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Video is Not a Market

June 24, 2012 By admin

Video is Not a Market

[by Gail Mooney]

I talk to a lot of photographers who seem to be confused right now. The ones who are just starting out are wondering if this career will sustain them and the ones who have been in business for a long time are wondering if they have to learn everything (video) all over again to stay in business. Some know they need to do something – they just don’t know what it is.

Many are looking to video for the answers. Some photographers’ existing clients are asking for video. They witness the public’s hunger for motion content to watch on their iPads, iPhones and other mobile devices and they realize they have a need for video. Video is in demand. A lot of photographers think they need to become “videographers” and go after that “market”. But video isn’t really a market at all. It’s a medium that has sound and motion, and is used – just as we do with still images – to communicate; to tell a story or deliver a message.

Still photographers are accustomed to defining themselves by what they shoot or the “markets” they work in – architecture, food, sports, weddings and so forth. They see these niches as separate markets. The increased demand for video is pervasive and in all these markets and our clients have needs for motion content. With the convergence of our “tools” (cameras), it makes perfect sense for still photographers to add video to the services their businesses offer.

What seems to confuse photographers as they contemplate video, is that they think they will have to abandon still photography and compete in the already glutted arena of video production. They equate video production with creating broadcast spots for advertising agencies or TV shows and films for Hollywood. That’s great work, if you can get it, but those business models have also changed and that is not where the new opportunities are. That world is changing too. As the Internet and TV continue to converge, online programs get broadcast and indie filmmakers with Canon 5D Mark II’s are making movies. To embrace video doesn’t mean that a still photographer has to abandon still photography – it just means that they need to stop defining themselves by their tools..

Opportunities are in “new media,” which is essentially anything digital or displayed digitally. It could be still images, audio, video, graphics or anything that makes up a digital creation and is delivered digitally. We, as “creators,” are living at a time where we can use the new tools that technology gives us, to not only create with, but to deliver our message globally. Video is not a market at all. It’s just another ingredient in the mix of how we communicate in today’s world.

via Video is Not a Market at Strictly Business.

Are You Utilizing ALL Available Marketing Avenues?

May 17, 2012 By admin

[by Kimberly Blom-Roemer]

There is more than one way to contact a client. Are you utilizing all of them? A truly successful marketing campaign maximizes various avenues:

paid advertising (both print and online)
paid direct mail
free publicity
workshops and seminars
lead generator programs
social networking
face-to-face networking

We all know about direct marketing – sending that periodic postcard out, buying the ad in the right industry book. But have you tried any of these other avenues? Do you issue press releases to your local media and trade publications? Would conducting a workshop make sense? Is your LinkedIN page up to date, and if appropriate, do you have a Facebook page for your business? And here’s the one I struggle with, face-to-face networking… people “buy” from people they like, and they only way they can like you is if they meet your personally.

via Strictly Business.

Qualities of a Workhorse Mailing List

May 7, 2012 By admin

[by Charles Gupton]

The foundation for building a workhorse client contact list is formulating a good idea of the different ways you plan to use the list — and the simplest method of grouping the names so that they can be easily sorted.

I’ve found it’s very easy to over-think and over-complicate the process of organizing a contact list. The options range from placing names on index cards at a cost of a few dollars — to a customer relationship management system costing thousands. It’s far better to start with a simple solution that you can use rather than waiting until you have the perfect solution. The act of doing it will bring the clarity you need.

My contact list provides information for three primary functions: sending emailers and newsletters, mailing postcards, and making phone calls for more personal connections. You also need to have a regular, systematic plan for keeping your list updated. It can be embarrassing to have a potential client find you’ve been sending emails to an address that’s not been actively used for two years.

For simplicity, I currently divide my list into three basic categories:

Influential Buyers – People who have the means and influence to make the buying decisions when photography services are needed. I call these folks most frequently to keep a consistent connection with them.

Influential Non-Buyers – People who wield great influence in deciding who may get hired but don’t actually do the hiring or generally work with the artists who are hired.

Business Referrers – Business connections who either don’t have the means or need for my services but are willing and usually enthusiastic advocates for my work.

My contact list used to be divided and sub-divided by various industries, job titles, etc. But I spent more time putzing around with the lists than I did staying in contact with the people on the lists. My current system isn’t perfect, but now it works when I work it.

via Strictly Business.

Is Photography Really An Art?

December 7, 2011 By admin

Photography is an art which defines the vision and thought of a photographer. Photography art is the mixture of creativity as well as science which helps in creating such marvelous pictures. Photography is important in advertising as well as journalism and every picture expresses a story. An image is the only way of expressing the thoughts of a photographer. A photographer has to be very careful while capturing images as he has to make sure that there is adequate light and enough exposure. When a photograph is technically modified it should be carefully done as it might just spoil the quality of the image.

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Estimating Video Production

June 25, 2011 By admin

[by Gail Mooney]

First let me say that I position myself as a producer and that I estimate on the entire video production. I do not hire myself out as a Director or Director of Photography or as a Camera Operator. Many times I may also direct and shoot a project but when a client comes to me and asks for an estimate, I estimate on the entire production from concept through creation.

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