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Creating A Photography Experience They’ll Love

I’ve been there. Have you?

Client complains.

Stomach sinks.

“Obviously I didn’t make that detail very clear, did I?”

(I didn’t even think I had to.)

If you haven’t ever been in this situation, consider yourself eternally lucky. If you have, then you know the feeling. You would do anything to go back in time to tell them everything you meant to.

If you’ve ever found yourself in a situation where you’re getting bitten for not setting client expectations correctly, you want to take a trip with Michael J. Fox back to when you had the opportunity to set the client’s expectations correctly.

But sadly, your imaginary DeLorean is fresh out of a flux capacitor.

So rather than try to figure out time travel, let’s work together to come up with a few ways to better set photography client expectations from the onset. Ultimately, this is an effort toward creating a photography experience, and one they’ll love.

Here are 5 tips on creating a better photography experience for your clients so you can avoid these sticky situations.

[Click to read more]

Partner with a Charity to Grow Your Photography Business

Marketing is one of the most important aspects of running a successful photography business.

It’s also one of the areas where photographers often struggle.

I’ve found a great method that will get you in front of your target client, set you up for press releases that will get you exposure, and help your favorite charity!

Partnering with charities has been one of the most beneficial marketing strategies for my business.

This marketing strategy can take many forms and can be custom designed to the needs of the charity you are working with and the workflow of your business.

The focus of my charitable marketing work thus far has been with shelters and rescues since I focus on pet photography, but these principles can be applied to working with schools, 501(c)3s, or any organization that is charitable and has supporters that are your target market.

Not all partnerships are equally beneficial to your business. So let’s look at how to ensure your donations and partnerships with charities will be mutually beneficial for both of you.

[Click to read more]

Nailed It! How to Be a Fantastic Second Shooter

I remember my first gig as a second shooter for a wedding. I laid in bed the night before, dreaming up all the disastrous situations that could possibly occur that would surely prove my incompetence as a photographer.

What if I drop my lens? What if the lead photographer asks me to do family portraits? What if I reformat my card and lose all my images?!

I stared at the ceiling while running through scenario after scenario until my brain finally conceded and I passed out for the night.

Now, a year and a half later, and I’m the poster child for having “it” together. I know what to bring, how to act, and nerves no longer steal my precious sleep (I’m a monster without at least 9 hours).

So if you’re feeling clueless about second shooting, where to find second shooter jobs, or just want to know how to be better at it, prepare to be educated until your brain fills up. I’m going to give you a glimpse into my super stellar Second Shooter Handbook (not a real thing… please don’t Google it).

[Click to read more]

The Surprising Truth About Your Photography Logo

“So what do you think of my logo?”

I get this question a lot.

And if you’re new to the business, or if you’ve recently redone your photography logo, you probably have asked this question to a large handful of friends, family and other photographers. Come on. Admit it.

Everyone cares what his or her own photography logo looks like.

It’s like asking, “how does my hair look?” after a trip to the salon. You want to hear the gushing comments about how beautiful and glorious it is.

But a great hairdo doesn’t guarantee to land you a prom date.

And I can promise you one thing: Your logo will not land you more clients. A photography logo is but a tiny part of generating clients, and I think that’s where so many people get confused about branding, marketing and how the two connect.

So let me break down the basics of branding for you. [Click to read more]

Don’t Make These 5 Mistakes When Starting A Photography Business

I never intended to start a photography business.

Like many people, I became interested in photography and the business just sort of fell into my lap.

While we’ve come a long way since then and I was able to leave my day job to do photography full-time, I made several mistakes when starting out that I wish I could go back and do differently.

These mistakes are easy to avoid if you are aware of them, yet it seems like almost all new photographers make them.

Here’s 5 common mistakes to avoid when starting a photography business. [Click to read more]

Why Your In-Person Sales Meetings Aren’t Working

In-Person Sales are one of the best ways to make more money with your photography business.

While a scary prospect for many, there is absolutely no denying it’s profitability. In fact, you can read about my first experience with In-Person Sales and how I made 5 times more than my average sale before doing in-person portrait sales.

While you may have gotten into photography because you love it and have a passion for it, passion doesn’t pay the bills. Profit is what running a legitimate business is all about.

However, some photographers claim that their clients simply won’t place an order during their in-person sales sessions and that many still need to “think about it.”

I hate to say it, but that’s not because of the type of clients you have. It’s because of how YOU are handling the session.

So how can you ensure that your In-Person Sales meetings will end with a sale? [Click to read more]

Why You Should Delete “I’m A Photographer” From Your Vocabulary

If you, me, and everyone else reading this post were jammed into a room at a networking event, I can almost guarantee you that 75% of the crowd’s introduction would go sorta like this…

“Hi! I’m so and so. I’m a photographer, and I shoot enter subject here.“

It’s when there’s hundreds of us all saying the same thing that the problem becomes grossly apparent. This is what we do, yes. But it’s no different than anyone else in this business and it’s not even a good way to articulate what we do.

After all, we’re not machines. We don’t produce the same results or experience. And, we don’t produce the same solution to the same problem.

With about 170,000 people reporting their career as “photographer” according to the US Census Bureau, how do you differentiate?

It’s really, really hard to figure out what you do differently than the pack. Businesses (not just photo businesses) struggle with this, sometimes for years before figuring it out. I’m about to give you a few huge shortcuts to help you figure it out much, much quicker. [Click to read more]

Is Your Appearance Hurting Your Photography Business?

Whether you like it or not, your appearance is part of how people judge your business.

Your clients will be judging you based upon everything they see – from your clothes and hair to the car you drive to the consultation. Even if they aren’t doing it intentionally, it’s still happening.

Even things that we can’t control, like our age or gender, will affect how they perceive us and how they choose a photographer.

So what is best?

Thankfully, there’s no universal “right answer” to that question. It all depends on who your ideal client is and what your appearance says to them.

So the real question is whether or not your appearance is attracting the type of clients you’re looking for, or if it is ultimately hurting your business.

How much does it really matter? [Click to read more]

Photography Business Insurance Coverages Every Photographer Should Have

This week’s post is a guest post from Rachel Brenke.

Running a business is serious..business.

It is super exciting to get a new prop, lens or spend money on education but there are a few areas that small business owners sometimes overlook.

Safeguarding your business through insurance policies is a major one.

You may as well be playing the lottery with your livelihood, clients and self confidence when not carrying the proper insurance policies.

While you should always consult with an insurance agent to make sure you have all the coverages you need, here are some of the main things you need to consider and purchase when getting photography business insurance. [Click to read more]

Get the Photography Clients You Deserve from Google Search

This week’s post is a guest post from Zach Prez.

You take stunning child portraits that can change the attitude and environment of an entire household simply by displaying your work on the wall.

Why doesn’t Google see your website in the same light and reward your quality photography with an outstanding rank?

First, search engines look at your website differently than clients. Search pays special attention to titles, URLs, and image text that clients ignore.

Second, people search for more than a “photographer in city X.” Clients search a particular style, season, and price all in a single phrase. This post outlines how to rank well for dozens of key topics in your niche so you can finally get the business you deserve from search.

[Click to read more]

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