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January Madness – How To Create A Booming Start To The Year

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I know, you’re probably swimming in holiday orders at the moment, and are counting down the days until you can take a much needed break from production. But a funny thing happens between the end of the holiday orders in December and the first of the New Year – the orders come to a screeching halt.

Depending on your niche, January can be a rough month. As the bills come in from a fun-filled December, people begin to put the breaks on so they can pay off those credit cards, and bring their budgets back under control. Which means they tend to “hibernate” a bit more, and just do the things absolutely necessary, bypassing the extras.

Instead of taking the month of January off, or sitting back with the understanding it will be a rough month, do something about it.

Create A New Campaign

If you keep doing the same stuff, you’ll get the same results. Instead, come up with an entirely new idea – something you’ve never done before or have seen anyone do in your area. Put a twist on your regular offerings and breathe new life into it.

You can also look for places where people are spending money and reach out to them. For instance here in Denver, the Rocky Mountains are a short drive away. And January through April are huge for the ski industry. Piggyback off of this trend, and find a way to combine your photography with the ski industry.

Market It Differently

In the above example, you actually have two market areas. Because a large majority of Denverites head up to the slopes on the weekends, you can market to the more affluent zip codes within Denver itself. Many also have ski condos they spend the weekend at, so they aren’t on the slopes the entire time. Not only can you market to people in Denver, but you can market to the resort communities in the ski areas as well. Get to know the businesses in your select areas – in some cases you can put up portraits in their shops, and have a great marketing pull that way as well. [Read more...]

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Photographers – Black Friday – Facebook: What Can You Do?

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Tis the week that starts the rush in holiday shopping here in the US. And according to the National Retail Federation, up to 152 million shoppers are expected to head to the stores and shop online for bargains sometime over the coming long weekend.

And while shopping on Thanksgiving weekend is nothing new, how shoppers will track the bargains is – and its changing rapidly with technology.

  • 50.5% will keep up with advertising circulars received in the newspaper and mail
  • 31.7% will watch holiday commercials

All of which is to be expected. But what is new is how we’re now using technology to get the exact information we are looking for.

  • 23.1% will seek out coupon websites – think RetailMeNot.com, FatWallet.com
  • 17.3% will monitor Facebook pages
  • 11.3% will check out group buying sites like Groupon and LivingSocial

And for those people that use tablet devices, over 31 percent will check out retailers’ Facebook pages and 21.3 percent will use the group buying sites.

So for many retailers – BestBuy, Macy’s, Kmart, Sears, etc – they won’t be focusing solely on the customers coming into their stores; they will spend equal time discovering ways to reach out to the people searching online from the comfort of their homes. Many will be participating in “deal of the hour” and other programs that they can release in a variety of ways, including email, Facebook and Twitter.

What Can Photographers Do?

While a photography studio may not be on the top of consumers holiday lists as they hit the stores on Friday morning, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn a thing or two from what the big retailers are doing, and put it into your own business. [Read more...]

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7 Tips For Marketing Your Photography To Women

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Is there really a difference in the way men and women shop? Yes. And in most cases they aren’t just subtle differences – they can be extreme. Enough so that entire companies are now devoted to studying sales and spending habits of the two sexes, and have come to distinct patterns to both. If you intend to market predominantly to women (which is probably the case in a variety of photographic niches) don’t just study marketing and sales; study marketing and sales strategies for women. Here are some distinct differences in how women buy.

Sell With Emotions

Even the title says it all. Women are simply more emotional than men, and tie their purchasing decisions to things that feed their emotions. Women love stories and happy endings. They love to be led along a storyline, and be kept in waiting to find out how situations will play out. Old Spice ads? You bet. We couldn’t wait to see the next one in the series and find out what crazy thing would happen next. Stories give us a few seconds to step away from our busy lives, and focus in on something that is completely irrelevant to our current situations, yet has impact on what we are thinking and doing.

Ask For Opinions

What do women like doing more than hearing a great story? Talking about it of course. We like to tell our friends, mention it in a group we belong to, share it on Facebook, and leave our comments on a blog post. When we don’t have time to chat with our best friends every day, logging into our Facebook accounts at 10 pm before we turn in can be just as rewarding. Don’t just leave it to chance; make the request. Tell people exactly what you want them to do and they will more likely follow through.

Build Time Into Your Sales Process

Women typically take a longer period of time to settle in on a purchase. They do more research, ask more questions, and spend more time thinking about the purchase before they actually sign on the dotted line. Build that into your sales process. Don’t expect an immediate sale; instead add in techniques that build up confidence in your relationship. Send thank you notes. Build an FAQ page online to address any concerns she may have. Direct her to that page on a follow up email. Mail out additional support for your products and services, such as testimonials and more in-depth descriptions. It may take a little more time and effort, but having a raving fan to help you sell on the other end is worth it. [Read more...]

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The Only Goal Of Every Marketing Campaign And Why You’re Probably Doing It Wrong

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If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you’ve created a number of marketing campaigns to reach out to potential customers.

Why did you create them?

If you thought, “to bring in customers” you’re only half right.

Ultimately all marketing is created to bring in new customers. But if you don’t consider the “how” within the campaign itself, you’ll never have the results you’re looking for. Let me explain.

I recently went through a wedding magazine here in my local community. Chances are its not a whole lot different from the one’s in your community. And as I browsed through them one thing clearly jumped out at me.

All of the ads are virtually the same.

Sure, the photo, logo and phone number changed. But the structure of the ads themselves was all the same.

So what makes someone choose one over the other?

An Ad Needs To Say More

As a photographer, I know how easy it is to get caught up in the emotion of your own work. You loved the client, you loved the atmosphere, and the particular image you’ve chosen for your ad really “speaks” to you.

The problem is the potential client doesn’t have that same vantage point. They don’t know the client, they don’t know the details of the image, and they don’t know how well you’ve connected with the image. They just see the one photo in the ad, and base their entire first impression from it.

The problem is their first impression becomes muddled when they see photo after photo, page after page, and they all pretty much begin to look alike. And that’s because business owners don’t take it to the next level, and put into a marketing campaign what truly needs to be there.

The goal of every marketing campaign is to create a new belief, or change an old one.

We buy because somewhere deep inside of us we know we have a “problem”. And the person that comes closest to helping us solve our “problem” is the company that we ultimately will do business with.

Don’t believe me? Think about any product you’ve recently purchased.

Let’s use household cleaners. If you go up and down the aisle at your local store, you know there are dozens of different options. Some are “extra strength”, some are “gentle”, some are “safe for the environment”. When you approach the cleaning aisle, you have a “problem”.  You want to buy a cleaning product to use within your home. So you go shopping with a few ideas in mind, and possibly some preferences. Yet just by looking through the available products, you can quickly be swayed to other options. Maybe you’ve never thought about the harmful affects of cleaning products before. Would one that promised to “be safe in the environment your kids live in” make you think twice before you buy? Of course. Their marketing campaign – in this case the title and tag lines on the product itself – is enough to win you over and make you buy. And if you add in a television commercial or magazine ad that explains the same things in more detail, you may bypass looking at the products on the shelves, and go straight into the store with the sole intension of buying the “safe” product.

Okay, that’s cleaners. But does it really work for photography? Of course.

Since I began with an “ad” of a wedding photographer above, lets continue on with that example.

What is a bride looking for when she’s hunting for a wedding photographer?

Some brides may be looking for the perfect photographer because she doesn’t want to relive the horror of having “uncle Bob” shoot her wedding and lose everything like her best friend went through.

Or maybe she’s looking for a great photographer that will fit in with her personality, offer her a high level of customer service, and provide the perfect memories of her very special day.

Brides all have different visions and different wants from their photography. But if they have to choose based on dozens of ads that all look the same, it comes down to a coin toss.

Start the process by making them think. Even a simple question can set you a part from your competitors.

Then go into more detail. You may not be able to get a ton of information into an ad, but why not continue the story on your website? If you’re mailing a postcard, continue the story on the back, and explain why the average photographer doesn’t give you 100 percent of the service they deserve.

The goal is to get them to start questioning how all other photographers do things, and why you’re a little different. Once you get that question into their minds, you’ll quickly move apart from your competition. And book more.

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8 Must-Dos For The Serious Photographer

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Are you serious about becoming a professional photographer? Or are you dabbling in the world of hobbyist?

While a hobbyist loves to photograph, and spends most of his or her time behind the camera shooting, a professional realizes there is more to it than shooting. They have to focus on the business too. If you are building up your business, or trying to revive it in a flailing economy, make sure you have these 8 things in place.

Niche Your Business

When a person tries to find a photographer, they don’t head out and Google “General Photographer”. They look for the specifics. They want a wedding photographer in Paris. Or a portrait photographer in Miami. Even if they are focused on a local community, and ask around their friendship circle, they will still ask for specifics – “Hey, do you know any great wedding photographers? Jason and I just got engaged.” In order to attract clients, you have to focus on the clients you would like to have.

Plan For Customers

What do you want to sell your customers? What do you want them to buy? It takes more than figuring out a price when someone calls or emails you. You need to have it calculated and put into package plan so you know exactly what to charge your clients, and what you will ultimately deliver. Part of knowing how to sell is knowing what you will sell. It’s easy to get them excited about things when they can “see” it too. [Read more...]

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What Not To Do At A Networking Event

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Networking events are a great way to get out and meet someone new. And if you approach it correctly, you can pick up a client or two at almost every event you attend.

Many networking events now offer the opportunity for businesses to put in door prizes. Door prizes offer a lot of things:

  • They can help the event planner generate more interest in the networking event
  • They can help you get your name out there and start building your brand
  • They can help connect you to a potential business client

Yet not everyone understands what you should and shouldn’t do with a door prize.

Last night Andrew set off for an event in Downtown Denver. And after making a few connections and chatting with a few old friends, he was almost ready to go when they announced it was time for the door prizes.

As long as you’re there, why not stick around and see if you win?

They announced a prize, and pulled the winning business card.

And he won.

But then he went up to claim his prize, and read the 8×11 sheet of paper. [Read more...]

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How To Create A Profitable Direct Mail Campaign

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I was reading Deliver Magazine the other day, a marketing magazine created by the US Post Office. Did you know:

  • 28 percent of all Americans 25 and older have at least a bachelor’s degree
  • 68 percent of college educated Americans are married
  • 51 percent of college educated Americans are women
  • 12 percent look to direct mail for finding bargains
  • College graduates are more likely to be employed, and have more discretionary income

While this article was touting the benefits of direct mail, the same can hold true to the Internet as well. College educated, affluent consumers are more likely to head online to do research, and to make purchases. And with smart technology clearly on the increase, the ability to do research anywhere, at any time will only increase in the coming months as well.

So when you put the two together, the benefits of direct mail and online marketing can be the solution to your slow days.

Creating A Profitable Campaign

Step One Create Your Offer

Great offers don’t just happen, they take time to develop. One of the best books I have on my desk is Outrageous Advertising That’s Outrageously Successful by Bill Glazer. Get a copy. Bill goes through campaign after campaign that he used to build a multi-million dollar company. He gives you photos and copy for letters and postcards, and has an amazing amount of ideas that will get you going in the right direction.

Think about whom you are targeting and design specifically for them. “A college educated woman 30-50 who has kids in certain elementary schools” would be a great target market for a family portrait offer. When you know the specific people you are targeting, it makes it easier to create your marketing piece.

Step Two Create Your Direct Mail Piece

Most direct mail pieces have two problems.

1. They aren’t specific.

2. They don’t make the reader take action.

A direct mail piece needs to have one focus in mind – what outcome are you looking for? If you are booking fall portraits, the entire piece should be about the benefits of a fall portrait. If you are an event photographer, you should be promoting one aspect of your business that directly relates to the person you are sending to – taking advantage of a special summer offer for corporate picnics.

Then add a call to action in your mailing. What do you want them to do? Visit your website to sign up? Bring in a coupon by a certain date? Make sure you state what you want them to do, and give them a deadline. An offer without an expiration date is as good as dead.

Step Three Create Your Landing Page

Mailings can be very expensive, especially if you spend a lot on the mailing itself. Which is why I always use my mailings to direct people to my website. Not just my home page, but a specific page on my site built for them.

I’ve used special reports, coupons, even videos that explain my offer in more detail. The key is to get them excited to visit the site with your mailer, and give them what you’ve promised on the landing page.

Then when they get there, have them sign up with an email address to view more details. When people give their email addresses, you now have the ability to email them “forever” at one low price – the price of your email system. I use a third party software, aWeber, for all of my email campaigns. I’ve used them for years, and can’t imagine running my business without them.

Step Four Start Booking Clients

Once you have your mailings going out, and people coming to your landing page to find out more information, its time to convert them into clients.

Don’t forget to add all of your contact information to every piece of your campaign. Some people like email, some like picking up the phone and calling. Just because you want them to move from one step to the next doesn’t mean that’s what they prefer to do. Always give them choices along the way.

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How To Put Together A Self Promotional Kit To WOW Your Prospects

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What do you do when you’re trying to bring in new clients?

You probably have a few marketing tools you use regularly. Maybe a business card, a postcard, or even a brochure. Those are all nice, and can attract your average client. But what if you want to really kick it up a level, and attract a large customer that can bring in a ton of revenue to your studio?

You may need something that stands out from the crowd.

While we’ve talked here before on ways to develop a strong presentation piece or marketing kit, I found a video today from a commercial photographer that shows you how to put the WOW into it.

While the video does a great job of showing you exactly what was put into the presentation kit, you can also check out Casey Templeton’s site and see more images, including the specifics of the copy on some of the pieces inside the lunch box.

Great stuff.

Is something like this expensive? You bet. But the idea behind kits like this isn’t to mail them to thousands of people. Instead, its about finding the right people, limiting it to a few dozen or even a few hundred at most, and doing all you can to WOW them into wanting to use you.

Step one – Find your target market

Before you even begin creating a presentation piece, its important that you know whom you will be marketing to. Define your exact target market down to the detail. The more you know, the easier it is to find them and reach out to them. The key to a great presentation piece is speaking directly to the heart. And if you can define them perfectly, it’s easier to reach out to them. [Read more...]

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How To Make Magic Happen In Your Business

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Lady Gaga. American Idol. Glee. Apple.

Like em, love em or hate em, no matter how you feel about it, they all evoke a massive emotional response. They’ve created a national appeal that makes everyone around the world talk about what’s happening next.

Wouldn’t you like to have that same emotional response with your own business? Imagine if you could do something so striking, people instantly recognized you and started talking about you.

While your goal may not be to attract the attention Lady Gaga is getting, there are things you can do to get noticed, and have the magic start flickering around you.

1. Speak directly to your marketplace as if they were a single person. What would that one person want to hear? Nothing will create as much magic as if a person feels they are being directly catered to, and taken care of in a special way. [Read more...]

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How Much Power Your Words Really Have

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Pictures or Images?

Proofs or Originals?

Come in for your shoot. or Come in for an experience.

The way you communicate can have a major impact on the way you do business. In fact, it can mean the difference between an average business and one of the top businesses in the world.

Have any doubts? Watch this video.

Just by changing a few simple words, you can say the same thing in a much more appealing way.

Start by looking at your current marketing materials. Your brochures. Your sales presentation. Even your voice mail message. What do you say to your potential clients?

Now start analyzing each item. How can you change what you say and make it more appealing?

Lets look at an example.

Maybe you leave a quick note on your voice mail, telling people to visit your website to take a look at the pictures in your gallery.

The average consumer takes pictures. Pictures imply a pile of quickie images that you take on a point and shoot, develop at the local big box store, and throw into the drawer when you are finished.

What could you say instead?

Instead of talking about pictures, why not talk about your images? Instead of talking about your proofs, what about the originals?

By changing one word here and there, your message can be taken up to a whole new level. Yes, you may still be shooting, but by creating an experience for your clients, your customers will see you in a whole new way.

A little more elegant. A little more of a “wow” for the caller. And a little more value in what you do.

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