Blog Love - Get Yours

I'll be honest, this is less "advice from an expert" and more "stream of ideas from someone in real time." I recently took a 10 month hiatus from my business blog, and just this past week created a brand spankin' new one and put up 13 posts to get me caught up. And now I'm thinking...."Ok, I lost all my blog readers, how do I get my audience back...how do I earn blog love?"

I wanted to share with you my ideas (before I've even had a chance to try them), and see what your ideas are? Help me out?

1. You Must First Giveth.
Comment on other photographers' blogs, and make sure to use your blog address. Many photographers are super great about reciprocating, and other commenters might also find you! Spread the love around!

Comment on other vendors' blogs! Find out if any planners, florists, gown designers, etc from your area have a blog, and if so, become an AVID reader. Leave a quick friendly comment every now and again! Maybe they'll return the favor...maybe you'll even make a friend!

Comment on your CLIENTS' blogs. I've found a few of mine do have blogs, and though I wouldn't want to continually blast them with spam, a cute comment about their life is probably welcome. :) Don't comment to promote yourself - be genuinely interested in their lives, and leave photography out of it (unless appropriate). But do use your blog address, and hope their readers follow the link!

2. Make it work!
Does your RSS feed exist and work? If others can't add you to their feed (a way to be told when your favorite blogs have a new post, and read them all in one location), they'll probably forget to check in at the blog. That would be a blog-FAIL.

3. Hear-Ye, Hear-Ye
I wouldn't do this every time (or it might get annoying, in my personal opinion), but if you have a really exciting blog post or if it's been a while...announce your new blog entry on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever other social media you are using.

4. Blogsfuscate
I'm not sure if I'll do this one or not....but if you send your client a link to their "sneak peak slideshow"- don't send a direct link. Send a link to the blog entry where they can find it. Then when they forward the email to all of their friends and family, they are all discovering your blog along with the slideshow! Alternately, include both a direct link and a blog link - and write something personal about them on the blog so they feel obligated to read it!

5. Sir-Blogs-A-Lot
Eeeeeek - does it work, yes? Can I do it? Ummmmm...history says no. But if you do blog often (and lets assume your posts are interesting, lol) people develop a sense of rhythm, excitement, and expectation. (There are a host of benefits, but that's another post completely!) You gain a committed audience, not just a group of one-time clickers.

6. Just Ask for the LOVE!!
How about just come right out and say "Hey! Leave me some love if you like this post!" Or, you could end each blog with a question and invite comments. ("What do you think about bananas? Leave a comment to let me know.") Make sure it's business appropriate though...controversial personal questions might not generate the right kind of attention.

7. Give give give give give.
Here's another one that I don't know if I'll do, but it's a great idea that I saw on East Texas photographer Christina McCall's blog. She's holding a "comments for charity" event and is donating money for every 25 comments she gets, up to 150!!! View her original idea here: http://www.christinamccall.com/2009/06/the-roadtrip/ (and send her some love while you're there)!

8. Write a guest entry at Photo Love Cat!
HEHEHEHEHE. Obviously, this is the route *I* took. But really, if you have some great information to share with the group, let us know! It's a great way to give back to the community as well as a way to get people thinking "hey, who on earth is this person?" We always link back to you so that people can explore and answer that very question.

What other ideas do you have to generate a continual positive stream of blog love with comments? (PLEASE comment below!)

Hugs and fishes,
JILLIAN

Jillian Kay is a wedding & portrait photographer from San Jose, CA. By weekday, she is a mild mannered software engineer. By weekend, she is a joyful and energetic force behind a camera! Jillian enjoys tackling the tough questions about client relationships and helping others see win/win solutions. When not working, she loves taking walks, blog-stalking, visiting with friends, and enjoying life!.

Price Matters. Price *Always* Matters.

Just had to share this thought ... we like to think that price doesn't matter, and if clients love us they won't care. There is the whole debate over posting prices or not, or sharing starting at prices, or a range of prices.

Photographers (and probably all vendors, really) can often be found complaining about the fact that the first thing people ask them about are price.

Why wouldn't they ask about price first?

Pay attention to what you do when you shop. You are at a large department store, which carries items you can afford, and items you can't afford. You see something you like - a shirt, a pair of shoes, a dress, whatever - you look at it. You might feel it to see if you like the fabric. You might observe how it is constructed.

And then you pick up the pricetag and look at the PRICE.

If you love, love, love it and it is at the very end of your budget limits, you might still try it on to see if it is the perfect fit. Sometimes, that perfect fit might push you over the edge and you will scramble and do anything you can to buy that precious item.

Other times, you try it on, along with some other items that are a better fit for your budget. You love the expensive item, but you decide you can make do with the less expensive version. It might not be as nice or as expensive, but it will be ok for what you want. Or maybe, sometimes, the less expensive item is even better.

Our clients do the exact same thing when they are shopping for a vendor. Why wouldn't they? It is human nature. Don't complain about it. Instead, maybe post your starting prices on your website, or your whole pricelist for that matter. If you're not comfortable doing that, understand that it is one of the first things people want to know, and they do use it to help them weed out all of their choices. They really have no other place to start.

Christine Tremoulet is a wedding & boudoir photographer from Houston, Texas. She is a creative geek, having blogged since 2000. When she isn't taking photos or knitting, she is busy devouring all the info related to Social Media and its powers that she can find online. Follow her on Twitter.

Things We Can Learn From Apple

The economy is a scary thing right now. We're all aware of this - and I see a lot of people running scared because of it. I understand this for portrait photographers, who might consider their packages more of a luxury item that people can do without. (I know plenty of portrait photographers that have thriving businesses right now though.)

When it comes to wedding photographers, I think we have it a little easier. People are still getting married. Most of those people still want photographs of their wedding day. Now it is just a matter of finding the clients that want to work with you.

I came across this great post today - What Photographers Can Learn From Apple over on Photofocus, and it says everything I've been trying to say for the past few months.

You can't compete on cheap. You have to compete on quality if you want to get ahead.

The post is full of examples, but it really hit home when I read about the part about how the people selling $200 computers have to sell six times more machines to equal one $1200 Apple computer. Which photographer do you want to be? The one that has to sell 6 jobs? Or the one that has to sell 1?

If you price for profit and give your clients the best quality and service you possibly can, you will survive this time. Matter of fact, if you're like Apple, you might be better off than ever before. Apple just had one of its best non-holiday quarters ever, in one of the worst economies ever.

People still have money. They are still spending their money. Stay steady and you will ride out this storm.

"If you’re trying to sell your photography consider running your operation the way Apple does. Sell only the best stuff. Sell only the stuff that people really want. Sell it for a fair but high-margin price so you can make a living and attract the right clients." - Photofocus.

(You might want to take a moment to read this fabulous post on the Psychology of Pricing that Anne wrote. It will give you lots to think about! Anne's amazingly helpful Formulas for Pricing Products & Services is something you should look at as well.)

Christine Tremoulet is a wedding & boudoir photographer from Houston, Texas. She is a creative geek, having blogged since 2000. When she isn't taking photos or knitting, she is busy devouring all the info related to Social Media and its powers that she can find online. Follow her on Twitter.

Photo Requests vs. Actual Purchases

In a recent Twitter discussion, @weddingtidbits asked the question:


Several photographers responded and the answers were posted on http://weddingsbysocialites.blogspot.com

What you'll see is that clients tend to ask for images that they think are missing from your portfolio. If you show mostly candid work, they'll ask for posed images. If you show mostly posed and detail work, they'll ask for more candid images. Meaning that no matter what your clients are attracted to in your work, they still expect you to be able to do everything well and to be able to deliver it all in a final product.

What was most interesting was that many photographers agreed that the posed images were the most purchased. This may be because posed images are often what we think we look best in, however, what I've learned over time is that most people simply order photos of themselves. So, if the only images you have of a person are the ones of them in a posed group, than that's the photo they'll order. However, if you have some really amazing dance floor shots or really flattering candids throughout the night, you'll likely get an order for those photos as well. If you have a photobooth corner at a reception, you'll likely get many orders from that as well. I also find that most online purchases are from guests who likely won't have access to the disc that the bride & groom will eventually receive (if you've included that in your collection.) Which is why it's also very important to make sure guests are able to access those online images in a way that is quick and convenient for them.

This begs the question: Do the things that people order affect what you photograph on the wedding day? Does the way you put your albums together affect how you photograph the wedding day? How much income are you missing out on based on how you've decided to capture an event? Is your pricing/ordering structure set up to make it easy and profitable for these kind of purchases to take place?

Everyone's business is different, which is why I don't believe that there's one right or wrong answer. What has worked best for you? Do you plan to make any changes for the future? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Anne Ruthmann is a lifestyle & wedding photographer from Boston, MA. She spent 10 years practicing marketing & management in corporate and non-profit businesses before pursuing her passion for photography as an independent small business. She loves helping others find creative and low-cost solutions to business problems. Follow her on Twitter to see her daily adventures and thoughts.

Finding the IDEAL Clients and Freedom!

I originally wrote this post a year ago over at the Starting a Wedding Photography Business Group on Flickr. A year later, it still rings very true for me. It was truly a moment of revelation, and changed my business - and I hope it helps you too.

No, no - I don't have magic tips for you to help you book the ideal client. But I do have a revelation to share. Here it is: Not everyone has to like you, and you don't have to market to everyone out there!

When I started out, I thought I wanted to Book the High End Bride. I had dreams of $$$$$ and I wanted them. I live in Houston, and there are plenty of rich people having huge weddings.

Then I booked what I considered my first high end wedding. When the wedding day came, I realized that I really didn't click with them that much. Not because they were rich or extravagant, but ... just because. I had sold my work and not myself. We didn't connect on a personal level. I was uncomfortable the whole time, and I feel that it shows in the photos when I look at them. They miss that certain spark for me. (The bride loves them, and that is what matters in the end.)

My High End Bride dreams came crashing down.

I realized something. If I am giving up my Saturdays for people, it needs to be for people that like ME. Truly ME. Not just my work, but me as a person. I took a chance and moved my blog to the front of my site - and instantly had a great response to it! As a result, I feel like my clients are now better pre-qualified to know if they will like me and my style, and we work so much better on the big day.

That was when it hit me. I don't need EVERYONE to like me. I ideally want to book 20-30 weddings a year. That means that only 40-60 people need to like me. In a city with millions, I only *want* 30 couples to discover me and want to work with me each year. I'm not a wedding studio, I don't have tons of associate photographers. It is just me.

I can't tell you how much freedom I felt when I realized that. Here I thought I needed everyone to like me and want to work with me -- when the reality is I only want the IDEAL clients.

Once I clued in to all of this, I went from booking lower packages to booking my higher packages, and I've continued to raise my rates. More importantly then the money, I have consistently been working with clients that are my ideal clients.

My ideal client: someone slightly geeky who likes blogs and highly values their wedding photography, probably much more than anything else on their budget list, or second after the venue/food. They like my style, and more importantly, they like me. They are laid back and fun to be around, and willing to try out crazy things. We laugh a lot at our initial meeting. We leave feeling like we've made new friends.

I've booked another wedding with a large budget since I first wrote this a year ago. (Matter of fact, I booked it probably 2 months after I wrote this post.) But the client booked me because they liked ME. The fact that they pulled out all the stops for the wedding wasn't the issue. They valued their photography. It wasn't another item on their to-do list for wedding planning. We connected, and I still get that warm fuzzy feeling when I look through their photographs.

Not everyone has to like me. Not everyone is the perfect client for me to work with. But when I do find those clients? It is magic. To me, ALL of my couples are high end, because I think they are the most fabulous people in the world.

What moments of clarity have you had that have brought you freedom?

Christine Tremoulet is a wedding & boudoir photographer from Houston, Texas. She is a creative geek, having blogged since 2000. When she isn't taking photos or knitting, she is busy devouring all the info related to Social Media and its powers that she can find online. Follow her on Twitter.