“You are unique, just like everyone else.” This quote always tickles me a little, because it almost seems to lift you up, while slapping you down at the same time. Which is really just the true sense of our industry: highs and lows. Our industry is filled with bright-eyed peeps new to the scene and I always find myself eyeing them with envy. I miss that “I NEED TO WIN THEM ALL” attitude, that insatiable need for success that makes you work 110 hours a week. Then I remember how hard it is to start a business and I’m grateful for the comfortable zone I’m in, where I only need to work 60 hours a week. I remember how many hours I poured over my
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5 Tips for Coordinating and Creating Compelling Social Media Messaging
Coordinating social media messaging can be daunting. Not only do you feel pressured to craft perfectly interesting messaging that attracts attention, but you’re supposed to do it consistently! Here are five tips for removing stress and saving time while creating social media messaging for these channels: 1. Choose the right tool. Instead of jumping from login to login, choose a tool that enables you to post content on various social media sites from a central location. We recommend Hootsuite. 2. Schedule in batches. Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike or spending bits of time creating social media messaging throughout the week, identify a specific time and day each week to create and schedule messages. By batching your messages, you’ll be consistent and efficient. Note: Although you’re scheduling
3 Easy Techniques to Turn Portrait Leads into Bookings
We’ve all received leads from potential clients that we feel REALLY excited about, right? We start to paint the picture in our head of just how amazing their shoot would be! We’ve also all felt super bummed when they don’t respond or end up booking with us. We make up a scenario in our heads as to why they didn’t book, blame it on price, blame it on the email wording, etc. The fact that everything lies in one email is crazy sauce. Have you ever felt this way? What if I told you there are more things you can do to get this lead to book aside from that ONE EMAIL? I own a woman’s portrait studio (we specialize in boudoir) in Eau Claire,
How Teaching Photography Helps You Go Pro
Are you one of the thousands of photographers out there who’s talented enough to go pro, but still need a few more clients or pieces of equipment to make the leap? It might sound counterintuitive, but I believe teaching photography ticks both boxes brilliantly. Here are 7 reasons why teaching photography will boost your business, and help you go pro! 1. Your students can become your brides and grooms. If you’re teaching photography, sharing your knowledge openly, your students might actually become your best clients. For example, what if one of your students is a twenty-something in your city, who gets engaged six months after taking one of your classes or workshops? Who do you think she’ll call when she starts thinking about a wedding
5 Ways Blogging Beats Traditional Advertising
Considering dumping dollars into traditional advertising? Think again. Try blogging instead. Of course, blogging isn’t a new concept, but you may be surprised to find out that it can be even more effective for your business than traditional advertising tactics. If you’re strategic in your approach, your blog may be your best source of advertising – and save you lots of money in the long term. Here’s why… 1. Blog posts help you reach other networks through social media channels. By adding social sharing buttons for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc to your blog posts, it’s easy for readers to share your blog content with their own networks. This is a free way you can extend your reach beyond your own network. Traditional online advertising
3 Keys to Effectively Monitoring Social Media (without losing your mind)!
Let’s face it: social media is an essential part of doing business today. But if you don’t want to waste hours on Facebook and Twitter, scheduling social media messages in advance is a smart practice for staying active on social media channels. But if you’re trying to build real relationships with your audience of prospective clients, simply scheduling messages in advance isn’t enough. You’re not a robot after all and you’ll miss out on real time communication! Therefore, it’s also important to monitor your social channels for timely, relevant conversations. But monitoring social media doesn’t have to be a full-time job. Start by setting aside thirty minutes at the beginning and end of your work day to monitor and respond to social media conversations. You might
Facebook Hashtags are Finally Clickable (and Useful)
Our feeds (and yours too) have been abuzz with news of recent Facebook updates. But of all of those updates, there’s one that we’re especially excited about. Facebook hashtags are clickable. Yep, they finally do more than just give me a headache. And all I can say is, “It’s about freaking time!” You can now: • Search for a specific hashtag from your search bar. For example, #wedding. • Click on hashtags that originate on other services, such as Instagram. • Compose posts directly from the hashtag feed and search results. Why are we so excited about this update? Facebook Hashtags have made it easier to bring strangers together because of a common interest, and not just a common connection. As a professional photographer who
5 Best Practices for Using Social Media to Attract Website Visitors
Hold on just one second. Before you skip to tips for attracting visitors to your website, it’s important to understand why attracting visitors to your website is valuable in the first place. The common misconception among businesses using social media is that being popular equates to making money. It canbe profitable, I guess, but only if your profitabiity is calculated using total number of friends, fans and likes. Chances are you haven’t figured out how to do that. (Let me know if you do!) Until then, we’ll have to accept the truth that being successful on social media means much more than simply showing up and being liked. If you’re trying to make money for your business using social media, then your goal should be to attract visitors to your
4 Tips for Creating Blog Content that Generates Qualified Traffic
If you want to generate qualified leads, you’ve got to start driving qualified traffic to your website. After all, leads don’t just appear out of nowhere! (Although, that’d be nice.) How do you generate qualified website traffic? You guessed it…by consistently publishing content on your blog! To truly find success generating qualified traffic through blogging, it’s important to tailor content to your target market. This way, your blog articles are relevant, compelling AND come up in search engines when your target audience is searching. 1. Identify Specific Buyer Personas The first step to creating content that generates qualified traffic is understanding what qualified means to you. What is the “right” traffic? Create buyer personas to help you identify the traits that the right visitors have
Free Guide: Social Media for Grownups
Social media must be some sort of marketing magic. I mean, all you have to do is show up and start talking to gain followers and rake in cash, right? Wrong! Social media isn’t magic. It’s just another tool in your online marketing arsenal that – when used correctly – helps you reach business goals. How do you do it correctly? Start by developing a social media plan. In this free guide, Social Media for Grownups, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a strategic social media roadmap. We’ll cover: Identifying SMART goals Understanding your target audience Developing an action plan Avoiding common social media pitfalls So what are you waiting for? Take the first step to becoming a social media guru.