PROGRAM SALE

This is your reminder that goals are dreams with deadlines!

And... the deadline is August 29th!

The program: From Headshot to Personal Branding sale will end August 29, 2020. If you're a photographer who's been wanting to add personal branding to your offerings, then this is for you!

This program went on sale during the stay-at-home pandemic with the goal of helping out my fellow photographers.

Now, around the world, kids are returning to school and people are getting back to work. For this reason, the program sale will end next week.

If you’ve been eyeing up this program - hop on now while it’s still $100 off.

If you’d like to see what people are saying about it... and how it has helped numerous photographers like you - click here.

I want you to finish 2020 business STRONG!

Are you with me?

Can’t wait to see you in the program! Enroll here.

P.S.

Sharing is caring - if you know someone who'd benefit from the program feel free to share it with them!

4 Brilliant Things You Can do Online This Weekend to Attract More Clients

Have you ever felt like your marketing is lacking? That you could be doing something more, but you're just not sure what? Do you feel like you may be missing some things in your social media, your website, or in your brand?  

I’m going to share with you 4 of my secrets to marketing that you can do THIS WEEKEND!! One weekend of work can transform your website and attract future clients.  

And.... did I mention these 4 things won't cost you a dime? 

You don't need to buy anything!

Let's jump in - here’s how:

1. About Page

2. Your Next 90 Days

3. Get Personal

4. Testimonials

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1. ABOUT PAGE

Did you know that “About pages” are one of the TOP 5 most visited pages on websites? 

That’s huge! But surprisingly, most us overlook this page ... or we just throw up some generic (useless) information. Truth be told, I fell into this grey zone myself.

But once I realized this, I discovered my about page was one of the most transformative pages that pursauded potential clients to contact me or not. Why? Because, it solidified the KNOW, LIKE and TRUST factor.

Action Plan: Rewrite your about page in an interview format. List 5 questions you wish prospective clients knew about you and 5 questions prospective clients usually ask you. Now write the answers to these questions. If you find writing about yourself difficult, this is a fast and easy method to keep the tone conversational and personal.

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2. YOUR NEXT 90 DAYS

Have you ever heard it takes 90-100 days to achieve something? This is a common timeframe we worked with - back when I worked in the corporate world.

So what do I want you to do here?

Plan out your next 90 days! Sound daunting? It really doesn’t have to be. Let me show you how easy it is (see chart below). Break it down into chunks like months, weeks and days. Think about what  you want to accomplish each month. For example, my October, November and December plan looked something like this:

Action Plan: grab a piece of paper and dot out a high level overview of who you would like to attract in the next few months. Come up with a message and share images that compliment your message with the world.

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3. Get Personal

People buy from people they like. Even big brands are getting personal. Think Apple and Steve Jobs.

Be sure to sprinkle in some personal images and stories to give your brand some life. Prospective clients want to know if they’ll like you, feel comfortable with you, feel safe with you and if they’ll enjoy working with you.

On the same note, know that not everyone will click with you. But this will help in attracting the right clients and repelling the wrong ones.

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4. Update your Testimonials Page

You may be thinking this is an obvious one. But when was the last time you actually updated your testimonials page?

Prospective clients want to know what other people thought and felt about working with you. Hate asking people to write a testimonial for you? (I do) Don’t worry! Look back in your emails. Have previous clients said nice things to you after a shoot? Simply send them a quick email asking if you can use their words on your website, social media and marketing materials.
It’s a win-win!

With love and gratitude and attracting more clients,

P.S. If you know someone who might benefit from this, go ahead and share it with them.

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Anything Worth Doing is Worth Doing Badly Until You Get it Right

How Comparison helped me grow

If the title of this article resonates with you - know that I’ve felt the same way! Any of these sound familiar?

You’re afraid to start your business.
You’re friends and family are discouraging you.
You don’t think you are good enough yet.
You’re afraid to start charging.
You feel like you’re not getting anywhere.
You feel like you’ll never be as good as others.

I’ve got two pieces of advice for you.

1. Everyone started out somewhere.

2. Don’t compare your Chapter 1 to their Chapter 20.
   
   

“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly until you get it right” - Les Brown

I discovered Flickr a month after I got my first semi-pro camera. I fell in love with so many photographers and their beautiful images (Anastasia Volkova and Julia Trotti were huge influences on me). I had no idea how they lit or exposed their photos or even what lenses they might have been using. I'd feverishly set up shots in my livingroom while my baby daughter slept. I tried to recreate the beautiful images I was so inspired by. I’d load the images onto my computer just to feel a huge let down. I mean, the difference was night and day. But I pushed on… I'd bring my favourites of the bunch into photoshop because I was determined to elevate the style and give my photos some allure. The look improved, don’t get me wrong, but still I was nowhere near my photographic idols… in fact I wasn’t in the ballpark or even the stadium in terms of comparison.  

You see… I compared my photos to those of my idols.  We’ve been taught that comparison is bad.  

But...

Comparison made me strive. 
Comparison gave me the desire to learn and educate myself. 
Comparison showed me the difference between good and great.

I understand when people tell you not to compare yourself with others. They say - be happy with your own work and your own style.

Now, I agree with this statement and I do think comparison can be a deadly trap - that can literally paralyze and stop you from moving forward. And it can get your inner negative voice to tell you all sorts of tales, like... 

….you’ll never be that good, 
….it will take forever to learn how to do that why bother, 
….she can do it because she has _____ and you don’t.

But stop!

Realize, you’ve gone too far.

Be sure that when you look at others and compare, that you do so in a way that feeds your soul and motivates you to improve yourself. Interpret it as a soft nudge to go learn something new or develop/polish a new skill. 

But remember that it will take a series of steps to grow and reach certain goals.

Be kind to yourself. After you learn something new, make a list of everything you now know that you didn’t before. I bet you’ll surprise yourself.

Just as we have growth spurts and lulls… have the faith, determination and, most importantly, patience as you grow.

P.S. Just to let you know...when I first started in photography, I tried reverse engineering other people’s photos.  Then I learned about and enrolled in online courses...which has made all the difference.  This important step helped me fast track my progress and success.

With love and gratitude and to YOUR success,

P.S. If you know someone who might benefit from this, go ahead and share it with them.

Portrait Photography and Business: I highly recommend Sue Bryce Education.
Wedding Photography and Business: My e-course is NOW OPEN: Stand out. Save time. Sell more.

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How to blog to keep yourself fully booked

Spring is already here for those who live further south. Last week I had the opportunity to visit Nashville, TN. With the family in tow, and camera in hand, it was a fabulous trip. I think I even got a bit of a tan! See my Instagram feed for pics from the trip.

While on my trip I got to meet an awesome stylist, Krista Roser, who styles many of the young country stars. And I got to hear how others are using their social media accounts to generate income.

All of which got me thinking about how I've used blogging + social media to keep my calendar fully booked. (I outline the super simple steps below).

I've never needed to invest in any advertising or do any shows/expos. Truth be told, I've invested in advertising twice. Approximately $1000 each time. Once was for a listing on a local wedding website. And the other was on a national magazine's website. The latter got me 3 out-of-town jobs. 

Not bad I suppose, I made the money back - but blogging is what has kept me consistently fully booked with shoots. Best of all it's free. And here's how...

I don't search for ideas or try to brainstorm new ideas of what to blog about.

I blog about my clients.

I use the photos I have created and sold to my client for the core of the post. Then I add a little story around those photos.

I call this method C.B.B. - or Client Based Blogging. Sounds simple right? Here's what it does...

Client Based Blogging (C.B.B.)

    1.    It makes my current clients happy
    2.    It attracts new clients

Here's why the "Client Based Blogging" method works...

CURRENT CLIENTS FEEL SPECIAL

It makes your current clients happy. The blog post makes them feel special. Heck, I feel special if my work gets featured anywhere! Your clients feel the same when they are featured on yours. 

Often clients are more excited about their photos being posted online, than they are about receiving their albums or digital files. They're excited because they want to share and show them off.

So having a well curated blog post + a story shows your client in their best light.

ATTRACTING NEW CLIENTS

Now onto the psychology of how blogging about your current client actually attracts new clients. 

1. Suspicious - according to socialmedia.com "buyers are naturally suspicious". If they see someone they know has purchased from you, they become more trusting of your product and services.

2. Best choice - other times buyers don't have time to shop around. They assume those before them have already done the research and selected the best choice. According to research conducted by Forbes magazine, "we copy people we know because we’re simply uncertain about the best choice".

3. Fitting in - according to Psychology Today magazine, sometimes clients purchase from the same company to "imitate others and fit in".

4. Success Stories - if your work has aided in your client's success - success stories have an immense impact on consumers, according to socialmedia.com.

Now that we know how and why it works - how do we get people to our blogs?

PROCESS: HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO YOUR BLOG

All roads lead back to your blog - and timing is of the essence.

• When to create the blog post - create your client's blog post before releasing any digital images. Here's the process: you've completed the photography job for your client and he/she has paid you. You are ready to deliver the photos. Before you do, put together their blog post and send them the link. This ensures your client will share the link with their friends and family (not the other products you give them).

• Announce on Social Media - announce on any and all of your social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.) that you have a new blog post up on your site. Be sure to include the blog post link and post a photo to peak interest.

• Email your client - email the blog link and social media posts to your client. Encourage them to tag themselves and share the post on social media.

PROCESS - TWO steps HOW TO WRITE a C.B.B. POST

Still not sure how to make a "Client Based Blog" post? Use these two easy steps to help you:

1. Use photos your client has selected and purchased

2. Accompany those photos with a story about your client. Try to write a minimum of 3 sentences. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• What... are they using the photos for? (tells both about them and the service you offer)

• Who... is your client? (promote/plug their business or tell their story)

• How... did the photos impact their life? (e.g. client got first modelling job)

• When... did it happen? (is the timing of their photos important or is age?)

• Where... did it take place? (is significance in the location?)

• Why...? (why did they need these photographs)
  

ACTION STEPS

A. Create a blog post about your last client using the Client Based Blogging method (C.B.B.)
B. Use the photos they purchased
C. Write a minimum of 3 sentences about the client
D. Post the link to your blog post and teaser images on your social media accounts
E. Send your client the link to their post
F. When you are done go to my website and leave me a comment

ASIDE - I know you do this already, but I want to remind you to have your clients sign a model release before posting any of their images online.
TIP - I also let my clients know ahead of time that I'll be writing a special post about them on my blog. This gets them excited. Or, if they are super private people, they have to chance to let me know that they are uncomfortable.

With love and gratitude and wishing you all the happiness and success,

P.S. If you know someone who will find this article helpful go ahead and share it with them!

If you'd like to take these concepts further and dive in deeper on how you can easily build a profitable wedding photography business, check out the E-Course: For those with a creative background not a business background - how to easily create a successful and profitable wedding photography business.

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How to Attract Ideal Clients

Are we unknowingly diluting our brands?

In a world where websites are often the first touch point our clients have to us - are we dressing our sites for the job we want or the job we have?

When we dilute our websites we automatically attract the WRONG clients and repel the RIGHT clients.

Let me elaborate with a story before we get to the action steps. 

SANDRA

Sandra, a fellow photographer, recently told me she couldn’t get any clients... and the few clients she did get purchased very little. She went on to tell me how she went to networking meetings, had a booth at a show and invested in paid advertising. And the result - a negative bank balance.

So what was going wrong?

Now, there could be several things wrong, but I started with her website because this is where our potential client's start. 

The design was nice, but when the homepage photos ran through the auto gallery, I noticed two major problems:

The first was, Sandra is a fine art wedding photographer. Her homepage displayed 2 fine art wedding images, and then, a baby photo set in an outdoor park. (Insert record scratch sound effect). The style clash stood out like a sore thumb. 

I asked Sandra if she does baby photography.

Her answer, “I don’t want to.... but it pays”.

The second problem was, sprinkled throughout were unpolished, amateurish photos. These photos were not consistent with the quality of her best work.

I asked Sandra about the unpolished photos.

Her answers, “I don’t remember what photos are in the homepage gallery”. Then, “Even though those photos aren’t my best work, they show that I have experience…” 

MORAL OF THE STORY

    •    ATTRACT: What you show on your website you will attract. If you put baby photos, you will get requests for baby shoots. If you don’t like shooting XYZ… don’t post XYZ photos.  If you’re shooting a genre and your heart isn’t in it, that will show in your work and in your sales (or lack thereof).

    •    FLOW: Make sure there is a flow to the style of the photos you post. Don’t be all over the board or clients won’t be sure what they’ll get if they book you. If you have different styles, transition to them slowly in your gallery so you don’t throw visitors for a loop.

    •    A+: Only show your best work! Edit your website and remove any photos you dislike or you think are just “ok”. If they don’t score an A+ take them down. If a potential client comes to your website and sees 2 great photos and 1-2 mediocre ones they won’t be confident in your abilities. And they won’t contact/book you. Don’t give them a reason to hesitate.

    •    FOCUS: Potential clients don’t care if you’ve been a photographer for 10 years or 10 minutes. If you can make them look good or fulfill their needs they will contact you.

ACTION STEPS

1. Remove the photos from your website of work you’d rather not do in the future. Only post photos of what you want to shoot more of.
   

2. Post only your A+ images and delete the others. Don’t dilute your best work with your less-than-best work.

Remember, clients come to your website because they want to book you! They are hoping you are a good fit for them. It's okay to repel the wrong clients. But don't repel the right ones!

I’d love to hear from you. Have you found you're diluting your website in other ways? Share with us in the comment section (way down) below.

With love and gratitude. And wishing you all the success in your photography business,

P.S. Share this article it you found it helpful.

P.S.S. After writing this, I realized I have one super cute baby photo (that I am so proud of) on my website. I don’t shoot babies but sometimes get requests. Lightblub: I think it’s time to take it down!

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Animoto Video - Yay or Nay?

So I did it! I took the plunge signed up for Animoto and created a video!

Now I’ve heard people in the photography industry singing the praises of Animoto for a while. Namely the super talented Sue Bryce! And I must admit, my initial reaction was how great can it really be? I mean I use a Mac.... and iMovie is simple enough.  

I’ve also tried Photodex Proshow Web. Could this really be any better? - I said to myself.

Well, at the end of this article I’ll tell you the reasons why I think Animoto is a better tool - for my needs - and they probably aren’t for the reasons you think!

I’ll also touch on some different ways you can use video for your wedding, family or glamour photography businesses!

Why

But first let’s start off with why video is even important to your photography business!

These are some interesting and rather compelling statistics in my opinion. The article “The Science of Video Engagement” found that:

• 60% of web site visitors will watch a video if one is available before reading any text

• 88% of visitors stay longer on a site where there is a prominent video

• homepages or landing pages that have a prominent video lead to 800% more conversions

• website visitors have a higher likelihood of remembering videos compared to other forms of information

• visitors who watch videos tend to look deeper into your product/brand and later purchase from you.

So video is pretty important. But how can we use it in our photography business?

How to use video

I’ve put together a list of some fun and easy ways I’ve seen and heard of video being used - and ways you can use it too: 

• show behind the scenes at a wedding or in studio

• interview

• show your studio and office

• client testimonials

• image galleries

• surprise client with their images put to music

• showcase final images mixed with behind the scenes video/images

• family shoot: interviewing the kids mixed with final images from the shoot

• business commercial

• brand story with images and your voice-over

• showcase products e.g. wedding albums, folio boxes

• up-sell packages

That’s all great, but where can you use these videos? Uhm… just about everywhere! And the best part is you can easily re-purpose your videos. Think - homepage, blog post, Facebook, Instagram and other social media.

My Animoto experience

I wanted to surprise one of my beautiful portraiture clients with something extra thoughtful. 

My typical portraiture blog posts prior to this, I’m sad to admit, were 1-2 images from a photo shoot that I would post here and there if I found time. 

This time I wanted to say more. This time I wanted to show more. And I wanted to say more without words and without just throwing a bunch of photos up consecutively one after another.

So I logged into my Animoto account and I picked a theme that I thought would be fitting with the style of photos I wanted to showcase. 

Tip: when viewing the themes, try to look past the default placeholder images - your photo genre may give the theme a completely different vibe.

Next I uploaded my photos, added my logo, a few lines of text, picked some music from their suggested royalty free music library and voila - I published my video! (Big Smile)

Animoto, automatically timed my video to the music, transitioned between the different slides and gave me straightforward options to export/publish my video.

Since you can control the time of the video, (if you’d like), you can also make shorter complimentary videos to use on Instagram. 

Tip: Instagram cuts videos off at 15 seconds.

So in addition, I made a shorter 15 second version of the video to match the look & feel of the original video.

Then, with the touch of a button, I exported the videos to my youtube and vimeo accounts and also downloaded them to my computer.

And the very best part... my video looked ultra professional! All shiny and polished!

Why I love Animoto

iMovie and other online video programs can do the same thing right?

Yes for some features, but these are the reasons why I prefer Animoto to other software I have tried:

• it’s a super simple process

• it saves me time! I’m a photographer and I don’t have time to fiddle around with video software.

• it’s drag and drop

• it’s really fast and slick

• it’s online

• you can import photos from smugmug

• if you dislike the theme you can easily switch it without re-starting your project from scratch

• it makes exporting easy

• it exports quickly

• all of your videos are in one place

• it connects to your vimeo and youtube accounts

• it easily embeds video into your website

• you can upload both videos and still images

• you can clip your videos in animoto

• you can upload voice-overs

• it has a huge library of royalty free music (hola!)

• it has a blank template that you customize for projects that don’t fit with any of their other themes.

If you’ve been considering using video for any aspect of your photography business, I hope this article has been useful! I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Also, if you want to explore more about how to use animoto to boost your business check out Sue Bryce's super Creative Live course here!

Be sure to leave me a comment below.

P.S. Here is my video

With love and gratitude. And wishing you all the success in photography business,

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