Make the Leap from Shoot and Burn to Product Sales!

Every once in a while, people drop notes asking how to handle various situations. I received this one today from a photographer in a Facebook group. Is this a letter that you could have written?

                                                                             

Hi! I just saw a post on a Facebook photo group about charging $100 for a disk of images versus just offering prints and products I am assuming? She said that you had helped her convert... Well I am one of those photographers that offers sessions for $125 and they get to choose 10 poses for edit and receive a disk of the finished product... it works, but I am leaning more and more towards not offering digital images anymore. I guess the main thing holding be back is the fear of losing clients or not staying busy enough... I am still trying to get my name out there and grow my business and I wish I was busier the way it is... I feel like if I didn't offer a disk then I would slow way down as most of my clients come to me because they want a photographer that offers this. Do you have any words of expertise for me?! I would love to hear what you have to say. Thanks for your time.

- Scared to Switch

                                                                              

Dear Scared -

Thanks for your note and being brave enough to reach out. It's really difficult to make the leap, but the biggest obstacle is how WE think, not how our clients think.

Will you lose some clients by switching to a product-based model? Of course. There are people out there who want cheap. If you raise your prices and still give them the files, odds are they would leave you anyway in search of another $125 photographer. We simply have to get over the fact that these are our "starter clients".

With properly priced product, you WILL make more money. It's a fact. There are a number of photographers in the group who worked a shoot-and-burn model initially, then realized they were putting in hours of their time and talent and not reaping the benefits, emotionally or financially. Ask them; they simply won't go back.

Your fears are identical to theirs. They worried that they would lose clients. They worried that they would slow down. And yes, those things happened.

But then, a funny thing also happened. These same photographers began getting BETTER CLIENTS. Clients who valued the product the photographer produced, not simply the low price these people were charging. Suddenly, they became a good value in a high grade of clientele.

So, the decision is yours. Do the same thing and get the same results, or take the risk to change your model - and believe in it - and start making a decent living in this business.

It's not an overnight thing. You need to plan your pricing and prepare answers for why you're not $125 any longer. You can still offer files, but they need to be priced SIGNIFICANTLY higher.

Is it scary? You're darn right it is.

What's scarier is working as hard as you do for little or nothing.

- David

Are You Getting All of Your Facebook Messages?

There's always someone who says "I sent you a message on Facebook" even though you swear you never received anything from that person. This completely makes you wonder: are you getting all of your Facebook messages?

However, they may not be wrong . . . you just never saw the message because it ended up in a different place.

When you click your Facebook Messages icon from your personal page, it will drop down a menu of your most recent messages. If you click the "See All Messages" link at the bottom, a new window will open.

At the top left, it will say "Messages (xxx) Other (xx)". Click the "Other" link to see all the messages from people who are not your friends. Apparently Facebook has a "spam filter" . . . and some messages may end up here.

The worst part is that you have to go in and check it yourself; the notifications don't show up for the messages which land in the "Other" box.

But wait, there's more!

On your Business page, there is a new messages feature on the upper right side of the Admin panel. Click "show" to reveal the panel and your recent activity. Your Business page messages appear here. Simply click on them to reply as your business!

Go check it out and see for yourself . . . are you getting all of your Facebook messages?

- David Grupa

Are Your Blogging and Facebook Habits Sabotaging Your Sales?

Do you blog your sessions or post images on a Facebook business page? Many of us maintain these sites, but have you ever wondered if the number of images that go online are killing your sales?

I visit a number of Facebook pages and blogs when I have time and am truly amazed to have learned a few things in the process.

• First, many blogs aren't maintained regularly. People begin them with pretty lofty goals of regular posts, but then quickly run out of things to say or time to create the actual post itself. Hence, you see a lot of photographers opening their blog posts with the line "I'm so bad at keeping up on this blog . . . "
• Second, there are FB albums and blogs with what seems like the entire session's images posted! It makes me wonder if people are using the blog as an online gallery, are indecisive and can't simply select a few good images, or just have the thought process of "I'll show everyone all the good ones and everyone will think I rock!" 

Let's address the frequency issue first. Rather than try to blog every session or do it once a day, set an attainable goal for yourself. Maybe once or twice a week is more realistic. If it means you can keep up with that workflow more easily, then schedule at least one day a week on your appointment calendar for blogging. Wednesday mornings at 9am may be the perfect time to grab a cup of coffee and get caught up. It's more about being consistent.
 
As far as the number of images go, it's entirely up to you. Realizing that many photographers use their blogs as their websites, I completely understand the desire to "show lots of variety." Yet there are those who toss anywhere from 6-10 images from a single session online regularly, and a few photogs who really load up with even more!

Is it a bad thing? Well, from a technical standpoint, using larger images on your blog post will cause it to load slowly. Multiply that times the number of images you use, and you're risking losing a viewer before your post has finished loading. Some less patient folks will simply click out before that process has completed. In cases such as this, a multi-image collage may do the trick much better than a dozen full-sized images.

However, it's something Charles Lewis used to say in his seminars that I think of most often when it comes to blogging. He was referring to online proofing, but the same principle applies.

"Once you put the images online, of course your client will share them with their family and friends. Great, right? However, it 'uses up all the memories' and your client now has minimal incentive to purchase them because everyone who they wanted to show the images to has now seen them."

And . . . if they're big enough on the blog to copy and save, why would someone need to purchase more? There are plenty of people out there who could care less about your logo across the middle if it means not having to pay you for the same image. These same people are content to print the images on their home inkjet printer and call it good. After all, this way they're "free".

Of course, this may vary depending on your final product. I'm not selling a disk of images; my final product is physical prints in 99% of the sessions I photograph, but that means this is completely critical to my income. I'm very conscious of my marketing and if I'm helping or hurting my sales with what I am doing. Whether it's Facebook or a blog site, I don't want them to "use up all the memories" before the sale.

Food for thought.

- David Grupa

Do Your Facebook Settings Keep Your Clients From Finding You?

Ok gang . . . it's "Pet Peeve Time" -

Odds are that many of you on Facebook are marketing yourself as a professional photographer. Yet, the settings on the Facebook profiles of so many people have their info under strict security as if they're under the witness protection program. 

If your page settings are all "private", people that are NOT friends with you cannot see your business name and therefore cannot click on any link to even view your business page. If your settings are such that only "friends" can see that information, a potential client searching for you by name cannot easily get to your business page from your personal page. (And how many clients refer you by your name rather than your business name?)

 

So, you have to make some choices; stay in hiding and fore go the marketing benefits, or let potential clients know that you're a photography professional. If your photography is what you're trying to market via Facebook, you will want to have this information visible as your "work" when someone hovers over your name.

Do you have your page so locked down that nobody can see a thing? As a potential client, would not being able to see any info cause you to question doing business with someone?

My suggestion is to edit your work information so that at least your studio name is visible when the cursor is hovered over your name. (See the example here.) Because that link is clickable, it will allow potential clients to click through to your business page even if the two of you aren't "Facebook friends".

Fortunately you can now allow certain parts of your info to be public while keeping the rest visible only to friends. How do you change these settings? It's really pretty simple.

• When you're logged into Facebook, click the arrow at the top right of your screen next to "home". 
• Click "Privacy Settings"
• Click on "Edit your Basic Info" (in the first paragraph), then edit your Work History.
• Choose "Public" from the drop-down menu.
• Click SAVE.
• You're done!

Just to make sure, it's not a bad idea to ask someone who's not on your friend list to check it for you. (You and your friends are able to see it, but you want others to as well.)

This simple trick allows people to see your studio name and link without giving them complete access to your profile info.

Happy Facebooking!

- David Grupa

Are Your Facebook Followers Even Seeing Your Updates?

You post on your Facebook business page all the time, but your fans aren't seeing your updates. Wonder why? Facebook is now charging to "promote" posts from this page. This means that all of the people who "Like" your page may not always see your updates in their feed!

Over the past few months, the folks at Facebook have altered the algorithm by which posts are distributed to the feeds of friends and fans. They've also added a "promote" button to the bottom right corner of each post. This button allows the page owner to gain a wider distribution of posts - for an additional fee.

 

So . . . if you want to make sure to the broadest range of people see all of the updates posted on your page, the best thing you can tell them to do is go to the page, click the little "gear" arrow on the right hand side (underneath the cover photo) and then click "Add to My Interest Lists." It's also not a bad idea to remind them to check in every day or two just to make sure they're not missing anything!

The same holds true for the Camp David Photo page; you may be missing our updates. Click the Facebook link above and make sure to "Add Us" to your feed!

- David Grupa

When Was YOUR Last Time?

As if I don't already have enough on my plate, I was flipping though Facebook friends today and looking at their profile images and it got me thinking . . . 


We invest a lot of effort and energy (not to mention $$) into convincing our clients why they should use a professional photographer, but what about us?


How recent is your last family portrait? Do you actually have a large print displayed in your own home, or is that just something we show off on our studio walls to help convince clients it's something they* need?


Better yet, when was the last time you updated your own professional headshot? What's the image displayed on your Facebook profile? Are your clients viewing a quality photograph of yourself, or are they seeing something that doesn't accurately reflect your professional reputation?


Everyone knows another photographer that you can pick up the phone and call. Maybe it's time you plan a "play date" with that person and update each other's images. It not only improves your appearance, but puts you in the client's position and gives you an opportunity to see how someone else works!

Finally, You Can Comment as Yourself (Not Your Business!) on Your Facebook Business Pages

One of the biggest frustrations among Facebook Business Page users was the fact that there really wasn't a way to comment on your business page as anyone other than your business. For sole proprietors this probably wasn't a huge issue, but for pages with multiple admins or a business with more than one employee, it could be confusing.

Be confused no longer.

With all of the tweaking and upgrading happening at Facebook these days, it was only a matter of time before they adjusted the settings to allow you to comment on your business pages as yourself from your personal account and not just under the business name.

It's a simple adjustment; here's how to do it:

- Go to the business page on which you want to change the settings.
- Click the "EDIT PAGE" button in the top right hand corner of the page.
- On the Left Side of the page click "Your Settings"
- Uncheck the box that says "ALWAYS POST AS your page name" 
- Click "SAVE CHANGES"

That's it! Now, your posts will show up as your personal name. If you want them to show up as posted by your page/business name, simply click the link on the right hand side of your business page that says "USE FACEBOOK AS your page name". Once you're done, click the box again to go back to using Facebook as yourself.

I hope this settings adjustment helps you out in your postings!

- David Grupa

Install a "Fan Gate" on Your Facebook Business Page!

One of the most popular modifications made to Facebook Business Pages is the Welcome Page or "Fan Gate". Essentially, it's a "splash page" created by you to entice viewers to "Click Like" and add your page to their favorites.

While the initial task seems rather daunting, it's actually quite easy. Here's what to do:

• First, create two banners for your visitors in Photoshop. Each banner must be no wider 520px, however you may create it as tall as you wish. (Just remember that your viewers may have to scroll down to read your entire message.)
• Your first banner is a welcome to new visitors and asks them to click the "Like" button.
• Your second banner will be shown to returning visitors when they come back to your page.
• (Don't worry, you can always edit them later on if you decide to change.)

• Second, install the iFrames application to the Business/Fan page(s) you wish to update. Simply type "iFrames" into the Facebook search tab, or click this link http://apps.facebook.com/iframeshq/?ref=ts
• Once you install the application, you will be prompted to apply it to the specific business page you choose. Select the appropriate page you are going to update.
• Next, upload the image(s) you've created. There is a place for "new visitors" (people who don't currently "Like" your page) along with returning viewers (those who already "Like" your page.)

•  Here's the tricky part; since you're the Admin of your page, you won't be able to actually see the new splash page even if you "unlike" your own page. Your fans will let you know that it's up. ;-)

That's it! You now have an intro image that you can change as you wish; use it to introduce special offers or announce upcoming studio events. The key is to use it!

- David Grupa

What's Your Socialnomics IQ? Are Your Twitter and Facebook Accounts Tools or Toys?

It's no secret that Social Media is a huge presence in our everyday lives. To realize the true impact, spend the next 4 minutes watching this video from social media author and lecturer Eric Qualman. It's an eye-opener!

The first time I viewed this video (actually, it was an earlier version), I was stunned by the numbers shown. As we change the way we communicate, your business also needs to change with the times. Qualman's book Socialnomics details this paradigm shift in the way we communicate, both personally and professionally. 

Take a look at how your business utilizes platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs and emails. If you're just using Facebook and Twitter to let people know that you're waiting in line at the drive-thru or what you're making for dinner, it's time to look again. Remember, social media can hurt your business as well as help it.

Learn to use these powerful tools to your advantage!

- David Grupa

Get An Easy-to-Remember Link for Your Facebook Fan / Business Page!

Here's a quick Facebook Tip . . .

Do you hate the long, cryptic link that you have to try to convey to fans to get them to your business page? Have you reached 25+ fans yet?

If your page already has over 25 fans, you can change the url for your "page" from the long, confusing style to something shorter and easy to remember (and share with your clients!)

Go to www.facebook.com/username and follow the prompts. Your new page link can be whatever you choose (ie: www.facebook.com/CampDavidPhoto) but choose wisely.  
Once you set the username, you can NOT change it. Ever.

Enjoy!

- David Grupa

Note: Usernames are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Claim your username before someone else does!

How to Add Your Facebook "Fan Page" Link to the New Profile

If you're like me, you love Facebook. It's a great tool for business, not to mention keeping up with friends and family who are scattered across the globe.

Like so many technology-related items, Facebook is constantly evolving. Much to the chagrin of some users, Facebook began rolling out the "new profile" the past December. In an effort to make some areas more "user friendly", a few key items were changed or eliminated.

One such change was the addition of a "Company Page" when you completed the "employment" section of the profile. Some users seamlessly transitioned into existing employer pages, while others had difficulty linking to their existing business "Fan Page". For many, the visual of the generic briefcase was as far as they could get.

To end this frustration, Social Media expert and blogger Ching Ya created a workaround. Although the process has a few steps, it took me about 15 minutes to complete the change and successfully link my existing "Fan Page" to my personal profile.

If you're among those who need to perform this workaround, follow the instructions at Ching Ya's Social Media Blog.

http://www.wchingya.com/2010/10/official-facebook-page-employer-link.html

Happy Facebooking!

- David Grupa

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Odds are you're as geared in to Social Media as the rest of the photographic community. You love your Facebook status, sharing photos online and tweeting your status to your loyal followers.

Since it's #FollowFriday (in Twitterspeak), why not give your favorite people some extra love by following them on Twitter? Add us to your Twitter feed and stay updated on all things new and exciting in the industry. You may even learn a few new tips and tricks to make your workflow (and life) go more smoothly!
Camp David Photo
Facebook www.Facebook.com/CampDavidPhoto 
Twitter @DavidGrupa

Kirsten Holscher - First Things First
Facebook www.Facebook.com/FirstThingsFirstCoach 
Twitter @FTF_Coach

NPC Lab (Northwest Professional Color)
Facebook www.Facebook.com/NPCLab 
Twitter @NPCLab

Professional Photographers of America 
Facebook www.Facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=2265674235 
Twitter@OurPPA

ImagingUSA 
Facebook www.facebook.com/ImagingUSA 
Twitter @ImagingUSA 

Northern Light Professional Photographers Assn 
Facebook www.Facebook.com/NorthernLightPPA 
Twitter@NorthernLightPP

All the links below are clickable . . . so take a minute to follow and like!

- David

Welcome to the all-new Camp David Photo Information Site!

We are excited about the things that 2011 will bring, including more opportunities for educational events.

You'll be able to work with the entire Camp David crew at the 2011 Northern Light Convention in Breezy Point, MN on February 26th. As long as you're there, you might just as well stay for the entire event; the lineup of talent is incredible! 

Also, watch for helpful tips and Q&A sessions right here as well as on our Facebook page. If you haven't "liked" us yet, make sure to do it now. We will have some fun giveaways periodically!

Finally, make sure to "follow" this site so you always know about the latest events and happenings.

We look forward to an amazing, fun and profitable 2011!

- David Grupa