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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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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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7 Types Of Clients You Should Fire Before You Hire

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Chances are selling isn’t at the top of your list of fun things to do within your business. Sales takes a certain knack and a lot of practice to get it right.

When someone comes into your studio, you spend a fair amount of time with them talking about their needs and desires, and using that knowledge to show how you can fit within those needs.

But sometimes it just doesn’t feel right. There is something between you that makes you nervous. You might not even be able to put your finger on it, but you know they put you on edge.

Yet you’ve spent time with them, and with the economy the way it is, the last thing you want to do is turn away business. Right?

Working with a client – any client – is hard. It takes time, energy, and a lot of emotional input to see a client through from beginning to end. When you are finished with the great ones, you can sit back and say “YESSS!!!” because you know the images are great before you even look at them. And when you do look at them, every one of them has positive energy, and puts a huge smile on your face. You gave it your all and it shows.

The bad ones? Well, if you’ve ever experienced that feeling, you know it well. You’re emotionally drained. You have no energy. You hope and pray you took at least one image that is acceptable, and that they will love enough to buy.

If you had nothing but great ones, you could handle 10 of them a day. That “YESSS!!!” feeling would come again and again, building up your energy in such a way that your clients could feel it. And respond to it.

If you add even one bad one in to the mix, your energy is depleted, and you might as well quit for the rest of the day to recover.

So why take the bad ones?

If you have that feeling when you are meeting them at the beginning, listen to your intuition. Fire them before you ever hire them. Don’t take them on. It will only deplete your energy, and cause you to lose that “YESSS!!!” feeling that will help you move your business to the next level.

So who is a bad client? How can you define them? Here’s what I’ve noticed over the years, and what I look for when I’m making a decision on who to accept as clients.

1. People who don’t show up for their appointments, and have excuses on why they didn’t. We all have emergencies once in awhile. But if people don’t make it a priority to show up for initial consultations, and don’t treat your time as valuable, they will probably continue that way throughout the process. [Read more…]

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You Can’t Run Any Business On Free

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“Help. I’ve been trying to build up my photography business all year, as I was laid off from my job last winter. I’ve done some free shoots for a few groups around town. And family and friends are always looking for free portraits with the promise of helping me find paying customers. But so far not much is happening. I can’t keep shooting for free. What do I do next?”

Do you see yourself in the above paragraph? Many photographers do. In fact it’s a common way for photographers to start out. And it may take a while, but everyone eventually realizes one thing.

No business will ever make it for the long term if they don’t charge for what they do.

It’s simply a fact of life. You can’t do what you love if you don’t make money at it. You can photograph for fun AND have a full time job to support your lifestyle. Or you can photograph AND get paid well for it. That’s really your only two options. (Okay, unless you have a significant trust fund.)

So if that’s the case, the only reason to be in business is to make a profit. Without a profit, you can’t pay yourself, your bills, enjoy any kind of a lifestyle, and live a life without worry. It can’t be done – period.

(Yes, I know people will say there are a ton of reasons to be in business. Passion, loving what you do, making a difference, etc. But when it comes down to it, none of that is possible if you don’t make a profit to keep the passions going.)

Start With Free

Yes, it’s okay to start for free. You have to gain experience somewhere. And you have to grow your portfolio to show future clients. The problem lies in how many you shoot for free.
[Read more…]

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