Social Media
Alternative Ways to Attract New Photography Clients
As one might expect, with the benefits associated in having a diverse base of clientele, photographers are often competing to attract new clients. While we are accustom to personal websites and online advertising being the norm within the industry, there are still other ways to attract new leads and convert them into clients. What’s more, none of these particular methods rely upon a ‘hard sell’, yet can be just as effective. Networking The photography industry is by no means restricted to operating independently. In fact, networking and collaboration is just one vital way that a photographer can grow their book of clients. For instance, wedding photographers could build rapport with makeup artists, who might then be able to advocate for you with another of their own clients. Similarly, fashion photographers might be well poised to maintain close ties with the designers and/or models they work with, particularly considering… | Read the full article
Do Photographers Still Need Their Own Website?
In one of our recent blogs, we looked into the popular online advertising options available for professional photographers. While certain options like the Yellow Pages have been around for a long time, and others like Oneflare are still emerging, the predominant trend has seen Photographers opting to use Facebook (and Instagram), often in place of a dedicated website. While the rise of social media has been notable in recent years, with everyone just about owning an account, do photographers still need their own dedicated website? In answering this question, we need to consider that despite the growing importance of social media for businesses, its use will always be angled towards an informal approach. While there are enthusiasts and followers who are likely to find it easier to browse your photography work via social media, they’re not necessarily the clients who will lock you in for a shoot without any… | 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
Creating Work That Matters – Who’s the Judge?
Late last month, renowned photographer and filmmaker Ted Forbes took to the camera, delivering a few ‘home truths’ towards photographers. In what became an emotionally charged narrative, Forbes argued that “nobody cares about the work that you’re doing as a photographer”, particularly given an “over-saturated” marketplace. How to stand out and overcome this perception? By creating “work that matters”. There are certainly elements of truth to these statements, however, it would also be amiss to depict the matter in such a ‘black and white’ account. Forbes is certainly correct to define the photography industry as “over-saturated”. In every aspect of the photography industry there are professional photographers competing against one another, now joined by a chorus of emerging amateurs with access to affordable equipment. All of this sits within the haze of social media, where hobbyists flood the internet with pictures from their camera phones or point-and-shoots – to some extent, devaluing the appreciation… | Read the full article
Hands up if You’re Tired of Seeing Camera Phones at Concerts
As professional photographers, it is easy enough to brush aside the role camera phones play in today’s society. While ill equipped for professional use, such devices do allow mainstream audiences and ‘hobbyists’ to take an interest in photography – even if it is just a fleeting interest. In the grand scheme of things, there is a downside to this – forcing many to misconceive how difficult it is to become a successful photographer. On the contrary however, one could also argue that another medium of photography promotes a healthy degree of competition and encourages novices to explore the field further. For these reasons, recent news from Apple, regarding the approval of a patent that could disable iPhone cameras at major events, has the potential to make a ripple on the wider photography industry. If you haven’t heard the news, the technology giant has been granted a patent which would utilise… | Read the full article
Is Society Diminishing the Value of a Photo?
In a world that’s becoming increasingly dominated by the presence of technology and automation, as well as an ever growing uptake in social media, photography hasn’t been spared the effects of such generational changes. In fact, it’s easy to argue that photography has been one of the professions most affected by societal changes involving how we deal with one another, as well as what emphasis we place on the skills of others around us. One only needs to look at the sheer number of amateur photographers taking up work that was once afforded to only those with the highest quality equipment, while at the same time, the sheer volume of photographs has grown exponentially. Whereas once upon a time in the late 90’s the film photography industry was measured in the vicinity of 80 billion photos, the prominence of smart phones and more affordable digital cameras has seen that… | Read the full article
When Does an Unflattering Image become a Point of Concern
Earlier this month, a political minefield erupted in Canberra when the communications team for Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton took umbrage to his portrayal by the media. So what could have caused the ire of his team? One might think that perhaps it was a misrepresentation of the minister’s comments on the controversial topic of asylum seekers? Maybe the minister was taken out of context by the journalists in attendance? As it would turn out, the commentary and broadcasting was not the concern of the minister’s team – instead, there was a more pressing issue – a photo deemed ‘unflattering’, and which was requested to be removed from Twitter. This scenario is far from an isolated case – in fact, with the advent of social media, it’s no doubt a daily occurrence for many, including each of us. Think of that photo where you had your eyes shut. Or maybe… | Read the full article
Facebook for photographers
Without a doubt Facebook is the number one social media site on the internet. Most people dislike it, but everyone knows you need to be on it, especially if you trying to run a business, and even more so if that is a photography one. One of the very frustrating aspects of Facebook would be how it works and those algorithms. All of you who now use FB would know exactly what I am talking about. They seem to work in a world of their own and make no sense to most of us. There are some things that we can do that will help us to use FB effectively. Page vs profile The first thing you need to work out is whether to have a fan page or a profile page. According to FB if you are running a business then you must have a… | Read the full article
What Will it Take to Break a Perception?
Although the year is barely four months old, we’ve already seen a (disappointing) trend amongst several of the stories we’ve brought to you through our social media outlets – namely, a lack of appreciation and respect for the people who build their lives upon their passion for photography. While this is certainly nothing new – after all, since the dawn of time there have been people who try to depreciate a photographer’s skills – one would expect that in today’s age things would be a lot better. Or is that the problem itself? Today’s age is now so heavily oriented on camera phones, affordable point and shoots, and a gross obsession with the selfie, that people have lost their sense of understanding in what it takes to be a photographer. Even more concerning, this is something the media has (implicitly) perpetuated to the wider masses. Take for example, two leading… | 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
