Marketing

Does Giving Away Photos Devalue the Work of Photographers?

Through our Facebook page, we recently brought you the story of one professional photographer who has turned towards giving away the majority of his photos for free. If you haven’t caught the story, and are as surprised as we were when first hearing about it, then it can be summarised as follows.   The Swiss photographer started his career working on the design side of things, often utilising the photos of others to develop his own work for clients. Sensing he hadn’t given back ‘his share’ of content towards a community which effectively helped him further his own career, he took interest in the concept of a community photo sharing website. Defying his own expectations, the photographer’s portfolio soon took on an unprecedented following, with the likes of Apple even using one of his photos. Numerous other users provided links to his website and in the process, supported the generation of new… | Read the full article


Online Advertising for Photographers – What are Your Options?

When it comes to generating new business, the digital realm has afforded professional photographers new exposure and publicity through a means of advertising that was previously not available. However, with an assortment of options on offer, how can photographers gauge whether they are getting the best return on their marketing expenditure? In an effort to help make your next marketing decision easier, we’ll now look into the main online advertising options.   Yellow Pages The iconic yellow-covered phone book has transformed itself in recent years to include an online directory and mobile app platform. Photographers can place advertisements, which are listed via the company’s online directory, voice directories, mapping sites, and all the major search engines. Advertisers may evaluate their ROI as measured by leads, listing appearances, listing interactions, and call tracking. While one complimentary listing is available per customer per address, managed services start from $18/month (without any images,… | Read the full article


How Should one Manage Their Clients Expectations?

To become a successful photographer, it goes without saying that your success will depend upon your ability to satisfy your clients. Not only does a happy customer translate into an increased likelihood of their return business in the future, but it also generates word-of-mouth marketing that is vital for a photographer to increase their customer base.   Often however, customers’ satisfaction levels can be influenced by factors beyond the technical skills you possess as a photographer. In some instances, it is the expectations of clients that will determine whether they’re pleased with the final results. With this in mind, photographers need to be well prepared to manage their clients’ expectations.   There are various strategies one can adopt when dealing with clients, however, the first and most vital step is to realise that every client has different expectations from the next, meaning a ‘one size fits all’ approach won’t always… | Read the full article


How Should You Respond When a Customer Asks for a Discount

Most, if not all of us, are guilty of it from time to time. Whether it’s an application for a mortgage, the purchase of a vehicle, flights and accommodation, internet and mobile phone bundling, or other big ticket purchases – we’re often on the lookout for a discount. After all, who doesn’t love a bargain!? But when the shoe is on the other foot and your customers, whether they be repeat or potential customers, begin to ask for discounts, how should you respond?   First, it’s important to adjust your expectations to anticipate such requests. Don’t view them as a way for clients to diminish your work – after all, repeat customers certainly value it more than anything or else they would not return, and potential customers would be none the wiser. Instead, understand that it’s not unusual for customers to operate with a mindset where they try to exit… | Read the full article


At What Point Does Creative Photography Become Misleading?

One of the stories we brought to you through our social media channels earlier this year was the case of a modest home in Penshurst NSW, which captured a lot more attention than it bargained for. At first, the thought of a residential home doesn’t sound very controversial, does it? However, the controversy was in the main photo used for the property’s advertising campaign (it was being advertised for sale).   You see, the photo omitted one key feature – or more appropriately, one key eyesore – an enormous water tower located behind the property, which effectively dwarfed it. You would think that such an object would be hard to omit from a shot, given its size and all. As such, the first, and most reasonable, assumption one might make is that the water tower has been photoshopped out of the picture. Source: News.com.au     What may come as… | Read the full article


Taking a look at Social Media in a General Way

Social Media, it would seem, is here to stay, but like other aspects of like, it is constantly changing and just when you think you have it worked out, another one comes along. If we were to create a list of what is available, I suspect we would never get to the bottom of it.   Take a look at the following list and see how many of them you use, or even know about:   Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Google+ Instagram Tumblr Pinterest Snapchat   The list goes on.   Today we are going to take a look at some of these, perhaps the ones that could be more important to you as a photographer. Though, I am sure many of you are using them already. This is just an overview, and, as time goes on, in future posts we will look into them more.   Facebook   It… | Read the full article


Social Media for Marketing the Photographer

Love it or hate it, Social Media is here to stay and regardless of how you feel about it you are going to have to get used to it and learn how to use it if you want to market your business effectively. Beginning this month is going to be a series of articles on Social Media, why you need it, which ones are good to use, and how to use them. You need to be where everyone else is   If you are trying to market your photography business by placing ads in the local paper, you might be finding that you are not getting anywhere. When people go searching for someone today they use Google, so you need to make sure that your name comes up there.   It is the same with social media. Everyone is on it, including your potential clients, and you need to be… | Read the full article


Finding that Niche in the Market Place

Before digital photography most photographers would work in several areas.  The average photographer would be a wedding photographer, a portrait photographer, they would take photos of anything that people asked them to take.  There weren’t a lot of differences in what one photographer did, compared to another.  If you look back on old family portraits, there wasn’t a lot of differences between one photographer and the next.  That isn’t to say that there weren’t photographers who worked in a unique style, but they were rare.  There was a way to take photos of a family, of an individual or of a wedding party.  The lighting was much the same with all them, and most had the same backgrounds or back drops. So with the advent of digital photography and DSLR’s becoming affordable, there has been a big increase in the number of people with cameras, and calling themselves photographers.  Do… | Read the full article


Finding a Place for Fine Art Architectural Photography

When I look around the internet at articles on photography there is always an abundance of articles on photographing landscapes, portraits and weddings, but architecture is an area that seems to be almost forgotten.  It isn’t totally forgotten, but it certainly doesn’t get as much attention as the others.  Most people think of Real Estate when they think of architectural photography, but there are other types, and there are certainly other uses. Architecture has been used in artwork for hundreds of years.  Aristocrats would commission artists to do a painting of their homes, or their very large castles.  Castles have been featured in the artwork of so many painters, and today it is still a popular subject for artists and photographers.  So is their a place in the world for professional photographers/artists who want to photograph beautiful architecture for clients who want wonderful images of homes and work spaces that… | Read the full article


Marketing Tips for Your Photography Business

Starting a business is the easy part, marketing and advertising it is something much different. If you have decided you want to start a photography business, you will want to create a few marketing plans to market yourself as a photographer and get new business. As with any business and marketing, there is not a one-size fits all approach – you will need to try a few options until you find one that fits with your budget and needs. Here are a few photographer tips from around the world that have started a photography business: • Word of Mouth – One of the easiest and least expensive methods to marketing your business is to provide exceptional customer service. Take special care of your clients – one way to leave a good, lasting impression is to send them a thank you card after a photography session. Reward your previous clients with… | Read the full article


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