images and talk about the challenges involved. If I run into an interesting situation that catches my attention, I may post an informative topic that can be used as a resource. Not just for other photographers but also to clients.

I had a nice conversation with not just one but two clients this past week. Both enjoy reading my blog and seeing what I’m up to. One client found my informative topics interesting and said he reads them during his lunch break.

Placing a blog link on your website is one of the usual ways to drive clients your site, but what about using it as a resource? I occasionally post topics that are inspired by client interactions. A common question I’m asked is about post-production fees, so I created a blog post explaining the process along with images for examples. Not only does this reinforce the explanation but it also attracts future visits for other topics. It’s a great way to keep your name in mind.

The One Thing

[by Leslie Burns-Dell'Acqua]

I love to ask this question of successful photographers: What one marketing thing has contributed the most to your success? I ask it because I know it is what other photographers want to know and expect me to ask, but I also know what the answer will be. Successful photographers always answer something to the effect of “everything” and usually it will settle down to that “everything” being a consistent & cohesive image of the photographer him/herself via multiple tools.

I recently asked Therese Gietler who works with her husband, Portland OR-based photographer Andy Batt, to answer this question. Andy has been featured in Communication Arts and has shot for clients like VW. Therese answered “Marketing is a strange beast. The ROI is so subtle and hard to miss. For us, it has rarely led directly to a job. It has been more circuitous.” This is accurate for most. It is the combination of all the different tools that somehow, almost magically, combine into a whole presence that reaches and touches your targets.

That being said, Therese did emphasize personal meetings in their toolbox. Andy has a great personality and it makes a big impact. Too many photographers underemphasize their appearance and personability as factors in their marketing, but if you can get a target to say (quoting Therese who was quoting a target speaking about Andy) “He was just here, he’s awesome, can’t wait to work with him…” well, you just can’t promo your way to that!  Everything they do in their marketing is reflective of Andy’s personality as a photographer, and then he puts the icing on the cake with his meetings by showing up in great clothes and with his open, up-beat personality. Targets like him and targets want to work with people they like.

David Zaitz is an LA-based photographer who has shot for clients like BP Solar and Esquire. He came into photography after having been a rep and his marketing approach is also about the whole package, personality, and consistency. He puts an important special emphasis on appearances beyond the images (although as he notes, the images are the first concern, always) when he answers my question: “Presentation, presentation, presentation:  I’ve always had a keen interest in graphic design and advertising so I’m innately aware of how things are presented as I believe that people (ESPECIALLY those in advertising) respond well to good, thoughtful presentation.” He also pointed out that like most photographers he has an interest in design, but he is not a designer and so he hires a designer to create all his materials.

David addresses what to do before you get those important meetings by making sure all his materials and especially his website are honestly reflective of who he is as a photographer, “I want to give art buyers and art directors an idea of what it’s like to work with me, even if they haven’t met me.” Being consistent and cohesive in all his materials strengthens that message, and he uses a lot of tools including direct mail, email, and web sourcebooks like workbook.com, altpick.com and at-edge.com. Finally, his choices for his portfolio clearly emphasize his vision as the core of all this, “My portfolio consists of primarily personal and self-promotion imagery in order to attract the kind of assignment work that I want to shoot, versus pandering to my audience by showing them what I think they want to see.”

So just what is the one thing you can rely on as being the most effective for your marketing? Being the best, most creative you you can be and putting that out to your targets consistently.

Multi-Faceted Marketing

[by Gail Mooney]

Marketing has taken on a much broader meaning these days, mostly because of social media.  A few years ago, my marketing may have consisted of an ad in a source book, a mailer every other month and an emailer.

I’ve pretty much cut back on any print marketing – meaning source book ads and postcard mailings.  I still send out an email promo every 4-6 weeks of so to a targeted audience that has “opted in”. But the big difference is that I don’t stop there.  I include lots of links to my blog, website and any press mention in any emailers I do.

But more importantly I use my blog as a marketing tool to drive people to my website.  And I use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to direct people to my latest blog.  So it kind of becomes a roundtrip marketing approach.  Tweets driving people to my blog and my blog driving traffic to my website etc.

Another “soft” marketing tactic is to take part in discussions on Linkedin and make comments on Facebook (when relevant) because all that is “viral” and for the most part indexed so that in itself gets your name out there on a regular basis.  In addition, on my email correspondence with clients I include my Facebook URL along with my Linkedin and Twitter URL’s.

It has never been easier to market yourself because of so many viral platforms.  But the thing to remember with all of this is to come up with a plan that is strategic and consistent with your brand and vision.  Otherwise you may end up sending out a lot of mixed messages and in the process doing more harm than good.

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