What Is A Photographer’s True Competitive Edge?

Digital cameras of today are sophisticated, easy to use … and everywhere. Whether you use an iPhone and an app, or your Canon EOS 5D with a full array of lenses, anyone with a digital camera and a computer can establish themselves as a photographer willing to be hired to shoot for a fee.

Yes, these wannabes may lack classical training in lighting and posing, but clients trying to stretch their budgets often see them as a viable option.

And so the pricing wars begin.

The reality of it is photography isn’t a product based industry; it is and always will be a service based industry.

Someone may tell you a photograph is a photograph – and the pricing should be comparable from place to place. But if you hear that from a potential customer, they don’t understand the nuances of photography. That isn’t his or her fault. It’s ours as photographers. And in order to create a full fledged, full time, six figure business, you must understand this and build your business into the service business it should be.

Start with your photography

The problem does arise from the photography itself. What makes you different from the wannabes? Does your work stand apart? Or is it easy to confuse your work with everyone else out there?

If you want to make this your true profession and you are wanting to grow into a six figure photography business, your work has to stand apart. You have to understand posing and lighting. You must create truly professional images. Practice, practice, practice. Attend seminars by people that are already making six figures in their prospective fields. Head to judging contests to learn what master photographers are looking for in images.

Then use this to make your photography stand apart from the competition. You can also use your knowledge to make others aware of what they should be looking for. Point to an image with a telephone pole coming out of a clients head once, and a potential client will know exactly how to look for composition as she heads off to visit other prospective photographers.

Change your marketing and sales

A potential client doesn’t know what to look for until you tell her. Arm her with questions.

• Does the photographer have liability insurance?

• Does the photographer have backup equipment?

• How many images does the photographer take at the wedding?

Whatever questions you present, explain your answers in detail and why it matters to her. If she’s armed with the knowledge you have something that other photographers don’t, chances are she’ll be back with a check in hand when she can’t find the customer service level anywhere else out there.

Use stories to teach

Doesn’t the idea of a general photographer sound great? You can visit them for your wedding, have your baby’s portrait created, and have them photograph the new earrings you’ve fashioned for the brochure you’re designing for your new business.

That’s how many people view the photography world. Flip that around and make them think differently.

Would you really want a cardiologist answering a question about a mole on your back? Or a plastic surgeon helping you with a sore throat?

People specialize to become good at what they do. And as a photographer, there is an extreme difference between shooting a pair of earrings for a brochure, and following a bride and groom around for the day of their wedding.

Yet many consumers don’t understand that. Use a story – just like the one I described about the medical field – to get your prospects to understand the differences.

Maintain your pricing

Finally, don’t be seduced into lowering your pricing in order to get jobs. If something isn’t in your arena, or a client wants you but “can’t” afford you, the decision should be on them – not you. Your time is too valuable to spend accommodating the penny pinchers that don’t realize your true potential.

Let them head out and go with the wannabes to save money. Let them be disappointed in the overall service they received. And allow them to help you by providing stories to their friends – stories that will push them towards you with the lessons they learned.

7 Tips To Create A Highly Marketable Social Media Portrait Session

I first introduced the concept of a social media package over a year ago when I introduced Neil Creek, a photographer who created MeetHeads as a way of introducing people to his portrait studio through the use of social portraits.

Since then I’ve been watching the trends with social media portrait packages, and taking in how photographers are using them. There is definitely a right and wrong way to introducing social media to your clients. Yet as most photographers today continue to hand over the digital files, and your clients are using them in social media anyway, why not create a package just for them? Not sure how? Follow these tips.

1. Think outside the box with your sessions. How can you get creative, take images from a variety of angles, and give your clients many opportunities for sharing images online? Talk with your client about likes/interests. Incorporate some of their favorite hobbies into the session as well.

2. Put the focus on social media. Facebook is the rage right now, so use it. Market your portrait session as a great way to share images with the online world. You can even provide perfectly cropped photographs, sized specifically for different social sites. Social Media Training

Photographers – Developing a Strong Presentation Piece or Marketing Kit

This post is Day 6 of 30 Ways In 30 Days To Redesign Your Life With Photography. This series seeks to provide you with practical steps to get you from wherever you are today, to exactly where you want to be – this year! If your goal has always been to take your photography to a whole new level, hang on and start enjoying a new lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of.

A person forms an opinion of you and/or your company in a matter of seconds. Once that opinion is formed, it is very difficult to sway the opinion one way or the other. Which means those first few seconds are crucial in turning a first opinion into a customer.

First opinions come in a variety of ways.

If you meet someone in person, it may be formed by your appearance, the clothes you wear, how you look, your neatness (or lack thereof), your timeliness, or even your attitude.

If someone recommends you, it could be the way a person talks about you, what they use to make the referral (a business card, brochure, etc), or the body language they use while giving the referral.

If someone finds you online, it’s the presence you have built online. Have you taken the time to develop a professional presence? Do you stay active on social sites? Do you control what is being said about you?

And it also is impacted by your studio, your marketing materials, and the way you connect with a person again and again throughout the process.

“I’m starting on a shoestring budget, and am not sure what I should do next. I’ve printed up a few business cards on my own. I’ve created a simple site on Blogger and have a Facebook page. I want to be able to tell and show people what I do, but without a lot of money, what should be my next step.” Josie

When you are just starting out, the last thing you want to do is print up a thousand cards before you have your true identity built. Yet at the same time what you do now will forever impact your business in the future. So where do you spend your time?

For me, it’s always been the Internet.

Start By Building Online

I love technology. In fact I have dozens of websites doing all kinds of things in all kinds of industries. I couldn’t run my business without them. They are my business.

And now more than ever, you don’t need to spend thousands on a beautiful web presence. If you have some technical knowledge and a desire to learn, you can build a beautiful web presence for very little money. However I don’t recommend Blogger or other free sites for a variety of reasons.

1. They are free. You get what you pay for. You will have their branding, advertising on your site, and will be at their mercy if they decide to shut you down.

2. You have little control. With you own site, you can control the RSS, link it to your social sites, and gain traction in Google and other search sites. You have your own domain name, and can brand it in any way you choose.

With WordPress being at the top of the pile of design tools, and with the ease of plugins and share capabilities, WordPress really is the way to go. (Not the free site – always control it yourself.) You’ll be able to design anything, and have full control over what you do.

Make sure you brand yourself, and devote time to growing online. You should have:

• A website and/or blog
• Social sites like Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter
• Specialty sites or landing pages for individual promotions

Also concentrate on putting together a dynamic presentation. Try expanding beyond the normal – if you see something on other photographer’s sites, how can you make it better? Try creating a high impact video and sharing it on YouTube and other video sharing sites. Or design with SlideShare and add a variety of content. Animoto is another way to create a great message.

While I do recommend having something online that says “WOW”, I also recommend keeping your overall site simple, and avoid Flash sites. Within the next couple of years, most people will be accessing sites from their mobile devices, and Smart technology does not recognize Flash. Which means your site will not show to anyone accessing it through mobile devices. Keep it simple, and give people choices as to what and how they access.

Stay Simple and Say Wow

While you can do pretty much everything and anything online any more, sometimes it’s nice to be able to showcase what you do in a personal way. Because photography is all about image, don’t forget to showcase what you do with an actual image.

I personally love Moo. They offer mini cards, business cards and postcards that come on a heavy cardstock, and give you just a bit more sophistication for the money. Their colors are brilliant, and the overall impact says wow. You don’t have to design one card and print it in quantity – you can change the image on every card if you choose. And if you are just starting out, you don’t have to print in the thousands – start with just a few. I have their ShowCase – a business card holder that holds 15 cards, and have a variety of images within the ShowCase. When you fan it out and the different photographs show, it definitely says more than a standard business card.

Yes, you can argue that the price is a bit higher than you can get elsewhere – you can even find free business cards online or print them yourself. But I’ve found I don’t hand out a ton of cards, and even 50 can last quite awhile. And the overall impression is definitely worth it.

I also love the postcards. You don’t have to use them as postcards and mail them out. Instead, have a variety on hand to show what you do. If you photograph weddings, baby portraits and seniors, have a few from each series. You can combine the postcards in a marketing kit with your price lists and other content, and turn it into something special without a lot of extra money.

Creating Your Marketing Kit

Creating your marketing kit can be a simple process. If you haven’t been to a paper store – not an office supply store – find one in your area. Or check out Paper Direct. They have a lot of ideas for presentation folders, and make it easy for you to create just about anything. I’ve used vellum envelopes, plastic folders and a wide variety of other materials over the past. When you order matching papers and envelopes or folders, it automatically gives you a superior quality. Then print your information yourself, and include postcards to supplement the look, and give you a totally professional appearance.

Some of the things we’ve put into our marketing kits over the years include:

• Price lists
• Company overview
• Resume
• Awards
• Testimonials
• Press releases
• Article – in the news features
• Personal articles we’ve written
• Clothing consultation information
• Gift possibilities
• And of course, a variety of postcard images

In many cases, we like to go for the overwhelm. Some people will glance through the packet, others will study it. Sure it’s nice to have it online too. But there’s nothing better than walking out with a professional presentation.

Sometimes Material Is Better

Think back to your birthday, your anniversary, or the holidays. When you head out to the mailbox and receive a card, how does it make you feel? In today’s online world, a physical card can definitely make you feel extra special. It takes time and thought to go that extra step and put something into the mail instead of writing a couple of lines in a text message or email.

The same holds true from a business standpoint. People are so used to being directed to a website, anything else is somewhat of a shock. Which means it can be very beneficial in helping you book a client to step away from the norm, and create marketing materials as well.

The reason we don’t print in bulk anymore is because you can book a variety of clients simply through your online resources. They are excited about you, connect with you online, and are happy with what they see online.

But some will take a little longer, and need a gentle push. That’s what your hardcopy presentation materials are for.

• You may hand them a presentation folder when you meet in your studio or in a coffee shop.

• You may mail them a postcard reminding them about their appointment.

• You may mail them a greeting card thanking them for meeting with you.

• You may send them a reminder postcard and note about booking with you.

• And finally a thank you card when they book with you.

If you photograph weddings, you may only need a handful of items per month. So why print things by the thousands when you may change your marketing methods, or add a new image to your portfolio that you love?

The key behind a great marketing kit is to have it sell you without you having to sell yourself. If a person can go to your site, and discover you are the photographer for them, it’s worth the effort you put into your site. If a person loves your presentation when you meet one on one, it’s worth the time you put into your presentation. And if they love your extra touches, and love your postcards to just say thanks, that’s going the extra mile.

3 Reasons Most Wedding Photographers Fail

We’re one of the few photography companies that actually created a lucrative business out of catering to the wedding industry. In less than two years, we went from a general photography company to one that specialized in wedding photography, making well into the Six Figure level. Then we doubled our business. And again.

But it wasn’t always like that.

In the beginning, we did what every other wedding photographer does.

We decided to offer wedding related services. We created our first wedding brochure. And we charged and shot pretty much like every other wedding photographer out there.

Dig Deeper: Doubt To Confidence: What Was Your Magical Moment?

But very quickly something started to change.

We studied what the top names in the industry were doing. We learned from the best. And we quickly changed and grew. And we discovered 3 things that most wedding photographers did that were actually holding them back.

5 Blogging Mistakes That Could Cost You Your Business

Everyone is a blogger nowadays and with good reason. Because small business owners know the importance of being online, many look for the least expensive route to get there. And that often leads them into the blogging realm. It’s easy. It’s affordable. Why not?

Yet just because something is easy and affordable isn’t a reason to jump in headfirst and go full force unless you understand what you are doing and have a plan in place. Blogging, like any other marketing tool, has certain characteristics that make it a great tool. But if you don’t use it in the proper way, it can do more harm then good.

Here are the top blogging mistakes I see photographers make, and how you can avoid them.

Bad Writing

Some of us are writers. And some aren’t. While a blog needs to be personal in nature, and express your business style, you do need to be careful about what your message conveys. Are you writing complete thoughts? Do you have spelling and grammar errors? Are your posts interesting? Customers won’t come back if they can’t see beyond glaring errors that occur on a regular basis. Concentrate on writing great posts. And if you need help, hire a ghost blogger.

Digital Photography Business – Where are you with your photography?

Are you an amateur photographer, taking photographs every chance you have? Maybe you’ve entered your photographs into a few contests and won. Or maybe you have friends and family that love your work, and think you have potential.

Have you been thinking about a career change, and photography has sparked your interests? You love photographing, and the idea of making it into a full time career is exciting.

Maybe you’ve started your business, and its just not doing what you hoped. You’re working part time at photography, hoping to turn it into a full time career, but its just not working quite as you had planned. You’re missing a key piece that will launch you into success.

Or maybe you’ve made this your full time career, but you just can’t make it as successful as you would like it to be. You have a five-figure income, but you’re barely paying the bills. You would love to take the family on vacation, or buy that new car, but it’s just not in your future because you can’t get the business working for you.

Guess what? I understand. You’re not alone in your frustration. Read more>>

What A Pro Captures versus What An Amateur Shoots

There is one sentence in the Seattle Bride Magazine’s article Pros Of Hiring A Pro that says it all.

“I now disagree more than ever with the digital-age adage that “now everyone is a photographer.”

This coming from an amateur photographer that is doing pretty well as a travel photographer – he has had a few cover images, so he knows a thing or two about photography.

The assumption right now is if you have a camera, love taking pictures, you can photograph anything any time. And I don’t just hear this from the consumers; I hear it from seasoned professionals as well. So many people have bought into the theory that if you have a camera, you can be a professional.

Isn’t that just like saying if you have a plunger, you can be a professional plumber? Or if you have a toothbrush you can be a dentist?

Having the love, desire and passion for photography is your starting point. Then it moves up from there.

You have to know your camera inside and out, be able to shoot in any condition without thinking about it – you just know how to set your camera/flash to get the best image possible.

You have to have the best equipment possible for your circumstances. Multiple professional grade bodies, multiple lenses, flash units – whatever you need to do the best job possible.

You have to know the business side of photography. You have to be good at everything – photography, production, sales, marketing, planning. It all makes you a better photographer, and presents you that way to your potential customers.

And you have to be willing to keep learning along the way. I talk to photographers all the time that swore they would retire before they ever had to use new technology (i.e. digital, social networking, website marketing, etc) and now they are some of the best in the industry. Things change. And you have to change with it. That’s just the way it is.

And finally, you have to be willing to pay for the best, and know when to call in an expert to help you get exactly what you want. Just like you would never have a friend put in a crown over a broken tooth, you should never call in a friend to photograph one of the most important days of your life.

As the amateur photographer in the Seattle Bridal Magazine said:

“My fiancé and I are on a tight budget and had planned to take a gamble and hire an amateur photographer friend. Now? We’re determined to find a way to get a pro.”

18 Reasons Why They Leave Your Site In Under 10 Seconds

Have you ever entered a site and you can’t hit the back button fast enough? Something about the page is an instant turnoff, and you back out or get out of the browser window as fast as possible.

I did that this morning when I entered a new page from an email I received. And it got me to thinking about all the reasons a site doesn’t work. And by understanding what doesn’t work, you can reassess your own site, and determine what you can do to make it work – to make it more attractive to the people that are coming there for the very first time.

1. Autosound. This is what got me this morning. I entered a page and started looking around, and a voice started to talk with music in the background. The only problem was I couldn’t find where it was coming from – no audio or video button was noticeable on the page, so I had no way of turning it off. I backed out of the page as fast as I could. I work from a home office, so sound doesn’t really matter. But imagine if I would have been in a busy office. That sound – whether its voice of music – would have made me hit “delete” even faster.

2. Popups. Popups are a dying breed, but they are still around and visible on some sites. I don’t mind an occasional popup asking me to sign up for a free report – once. What really bugs me (and a lot of other people too) is when the popup appears again and again, every time I click to a new page. I get it – you want me to sign up. But that’s not a way to motivate me to the next step.

3. Slow load times. Everyone online has what I call online-ADD. If something doesn’t happen FAST, we move away. We won’t wait 15 seconds for a photograph to load – it’s either there now or I move on. If you load more than thumbnails, or have a slow server, you risk losing your best customers.

4. No purpose.

10 Things You Never Want To Do With Your Online Photography Portfolio

As a photographer, your most important marketing tool is your online photography portfolio. On your website or your blog, this is what’s going to showcase your work, and get you hired. Yet I see mistakes all the time. And I have a ton of questions like, “Why isn’t my site getting any traffic?” and “Why aren’t people contacting me online?” Here are 10 mistakes I see frequently – do you see yourself here?

1. Enter Page
Do you really need to divide up your site, and dedicate one whole page to making your visitors choose? If they type in your URL, they want to see your site. They want to start learning about you immediately, not have to decide if they want to visit your Flash site, Mobile site, Fast site, Slow site, Blog, Flickr portfolio, etc. Yes, you can weave things into your site, and have things on the side of your content that allows them to navigate elsewhere. But don’t make your first impression just a choice.

2. Photo Size
Have you ever gone to a photographer’s site, only to wait 30 seconds for it to load a huge file thousands of pixels in size? Boring. This is the web. You don’t need large files – the smaller the better for loading, and to protect you from clients downloading them to manipulate them. Stick to an image that is between 500-1000 pixels on the long edge, depending on how you are grouping them together.

How To Develop A Great Senior Portrait Package

Each year over 2 million high school juniors make their way into their senior year, and start the long trek to finishing up high school and starting out life as an adult. Because it’s the last step to enter adulthood, it’s always been a right of passage to commemorate it with a special portrait session – the high school senior portrait.

Competition is fierce within this marketplace these days. Even just a few years ago, many high schools had a closed door policy, and they would interview and select a few photographers to recommend, and require each of their seniors to go to a pre-approved photographer. Schools have opened up now, and allow anyone to go anywhere. Yearbook inclusions are more lax, and you’ll see a variety of sizes, styles and displays within the senior graduating class section.

Just because anything goes doesn’t make that the right approach to senior photography. If you make it an experience, it can still bring you in a substantial amount of income during the few months of shooting time. But you have to know how to package accordingly. Here’s some advice.

Start out with a plan

Many senior photographers grab a client, head out to the park, and spend 30 minutes shooting a few images. They put them on a disk, hand it over to the client, and pocket $50 or so. And that’s the end of the revenue stream. You will never get a reorder if you hand over the files for this price. The client will take them and run, and do whatever they choose with the images. So that should never be an option.

Your first strategy is to set up more than one package, and gently lead a client to the higher package.

If I offered 3 packages: $150, $300 and $450, and offered the files in the $450 only, how many clients do you think would jump at the $450 package? Yep, a good majority of them. And I’ve increased my profits because I’m still willing to give the files, just not at the lower price.

And your $450 client will be a much better, easier to work with client than the $50 special. They will have more patience, more time, and be willing to let you do a variety of things to bring out the best in the senior. Plus you will feel more comfortable spending time with the senior, knowing you will be bringing in a lot more income.

Give a professional presentation

How do you advertise for your seniors? If you want to bring in a lot of business, you have to showcase your talent.

Marathon Press has always offered a variety of ways to market to the senior market. They have preproduced pieces that give you an easy way to order postcards and brochures, ready for mailing. They also provide fully customized services, allowing you to place your own images into a variety of formats. Because they specialize in marketing pieces for the photographer, their work is 100 percent quality, and their goal is to help you bring in the business.

Create a theme each year, and carry that through your entire promotion. You should also update your images each year, including the recognizable faces from the last class. If you are including photographs from several years back, the new graduating class doesn’t recognize the faces, and has less motivation to use you.

Turn the package into something fun

If you provide a package with an 11×14, a few 8x10s, 5x7s, 4x6s and wallets, it’s easily comparable to everyone else – and to the discount stores that do the printing for a very low cost.

But if you include a 20×20 wall portfolio with a series of images in it, it’s no longer comparable. It’s unique.

Look for ways to turn your senior packages into more than anyone else can offer. Look for groupings, special sizes, and special ways to display your images.

Then showcase your differences. Anyone can take a senior picture. But only a professional can give you the experience of a senior portrait session.