Photo by The Youngrens “Advertising is based on one thing: happiness. And do you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It’s freedom from fear. It’s a billboard on the side of a road that screams with reassurance that whatever you’re doing is OK. You are OK.” Donald Draper (Mad Men, 2007) Even the old school ad guys got this one right. My good friend Don (yes, the fictional character Donald Draper) knew that he was never just selling products, he was selling happiness. In order to do this he had to figure out how what he was selling resonated with his ideal client’s unique idea of happiness. Your products and services aren’t just products and services. They represent memories,
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The Difference Between Good and Great Photographers
I have always said that the difference between a good photographer and a great photographer is in what they choose to show to the world. Cartier-Bresson said that “showing your contact sheet is like taking your pants off in public.” The photographer who is willing to show everything to the public, puts their weaknesses on display and waters down the potency of their vision. When photographers flood their portfolio with inferior images for the sake of volume, the images become an albatross hung around the neck of the collection and they drag the work down. On the other hand, when a photographer is a harsh editor and honest with himself when selecting his portfolio, he will reject the simply adequate in favor of the great,
How to Set Up Google Analytics on Your Photography Site
In this video tutorial, Nashville Photographer Phil Thornton walks you through how to set up Google Analytics for your photography website or blog. If you have any questions or comments (such as unique ways for using Google Analytics), leave them in the comments section below or message Phil on Twitter @PhindyPhil. Google Analytics Tutorial by Phil Thornton from Phil Thornton on Vimeo. Written by Phil Thornton Phil Thornton and his wife Mindy run one of the most successful wedding photography studios in the Nashville market, Phindy Studios. Before entering the photography industry, Phil was a web developer and internet marketing professional. He contributed to several international web marketing projects for clients ranging from Disney to Madonna. He has also helped develop internet marketing strategies for celebrities such
The Business of Branding: The Future is Open
Being “open” in your photography business can mean a great many things. Being open to new ideas, practices and techniques. Being open to new markets and product lines. Making your business an open book. The open I want to talk about today is open source. Be it a philosophy or methodology, the definition of open source is literally, opening the source code, sharing it publically and allowing the community to contribute to its development. Examples of open source programming language are WordPress, CSS and HTML5. Why is this good for you? Take a community like WordPress with 32.5 million users and tens of thousands of developers all creating plugins which you are free to use edit and share. This is like having tens of thousands
How to Make a Customized Facebook Fan Page for Your Photography Business
UPDATE: Check out Wendy Roe’s articles, “How Photographers Can Use Facebook Timeline” and “Five Facebook Features Every Photographer Should Use” for up to date tips on Facebook for Photographers. Also, don’t miss out on Lawrence Chan’s PDF “The Professional Photographer’s Facebook Strategy Handbook.” Since the last Photo Life Dispatch was all about Social Media, I thought I’d follow up with a post on some specific enhancements and strategies you can use to increase the effectiveness of your Facebook business page. Facebook recently made several changes to the way it handles Business Pages that allows business owners to interact more directly with our “fans.” The new features can be used to your advantage to help beef up your Social Media strategy. The most impressive new feature
Boudoir Photography for the Conservative Client
**In honor of Cupid, this blog post is the third and final post in our February series on Boudoir photography. See more posts on Boudoir photography…** Boudoir photography is definitely a very intimate form of photography. The majority of my female clients do not want me to share their intimate photos with the world. In fact, I’ve specifically had women make it very clear that they want their photos for their husbands eyes only. So what do you do when you can’t show your awesome work in order to gain new clients?! First ask yourself as a photographer why you want to offer these sessions. Then use the passion you have about boudoir photography in your marketing. I love these sessions for so many different
6 Tips for Hosting Effective and Profitable Boudoir Mini-Sessions
**In honor of Cupid, this blog post is the second in our February series on Boudoir photography. See more posts on Boudoir photography…** A typical boudoir day for me consists of anywhere from seven to twelve clients coming into my studio in one day. While powering through sessions might not work for everyone, with some practice you can effectively have profitable and fun boudoir sessions! Here are a few tips for having an effective and profitable marathon boudoir session. It all starts in the marketing. In order to be able to book several clients in one day, you have to be able to get several clients to sign up. The best way to do this is to create a special that limits the number of
Tips for Getting Started in Boudoir Photography
I receive tons of emails from enthusiastic photographers who are catching boudoir fever and would love to know how to get started! Here’s a perfect example: “I am just starting out as a photographer and would love to do Boudoir. There are so many things I need to do and learn, and I am working to raise the money needed for equipment, sets, and marketing. I’m not sure what to do first or how to really get started!” Here is my best advice for a helpful approach in getting started, how to prioritize your investments, create a smoking hot portfolio, and get that first boudoir client! KEEPING A PLAYFUL AND INTELLIGENT APPROACH As a boudoir photographer and as a woman, I live by the following
The Business of Branding: Looking for Inspiration
The photography industry is filled with amazing creative leaders. There are studios that get their brand identity just right. It is very easy to look at these brands, watch them, and then (accidently) try and replicate them. I know first hand, how enticing that can be. Building an online brand is a daunting task, but looking for inspiration outside of the photography field might be the kind of spark your creative juices need. Here are a few areas I encourage my clients to look to for inspiration. And some examples of how we brought them to life. 1) Fashion: (My own go to muse) Studio Diana, wanted a magazine feel to their brand, and sent the following vision board. We saw eloquently fashionable, classically influenced,
Connecting With People That Matter To Your Business
It’s a big world out there. Even in your market or area, there are probably more than a hundred wedding industry professionals and vendors. One of the most valuable ways to build your photography business is through the relationships you develop with these key industry professionals. It’s also one of the hardest. Although photographers seem to be a pretty social group, I often hear from friends and peers that the idea of trying to meet planners, venues, coordinators, designers, etc, can be intimidating. Where do I even start? How do I get people to refer me business? What do I do to meet the important people? Those are all great questions. Just as in any industry, people want to work with – and refer business