Photography, Marketing and a Purpose for Floppy Disks

To quote Michele Celentano, "God only knows where files are going to be some day!"

It's Marketing Monday and the perfect time of year to share a post out of the archives about selling prints. I'm still surprised at the number of photographers who claim they can't sell prints, especially when we're got such a great selection of unique materials and technique available through the professional labs. 

For example, two months ago I shared a post about Bay Photo's Performance EXT Metal prints. It's been outside my home in the hot sun and rain since then and still looks like it just came out of the box. It doesn't need to even be hosed down or cleaned and continues to be a talking point every time we've got friends over.

Well, it's October and the seasonality of the fourth quarter is on your doorstep. You've got an opportunity to sell more prints, increase revenue and bring the close of 2018 to a stunning ending by offering your clients new opportunities and ways to display their images.

But, it won't happen if you don't put in an effort to help educate them! It's up to you to help your clients understand the power of a print.

---

A few years ago at PPE in NYC, I got into a discussion with Bryan Caporicci and Rob Nowell of Sprouting Photographer. The topic was the importance of printed images. Bryan hit me with an idea that's brilliant. Listen carefully, because he's sharing it and invited all of you to steal the idea.  

When Bryan works a bridal fair, he hands each bride a floppy disk, labeled with his contact information and says, "I'd love to show you some of my images. Here's a collection of some of my best!"  The brides look at him like he's from another planet and ask, "What am I supposed to do with this?" They have no idea what to do with a floppy disk.

**POOF**  Bryan's got an instant connection to explaining why printed images are so important. After all, who's to say a DVD is going to play on anything twenty years from now and who knows what a jump drive will look like. In fact, if you were to receive anything on a floppy disk right now, what would you do with it?
 
Need another tool? I've shared this in other posts in the past, but it's time to remind many of you again. Michele Celentano has offered every photographer the right to reprint "I Believe." She wrote it at least five years ago. She uses it as part of her presentation package. It's printed on nice stock and tucked into each folder she gives her clients. She talks very openly about why she believes in printed images in her "Mind Your Own Business" webcast.

Just click the screenshot of Michele from the webcast if you haven't heard Michele talk about the importance of printing your work.

---

So, here it is, you've got Bryan's floppy disk idea; Michele's "I Believe," which you can print and share with clients and the idea of framing a jump drive, which started as a joke to make the point.  Here's another idea. In support of the whole concept of printing images, Bryan put together the one minute video below a long time ago, which again makes the point. All of you can make your own demo video, just frame some DVDs and jump drives!

And for those of you who like everything either black or white - it's never going to happen. Clients are always going to want digital files for their Facebook pages, websites, cell phones, etc. The Internet has changed the way we share images, but we don't have to give up on prints.  

Printing images is absolutely NOT dead - everyone just has to do a better job of planting the seed with their clients.