business

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.

Photographers Provide a Positive Solution

May 15, 2012 By admin

[by Thomas Werner]

During difficult economic times it is easy to become frustrated as you work to hold onto existing clients while growing and changing your business. Do your best not to let your frustration enter into your work or your conversations, the end result will only be detrimental to yourself and your business.

Clients choose photographers, videographers, editors and artists based not only on their ability to problem solve and deliver an outcome that meets their needs, but to do so in a manner that is as problem free as possible. Personal vision, creative ability, pre and post production, professionalism, good business practices, experience, and technical acumen are integral, but they are just part of the problem solving package that we bring to the table as creative entities. Remember that the person hiring you also works for someone else. Their job may depend on not only on the quality of work that you deliver but also the manner in which you create and deliver it.

The next time that a client emails, calls, texts, facebooks, tweets, or invites you to a meeting, take a minute, clear your head, remove your emotions, and focus on the visual and production issues that the client is bringing to the table. Let them know how your unique skill set will solve their problem in the manner that best fits their needs. Then ask yourself how you can do so while making the project and everyone’s life as problem free as possible, while being paid fairly.

The challenges of a shifting a business climate can be frustrating. Don’t let manifestations of your frustration be your downfall. Remember, we are not entitled to success, we have to earn it, and working with your clients in a positive manner is one of the keys to that success.

via Strictly Business.

Lunch on Me, a photographer’s approach to getting a meeting

May 11, 2012 By admin

[by Kevin Lock]

A successful photographer told me a long time ago that “keeping existing clients is so much easier than finding new ones.” I would add that keeping existing clients is much more important than finding new ones.

One way that I ensure repeat business from my clients is to make them feel special. I do this at every opportunity. Especially with my local clients. Why the local clients? Beside the obvious geographical reason, we share a community. For me that is San Diego. I know San Diego, and I like to share it with them.

I find out about events that my clients would most likely attend and I appear from time to time to mingle and give them a gentle reminder that I care about the things they care about and if I am not there working I am there having fun just as they are. It is kind of like sending a promo but a little more personal. Now this doesn’t necessarily quantify as a sit down ‘meeting,’ but it is is a meeting all the same. And at these events I often make more formal appointments either in person or by following up the next day with a ‘nice seeing you’ email.

My goal is to make clients really good clients and in the process develop not just a working relationship but a friendship. Once my client becomes a good client, I take it to the next level by getting involved with them socially. I offer to take them to lunch. Of course you have to be able to sense when it is appropriate and when it is not appropriate and read your client carefully. Perhaps you have a client that you don’t want to take to lunch ( I have a few ), or if you are single and they happen to be married, and you are of the opposite sex, well the last thing you want to do is have your client think you are hitting on them. Exercise caution and use your best judgement.

I like to take my good clients to lunch every 3 or 4 months. I am not pushy. I don’t hit them up every week. I often will send them an email asking if they were aware of a new restaurant or a spot that has been featured in the local paper/reader, and let them know I was thinking about checking it out. Just asking for their opinion of a place (that they might not have even had a chance to try or know about) can lead to a lunch ‘date.’ I keep it open and ask them to check their calendar and let me know when it would be convenient for them.

Amazingly clients often become friends over lunch.

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.

Strictly Business, Building an Effective Mailing List

May 1, 2012 By admin

Building an Effective Mailing List

[by Judy Herrmann]

Not so long ago, photographers could achieve success by inundating the market with simple promotions like postcard mailers or email blasts. Today, however, the buyers of commercial photography are buried under a sea of promos that’s getting deeper every day. If the old spray and pray approach isn’t working so well anymore, you may find it more effective to research and court.

Instead of automatically adding anyone with the right job title to your list, take the time to determine that each prospect is worth pursuing. Click through their company website, look for them on Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Instagram and other social media outlets. Run a Google search to see what comes up. Read any blog posts or magazine articles they’ve written or been quoted in. Stop short of stalking but vet them as thoroughly as you need to.

Use this research to hook those that make your cut. Sprinkle your emails and voice mails with specific observations about their work. Comment on their blogs, respond to their tweets. Let them know that they’re more than just a job title to you. Use your creativity to craft a promotional approach that will make you irresistible or at least intrigue them enough that they’ll look at your portfolio.

A smaller list of prospects who need what you sell combined with well-researched insights you can use to build a real relationship can yield greater results far faster than a larger pool of random prospects.

via Strictly Business.