Fast Food Friday - For Professional Photographers

5/18/2018

We're all too close to our businesses. I compare it to being a parent - your kids are changing every day, but it's not until you're gone for a few days on a trip for example, that you notice how much they've grown!

Well, your business is changing all the time, and there are so many different things that require a little attention, especially in the photography business. So many of you have chosen to ignore some of the easiest things to change.

So, I started Fast Food Friday to share ideas on easy things to fix. Some take longer than others to implement, but none of them are rocket science. They take time and need your attention. You know how to focus your camera, but what about everything else?

This is number thirteen in this "blue-plate special" series, but today isn't about fixing a component of your business, it's about adding to your strategy.

As a professional photographer, you have an opportunity with every customer contact to remind your audience you're a photographer. One of the best ways is by using your images in your holiday cards, thank-you notes, and stationery. No photographer should ever be buying store-bought stationery!

As an artist, why would you show somebody else's work?

Now is the time to start thinking about your image for your 2018 holiday card and once you have the photograph, it's so easy.

Your image is on the front of the card.
Inside the card is a holiday-themed message.
On the back, right where the "Hallmark" logo would be, is the name of your business or your name, your email address and a phone number.

Over the years I've shared some holiday cards from one of my favorite families in photography, Bleu, Ali, and Fisher at Bleu Cotton Photography in Costa Mesa. I've shared every card of their's in posts for at least the last five years. The fun of their card series is they put themselves in the performance. Whether you want to have some fun and create an image that's unique of your family, do a family portrait or share a stunning image you've taken of something holiday related...it doesn't matter.

Here are a few more from Bleu and Ali that I've shared over the years:

And, using your images for thank you notes is exactly the same, but you won't include a preprinted message on the inside. Don't forget your business stationary which can be everything from your logo on some nice paper stock or one of your images lightly screened on the paper.

I saved this card from my buddy Everardo Keeme in Phoenix. We met at one of the Skip's Summer School events, and he sent me the note following the program. He used a terrific image, left room inside for a hand-written message and has his logo on the back. The value of the card isn't just in the image used, but the strength of a written note together with the marking impact of the logo/info on the back. This is where you get to remind people what you do for a living.

And, if you're having a hard time putting something together, pick up the phone and call Marathon Press. Yes, they're an SCU partner, but years before this blog, like thousands of photographers in this industry I worked with them on a long list of other projects!

As long as I'm talking about cards and stationery, the card below was created by my good friend Carey Schumacher at Barefoot Memories in San Diego. She spent an afternoon photographing Molly and me in the dog park. Later she surprised me with a set of notecards. It's probably one of the most fun gifts I've ever received. Think about the impact cards like this would have on a client.

Whether you're creating your own stationery or something for a client, holiday cards, and stationery should be an extension of your marketing as well as products/service you offer your clients.

Over the years I've featured cards from so many different photographers. The challenge for you is to stop procrastinating and think about the what you're using now followed by what you're using this December! What are you going to be sending out?