Archive for Marketing
Ask, Record, Adjust, Repeat
Posted: February 6th, 2012
[by Jenna Close] Tracking your marketing efforts closely is a great way to understand what is working for you and what isn’t. For each mailing campaign, I record the recipients, the type of campaign (4×6 postcard, mini-portfolio, etc), size of the mailing, date and the cost. For broader endeavors, such as a yearly subscription to [...]
It’s Easy: Use Apps to Support Your Marketing Wake-Up Callalls.
Posted: February 2nd, 2012
[by Carolyn Potts] There are two apps that can keep you from falling asleep at the wheel on the road to your photo marketing success: Evernote and iCal. When used in conjunction, they’re even more powerful. 1. Good content always comes first. Evernote is a great app to capture portfolio shoot ideas as they come [...]
Manageable Marketing
Posted: January 20th, 2012
[by Jenna Close] It’s hard to part with the money needed to launch a marketing campaign, especially when you are just starting out or business is slow. When I’m sweating the expense I look at the total cost of the campaign and compare that with how many average sized jobs I need in order to [...]
Features and Benefits – What’s the Difference?
Posted: January 16th, 2012
[by Kimberly Blom-Roemer] Even though nearly marketing book on the planet recommends focusing on client benefits, most service based businesses don’t understand the difference between a feature and a benefit. Feature: the characteristic of the person or business that OFFERS the benefit to clients. Benefit: What does the client RECEIVE from a feature? Another way [...]
What’s Stopping You?
Posted: January 6th, 2012
[by Judy Herrmann] A new year. A fresh start. Time to rock that marketing! But before we dig in, well, there are millions of things that need to get done first. When it comes to marketing, most of us have a pretty good idea of what needs to happen. The challenge lies in getting it [...]
Marketing Mastery – Short & Sweet
Posted: January 5th, 2012
[by Carolyn Potts] While I was getting ready to write this post, the radio began playing Michael Jackson’s early hit “ABC easy as 123.” It struck me that that song’s message –about keeping things simple–applies as well to marketing your photography. Just remember to use “ABC” and “123.” A. Always promote your best imagery. Trim [...]
Begin 2012 with Website Basics
Posted: January 4th, 2012
[by Rosh Sillars] 2012 will offer more choices than ever for your marketing dollar and time. Where do you want to spend it? The first place is your website, which is the core of your marketing efforts in the 21st century. Even if you use offline marketing, prospects still check you out online. What are [...]
Stop Marketing in the New Year
Posted: January 3rd, 2012
[by Colleen Wainwright] While no one can predict what the next 12 months will bring, there will almost certainly be too much of it. Too many “dig-me” blog posts. Too many pointless newsletters. Too many tweets and re-tweets and status updates. Way too many inspirational quotes. Altogether too many requests for the least little bit [...]
Marketing Resolutions for the New Year
Posted: January 2nd, 2012
[by Jenna Close] I am going to market the heck out of 2012. I am going to adhere to a schedule that I set at the beginning of the year. I am going to target clients of value, focusing on quality and not quantity. I will make more follow-up phone calls. I will not be [...]
Lessons I’ve Learned
Posted: December 21st, 2011
[by Selina Maitreya] Never underestimate the power of a talented, driven photographer.. The world is full of paradox. If you wait long enough things will shift completely. What goes around, comes around and around and around again. As we grow older the world gets smaller. Kindness is contagious. In the photo business everything has changed [...]
Finding Your Vision
Posted: December 2nd, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] Almost every time I talk about portfolio development, someone in the audience raises their hand and wails “But what if I don’t know what my vision is???” Then, everyone else in the room leans forward, ears pricked to hear the answer. In years of teaching of this stuff, I’ve come to realize [...]
How Experimentation & Creativity Feed Profitability
Posted: December 1st, 2011
[by Richard Kelly] My personal work has always directed my commercial work. A portrait project here led to a magazine assignment there. A personal documentary led to a non-profit capital campaign. An experimental video led to a music video. Personal projects feed both my creativity and professional bottom line. When I’m face-to-face with a client [...]
No More Single Images, Please!
Posted: November 30th, 2011
[by Selina Maitreya] The day and age of your portfolio being a collection of single images is over. Clients in every area of our business are asking you to show up with a defined, deep and well focused body of work. Are you ready for this shift? Before we go any further, make no mistake, [...]
Get Real!
Posted: November 29th, 2011
[by Sean Kernan] When I look at photographers’ websites they are mostly built on the stuff they do for clients…you know, the stuff we all do. And there are lots of reasons to set things up that way. But often there’s a page called Personal Work, or something like that, shyly tucked away. And I [...]
Consistency of Vision is Key
Posted: November 28th, 2011
[by Susan Carr] Websites are often the first place we show our work to prospective clients. The prospect arrives at your site via an Internet search looking for a photographer to fulfill a specific assignment. In these tough financial times, the searches usually include a specialty and a business location. If you fit these criteria [...]
What Goes Around Comes Around
Posted: November 3rd, 2011
[by Barry Schwartz] All business is personal – especially when you work for yourself. I’ve never forgotten something I heard Blake Discher say in one of his fantastic seminars, that when he tracked views on his website, his personal work was the only gallery where viewers typically looked at every picture. I had just recently [...]
No Validation Necessary
Posted: October 31st, 2011
[by Gail Mooney] I recently had the honor of having one of my still images on display in the Senate Rotunda in Washington DC. It was one of eleven photographs in the Copyright Alliance exhibit, “Recording Our History: Faces Behind the Camera“. It was this portrait of blues drummer Sam Carr that I shot in [...]
Moving to the Collaborative Marketing Model
Posted: October 28th, 2011
[by Tom Kennedy] I have been reading a book recently entitled “The Power of Pull: How Small Moves, Smartly Made, Can Set Big Things in Motion,” by John Hagel III, John Seely Brown, and Lang Davison. The book shows how converging technology has been a massive disruptor of long-held business models, organizational models, and modes [...]
The (Difficult) Art of Live Communication
Posted: October 25th, 2011
[by Jenna Close] I have a ridiculously potent aversion to talking on the phone. I’m pretty sure it’s some kind of neurosis, but here’s the thing… Communication is the most important business aspect of what we do. Furthermore, live conversation (versus texting or email) is a powerful tool that can be used to great advantage. [...]
Can You Hear Me Now?
Posted: October 24th, 2011
[by Carolyn Potts] Are you being heard? Do you know how to effectively communicate with your potential client if they’re part of different generation? Is how you’re saying what you’re saying, turning off your potential client? Marketing communications that are designed to get more business, must take into consideration the recipient’s preferred mode of communication. [...]
The Gift of Focusing Your Vision
Posted: October 17th, 2011
[by Selina Maitreya Today, vision is the front end sell in the world of commercial photography. Clients look to assignment photographers to have a defined vision applied to a subject area and expect a complete body of work, that represents the photographers “specialty.” Many photographers still resist the idea of focusing their talents, there is [...]
Agreement
Posted: October 14th, 2011
[by Barry Schwartz] “When you create something out of nothing, the first rule is to agree.” ~ Tina Fey talking about the process of improv at Google headquarters with chairman Eric Schmitdt. What else is it that photographers do, but exactly this? The first part: creating something out of nothing. The second part: getting your [...]
No Small Decisions
Posted: October 12th, 2011
[by Richard Kelly] “There are no small decisions in moviemaking.” – Sidney Lument , Director (pg 112 MAKING MOVIES by SIDNEY LUMENT Vintage Books) If you change “moviemaking” to photography, well you get the picture. This to me summarizes all my decisions from art, to craft to commerce. Every action has a consequence, or a [...]
Ask How They Found You
Posted: October 3rd, 2011
[by Jenna Close] When a new client calls, make sure and ask how they found you. If they answer with ‘online’, ask what search engine they used and what their search terms were. This information is valuable for a few reasons: one, if they found you online you will begin to see a trend in [...]
Searching Trends
Posted: September 30th, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] We live in a world where a search for “How to Copyright Photo” brings up 1.1 billion results, “Audio for Video” yields just over a billion and “Marketing Photography” clocks in at a mere 233 million. No wonder finding great stuff on the internet takes so much time. Seems I’m not the [...]
Why Photographers Fail…
Posted: September 8th, 2011
[by Selina Maitreya] As you begin another fall work season check your product. The number one reason why many photo businesses fail is because the photographer does not have a body of work that will sell in today’s market. Photographers often will spend time and money on developing sales and marketing materials when building a [...]
Who’s on First….?
Posted: September 2nd, 2011
[by Kevin Lock] We all have our own reason for getting into this business. For me it just kind of happened. It was something I always did and to be honest I didn’t plan on making a living doing it. Perhaps you had a similar experience and find yourself in business struggling to make a [...]
Fall’s Hottest Look? A Marketing Makeover!
Posted: August 22nd, 2011
Photo by Shawn G. Henry. Photoshopping (R) by Donna Barger [by Colleen Wainwright] While I always treat myself to a few new “Back to School”-style supplies to ring in the change of season–a fresh box of Sharpies and maybe an iPhone 5, both in black, please–mostly I’m viewing this particular fall as an opportunity to [...]
Your Favorite Bookmarks…
Posted: August 18th, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] This week, we are focusing on our contributors’ favorite bookmarks. The places we go when we’re looking for information, inspiration, insights, training, time-saving tools and more; the bookmarks we find more valuable than the millions of other potential bookmarks that populate cyberspace. And there are millions. Now that the vast majority of [...]
Lucky and Ready
Posted: August 5th, 2011
[by Barry Schwartz] My color management guy likes to say you’re either well color-managed or badly color-managed. Either way, you’re color-managed. Every contact with a potential new client (or a repeat client) is an act of good marketing or bad marketing. Either way, it’s marketing, because marketing is simply how you’re perceived by someone else. [...]
Everyone Hates Marketing
Posted: August 4th, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] Well, maybe not EVERYone, but most of the people I know would rather do just about anything else. Some of us hate it so much, find it so agonizing, that we just can’t bring ourselves to do it at all. Years ago, the owner of our local lab would sit behind the [...]
My Real Job…
Posted: August 3rd, 2011
[by John Slemp] Attending my friend, Judy Herrmann’s, Breaking into the Biz program at my ASMP chapter brought back many memories of my own career transition after a decade of military service. Talking to her after the program, I mentioned an epiphany I’d had about my own business and she asked me to post about [...]
Real World Marketing
Posted: August 2nd, 2011
[by Carolyn Potts] Time spent online with social media must have a clear goal–otherwise it’s just a time suck. Do you start your day with a cup of coffee and a check-in to your social media feeds? Does reading the overnight updates on FaceBook, Twitter, and LinkedIn make you feel secure that you’ve not missed [...]
The Tire Salesman
Posted: August 1st, 2011
[by Jay Kinghorn] I have a tire I’d like to sell you. It’s just one, but boy is it a beauty—dual-channel treads for wicking away the water on rainy roads, knobby tread for traction and gravel, plus, it’s won numerous awards for its handling. How much would you pay for this tire? Probably nothing. No [...]
How to use the next heat wave: be a “promotional contrarian” and do some advance planning.
Posted: June 10th, 2011
[by Carolyn Potts] When the next heat wave hits and you’re melting, take it as a weather-related gift to help you stay fresh in your client’s minds…. in the dead of winter. My 2010 summer marketing ASMP blog post suggested that your beach reading should include some great marketing books (listed in that post). That [...]
Summertime, and the Marketing’s Easy
Posted: June 8th, 2011
[by Barry Schwartz] Summertime. Lounging my days away with friends, talking about nothing, waiting for the barbecue to get hot, feeling the warmth of the sun as it sets… Wait a minute. O man, there’s my fantasy life kicking in. Self-employed people don’t take off day after day. That’s for our clients. The ones with [...]
Marketing During the Summer Months
Posted: June 7th, 2011
[by Selena Maitreya] In my world, marketing during the summer months is no different than the rest of the year, assuming you have a well developed 12-month sales and marketing program. Now I know this runs contrary to other info you may hear. Many people will tell you that you should never try to visit [...]
Spring Planting Makes for Summer Shoots
Posted: June 5th, 2011
Summer is a busy time for me, but that’s because of Spring. I routinely send out a spring mailer, but this March I decided to try something new.** Instead of blanketing the several hundred potential clients on my list with a postcard, I targeted the 36 companies I most want to work for. All the [...]
You Talk to Your Grandmother with that Mouth?
Posted: May 20th, 2011
[by Colleen Wainwright] Some people steadfastly refuse to mix the personal and the professional. I admire their internal fortitude (not to mention their talent for establishing firm boundaries) but I think they’re missing out. First, because the inclusion of personal work in a professional portfolio can fill in the gaps when you’re starting out or [...]
Personal work in Business Portfolios?… Yes. Absa*#$*inglutely.
Posted: May 19th, 2011
[by Kevin Lock] I am taking that one step further. I have been slowly building a body of personal work in hopes that, in the future, it will be the only work I show. Why? I want to move in the direction of securing the work that I want to do…. not what I currently [...]
If It’s Good, It’s Good
Posted: May 18th, 2011
[by Jenna Close] There’s nothing I enjoy more than wandering around photographing the environments of other countries. While none of the resulting images feature what I shoot for money (solar panels), a few do end up on my website, Facebook, and in some of my portfolios. Here’s why: 1) It’s about you and only you. [...]
All Business is Personal
Posted: May 17th, 2011
[by Barry Schwartz] A great politician (they do exist), Tip O’Neill, famously once said “All politics is local”. There are a lot of ways to interpret that idea, but it starts with the fact that politics is about people. Business, too. Pretty much everyone in every business wants to work with people they like (and [...]
Show What You Want to Do
Posted: May 16th, 2011
[by Sean Kernan] Over the course of my career the strongest work I’ve ever done was what I did for myself, particularly in the beginning. I’d be wandering around with a camera in my hand and nothing on my mind (a crucial component) when suddenly I’d see…something! Unexpected, surprising, often a bit alarming. It just [...]
Clarion Call II
Posted: May 13th, 2011
[by Susan Carr] This past February, commercial photography consultant Selina Maitreya created the first Clarion Call telesummit featuring 14 of the nation’s leading industry experts. If you attended, you know how valuable it was. If you didn’t, you won’t want to make that mistake again. On Friday, June 10, Selina is presenting Clarion Call II [...]
Just Five a Day
Posted: April 4th, 2011
[by Jim Cavanaugh] If you set aside a half-hour aside every business day to call just five new client contacts, at the end of the year you will have made contact with over 1,250 new potential clients. Jim Cavanaugh is an architectural and aerial photographer based in Buffalo, NY. He is President of ASMP.
Who is My Competition?
Posted: March 25th, 2011
[by Kevin Lock] I am my only competition. That is a fact. I consider working as a photographer to be similar to being an athlete, say a sprinter, in the Olympics. Some would call that sprinter a competitive athlete. To back up this claim some might argue that the sprinter was in a competition and [...]
Amateur Photography & Home Improvement
Posted: March 23rd, 2011
[by Jay Kinghorn] Last week my wife and I began renovating our master bedroom. We hired a professional flooring expert to install the floors and a finish carpenter to complete the baseboards. We prepped the room for the flooring and painted the walls and trim. Hiring professionals to do the important detail work like the [...]
Reduce your Competition Through Loyalty
Posted: March 21st, 2011
[by Charles Gupton] There are usually a couple of reasons why a client initiates working with a photographer for the first time. It’s often our style of shooting, our approach, or our expertise that distinguishes us from our competitors in the mind of a client. But it’s usually a different set of values that builds [...]
LinkedIn – A Powerful Client Research Tool
Posted: March 16th, 2011
[by Jim Cavanaugh] LinkedIn has become my most important tool for identifying new clients. While not as popular or user friendly as facebook, LinkedIn has a different culture and is much more about business. Every time I have a new person “link in” with me in LinkedIn, I will add their e-mail address to my [...]
The Business of Facebook
Posted: March 15th, 2011
[by Jim Cavanaugh] Facebook has grown to be one of my most important business resources. Once you move beyond Farmville, horoscopes and what your long lost high school friend had for lunch, there can be a wealth of information and the ability to reach out to and build relationships with current and prospective clients. If [...]
Do You Overuse Email?
Posted: February 15th, 2011
[by Thomas Werner] Overly frequent e-mail promotions and updates can have an effect opposite of what you have intended. It may only be e-mail, but if you are not sending a new project, or have another relevant update, stick to a once every two, three or four month mailing. You don’t want a simple e-mail [...]
Will Your Likability Help You Succeed?
Posted: February 11th, 2011
[by Charles Gupton] At the start of a new year, many photographers focus on building their revenue by focusing on finding new clients for their services. Those prospective clients, like all of us, solve their daily challenges by selecting people and services that add the most value to their lives. Most photographers define “providing value” [...]
New Clients: Get Creative and Go For Quality
Posted: February 10th, 2011
[by Jenna Close] My client base can be loosely put into two categories: those that help pay the bills and those that push my boundaries, bolster my brand AND help pay the bills. I think this is an important distinction when considering how to find new clients. What do you REALLY want to shoot? Once [...]
Searching for Synergies
Posted: February 9th, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] As I was finishing breakfast at a diner in Miami yesterday morning, a stunning visual caught my eye. The flat screen TV across the room was showing a commercial I’d never seen before and it looked like my studio’s still work come to life in motion. “Oh my God” I said to [...]
The Quickest Way to Find New Clients
Posted: February 8th, 2011
[by Rosh Sillars] The best place to find new clients is through old clients. Pick up the phone and say hello. You have clients out there ripe with new opportunities. If you don’t know that, it’s because you haven’t followed up in a while. Never assume anything. Maybe your client was a one-time assignment, maybe [...]
Want to Find New Clients? Follow Me
Posted: February 7th, 2011
[by Kevin Lock] Start with A, ASMP that is. Your first step in getting more work is working on your Find A Photographer listing (FAP). FAP… get it up, add to it, keep it updated, and buy more portfolios. (They are cheap.) That is what I did and it has bumped me up in the [...]
Maintaining, Motion and Marketing
Posted: January 21st, 2011
[by Carolyn Potts] Both videographers and photographers are now actively pitching their clients on their new DSLR-HD capabilities. They’re sending out marketing messages inviting their clients to see them as a “one-stop shopping” solution when it comes to digital content. But how do you take on a video project when you’re not an experienced video [...]
Planning for a Warm Business Season
Posted: January 14th, 2011
[by Charles Gupton] One of the activities I enjoy most during the winter months is building a fire in the fireplace then relaxing on the couch with a good book to watch the flames. I find it far more enjoyable, however, when the work to build and maintain the fire has been done in advance. [...]
Using PR and Personal Projects in Your Marketing
Posted: January 13th, 2011
[by Gail Mooney] These days you can add to your marketing efforts without breaking the bank by taking advantage of social media and electronic delivery to do a little PR for your photography business. Think about jobs you recently shot, that you are pleased with or personal projects that you are doing and talk about [...]
You Get What You Pay For
Posted: January 12th, 2011
[by Susan Carr] You know, the cheapest airfare has the least amount of legroom, fast food vs. gourmet, your car, the hotel you stay in, the contractor you hire or the clothes you buy. The list of examples is endless and while this economy has turned many pricing assumptions upside down, the rule generally holds [...]
Can’t Get You Out of My Mind
Posted: January 11th, 2011
[by Carolyn Potts] If there’s a jingle for a carpet cleaner or a chewing gum locked in your brain, you already know the power of consistency when it comes to brand recall. Consistently delivering branded and relevant messages to a target audience is the cornerstone of marketing success. It’s that simple. Since different audiences often [...]
Freshen Up
Posted: January 10th, 2011
[by Jenna Close] The first few months of the new year are a great time to take a hard look at how you are representing yourself. Go through the images on your website and in your book and make some tough choices about what should be there. Ask a few people you respect to make [...]
Breaking Through The Digital Clutter
Posted: December 17th, 2010
[by Thomas Werner] E-mail is a beautiful thing, it is quick, free, lists are easily updated, and you can automate your promotion process so that mailings go out on a regular basis. The downside of email is “delete”. No one ever has to open your note or look at your imagery before is has been [...]
Getting Personal
Posted: December 16th, 2010
[by Judy Herrmann] This past January, the Wall Street Journal Online published an article titled “Firms Hold Onto Snail Mail Marketing” about companies whose sales went down when they switched to purely electronic communications. When I read the article, I was struck immediately by the following observation: The idea is to send something that’s more [...]
Staying Grounded
Posted: December 14th, 2010
[by Shannon Fagan] I usually wouldn’t highlight one service provider versus another in a publicly disseminated blog post, but a recent request to write about tactics for using “snail mail” in a digital era perked my interest in a topic that could easily be adapted to “tips and tricks of the trade.” My snail mail [...]
Does Anyone Still Use Snail Mail?
Posted: December 13th, 2010
[by Todd Joyce] Getting an email thank you is nice, but when I get a hand written thank you via snail mail (SM), it simply means more. I certainly give it more weight, because fewer people give the added effort, so it stands out as special. I suggest sending a thank you to clients when [...]
Marketing Quick Tip
Posted: December 7th, 2010
[by Ellen Boughn] Does your website tell clients who you are or only what you do? At the bare minimum include a short bio and a headshot. Better yet? A short video (no more than 1.5 or 2 minutes) showing you at work. Why? Because even before calling in a book or considering someone’s work, [...]
Are People Really Still Making Calls?
Posted: November 5th, 2010
[by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa-Stone] A mutual client of ours recently worked on her brand, portfolio and marketing strategy (with Suzanne). Then she came to Agency Access to work on implementing her marketing through Campaign Manager (with Amanda – a year long plan to make sure marketing is being done). After getting her beautiful [...]
‘Stop telephonin’ Me
Posted: November 4th, 2010
[by Ellen Boughn] Lady Gaga has it right when it comes to the interrupting phone call: ‘Stop telephonin’, me. Stop telephonin’, me. (I’m busy). (I’m busy)’, she sings. When you pick up the phone to call a client, it had better be about something they want to hear. And cold calls? If the reception on [...]
Getting and Using Referrals
Posted: November 3rd, 2010
[by Todd Joyce] “Nice day we’re having” “How about those cubs” yeah, it’s hard to start the conversation, but I still make calls to new ADs etc to get to know them. I like to mention a person who referred me to get things started. “Hi (AD), (Other person at agency) mentioned I should call [...]
Why Continuing Ed Matters: beyond camera gear and PhotoShop tutorials
Posted: September 21st, 2010
[by Carolyn Potts] Last week was filled with the energy of students returning to classrooms across the country. It was only for a couple of hours, but, I, too, got a taste of the September excitement when I dropped in at Columbia College and attended the Columbia/ASMP Midwest co-hosted event: PDN’s 30 – Strategies for Young [...]
Emotionally Intelligent Marketing
Posted: September 20th, 2010
[by Judy Herrmann] A last minute gate change at LAX and I’m caught in a crowd stampeding down a long narrow corridor from Gate 1 to Gate 2 (which appear to be about half a mile apart, go figure) when I spy a lone figure in a pinstriped suit swimming against the current. “If you’re [...]
Going Up?
Posted: September 3rd, 2010
[by Judy Herrmann] In a bad economy, helping people understand exactly what you do, why they should trust you and how you can help them matters more than ever. So take a few minutes to hone one of the most important (and cheapest) marketing tools there is: Your Elevator Speech. Laura Allen, co-founder of 15secondpitch.com, [...]
Target Marketing
Posted: September 1st, 2010
[by Todd Joyce] 2500 printed mailers might cost around $1 per contact, depending on postage, printing and your contact list. What if you took that same amount and spent $500 on your very top five prospects? I bet you’d get results! The hard part is figuring out your top five. Marketing isn’t easy and neither [...]
Look Like a Million Bucks
Posted: August 31st, 2010
[by Jenna Close] The first step in creating an effective marketing plan is to make sure that you are putting your best face forward. Some monetary investment should go into this, but it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Before contacting anyone, take the time to prepare a few things: a) [...]
Marketing on a Budget
Posted: August 30th, 2010
[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 [...]
A New Path
Posted: August 25th, 2010
[by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa-Stone] Starting out in any new business is filled with excitement and the unknown. Here are some tips we recommend to finding your path. 1. Know where you want to go in your business (consumer: portraits, weddings, commercial: still life, architecture, fashion, editorial: portraits, etc…) 2. Make sure you have [...]
Find a Photographer
Posted: August 12th, 2010
[by Todd Joyce] Membership has it’s privileges and one of the benefits of being and ASMP General Member is being listed in findaphotographer.org. For what I do, I don’t get a lot of calls, but every so often I do get a call that is a result of FAP. Over the years, I’ve gotten about [...]
Selling What Makes You Different
Posted: August 10th, 2010
[by Jenna Close] My partner Jon and I shoot photos mainly for the alternative energy market. This is our niche, and we spend a lot of time following the industry and thinking about how we can better serve the people we want to work for. Often we are asked to price aerial photography, and often [...]
Quick Tip Week
Posted: July 19th, 2010
[by Carolyn Potts] Do some research about what you’re being asked to photograph. If you take the time to read up on the product, company or event you’re being asked to shoot (you know you can Google ANYTHING) you appear to be someone who will be a partner in problem-solving. Demonstrating that you’ve actually taken your own time to [...]
Setting Sales Goals
Posted: June 11th, 2010
[by Blake Discher] In my negotiating seminars I always make a point of letting my audience know that in order to be successful, I think we must be salespersons first and photographers second. My sales career began when I sold franchises for a quick-print franchise. One of the first things I learned was that all [...]
Guide Them in for a Landing
Posted: June 10th, 2010
[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. [...]
Road Trip
Posted: June 9th, 2010
[by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa Stone] Summer time in an assignment world is thought of as the quietest time in the year, when in fact it could be some of the busiest. We think that since the European markets take a sabbatical, the American market does too – but we should all know better [...]
Start Your Engines!
Posted: June 8th, 2010
[by Carolyn Potts] After the Memorial Day Weekend now the summer games begin! Yeah! I hope that we all got to kick back, take a break from the work stress/recession-anxiety for a moment, and enjoyed the 3-day weekend. But after you had some time to relax and refuel, I hope you don’t let your marketing [...]
Using Video to Promote Photography
Posted: June 7th, 2010
[by Gail Mooney] Video is the hot topic these days. You’d think it was a new thing. But there’s nothing new about video – it’s been around almost as long as TV. What is new is that broadband has made online video viewing integral to the Internet experience. In the last year alone we’ve seen [...]
Marketing Doesn’t Take a Vacation
Posted: June 4th, 2010
[by Paul Bartholomew] Where is your marketing going this summer? Is it going on a nice long vacation? When do you think it will be back? I hope it doesn’t have a vacation home somewhere in the South of France. You can, but your marketing shouldn’t. Your marketing should be consistent. People can get caught [...]
Summer Marketing
Posted: June 3rd, 2010
[by Leslie Burns] Often, summer means a slow-down in business. This is usually a function of client staff taking vacations and a general shift in working mentality during the warm days. The wonky economy hasn’t been too helpful either, but this year I am hearing more good news than bad from photogs across the country. [...]
Help a Student, Help Yourself
Posted: June 2nd, 2010
[by Judy Herrmann] Looking to ramp up your marketing this summer? Consider bringing on an intern. Many programs require students to complete internships and right now, with the economy and job market so tight, students are having a tough time finding positions. Having worked with countless mentorship students and interns over the years, I’ve learned [...]
Here Comes Summer …
Posted: June 1st, 2010
[by Susan Carr] I hope you had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. We often think of summer as down time for marketing and sales, but in this tough economic climate, these areas of our business can’t really afford any time off. Yes, you can take a vacation, but do not take three months off from [...]
Cold Calls?
Posted: May 7th, 2010
[by Kevin Lock] Having a hard time reaching out to new clients? Pick up the phone and personally reconnect with past clients that you may have not heard from or worked with in a while. You will be surprised how this will boost your confidence and assist you in making long over due “cold calls” [...]
Deep or Wide?
Posted: March 31st, 2010
[by Charles Gupton] The primary business of every business – be it banking, plumbing, restaurant or photography – is the work of acquiring and retaining customers. No buyers, no sales, no business. To that end, most business owners use the strategy of casting their nets in more directions in an attempt to draw in practically [...]
Social Media: Relax…
Posted: March 5th, 2010
[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. [...]
Successful Marketing is Not About You, It’s About Them
Posted: March 4th, 2010
[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. [...]
Why Define Your Ideal Client?
Posted: March 3rd, 2010
[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 [...]
What’s the Difference?
Posted: March 2nd, 2010
[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 [...]
Killer Contradictions
Posted: March 1st, 2010
[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 [...]
The Winning Path
Posted: February 23rd, 2010
[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 [...]
What About Flickr?
Posted: December 9th, 2009
[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
Posted: December 4th, 2009
[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, [...]
Three tips for Holiday Promos & Gifts
Posted: December 3rd, 2009
[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 [...]
Make it Personal or It Isn’t a Gift
Posted: December 2nd, 2009
[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 [...]
Navigating the Gift-giving Minefield
Posted: December 1st, 2009
[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 [...]
‘Tis the Season …
Posted: November 30th, 2009
[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 [...]
Here’s a question for you: How many clients do you need?
Posted: November 25th, 2009
[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 [...]
Good Data Supports Good Choices
Posted: November 24th, 2009
[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 [...]
Web Design Essentials
Posted: November 23rd, 2009
[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 [...]
Start Pounding the Pavement
Posted: October 29th, 2009
[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) [...]
Blog Smart
Posted: October 9th, 2009
[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 [...]
Your Blog As A Client Resource
Posted: October 7th, 2009
[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 [...]
The One Thing
Posted: September 25th, 2009
[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 [...]
Multi-Faceted Marketing
Posted: September 24th, 2009
[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 [...]
It’s Not You, It’s Me…
Posted: September 23rd, 2009
[by Judy Herrmann] Anyone who’s ever been on either side of that line knows it’s a lie. It’s never really ME, it’s always really YOU, right? Colleen Wainwright, aka The Communicatrix, has identified one arena where this hackneyed saw actually becomes the truth: marketing communications. A former actress, copywriter and designer, Colleen has worked in [...]
A Personal Presence – Taking the Extra Step
Posted: September 22nd, 2009
[by Paul Bartholomew] Photographers are always are thinking about ways to get that extra edge. Sometimes it’s difficult to seal the deal especially during slower times. Think about the process you go through when a potential client contacts you. What can you do to get that edge and be remembered? How about setting up a [...]
Email Marketing
Posted: September 21st, 2009
[by Carolyn Potts] To get high email promo delivery rates, you have to consider many variables. You’re probably already aware that without doing your email marketing homework, you’re more susceptible falling back on the all-too-common, mass-blast strategy, nick-named “spray and pray” Do that, and you’re inadvertently adding to the delivery problem. If enough people [...]
Marketing Quick Tip from Leslie
Posted: August 21st, 2009
Plan a trip to show your book in another city. This doesn’t have to cost a lot–for example, if you are in Cincinnati, drive to Columbus or Lexington for the day. When you call the targets, make sure they know you are coming from out of town because that will often open doors.
Following Through
Posted: August 19th, 2009
We tend to put great effort into our marketing and trying to get new clients, but what about after the photo shoot? How are you presenting the final images? Think about what the packaging and presentation look like and follow through with your branding. It’s another opportunity to make a great and lasting impression.
Does Your Website Wow?
Posted: August 11th, 2009
Your website is your most important marketing tool. Are you investing in it (both in money and thought) to make it the best it can possibly be? Too often photographers try to cut corners and save money on their sites, but if you have to limit your budget, this is not the place to trim. [...]
Quick Tip Week Starts With a Party
Posted: July 27th, 2009
Consider throwing a casual party for local clients. It’s a great way to connect and get to know each other.
Summer Book : TRIBES by Seth Godin
Posted: July 23rd, 2009
It is summer 2009 and while some of us are packing the car for vacations to the sea shore or the mountains, many of us are choosing to “staycation”, or rather staying close to home or taking day trips to area attractions. Today’s economy is forcing us to re-evaluate, not just the family summer vacation [...]
Another Really Quick Tip From Leslie
Posted: July 9th, 2009
Check your records to see if any licenses are about to expire. Contact those clients to see if they’d like to renew.
Didn’t Get the Job? Say Thanks!
Posted: June 19th, 2009
Want to be remembered by the potential client with whom you’ve just had an unsuccessful negotiation? Take the time to send a “Thank You” card. That’s right, a snail-mail Thank You card. Create a one off, nice looking card on your color printer on nice paper, and hand write a note, something like, “Thank you [...]
Marketing Quick Hit from Leslie
Posted: June 17th, 2009
Call and email to try to get portfolio shows. Offer to bring food (lunch?) and make it an “event” not just a one-on-one.
Selling Solutions
Posted: May 26th, 2009
Whenever I buy something I try to pay attention to how I respond to different sales approaches and use that to improve my own client interactions. We recently put a home renovation project out to bid and I think we’re learning more about sales from this process than just about anything else we’ve ever done! [...]
Pieces of Your Promotional Puzzle
Posted: May 15th, 2009
We end the week with two marketing posts, so don’t miss Richard Kelly’s post on social media sites below … both of these messages have ASMP benefits with deadlines, so we didn’t want to wait to share them with you. There is not one way or one approach for marketing your business. A successful business [...]
The Hat Trick
Posted: May 12th, 2009
When you get overwhelmed with marketing and/or business things and you don’t know where to begin because there is so much to do, try this: 1) make a list of tasks you want/need to accomplish–these should be very specific like “pay outstanding A/P” or “research 10 new potential targets” or “shoot something for myself” 2) [...]
What’s Your Story?
Posted: May 11th, 2009
I just got back from a 3 day policy conference for a lobbying group where I received training on how to conduct citizen activism including educational outreach, fundraising and lobbying. The parallels between selling politicians on a position and selling potential clients on your services were striking. Among other things, the conference stressed: 1) You [...]
Don’t Ignore This Book Review
Posted: May 1st, 2009
The second edition of Tom Reilly’s Value Added Selling: how to sell more profitably, confidently, and professionally by completing of value, not price (McGraw-Hill ISBN: 0-0714088-19, 256 pages) boasts 70-percent new content from the first edition. I was given my copy by a fellow airline passenger who had finished it while on a flight we [...]
“Marketing Management is now Tribal Leadership” Seth Godin
Posted: April 29th, 2009
If you haven’t yet read TRIBES - We need you to lead us by Seth Godin, today is the day to do just that, at 160 pages it is easily a weekend read. The basic tribe concept is that groups of people form tribes around a person or an idea or a product to create [...]
A Walk in Your Client’s Shoes
Posted: April 27th, 2009
One of the things that always amazes me about our business is the tremendous risk that buyers of photography services take on an almost daily basis. Think about it – you’ve got a box that you have to fill. It might be a box on a screen or on a printed page but it’s an [...]
Are You Talking With The Boss?
Posted: April 17th, 2009
A sometimes overlooked, but very important factor in any negotiation is making sure the person to whom you are speaking is in fact the decision maker. If he isn’t you ideally need to get that decision maker involved in the negotiation. One method I use to tactfully determine if the person I’m talking with is [...]
Diversifying Your Portfolio
Posted: April 8th, 2009
When we hear the word “portfolio” most of us immediately think of our “book” or the body of images that we use to market ourselves as photographers. But the portfolio I’m talking about is the collection of skills and services that you market to your clients. Most of us don’t like to think about this [...]
What can you do today, in this business climate, to get work now?
Posted: March 27th, 2009
Nothing. I know that sounds harsh, but anything you could do that might possibly bring in business now will, in the long run, hurt your business. Things like lowering your price, offering unlimited rights for the price of a year of web use, or shooting (heaven forbid!) on spec, might possibly get someone in your [...]
