by Skip Cohen

Regardless of what holiday you celebrate in December, there are some great gift ideas this year for the photographer in your life...or just for yourself.

​I won't deny for a second the products/services below are all from SCU partners, but they're here because they believe in education, and helping you build a stronger business. So, as somebody who believes in truth in advertising, these companies live up to their reputation for quality and support for the industry. And I've worked with many of them for a considerable part of my career. 

So, whether you're stuck for gift ideas or not, here are some of my favorite show-stoppers for this holiday season:

While Platypod is relatively new to SCU, it's a product line and company that's grown near and dear to me. They're more than just an SCU partner, I'm personally active in the company helping them with their marketing, but I also love their product line. I'm having fun with it myself.  Nothing is going to break the bank when it comes to the cost, and best of all is the new perspective Platypod will add to your creativity. 
 
From an instant macro/closeup setup like we've shared in posts from Shiv Verma, Don Komarechka, and Larry Becker to simply using the Litra Torch 2.0 lights behind my laptop for better lighting on video podcasts and chats, there's been no shortage of creativity. I love the diversity. And, for travel and hiking, the Ultra with the Benro ball head is perfect.

Wander over to the Platypod website and check out the full product line and while supplies last, this year's holiday specials.

Senior photography isn't for every artist, but diversity is!  Everyone is looking for ways to grow their business, and PhotoTexting recently launched its new Senior Rep Program. They've made it easy to get started and then build brand awareness based on your best marketing tool - relationship building with seniors and their parents.

As a gift idea, it's a classic and another no-brainer. PhotoTexting is standing behind their products with a great promotional getting started offer - the price of a cup of coffee! Plus, there are dozens of videos to take you through each step of the process.

If you're a portrait artist, growing your senior business can be an incredible experience, not to mention pushing your creativity to the max. Gone are the days of boring headshots! A senior session today is about capturing the personality of the subject and establishing the first step in a new relationship. Done right, that senior will be coming back for other events. Seniors become brides and grooms; brides and grooms start families, and the opportunities go on and on.

As the industry's leader in support for photographers printed needs, Marathon's grown to be the "new sheriff in town" when it comes to stunning print quality and albums with their Bella line. Going back to when I first came into the professional side of the industry, they were best known for all their support in printed business material - from business cards to brochures to direct mail pieces.

TODAY - it's everything from marketing support with the benefits of MAP, to bulk order holiday cards for your clients; family marketing campaigns, stationery, beautiful prints and albums, and the list goes on and on. They're an amazing company. They never slow down helping photographers with the tools they need to grow their business, and at the same time, create products with incredible consumer appeal. Their BOGO program is going on right now on holiday cards for your own use, or as a finished product for your clients.

Click the banner below and start doing a little shopping to help grow your business.

Four years ago, I started shooting mirrorless with Panasonic's LUMIX line. Yes, they're an SCU partner, but remember my background - twelve years as president of Hasselblad USA. While I don't make a living a professional photographer, I know more than I let on. And it takes a lot to impress me.  LUMIX totally recharged my love for having a camera in my hands. 

But it's not just how easy Panasonic has made expanding my creativity and helping me grow - it's the durability and features built into every camera. It's the low-light ability it gives me to capture tack sharp images and control the variables in every scene.

Don't take my word for it - wander into your LUMIX retailer and check out the line for yourself. Look at everything - I currently shoot with the G9 with the 14-140mm lens and love it. And if you're looking for full-frame, check out the new S series! 

Over the years, Tamron has grown to become one of the most respected manufacturers in the world in optics and great glass! Over and again, their lenses have won awards, but of greater significance are the outstanding artists who we've featured in SCU blog posts and podcasts. Again and again, we've shared stunning images captured thanks to Tamron products.

Tamron has an outstanding savings program going on right now, and it's a click away to check out. Then, wander into your Tamron retailer for your own test drive! You'll never be disappointed in the quality Tamron's brought to the industry or the diversity of the lens selection you have to choose from. 

Last year ClickCon launched it's first show in Chicago. It was an overwhelming success with one innovative educational idea after another. With a busy trade show and jam-packed educational platform, close to 1500 photographers took part in establishing this incredible boutique conference as a venue to help artists grow their skill set in capture, post-processing, business and marketing. 

There's a special early bird registration going on right now. It's a unique gift for the photographer in your life, or again, just a present you need to give yourself. Plus, it's in August and gives you a chance to recharge your battery before the seasonality of the year kicks in. 

by Skip Cohen

For the price of a cup of coffee, PhotoTexting is giving professional photographers the opportunity to get their senior rep program started and take full advantage of mobile technology to keep it going.

Now's the time to be building your program for the class of 2021.  November and December are critical months to create a senior rep program. That means you've still got time to launch a successful expansion of your business.

So, If you've been thinking about getting started working with seniors, let's get you out of "analysis paralysis." It's so easy to take that first step, and then continue with the building blocks for success PhotoTexting is providing. 

Here's the best part of PhotoTexting's new program - they're there for you EVERY step of the way, starting with a timeline to help you stay on track. 

And, PhotoTexting has some of the very best customer support in the industry. But don't take my word for it. click on the banner below and check out the new program for yourself!

​by Skip Cohen

​For over a year and a half, I've shared a Fast Food Friday tip, almost every week. In fact, there are seventy-five different articles; each one focused on a specific aspect of your business. Most of them are short, but they hit on topics ranging from marketing to expanding your skillset and even a few on how to keep your sanity as a small-business owner. Well, it's time to raise the bar a little, and here's a great place to start, diversity, and growing your business.

I'm in contact with dozens of photographers every day. While many of them are new to the business, lately, there's a trend of more seasoned artists trying to figure out how to mix up their game and go in a different direction. It's the Darwin theory of survival of the fittest.

You can use the survival of the fittest to refer to a situation in which only the strongest people or things continue to live or be successful, while the others die or fail. (From Google and Wikipedia)

Here's the first new installment in this Fast Food Friday series - growing your business outside your core specialty.

Over the last decade, the senior market has become one of the fastest and most diverse specialties in professional photography. Done right; each session is based on relationship building, being fun to work with, and fine-tuning your listening skills. Remember, these are young adults, and as an artist, you'll often be the first professional photographer they've ever worked with. Your relationship should become an investment in future business with them as well as their parents.

But the challenge becomes where to start. Remember, this is the first in a multi-part series, and we're going to start at the very beginning of the marketing process.

Before you roll your eyes about my endorsement of an SCU partner, if you've followed me for even the shortest amount of time, then you know I don't endorse any company who doesn't have something to offer you when it comes to growing your business. 

Chamira Young and I have worked with the PhotoTexting.com team since last February. I love what they're doing to help photographers raise the bar on how they communicate, react, and respond to their audience.

With the senior market, we're talking about an audience with demographics that scream "early adopters." Seniors are mobile and text-focused all day long. Knowing the usage rate for teens is high, I had some fun on Google searching to see what the stats suggest:

More than half of teens (54%) say they spend too much time on their cellphones, and 41% say they overdo it on social media. According to Common Sense Media, teens spend an average of nine hours a day online...

Now, take that information and think about your younger clients - teens, as well as their parents. There's a lot of useful data for a starting point on growing your business and taking full advantage of mobile solutions.

Don't be thrown by the video below being called a "webinar." It's under four minutes and perfect to watch while enjoying that morning cup of coffee. ​

​This is the first installment in a new series about growing your business. And while we're starting next week and be more focused on marketing to Seniors, the video above applies to so many different aspects of your business! Communication technology is not going to slow down, and mobile technology especially is here to stay - embrace it the right way, and you're going to have the tools not only grow your business but close sales faster, expand your reach and increase revenue! 

In keeping with the Fast Food Friday theme, we're going to take it one step at a time. Next Friday, we'll hit getting started in marketing to Seniors, and we'll keep building from there!

​by Skip Cohen

At least once a year, I write the same post about the rules of engagement. My feeling for the need to share it, again and again, is always the result of a battle in a Facebook forum that went off-track. It would be so great if wannabe-trolls just had a button on their computer to push before posting a comment.

I'm one of four administrators in one of the larger Facebook forums. A couple of weeks ago, I got sucked into being a playground guard with "kids" who weren't playing nice. I commented on the thread and suggested they grow up, but we all know that isn't going to change their behavior.

So, I'm going back to a post from a few years back and suggesting we work just a little harder on what should be the rules of engagement. The original post was more about personal attacks on other photographers, but I want to expand it to Facebook and social media threads too. And, while most of you don't need to be reminded, give me hand with people who just don't get it.

• If you don't like what somebody said to you, it's appropriate to comment. But if the comment wasn't to you, then shut up unless the "victim" asks for help. 
• Stay out of battles that aren't yours.
• Don't respond to trolls - that's how they win!
• In any thread, if somebody has already said what you were going to say, then there's no need for you to repeat it!
• Have a bone to pick with somebody? Have the guts to IM them privately - a Facebook forum isn't a venue for a Fight Club match!

And whether in social media or live in ANY industry:

• Don't talk behind somebody's back.
• Don't spread rumors.
• When you hear a rumor, contact the party who's the subject and ask what's going on. Pretty simple - be upfront.
• Write as if the person you need to talk about was standing next to you. Don't hide behind the anonymity of your computer screen.

 
I know this post doesn't apply to most of you, but feel free to share it with somebody who's forgotten! Or as my buddy, Levi Sim has said, "Act as if your grandmother's watching!"

I don't usually quote Queen Latifah, but I got a kick out of this quote. I guess it's a matter of your priorities:

by Skip Cohen 

In February last year, I had an idea - a weekly series to help you fine-tune your business and marketing skills. I chose to write them fresh each week to give you content that was based on things I had noticed during the previous week. Well, here we are eighteen months later, and I think I've only missed two to three Fridays in the series. 

There's a never-ending flow of topics all thanks to interactions I have with so many of you throughout the week via the Internet, phone and here and there in person. Each post in the series has hit on a topic most of you need to pay more attention to.

As I've written many times in the past, as right-brain artists, so many of you ignore the operational and marketing side of the business. Well, there are no Success Fairies who are going to come into your business in the middle of the night and boost sales, clients, or revenue. It's strictly up to you! Take a scroll through all the past "blue-plate" specials from the SCU Diner, and you'll find ideas to help you thrive in 2019 and not just survive!

The chefs in the kitchen today have put together an incredibly filling lunch special, critical to your success - the care and feeding of your network!

I hate quoting politicians, but Hillary Clinton gets credit for the "It takes a village" line. Your network is one of your most valuable tools for success. Sadly, too many of you meet somebody, talk for a few minutes, exchange business cards or transmit data to each other and then *poof* you do nothing to keep in touch! ​

​I know it sounds hokey, but the analogy here is no different than a plant in your home. It needs water, light, fertilizer, and a pot big enough so it can grow. Your network is no different. There are so many ways to keep in touch and invest the necessary time to build relationships.

Building relationships is your greatest marketing tool! And as Scott Stratten says in his book "UnMarketing," stop marketing and start engaging!

• Define levels in your network: Whether you physically sketch this out or not, think of your network looking like a target. You're at the center, and the smallest first ring is those people you trust the most. It's going to be made up of family and your very closest friends. Then move out from there. The next ring will be friends and associates who you feel comfortable talking to regularly and might even see often. The next ring might be people you've met, friends of friends and with skillsets that compliment yours. Another ring might be only vendors and staff from the companies whose products and services you use.
• Each ring of your network has three qualifiers: confidentiality, expertise, and reach. For example, your innermost circle is based almost entirely on confidentiality. It's probably made up of loved ones and your closest friends. As you move out into your network, each qualifier changes.

​Now let's hit a few ideas to help you care for your network!

• Connect at conventions/workshops: 
  • Never eat a meal or drink alone!
  • Plan time to get together in advance
  • Get grab-shots you can use for blog posts later
    
• Be active in FB forums/groups
• Join the local photographer's guild or PPA affiliate
  
• Retweet and share each other's tweets and posts
• Track birthdays, anniversaries, events in each other's lives - I love Facebook for this, and the birthday list is my first stop every morning. 
  • Linkedin helps keep track of business anniversaries and job changes - stay involved!
• PICK UP THE PHONE: What a concept - the telephone! Seriously, keeping in touch through social media is excellent, but there are times when a phone call is going to set the stage for an even stronger relationship. I'm not suggesting you call everybody in your network all the time, just when something special has been shared, or you want to thank somebody for their support.
• Organize a networking luncheon in your community: This is a few rings out from the center of your networking and would include any vendor working on hitting the same target you are. A wedding photographer might invite florists, wedding planners, venue managers, caterers, bridal salons, tux shops, entertainment managers, travel agents, etc. Find a simple place like a diner with a private or semi-private room and just talk about the community. You'll be amazed at how much you'll find you can do together.
• Share content for your blogs: You don't have to write everything yourself, but you do need to be consistent and if you're not posting at least twice a week, same day, same time, then stop blogging. Sharing content with another member of your network helps you create great content to share with your readers and both of you benefit.

A strong network needs to be more than just a fully loaded roll-a-dex. (I admit it - I'm an old fart and proud of it! Right about now there are too many of you who don't know what a roll-a-dex is/was. Before cell phones and email addresses, it's how we kept track of everybody in our networks!)
 
I'm right back to where I started this post, "It takes a village!" So, give your village the support it needs and be there to help people in your network because they're going to your best resource when you need help! 

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.
African Proverb

It's just a bad day, not a bad life!
Author Unknown

​It's Marketing Monday and a perfect time for a quick reminder about business, marketing, patience, and remembering the reset button!

​The picture above is my Dad's wallet, or what was left of it. Although he passed away almost four years ago, the wallet sits on my bookshelf and is a constant reminder of the power we have to change directions. Here's the backstory:

Dad's caregiver didn't check his pants when doing a load of wash and put his wallet through a full cycle. I arrived at his place to take him out to lunch, and he was thoroughly aggravated. I got him calmed down with an easy virtually guaranteed solution - a minute in the microwave, and it would be as good as new! Well, you can see the results - it's a perfect example of a time when I over-promised and under-delivered!

But what happened next was the memory-maker...he started laughing, called me an idiot and let me know I was buying lunch! Sitting in the restaurant while waiting for our order, I ran next door to Macy's and bought him a new wallet - the crisis was over and a throwback memory was created that I'd never forget.

And, here's why I love this piece of family history in my office. We make mistakes all the time, but it's keeping a healthy perspective on the seriousness of the crime that allows us to hit the "reset button" and choose a new path. Obviously, some mistakes are tougher to resolve than others, but most of the wrong decisions we make were made with good intentions. When you find you've gone in the wrong direction; stop, hit the reset button, look at your choices, and head off down a new path.

There is no Photoshop fix for the mistakes we make in life. You can't undo a wrong choice with a click of a button, but what you can do is even better and more satisfying. You can try again with new insight and a better understanding of how to accomplish your goal, and if you're wrong still, the reset button is right there.

I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
​Thomas Edison

I'm honored to have been a guest on Lyn Morton's EOS Photographer podcast last week.

He chose a topic near and dear to my heart - getting the most out of a conference. With ClickCon coming up as the next big show in the US, it's essential for you to have a plan if you're attending. 

And if you can't join us in Chicago, Lyn and I talked about a long list of tips to make sure you're always getting the most bang for your buck at every workshop, conference or convention you attend.

To grow as an artist and a business owner, you need to build your network, skill set, and get the very most out of every class you choose at a conference.  Having a plan guarantees you'll head home when the event is over with something more than just a lot of stories about hanging out with friends, seeing new equipment, etc.

If you're not registered for ClickCon yet, the link is below. Use "ccskip" in the discount box and save $50. Register through the banner below, and you'll also be helping Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. As a speaker affiliate I get a 10% commission on registrations through my link - well, I'm not keeping any of that, but sharing half with NILMDTS and the other half in a cash rebate right to the attendee right at the show!  

And, follow Lyn on the EOS Photographer podcast. He's got a lot of depth in understanding and support for the photographic industry and always does a great job in his interviews!

​by Skip Cohen

I'm still going strong on topics for this series! Every time I think I'm out of ideas, somebody asks a question in a Facebook forum, and it sparks a new post. 

Remember, I started this series to plant ideas on things every photographer should be thinking about to build a stronger business. Most of you are right-brain creative types, and you hate thinking about the operational side of the business. Sadly, the things you often ignore are also the things you need to raise the bar from macaroni and cheese every day to taking the family out for a steak dinner!

​Today's post is number sixty-one in the series, and it's a topic, so many of you need to think about - let's help you with your addiction for new gear!

Great gear is always a benefit, but without the skill set, a good camera will NOT make you an impressive artist! But while I'm going to talk about your need for more equipment - I'm more interested in giving you ideas on how to get what you need without screwing up your cash flow!

Stop being a gear hound!
​
If you've followed me for even the shortest amount of time, then you know I always call it like it is. When it comes to gear, a great camera won't make you a great photographer any more than buying a Porsche makes you a race car driver!  That means your skill set has to have priority over everything else. If you don't have the skill set, then you're not going to meet the mindset of each client. Any moron can get their first customer - the challenge is getting them to come back and to insist their friends check you out as well!

Okay - let's get to the point - ideas to help you get the equipment you need to build a stronger business!

Get to know your camera dealer! From cameras to lenses to lighting, the camera dealers are at the hub for all the manufacturers of the products they carry. This is all about "Relationship Building 101," and somebody at your local camera shop needs to be in your network!

Rent it first!  Joe Buissink told a great story about a tilt/shift lens he thought he needed to make his work look different in his early days. Well, he bought it, and it tied up his cash. He barely used it, and eventually sold it for a loss.  

Most of you know the essential gear you've got to have, but you get gear fever and go out and buy. That might be fine for the necessary equipment, but often you're tying up your cash flow and purchasing the more exotic equipment before you've really used it. Most of the retailers have a rental program, and often you can apply the rental cost to the purchase later on. 

Shop for rebates! Don't buy anything these days without at least checking for seasonal rebates and promotions. If you don't immediately see a rebate or promotional program on whatever you're about to buy, start by checking with the manufacturer. Also, pay attention to professional services where a manufacturer might be offering additional discounts to its registered users.

Check out convention specials! A lot of exhibitors offer trade show specials, making it an ideal time to buy gear.  Identify your needs before you hit a convention. I know it's tough, but do your best to stay out of the impulse purchase mode and stay focused on what you need - not want!

Consider used gear! From career direction changes to turning over gear because of new technology there's a lot of previously owned equipment available. It's worth keeping your eye out for some great deals. But, know what you're buying and who you're buying it from! You've also got some great used gear at the dealer level which often comes with a short term service warranty. 

Lease it! On high ticket items, you don't need to always OWN it. Leasing can be incredibly affordable, give you the same tax benefits and allow you to "utilize someone else's assets without depleting yours!" That was the tagline for a leasing program we offered at Hasselblad over twenty years ago! Before you go to any convention, check your credit line for a commercial lease, so you hit the trade show floor knowing what you've got for financing if you need it.

Bring in a partner...or two! On some of the more expensive gear, consider sharing the cost with another photographer! For example, let's assume you want a large format printer. Why not buy it with another photographer or two and all of you share the use. I've written a lot about partnerships, and they apply to everything from gear to studio and office space. Share the cost and reduce the pain!

Know your reps! One of the biggest reasons to attend any convention is to build your network. For every piece of gear you own, you should also have met and talked with the rep at the manufacturer or vendor.

Going back to my Hasselblad days, it wasn't unusual for a photographer to need help on a project or want to try out a specific camera or lens. Each sales managers had a complete sample kit and would often assist photographers in the field. They were especially helpful in those moments where Murphy's Law took over, and somebody had an emergency over a weekend shoot, for example.

Having reliable gear is a necessity, but stay focused on building your skill set first and keep the expense on equipment to smart decisions. 

Years ago Vincent Laforet spoke at Skip's Summer School. He talked about his early days and how often he didn't have the gear he needed. He asked the audience, "Do you know what you do when you don't have a long enough lens?" He answered almost immediately, "You move in closer!" 

I know that's simplistic and it doesn't always work that way, but Vincent's point was simply it's your skills that will make you great not your gear!

At the same time, we're into Spring seasonality, and activity for many of you has picked up, you can never slow down looking for new business. So many of you forget that new business doesn't have to mean new clients. Today, you've got the most extensive set of marketing tools in the history of business, and they often combine new technology with some of the old tried and true relationship builders.

It's "Marketing Monday" and the perfect time to help you develop a list of things you should be doing all year long. This list is only meant to be a beginning and certainly isn't all-inclusive. But just maybe it will plant a seed or two to help you be more active in building your more revenue!

And, remember, as I've written dozens of time before - if your skill set sucks, finding clients and getting people to trust you means nothing. Any moron can get their first customer. The challenge is getting them to come back a second, third and fourth time, and tell all their friends. This is a word-of-mouth business, and nothing spreads faster than horror stories. However, if you've done an excellent job and exceeded client expectations, nothing has more influence than past clients talking about you and sharing your work. ​

"Profit in business comes from repeat customers,
customers that boast about your project or service and that bring friends with them."
W. Edwards Deming

• Your database: For those artists who have been established even just a year or two, I'm always surprised how everyone forgets their past clients. You've got to remind people who you are and create top-of-mind awareness whenever they think about photography. While email is great - texting gives you a new way to reach both past and future clients. And depending on the relationship, a personal phone call or letter might be a great way to build new business.
• Mobile Texting: Communication is continually changing, and the team at PhotoTexting.com is giving artists the ability to stay in touch with their target audience; simplify your marketing; close new clients faster, and build relationships that return new business. I'm using their Speaker App myself when teaching marketing classes. If you're not familiar with the potential for texting to build your stronger business, PhotoTexting is just a click away.
• Own your zip code!  Get out and pound the pavement! Get to know every business within your zip code. Offer your services. You might be the most focused wedding photographer on the planet, but that doesn't mean you can't help a business owner in the community with a new headshot; capture images at an event for the Chamber of Commerce; or post stories on your blog about vendors in your community, etc. You only need to introduce yourself and offer to be helpful whenever it comes to anything under the imaging umbrella.
• Be active in your community!  The best way to get people to know you're out there is through personal contact! Get involved in a charity or two, the local school system, your church, community centers, etc. And, it doesn't have to always be with a camera in your hands - this is about being helpful and giving back.
• Social Media: It probably should be first on the list, since it represents such a massive vehicle to help you expand your reach. Be active on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, with topics targeting your customer base. A few years ago, my good buddy, Scott Bourne, picked up a huge commercial job, just because he chose to follow somebody interesting on Twitter. That "follow" led to his new client seeing his images and hiring him for a specific project. 
• Advertising: It's still important, even in the age of social media! You don't need to spend a fortune, just be consistent. You need to be in the same spot of the local paper, community website, magazine, whatever the vehicle is in your community. If you plan on running a couple of times and then stopping to see the results, you're wasting your money!  You need consistency for a couple of months, and advertising alone isn't enough but needs to go hand in hand with other vehicles both in print and online.
• Develop a promotional schedule: I've written a lot about Vicki Taufer over the years. She created a complete promotional calendar with more picture ideas for Mom than Hallmark could ever think of! Develop your own calendar of events and then keep your community up to date with each promotion. And as we get into the fall, it's loaded with potential for Halloween, back to school, Thanksgiving and the December holidays. Plus, images from these events become terrific content for your blog.
• Use your blog! Your website is about what you sell, but your blog is about what's in your heart. I've shared so many posts on blogging, including topic ideas. This is a reminder to fill your blog with posts about topics of interest to your target audience. If it's brides, then start to develop content of interest to them. If your target is Mom and the kids, then start writing about tips to get the kids to relax in front of the camera or better yet, talk about what makes a day-in-the-life shoot so special. Give clothing suggestions, times of day, etc. And remember, if you're not blogging at least twice a week - then give it up until you have a stash of posts to help you be more consistent.
• Know your target! It's believed that 98% of the purchase decisions to hire a professional photographer, in the portrait, social specialties are made by women! So, if you're website is overly masculine, or you're advertising in Guns and Ammo, it's a mistake! If you know your target, then you can design a look and feel for your site that appeals to that audience. Fill it with content equally appealing.
• Network, network, network! You've got to talk to other vendors in the community and work together to hit your target. Look for partners who might want to share the cost of a direct mail piece, for example. A wedding photographer, along with a florist and travel agent, make perfect partners.
• Set up a networking luncheon. I've repeatedly written about this in the past. Find a good solid cheap place for lunch that has a private or semi-private room. Then invite every business in the community having an interest in the same target audience as you do. If you're a wedding photographer, for example, then it's going to be anybody in the wedding business, which includes, bridal salons, caterers, travel agents, florists, limo companies, bakeries, music promoters, tux shops, wedding planners, venue managers, and salons.  Come up with a flat price for lunch (you're not looking for a margin) and then invite them to join you once a month. Imagine the network you can build and the potential for cross-promoting each other's services/products. 
• Direct mail is still strong. Personally I love hearing about vendors who partner, share the costs and extend their reach by working together to hit a common target. For example a wedding photographer might work together with a florist and caterer to design a postcard and then mail it once a quarter. Check out Marathon Press for any of their marketing continuity programs. For example, here's the link to Maraton's 2020 program for seniors.
• Buy a list and keep building your data base. There are hundreds of companies selling lists sorted by lifestyle topics and zip codes! And, keep your database up to date. Every wedding you photograph has the potential to provide children and family clients down the road. Keep in touch with your past clients! 
• Thank your past clients: PhotoTexting offers a "Customer Appreciation App" which can be designed to offer virtually anything to thank clients. And, if you're looking to focus more on individuals or your specialty, consider David Ziser's idea from years back - do a free portrait sitting on the first anniversary of a previous wedding client. Imagine the word-of-mouth horsepower when a bride tells her friends about her photographer remembering their anniversary! If you're a commercial photographer, Dean Collins used to do something similar. For example, he'd contact the president of a company whose annual report or catalog he photographed and as a "thanks," he'd do a free family portrait for the holidays. This is all about relationship building - your strongest marketing tool.

 
Finding new business isn't rocket-science, but it does take work, time, patience and planning. The customers are out there, but you've got to make sure they know who you are, where you are, and how to find you!

Whether you're a pure beginner in the business of photography or a long time veteran, ClickCon is one of the next big conferences coming up in August, and you need to be there. I regularly write about the importance of building your skill set, networking and expanding your understanding of the craft. You need to attend every conference you possibly can. The video below will give you an idea of what it's all about and all in under one minute.

​What the video doesn't share is the lineup of speakers; the forty-four vendors who are sponsors, and the timeliness of a midsummer program to help you recharge your battery. Look at the schedule for great conferences, and there's very little on the calendar between now and PPE in NYC in late October.

​The ClickCon team made custom banners for each of the speakers at this year's conference. I'm going to be doing three programs, and just to keep attendees focused - a unique follow-up Q&A marketing program online a month after the conference.

How many programs have you attended, taken notes and then never done anything different? It happens to all of us, but a follow-up online get together is going to help you stay focused on marketing and building your business.

My first program is about starting a photography business; the second is about ideas to help photographers better price their products and finally "Midnight Madness" hitting all things under the marketing umbrella.

The list below is only a partial list of speakers with an anticipated sixty on the list for August. Click on any speaker below to link to the speaker page.

It's going to be an exciting conference. Looking forward to seeing you there.

What a kick!

Intro by Skip Cohen
 
My long-standing friendship with good buddy Scott Bourne goes back a lot of years and was founded on the respect I have for his business sense. There are a lot of things I do today, thanks to Scott's help, direction, and influence.

Today's post is perfect for this time of year as 2019 seasonality starts to take hold. It's one of the longest and most in-depth posts he's shared since helping me start SCU, and it's loaded with things to think about, especially the importance of being grateful for the career path you've chosen. I first published it in 2013, but there's no expiration date on wisdom and appreciation!

"Recognizing that the real reward of being lucky enough to be a professional photographer is the joy of knowing that you are protecting memories for others and those memories will last lifetimes."

I love that sentence from one of his last paragraphs - we're all part of a fantastic industry, and your clients deserve nothing but the best. If your heart isn't in it, then take a break and figure out what's missing.

​You can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it. 

​Today's post makes fifty-three in the Fast Food Friday series and what a series it's become. Every day it seems there's another new challenge to write about, not to fill up space, but to get you thinking about things you could be doing differently to help build a stronger business.  After all, that's what Fast Food Friday posts are all about - ideas to help make 2019 one of your very best years in business!

So many of you are right-brain creatives - you're artists with the drive to create, not run a business. At the same time, you know you need to pay more attention to the business, but technology and your creative genes keep pulling you away from the operational details. 

Well, today's post is going to hit both your creative genes and your too often dormant business/operational genes, and it's all thanks to so many questions I got this past week regarding my upcoming ShutterFest programs.

​The challenge has been photographers trying to decide what classes to sign up for during the two-day conference. ShutterFest has one of the most extensive and diverse program lineups in the industry, and so many attendees go into analysis paralysis when it comes time to make a choice on classes.

​Registration for ShutterFest has been open for months. However, the majority of attendees decided to attend months ago. At that point, everyone should have been thinking about where they need the most help in their skill set, marketing, workflow, etc.

The other night I got an IM from a photographer who wanted my opinion, "Should I take your class or ______?" As much as I understood her frustration at trying to decide, it's just not a question I could answer. Why not? Because, while I know from experience how good my programs are, I don't know her background, her skill set, how long she's been in business, the market she's in or what her weaknesses are?

All of you know what you do well. We all love the aspects of this business we do best. It's our comfort zone. When going to conventions, we naturally migrate to presentations about topics we know well. Rather than step outside our comfort zone, we take classes in areas we already know, looking for something we might have missed along the way.

Well, my headline says it all - you're only going to grow if you push yourself and step outside your comfort zone. You can't grow as an artist if you keep fine-tuning the same old skills. Here are a couple of easy examples:

The request I had the other night was from an artist trying to decide on my class which is ALL business and marketing versus a hands-on shooting class. Obviously the hands-on is going to be more fun, outside and with a group of photographers. My program is inside, a lecture and even though I pride myself on my presentation style and how painless I make the topic of building brand awareness, it's still a business program and outside the comfort zone for so many photographers.  But...what good is creating the most magnificent images of your life if nobody knows who you are? What good are stunning images if you can't earn a decent living?

Here's one more example, so many wedding photographers need to take a course in macro photography. But, put the topic on the agenda at any photography convention, and you'll only see serious hobbyists or outdoor/wildlife photographers. Yet, having a better understanding of great macro work will help with all the details shots in a wedding album especially ring and hand shots, which are vital elements to tell the story.

You've got three quarters of the year ahead of you with so many educational opportunities for classes, videos, and posts online along with other conventions/conferences. At each one look for those programs that will help you where you need it the most. Step outside your comfort zone; expand your skill set with and without a camera in your hand and build a segment of your network with people having different skill sets from your own.

And to answer my earlier question, of what do you call the ability to create stunning images if you can't earn a decent living?   A HOBBY!

​When I started this series, it was all about short easy things photographers could do immediately to build a stronger business. Over the last year, it's grown into a lot more and has included some long-range planning along with the "low-hanging fruit" originally in my plan.

Today's blue-plate special from the SCU Diner is a little of both. Remember, most of you are right-brain creative types. You pay attention to the operational side of your business when forced, but overall you'd love to be out capturing images all day and once a week turn everything over to an assistant to handle! Sound familiar?

Well, whether you're right brain dominant or left, today's special is all about asking for help. I used to think it was more of a guy thing, like jokes about asking for directions, but it's an issue with too many of you, and gender has nothing to do with asking for help.

Before I can share a lengthy list of places you can find help in photography, it's important to recognize asking for help isn't a sign of weakness. Here's a great example:

Years ago my father was doing his best to take care of my mother who was fighting Alzheimer's. He developed some severe anger issues, and his doctor suggested a support group. At first, he wasn't interested, but he and I turned it into a weekly event and the more we went, the more Dad opened up and shared his pain. The Caregiver Resource Center with the Friendship Centers here in Sarasota changed our lives. More importantly, Dad changed his style of dealing with some of his pain. Keeping things to yourself and not sharing your problems was a trademark of his generation, but the support group helped him understand he wasn't alone and it was okay to ask for help.

So, let's kill the myth right now that needing help and asking for it, is a sign of weakness. It's not, but instead an example of strength and the passion for growing your business and skill set!

"Be strong enough to stand along,
smart enough to know when you need help,
and brave enough to ask for it."
Anon

​Almost a year ago I shared a Fast Food Friday post about asking for help. While I covered a little of what I'm sharing today, no one post can cover everything. In my previous post on the topic I talked about the various associations and guilds you need to be a part of. I also covered a little about blogs and conventions, but we're at the end of the first quarter of the year, the "slow season."  NOW is the time, if you need help, to ask for it or search out the answers before business for 2019 starts to ramp up.
​

• Your Network: Building a strong network never slows down and it's one of the main reasons to attend every possible workshop and convention. Think of your network as a target with each ring being a different level of trust and expertise. At the center are those 1-2 people you trust the most. As you move out the expertise in each ring changes, but each person is a resource depending on your needs.
• Conventions, Workshops, and Conferences: Every event gives you a chance to find help both as an observer and a student in the various classes. For example, ShutterFest is right around the corner and a terrific boutique conference giving you a chance to learn something new. At the risk of looking like I'm doing an infomercial, click on the banner below for more information because it's the next show coming up. If you need help in virtually any direction in your business, the timing is perfect because it's April 23-24.

• YouTube: At least once a day you should wander into YouTube and hit the search button with the name of an artist you respect, a manufacturer whose gear you use or a topic. You'll be amazed at what comes up. For example, just in the Tamron channel alone, there are 189 videos; there are 139 in the LUMIX camera channel; Suzette Allen has close to 400; Behind the Shutter has 890; the SLR Lounge is over a thousand, and the list goes on and on! From webinars to short "how-to" pieces YouTube is loaded with content to help you raise the bar.
• Your Favorite Blogs and Websites: The list is endless with great articles, videos, podcasts, webinars, and interactive features. Photofocus is one of the largest, along with SLRLounge, and a long list of associates. Check out Sue Bryce education for an extensive variety of support. Obviously, if you're reading today's post, you've found the SCU blog, but check out the blogs by so many of your favorite photographers, educators, and vendors! I share content from a dozen different photographers every Monday and Wednesday on the Marathon Blog, and my partner at SCU, Chamira Young shares a lot of great content and podcasts on ProPhotographer Journey. And outside the industry, but completely focused on Customer Service is Shep Hyken's blog, always helping you with ideas on how to build stronger relationships with your target audience.
• Podcasts have become one of my favorite ways to learn because they can run in the background while I'm doing something else. And they're all over the place with good ones and bad - it's personal taste combined with your needs. Again, it's about recognizing you need help and finding a location for the inspiration.
• For Your Spirit: Reading is NOT obsolete. For me, my day regularly starts with Melody Beattie. There's no need to be embarrassed over needing a little spiritual help now and then. You need to feed your soul the same way you do your stomach every morning!
• Your Accountant: I've read so much bad advice shared with good intentions from photographers who think they've discovered a key to financial success and start advising their friends. You need to touch base with your accountant more than once a year to do your taxes. Get help at the end of each quarter, so you're not surprised when Uncle Sam is due to get paid.
• Facebook Forums: While help is all over the place, you need to be careful. Remember there are no erasers on the Internet, and too often participants get caught in discussions that create stress rather than help solve challenges. Nevertheless, there are some outstanding forums giving you a chance to ask for help when you need it. For example Michele Celentano and Gary Box are both sharing content all the time to help you improve your skills. And specializing in boudoir Jen Rozenbaum is like the energizer rabbit with new content!

Whether in person, via phone or email, there are so many of us here to help, but we can't help if we don't know what you're dealing with and what your needs are. The bottom line is we're an industry historically known for helping each other. We watch each other's backs, and while now and then a troll rears it's ugly head, overall, as sappy as it sounds, we're a family.

Stop thinking you're alone in the frustrations of being an artist and small business owner. Ask for help when you need it. And as for me, I can't help you much with your technique, but I'm sure available to help with business and marketing questions. Even better, if I don't know the answer, there's somebody in my network who does.

It's Marketing Monday and technically the last week of the "slow season" because business starts to ramp up in April. This is your last week to procrastinate about cleaning up those corners of your business you've ignored for too long. 

As a kid, I remember being told I couldn't go out to play with friends until I cleaned up my room. Later as an adult, I remember one of my dive buddies being told by his wife he couldn't go on a scuba trip until he cleaned his home office! Somebody reminding us to clean something up seems to follow us throughout life! LOL

Well, this morning it's my turn, reminding you that it's time to clean up your website, blog, Customer Service issues, your gear or maybe it's outside your office or studio and time to make sure your reservations for an upcoming conference are all set.

The list goes on and on, but here are some things to think about before business picks up substantially and you're running too fast to do maintenance.

• How's your "About" page? Unless it was a Pulitzer, your clients don't care what awards you've won. Talk about why you love being a photographer; how your clients trust you to capture the very best images or how you're able to capture memories and stop time.
• Need a new headshot? Most of you have terrible headshots and need something in line with your role as a PROFESSIONAL photographer!
• How's your "Contact" page? Give people a phone number and a way to contact you besides a template email form!
• When was the last time you updated your galleries? Only show "Wow" images - photographs so good that you'd just have to show one to get hired. 
• How's that blog working for you? Not great for most of you. If you're not sharing a new post at least twice a week, then put your blog on hold until you can be consistent. So, BUILD A STASH! Sit down this week and write 15-20 blog posts in advance. Share picture-taking tips, ideas on storytelling, what to wear for a portrait, info on upcoming community events, new products/services you're offering, tips on what to look for in a photographer...and the list goes on and on!
• Is your price list right? By "right" I mean are you going to make money this year or live on macaroni and cheese until you see your accountant in 2020!
• Got everything together for your taxes?
• Got your plans for the various shows and conferences this year? ShutterFest is at the end of April. ClickCon is early August. Then there are state and regional conventions all over the country.
• Are you doing any mailing campaigns this year? 
• Are you cross-promoting with other photographers or vendors? For wedding photographers, there are so many potential partners: bridal salons, spas, travel agencies, caterers, wedding planners, florists, limo services, bands, etc. For portrait photographers, there are children's stores, restaurants, venues, etc. Don't forget promoting with other photographers - you've only got so many days a year you're available!
• What are your seasonal plans for Mother's Day, Graduation and Father's Day?
• Got all the gear you need for the new year? From memory cards to camera bags, camera bodies and lenses the list is endless. And, don't forget to check your backup gear.
• Who's your backup? If something goes wrong and you can't cover an event on your schedule, what's your plan? Just like when you were a kid, you need to do a fire drill and see if you're covered.

No one single post can include everything, but without any hesitation, ALL of you have something you've put off doing to make your business stronger in 2019. Don't let the year start out with a flat tire! In the same way, you'd check everything out on your car if you were making a long road trip, do the same with your business. 

And, at the risk of doing a little shameless self-promoting - I'm speaking at ShutterFest April 23 and 24 doing two programs. The first is a double and is going to cover all the ideas above, and more - it's all about low-hanging fruit. Many of the ideas I'll be sharing will be things you can do almost immediately to build a stronger business. The second is all about fine-tuning your blog and making it an asset to your business instead of a liability in your growing list of responsibilities as a small business owner. 

If you get stuck trying to figure something out, you know where to find me, and I'm happy to help. We're all too close to our own businesses and sometimes it just takes another set of eyes!

One of the biggest challenges for every photographer is pricing. Whether you're new and just starting out in business, or you're a seasoned veteran offering new services and products, maintaining a healthy profit margin is critical to not only survive, but thrive.

Last week I joined my co-host from Mind Your Business and Beyond Technique, Chamira Young to talk about some of the mistakes photographers make when setting their prices as well as a few solutions. There's a lot of good content in this new podcast and thanks to PhotoTexting.com we expanded the topic into what is the next big thing in marketing and relationship building.

Think about how your clients communicate today versus ten years ago, or for that matter just five! Technology is changing every day and along with the changes come some remarkable opportunities. Understanding how texting can help you grow your business, reach more clients and reinforce your client base with a stronger sense of customer service is so essential to your success.
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PhotoTexting.com's Mobile Price Lists App helps you book clients faster. See how it works for yourself! Text "pricing" to 800-240-6909 to see a sample price list.  You'll receive a text with a sample price list so you can experience what your client would experience if you were using the Mobile Price Lists app. NOTE: You won't be spammed, and you're not signing up for anything!

The Mobile Pricing App can include your pricing, specials and various options for prospective customers to book your business with one tap on their phone. And, you can customize your mobile presentation to be unique to your business and style.

The Mobile Pricing App is just one of a dozen or more apps to help you build a stronger business. Isn't time to check it out and learn what all the buzz is about?

By Scott Bourne

Pricing photography is the second hardest thing you will ever do as a professional photographer. (Finding the right clients is the first hardest.) It’s very easy to make mistakes when pricing and once they’re made, it’s hard to recover from them. So start out right.

One disclaimer: Not every pricing method works for every photographer. Much depends on the current state of the market and the genre (i.e., wedding, commercial, fine art, food, etc.) I’ll try to stick to some universal ideas in this post.

Start at the Beginning

You can’t effectively price your work until you understand what it is you’re selling.

You are not selling square inches of paper for the cost of printing them. For some reason, the first element that seems to enter some photographers’ minds when making a pricing decision is the size of the print. This “brick wall” has cost many photographers money. The most important thing to keep in mind is the value of your work, not the size of the print. You build this value by evaluating ALL the factors that go into making a salable image.

So what are you selling? How about your creativity and unique ability to capture something others do not see? Anyone can buy a camera, but can they capture the image exactly the way you do? How about the time you have invested in training for the moment when you captured the image? That time needs to be taken into consideration. Your mechanic, doctor, accountant, and lawyer all get paid for the time they spend doing the work. Shouldn’t you be paid too? You also have to consider the level of your present technical ability. The casual amateur should not be able to get the most out of the same equipment as an experienced professional.

And, speaking of equipment, you must also take into consideration the value of your gear. So, as you are deciding how to price your work, make sure you take into account and charge for your logistical skills, experience, time and your ability to translate your client’s desires into a visual statement. Know what you’re selling before you try to sell it. This will help you avoid many mistakes later.

Pricing Economics

In order to price something well, you must know the economics. Here are some key things to keep in mind:

A) Overhead
B) Profit margin
C) The market you are serving

Calculating your overhead requires that you consider all the costs associated with being a professional photographer.  These includes:

A) Equipment depreciation
B) Insurance
C) Rent
D) Licenses
E) Legal fees
F) Accounting fees
G) Payroll fees
H) Salaries
U) Taxes
J) Utilities
K) Production
L) Repairs
M) Printing
N) Postage
O) Office supplies
P) Subscriptions
Q) Professional dues
R) Advertising/marketing
S) Transportation/shipping
T) Travel

Calculating your profit may be a bit easier. You consider your cost of doing business by allowing for a percentage of your overhead to be applied to the cost of each job. From there, mark up your price to include a standard profit margin. This can be based on any number you want but a good starting point is to double the cost of your product (100 percent profit margin).

Selling or Licensing Images

Now you also need to adjust this figure based on the market type you are serving. Is the image being used in a small or large market? Will thousands of people see it or just a few? What is the perceived value to the client? How does the client plan to use your image? Who is your competition and what choices does your client have besides you for this type of image? Are there 50 photographers in the mix or only two or three? Consider these factors to calculate your fee.

When you sell or license an image, it is likely you will have to negotiate the price with a savvy photo buyer. Knowing how to negotiate can save you time, money and help you close profitable deals. Remember that negotiating is just problem solving. Both parties have something they need to accomplish and the negotiation makes it happen.

You must not take ANY of the issues that arise during a negotiation personally. The buyer is supposed to try to get the best deal that he or she can. That’s their job. Your job is the same.

The essential steps in the negotiating process are: establish rapport, gather information, do research, ask questions, and let the buyer do most of the talking. In any negotiation, the person who listens most is likely to gain more. In any negotiation, it’s always very important that you do more listening than talking. Otherwise, you will miss important clues, both physical and verbal, that will help you resolve the deal.

Before quoting a price, you must try to educate the client and build the value of the image you are selling. Make sure that the client understands the effort, time and expense you invested to make this image. If the image is truly one-of-a-kind or was made at personal risk, those factors translate directly into the value of what you have for sale.

Try to encourage the client to place an opening bid. If the buyer is the first one to name a price, I believe you will be rewarded with a higher fee. A good way to open the negotiation process is to ask a question like, “What’s the most you would be willing to pay to use my image or purchase my print?” If you are forced to begin the negotiation process by offering a figure, an alternative is to begin with a number that is twice your standard price plus 10 percent. Once this figure is given, you can work down from there.

But remember that if you give a number first, you run the risk of quoting a price that is much lower than the buyer was willing to pay, and you’ll never know what figure they were willing to pay. So, let your clients do the talking. Then, you should listen, take notes, and preferably wait for them to tell you what they can afford.

If the client has pricing objections, be sure to return to the rapport building and value enhancement stages outlined above. Usually, a price objection really means that there is another piece of information you have not uncovered.  It is likely that there is something else you have not offered that the client really wants or needs. This is why it’s crucial to listen more than you talk and ask plenty of questions to uncover hidden needs.

Once you have taken all the necessary steps, be sure to ask for the order. A surprising number of photographic sales don’t happen simply because the seller has forgotten to ask for the sale.

(NOTE: Negotiating with magazines is not possible unless you are a famous photographer with images that are in great demand. When you approach magazines, understand that you will only get paid their standard rates.)

The first post in our new PhotoTexting series talked about your first step in the process of taking your business to the next level, being assigned your own exclusive 800 number. Well, this week let's jump into mobile brochures.

Wandering into Google, I asked a simple question, "How many people text?" General information from several different sites showed some incredible statistics**:

• The number of monthly texts sent has increased by almost 8,000% over the last ten years.
• 90% of people ALWAYS have their smartphone accessible.
• 97% of American text at least once a day.
• Texting is the #1 most used way of communication among Americans under 50!

Twenty years ago I helped two friends design a product brochure and a workshop piece. I put what seemed like endless hours into creating and writing text for both brochures. And, while they both looked okay, they were printed pieces, expensive to produce because they were being printed in small runs and couldn't be easily updated. We had to guess at quantities. With one we printed too many and the other not enough. 

A printed piece is still a necessity to have, especially when meeting directly with clients but the world is changing. In the same way, we share pictures today with the Internet we're communicating differently. 

PhotoTexting.com is a new SCU partner, and I'm excited to not only be on the cutting edge myself but be able to share their apps with all of you. Having the ability to keep your company brochure updated with new images, text, and links to contact, special offers and pricing information is at your fingertips and easily changed/updated. 

Most of you know I refer to myself as the "Low-Tech Poster Child" of the industry. Well, if I can do this stuff so can you. At WPPI last week I used their App as a speaker. Instead of giving people a handout of notes from my presentation, with one text message to my number they automatically got back my notes and a link to my website, exclusive content and two short videos. They could choose what they needed.

And here's one more important statistic about texting**:

82% of text messages are read within 5 minutes, but consumers only open 1 in 4 emails they receive.

​Check out everything PHOTOtexting has to offer. There are so many different applications and ways for you to build stronger brand awareness, increase sales and expand your reach.

And nothing changes from my goal - ​I don't want you to just survive in 2019 - let's make sure you thrive!
​

​**Sources: StasticBrain, CTIA, Pew Research, Gallup, FlowRoute

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give!
Sir Winston Churchill

​I've written a lot about the importance of community involvement over the years. It's so important to give back to your community, and being involved is one of the best ways to build brand awareness.  Here's how I stumbled upon a wonderful non-profit here in Sarasota.

We moved to Sarasota in 2011 to give my Dad a hand with my mother who was fighting the battle with Alzheimer's. That's when we discovered the Caregiver Resource Center, and we started attending the weekly support group for caregivers.

With our very first meeting, Dad started to change. He learned it was okay to be angry and feel frustrated; he learned he wasn't alone; and discovered it was okay to share everything he was feeling, something his generation was taught NOT to do.

My relationship with the Friendship Centers is going on eight years. And, Sheila's also involved, having volunteered repeatedly along the way. They're a seventeen-million dollar nonprofit providing support to thousands of people to thousands of people in south Florida.

I'm not writing to toot my own horn but reminding you how important it is to be involved in something in your community and the industry. I've heard so many photographers comment, "In my community, there aren't very many things to be involved in!" Seriously? There's a level of pain, frustration, and a place for photographers to lend a hand in EVERY community. Try these on for size:

Those are two of my favorite photo-centric organizations who are involved on a national level that will keep you engaged but let's move to the local level. Here are just a few ideas of resources to identify where you can help.

• Visit the Chamber of Commerce: In every community, non-profits are fighting to survive and help members of the community. Contact the Chamber of Commerce if you're having a hard time finding out who they are.
• Visit the Schools: Every school in the country is fighting for support. And, every time a funding bill doesn't pass in the community, the first things to get cut involve the arts. From the school paper to photography and music classes to the yearbook, they need help, and you've got the skill set to be a part of what they need most.
• Visit the Local Hospital: Living in Akron I remember trying to get Molly the Wonder Dog into the Puppy Brigade at Akron Children's Hospital. She passed every test until she had to sit still in front of a woman with a surgical mask. LOL - it scared her, and she cowered behind me. Check with your local hospital and see where you can help.
• National Non-Profits: From the Alzheimer's Association to the American Heart Association to the American Cancer Society to Big Brothers Big Sisters there's an organization in your area that needs help. 

Here's the bottom line - Jay Conrad Levinson, considered the father of guerrilla marketing put giving back to your community in the top ten things business owners need to do to build a stronger brand. Why?  Because people like buying products and services from companies they perceive as giving back. 

I know many of you are outside the US, but in every country and every community in the world, there are groups of people needing help. Your community, wherever you are, needs to see you as more than just another retailer. You're looking for your community to be good to you - so you need to be good to your community!

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” 
Zig Ziglar

​The longer I'm in this industry, the more everyday occurrences remind me of things I’ve heard or learned over the years. After a lifetime in some aspect of photography from starting out making emulsions in a research lab at Polaroid right through to yesterday’s phone conversations, email threads, and forum discussions, the non-photography lessons are relatively few in comparison to everything else.
 
Take this past Monday night’s sunset for example. We were at friends for dinner on Long Boat Key. We hadn’t been there before and didn’t know they were right on the water.  While I’m usually not without a camera, with WPPI this week, I’d left everything at home, packed for the next day’s trip.  All I had was my cell phone, which honestly didn’t do too bad a job, at least for Internet viewing…so there’s lesson one from Monday night – practice what you preach and don’t get caught short without a real camera.
 
But lesson two is a BIG one.
 
Years ago, I did a podcast with the late Mary Ellen Mark.  She’d been a nice friend going back to my Hasselblad days in the ’80s. She talked about why she loved shooting analog so much more than digital. As an example, she told me how she made her students cover up the LCD screen on their cameras to help them learn to wait for the “decisive moment.”
 
I’m paraphrasing a little, but this was her point,
 
“Shooting digitally photographers check to see if they got the shot and move on, but what if the real moment is yet to come? What if the emotion of grandma’s tears with a bride wasn’t at the hug, but seconds or minutes later?”
 
Last night’s sunset looked like it was going to be non-existent. It was all clouds and solid gray. Little by little the clouds started to break apart, and while we never got the kind of sunset that graces the covers of romantic novels, the sun found a spot to sneak through, and it was stunning, but only for a minute or two.  All I had to do was be patient and wait for it.

And here’s one more fun perspective. Having spent most of my life living inland, I love living near the ocean. Just about every vacation over the years was always near the water. I remember all those bittersweet moments when a vacation was about to come to an end, and we’d sneak in walk on the beach before packing, trying to make the most of the last night.
 
So, these days, whenever Sheila and I leave the beach one of us always says the same thing...“Hey, it’s not our last night!”

Often when I'm teaching a marketing workshop or doing a website review, the importance of accessibility comes up. It happens every time I come across one of my pet peeves on a photographer's website - the absence of a phone number. They've got everything there, EXCEPT a number for people to call. Typically that launches a rant on the importance of giving clients and more importantly, potential clients instant fulfillment in their ability to talk to you.

Many years ago we lost one of the industry's greatest managers and friends, Bruce Landau. Hearing the sad news, a number of us started chasing down people who we knew he was close to. I got to a well-respected photographer and educator on my list, but no matter where I looked I couldn't find a phone number. He'd recently moved, and there was nothing on his website. A few months later I saw him at a convention and apologized for not taking more time to find him. His answer left me speechless, "Yeah, there's no phone number because I don't want people calling me!" He honestly felt phone calls were a bother!  

So, fast forward fifteen years and I'm still seeing photographers who don't have a phone number. They use a template contact form for email, but don't respond quickly. They act as if it's the customer's job to become an Internet miner and find them! And when I've confronted some of these artists, their attitude is, "If they really like my work they'll find me!"
 
Think about your frustration the last time you called a company and couldn't find a way to talk to a live-body! We live in an instant-fulfillment world and that old expression of "strike while the iron is hot" couldn't be more valid.   

I'm very excited about a new SCU partner, PHOTOtexting, a very cool app that helps you market to and book new clients from your phone. I'm using their application myself this week at WPPI with presentation notes for attendees at two programs I'm doing in the Panasonic booth (934).  Think about the Internet, social media, how we use our phones - everything is changing from how we share images to how we can more effectively communicate and market ourselves.

This post is the start of a series of marketing ideas on how to build a stronger business in 2019, and it starts with being accessible and responding quickly to customer requests.  And, best of all for me - I'm excited because there's the potential to not hear excuses any longer from people who think they don't need a business phone line!

Check out everything PHOTOtexting has to offer. There are so many different applications and ways for you to build a stronger presence.

​I don't want you to just survive in 2019 - let's make sure you thrive!
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