Thursday, June 06, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Friday, May 03, 2013
The Purple Egg
The Purple Egg
6 Ways to stand out from the crowd
By Stacey L.
Friedlein, Photog.,Cr, PPA-ABI, CBM, PPANI-S
Creating an identity for your
business is essential to helping your potential clients understand who you are
and what you have to offer. In marketing
vernacular it is called creating a USP or Unique Selling Proposition. The marketplace is overcrowded and noisy
making it essential for your business to find ways to rise above and be heard.
1.
Know your
market. There is gold in them there hills if you know where to find it. Before you can begin marketing you need
to know your target customer, where they are and how to effectively reach them.
To determine your target customer think about the product or service you are
offering and who can use it. Now
research to see if there is enough of a demographic base in your market area to
support the product or service you are offering. As an example, if you are promoting children’s
photography your clients might include new parents and grandparents. How many children in the age range you wish
to photograph are in your market area, how many grandparents? How many births per year and what is the
income bracket of those targeted. Are
there enough families in your desired income level to support this market? What are their current buying habits? Who else is in the market, how are they
attracting customers, what is their reputation, price level, their targeted
demographic? Knowledge is power and this
is the kind of power which can bring you success.
2. Dare to be different. Be a Purple Egg. Imagine you buy a dozen eggs and get home and
find eleven white eggs and a single purple egg.
Which egg would draw your attention?
The purple one of course! So you
want to be the “purple egg”. This is done by understanding what is happening in
your market place, knowing what the competition is doing and doing something
else. Preferably something opposite of
what they are doing. Creating uniqueness
in your marketing creates attention and interest from your target market.
3. Find an underserved niche. Be where they are not. The easiest thing you can do is what
everyone else is doing it is also the worst thing you can do. As you look to grow or expand your business
you should look for areas which are not getting a lot of attention from your
competitors. It is much easier to develop business in a market where you are
one of a few or the only player. Find out where there are opportunities in your
market which are not being served adequately or which are being overlooked
completely. Utilize the steps outlined above to analyze them to see if they are
feasible and if there is money to be made by creating products and services to
fill the need.
4. Exploit your uniqueness. You are the
business of choice. Tell your clients why.
Tell your clients why you are different. What is it about your differences which make
you the choice for them? In creating an identity for your business which
reflects you and your business you help build an expectation for your client. If you can’t figure out your identity create it
or make it up. There is an old saying
which goes, “fake it ‘til you make it”. Define
yourself, make it unique, memorable and tell your clients why your difference
is important to them. Your differences
are a big part of your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Use them to your full advantage.
5. Market against your competition, mount a
counter offensive. Use your competitors
marketing efforts to your advantage.
Find the types of marketing they are doing, the kind of promotions they
are running and do the something different.
When you have several businesses competing for the same market it
becomes that much more important to create a unique marketing approach. Some ideas would include offering bonuses if
they are offering discounts, bundling items if they are selling a la carte, or
offer delivery and pickup services, or sell in person if they are selling
online.
6. Do the unexpected. Make your clients experience memorable. Going the extra mile for your client is
always good business. Create an unforgettable
experience for your client. Maintain
excellent customer service from your initial contact through delivery of their
purchase. Remember to follow-up with your
client after the sale. Send them a hand
written thank you note. This shows you
are interested in more than just getting their money. It is also a great opportunity to ask for
referrals. Exceptional customer service is maybe the most important thing you
can do to assure a happy client and happy clients are clients for life.
In a crowded and competitive market
place you have to create an identity which will capture the attention of your
prospective customers. Utilize the steps
above to make your business the “Purple
Egg”. If you need
further assistance feel free to contact me at Stacey@itsc123.com or visit us on the web
at itsc123.com. Sunday, April 21, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
The word of the day is Profitability
Profitability, “The state or condition
of yielding a financial profit or gain. It is
often measured by price
to earnings ratio.” This definition
comes from businessdictionary.com. When
you break the word down you have ‘profit’ and ‘ability, your business’s
‘ability’ to make a ‘profit’.
What does profitability mean to you? What is should mean is
that you are able to conduct your business in such a way that you cover your
expenses, cost of goods sold and after you pay yourself you still have money
left to reinvest in your business. Sound complicated, confusing, impossible
maybe! Maybe you just don’t care. In which case you can stop reading now and go
on to doing something else.
Now, if you are still reading you must be interested in
finding ways to improve your business’s profitability.
- What are your costs of goods sold, your general expenses, what are your ratios for cost of goods against sales, or expenses against sales?
- What should they be?
- How do you get them to where they should be? Are you paying yourself? Should you be?
- Are there expense leaks? How do you stop cash from leaking out?
- Paying yourself? How much? Are you making a living?
- Is your pricing appropriate for your business, your quality, your desired growth?
- Who is your client? What are their expectations? Are you priced to attract your target demographic?
- What goals do you have for your financial future and that of your business?
- How do you assure profitability? And the list goes on…
Scared, frustrated, confused, lost, all of the above? The good news is there is help for you. We have more than thirty-five years of experience in creating profitable, custom price lists for businesses just like yours. We will begin by addressing many of the questions listed above and then help you create a pricing model which will be appropriate for your business and your future goals.
And we won’t leave you there. We will consult with you once a quarter for one year after the initial pricing structure is complete to assure what we have created with you is right for you and your business. If necessary we will make modifications along the way to help you reach your financial goals.
Call before May 1st and
save 30% on these services!
Find us on the web at itsc123.com
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
New pricing model for photographers
We are working to create a new pricing tool for use by portrait/social
photographers and we need some information from full-time photographers. First, what is you session sales average?
Second, how many sessions per week do you photograph? (Wedding/event photographers, please provide
your sales average and how many weddings/events per year you photograph.)
Part-time photographers are encouraged to participate,
please include what percentage of your time is given to photography.
Each participant will be given a copy of our new pricing
model, “Profitable pricing for photographers in a new paradigm. “ This tool will allow you to create
pricing scenarios to assure profitability.
Beyond that it will assist you in creating a price structure to attract
and retain customers.
Our goal is to have this tool available by March 1,
2013. So if you have information to
share with us, please post here or send us an e-mail at info@itsc123.com. All information e-mailed to us will be kept
strictly confidential.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Monday, January 07, 2013
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Sunday, December 02, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Sell the Experience
Today photographers find themselves in a new consumer culture. Like no other time in our history has our industry so quickly and so significantly been changed. The rapid growth and change in technology has caused us to begin looking at new ways to price, market and sell our work to consumers.
The days of paper prints, traditional photo albums and traditional methods for pricing these products are quickly becoming a thing of the past. As consumer demand continues to grow for more digital products delivered in formats which they can more easily view and share their images is causing us to begin thinking of new pricing models and delivery methods,
To many of us who have been in the industry prior to the digital revolution this means a new way of thinking. For years we built our pricing around a finished print or package of prints. As we move into the future we are seeing less and less desire or need for finished prints. So, what does this all mean to the future of professional photography?
First, we have to determine where we create the value in our work. Quite frankly that has not changed. The value of professional photography was never in the finished image. In truth it was and still is in the experience we create for our client and in the emotional response they have to the work we have created. When we understand this we can begin to more easily reevaluate how we price and present our product to our client.
Here is an example. When my daughter was a child we planned a trip to Disney World. Now my daughter was a huge Cinderella fan. One of the things we wanted to do while at Disney was to attend the Cinderella breakfast. My ex-wife, who is a librarian, did a bunch of research and found that getting tickets to the Cinderella breakfast was next to impossible; in fact, the travel guides said basically you needed and act of congress to get tickets.
Upon further research she found that if you called precisely six months to the day of the first day you were going to be in the park beginning at 6am you may have a chance to get tickets. So she marked the calendar and on the scheduled day she set her alarm and woke up early to begin her attempt to get tickets. On her third attempt she got through and was able to purchase the coveted tickets.
Now she didn’t tell me what she paid for these tickets but was quite pleased she had been successful. We arrived at Disney a few months later and on our appointed day we went to Cinderella’s castle and were escorted upstairs and seated for the breakfast. By this time I had learned what we paid for this breakfast and I was a little stunned as I had never paid this much for breakfast in my life.
I was seated directly across from my daughter and when Cinderella and Prince Charming entered the room from behind me. It was then, when I saw the expression on my daughter’s face I realized something special had happened. To see how happy and mesmerized my daughter became and her reaction to the characters made it all worth it. You see I had not purchased breakfast; I had purchased an experience, one I would pay for again to allow my daughter to feel so much joy and happiness. It is all about the experience.
So, understand, in this new consumer culture. For you to be successful you must be able to control the experience. Every aspect of your relationship with them must be about enhancing the experience. From the time of your initial contact to the post-delivery thank you note and follow-up.
It is no longer simply enough to create great images; you have to create a great experience. Now the more difficult part comes.
How do you market this experience so your client will be willing to pay you the kind of money you need to make to be profitable? Those are questions I will address in part two of this article in a future post.
The days of paper prints, traditional photo albums and traditional methods for pricing these products are quickly becoming a thing of the past. As consumer demand continues to grow for more digital products delivered in formats which they can more easily view and share their images is causing us to begin thinking of new pricing models and delivery methods,
To many of us who have been in the industry prior to the digital revolution this means a new way of thinking. For years we built our pricing around a finished print or package of prints. As we move into the future we are seeing less and less desire or need for finished prints. So, what does this all mean to the future of professional photography?
First, we have to determine where we create the value in our work. Quite frankly that has not changed. The value of professional photography was never in the finished image. In truth it was and still is in the experience we create for our client and in the emotional response they have to the work we have created. When we understand this we can begin to more easily reevaluate how we price and present our product to our client.
Here is an example. When my daughter was a child we planned a trip to Disney World. Now my daughter was a huge Cinderella fan. One of the things we wanted to do while at Disney was to attend the Cinderella breakfast. My ex-wife, who is a librarian, did a bunch of research and found that getting tickets to the Cinderella breakfast was next to impossible; in fact, the travel guides said basically you needed and act of congress to get tickets.
Upon further research she found that if you called precisely six months to the day of the first day you were going to be in the park beginning at 6am you may have a chance to get tickets. So she marked the calendar and on the scheduled day she set her alarm and woke up early to begin her attempt to get tickets. On her third attempt she got through and was able to purchase the coveted tickets.
Now she didn’t tell me what she paid for these tickets but was quite pleased she had been successful. We arrived at Disney a few months later and on our appointed day we went to Cinderella’s castle and were escorted upstairs and seated for the breakfast. By this time I had learned what we paid for this breakfast and I was a little stunned as I had never paid this much for breakfast in my life.
I was seated directly across from my daughter and when Cinderella and Prince Charming entered the room from behind me. It was then, when I saw the expression on my daughter’s face I realized something special had happened. To see how happy and mesmerized my daughter became and her reaction to the characters made it all worth it. You see I had not purchased breakfast; I had purchased an experience, one I would pay for again to allow my daughter to feel so much joy and happiness. It is all about the experience.
So, understand, in this new consumer culture. For you to be successful you must be able to control the experience. Every aspect of your relationship with them must be about enhancing the experience. From the time of your initial contact to the post-delivery thank you note and follow-up.
It is no longer simply enough to create great images; you have to create a great experience. Now the more difficult part comes.
How do you market this experience so your client will be willing to pay you the kind of money you need to make to be profitable? Those are questions I will address in part two of this article in a future post.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Increase sales in 2013—Pre-release Sale—Introducing 2013 marketShare Market Planning Calendar and Workbook on DVD
New and updated for 2013, get a jump on your marketing plan for next year with this great resource from Industry and nationally recognized marketing and management expert Stacey Friedlein, Cr. Photog, PPA-ABI, CBM, S-PPANI
In it you will find:
• New updated information on social media and internet marketing.
• Step-by-step instructions for laying out a successful marketing plan for your business.
• Tips on selecting the appropriate media for effectively getting your message out.
• A sample promotional marketing calendar to use as a guide in your planning.
• Useful planning and evaluation forms to manage and gauge the success of your promotions.
This resource has been used by hundreds of small business owners to create and manage their marketing efforts.
The 2013 marketShare Market Planning Calendar and Workbook on DVD will be released on November 5, 2012. You can save by pre-ordering your copy today.
All orders received by Friday, November 2 will receive a their 2013 marketShare Market Planning Calendar and Workbook on DVD for the low introductory price of $29.95*. That is a savings of $20.00 off of the cover price.
Additional Bonus Offer—Each purchase made by November 2 will also receive certificate for one-hour of telephone consulting with the author. This is a $125 value included absolutely free.
To order your 2013 marketShare Market Planning Calendar and Workbook on DVD simply go to: http://www.itsc123.com/ITSC-Store.html.
*plus shipping and handling of $4.95.
Don’t wait order yours today.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Social Media Marketing
OK, We are looking for your best marketing efforts using social media. Tell us about yours and be entered to win a free copy of our new updated market planning calendar and workbook,
Friday, October 12, 2012
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
What is the most pressing question you have about making your business more successful? Facebook 9/20/12
We received a great response to this question which we posted in several Facebook groups. In order to share the responses with everyone we have chosen to answer all of the questions and post them on our blog with tags to the individuals who posted the questions. We will also post the link to the blog on the group Facebook pages from where the questions were generated.
So, here in no particular order are the questions and our responses.
How do I get clients who pay?
Lynne Ann
Hartford, CT
Lynne Anne,
There a number of questions I would have for you before I gave you a definitive answer. Are you having trouble with clients who contract you and then don’t pay? If so, you need to be collecting fees upfront from them. This can be done by requiring a flat amount at the time you book the session. This fee should include your session fee and your expectation of a minimum order. Determining this takes some work and may be more of an answer than you want here but we would be happy to assist you in determining what that amount should be. In very basic terms it should be an amount which covers your costs, general expenses (including paying yourself) and profit. There are some formulas and industry guidelines which I would be happy to share with you.
If your question is a matter of getting paying clients then you need to create a need for your product and a marketing plan to reach you’re desired demographic. A market and competitive analysis will help you determine the strength of the market and where you should position yourself to maximize your success. You also need to evaluate your pricing for profitability first, and then determine how you position yourself in the market based on your price point and target demographic. Again we can assist you in determining these things in your chosen product area and demographic.
How can do I become known to potential clients... faster?
Tony McKay
Hamilton, New Zealand
Tony,
Creating marketing energy is vital to being successful. First, you need to determine your target demographic. Who is your client? Then determine where they are. Are they Facebook, social media consumers, are they looking for information in more traditional ways? What are their buying habits? What influences their buying decisions? Once you answer these questions you can create marketing energy around where your target consumer gets information. This is where you will want to focus your marketing resources. We can assist you in finding those answers.
Wondering if one can succeed in WV with the economy how it is & if people would want to pay the kind of cost associated with professional photographers?
Theresa Litteral
West Virginia
Theresa,
This is an often asked question. The photographic industry has made great changes and there has been a huge paradigm shift in the past 5-7 years. Doing some market analysis will help you to answer your question. Beginning with a competitive analysis asking who else is out there and what are they doing? What markets are being served and where are there opportunities for growth? Is there a niche market which is not being served adequately or at all? Who are your consumers and what are they looking for? Is there enough market to support the niche you want to do business?
Then more directly to your question, in defining your niche and market can you be profitable in your price structure and gain enough clients to support your business. This is where a solid, well defined marketing plan will help. In creating this plan you will identify your target market, create marketing collateral and message which appeal to them and an implementation plan which will maximize your chances for success. Let us know. We can help.
What to charge people when you are just starting out?
Am I as good as I think I am??
Jennifer Harblin
Kelso, Washington
Jennifer,
Setting prices when you are starting out can be tricky. If you are serious about making photography a profession, the thing to remember is you want to set prices to cover your expenses, pay yourself and provide profit for the business.
Generally a photographer starting out won’t have the same overhead expenses as an established photographer. Therefore you can charge a little less while you are building your business. Remember, pricing is very subjective and you need to think of yourself as valuable and your work as valuable to your client. I have worked with many clients who were marginal photographers but great business people and were far more successful than some great photographers who were incapable of managing their business.
Avoid the pitfalls of giving your work away. Analyze what is happening in your market area, look at your competition and don’t be afraid to price your work to the competition. As far as being good enough, yes you are if you believe you are and constantly strive to improve your work. Let us know if we can provide more help to you.
As a novice, when do I stop taking pictures as a free favor to gain experience, and start charging?
Britney Penfold
Woodbridge, Virginia
Britney,
If you feel your work is good enough to be selling, then by all means you should be charging for your work. The industry is full of want-to-be photographers who are underserving their clients with free or low cost photography. This is doing no one any good. If you want to do photography for others you need to establish yourself as a professional. Get training, create a business plan and get a business license and go for it. Let us know. We can help you get started.
How to market, and to clients who'll pay what I'm asking for!
Kirsten Flavell
Blaxland, New South Wales
Kirsten,
Please read the responses above which asked the same questions. You need to find your niche, research your potential market to see if there is enough potential to support your desired target. Create a profitable pricing structure and then create a marketing plan which targets your desired market. We can help you further with all of this.
Outsource vs. In-source decisions for the control-freak. In other words, getting more done by using others yet holding up the quality and "brand" experience that has been developed so far.
Michael Price
Pickerington, Ohio
Michael,
Start by firing yourself from the things you do not do well. Outsource those tasks which take you away from the core of your business—producing revenue. You are not valuable to your business sitting in front of the computer doing image manipulation. You need to be out looking for new revenue sources. There are plenty of talented Photoshop artists which you can pay far less than it is costing you to do the work yourself.
Be careful in over valuing your ability to do everything yourself. This is a mindset which will eventually destroy your business. Believe me I speak from thirty-five years of experience and have seen studios fail time and again because the owner was trying to do it all himself. Checks into having your lab do your artwork. I mention this because it is a common pitfall of photographers. I would challenge you to track how much time you spend on image manipulation, divide it by the number of images you worked on in an hour. Now what are you worth an hour? Now divide your worth by the number of images you worked on.
My guess is you will be astonished at how much it is costing your business versus what you are getting paid from the customer for the finished image. It is not profitable is it? This example can be used on all of the work you do in the studio. Like firing yourself from the tasks you do not do well, also fire yourself from those things which are not profitable for you to be doing. We can assist you further in making you and your business more profitable.
I need marketing tips!
Sherri White Jamieson
Kaysville, Utah
Sherri,
Please be more specific. What markets are you pursuing, children, family, weddings, seniors? Let me know, I can help.
How do I make my business more successful?
Luke Townsend
Brooklyn NY
Luke,
What does successful mean to you? Making more money, having more free time, utilizing your gifts? Do you have a business or management plan? Have you addressed where you want your business to go and what you hope to have from your business? These are fundamental questions which you need to address and we can certainly help you chart a direction.
Finding the 'right' clients.
Brad Johnson
Overland Park, Kansas
Brad,
Please read my response to Theresa above. A well-defined management and marketing plan are in order for you. We can help.
What's the most effective way to market, and to whom?
Phil Peterson
Kansas City, Missouri
Phil,
First, you need to identify your market. Who is the customer for the work you want to produce. Are there enough potential clients in your demographic? Who is currently serving that market now? How do you set yourself apart so clients will recognize you? Once you define those things you can create an effective marketing strategy to pursue your desired market.
How to market and to clients who'll pay what I'm asking for!
Kirsten Flavell
New South Wales
Kirsten,
Please read the response above to the same question. Hopefully those answers will assist you. Let me know if I can be of further help
Yep to all the above!
Arek Rainczuk
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Arek,
Hopefully you will find what you are looking for above.
How do I get off my arse and do all these things I know I should do?
Josh Marshall
Lambton NSW
Josh,
A good swift kick in the arse to begin with. Seriously, begin by writing down everything. Once it is on paper it clears your head to move on to the next task. This also serves as a great way of processing though ideas. Create a to-do list and mark things off as you complete them. Don’t get over detailed. You can start your list with 1. Start a to-do list. See you already have the first item done. Also, structure your time to do like-tasks together. i.e. return all phone calls at the same time, block time for computer work and sales appointments. Schedule time for market planning and stick to a schedule. Contact us for our resources on time-management.
What are the winning numbers to next week's lotto? :-)
Brian Tao
Ottawa, Ontario
Brian
Pick any you like, your chances of guessing are as good as mine.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
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"I care about the unfortunate, downtrodden, and needy enough to offer the fruits of MY OWN labor to help them succeed.
I care about them enough to NOT enslave them by way of dependency.
I care about them enough to raise them up with a hand up, not degrade them with a hand-out.
I care about them enough that I want to see them succeed, not subsist.
I care about them enough that when I am in their shoes, I don't claim to be entitled to any of those things.
I care about them enough that I want to actually help them master their own lives, rather than make them my de facto slaves.
I care about them enough to reward them for their success, rather than punish them.
I care about them enough to let them receive the consequences for their own failures, but ensure that their neighbors have every ... (show more) freedom to help them survive said consequences
I CARE ENOUGH TO GIVE THEM LIFE AND LIBERTY RATHER THAN DEATH AND SLAVERY.
Who cares more than this, I ask you? The man who enslaves you with 'entitlements'? The man who takes your real liberty in exchange for a false security? The man who starves you by spreading poverty, in the name of spreading wealth?
If you honestly believe that that man is more compassionate, then my heart goes out to you all the more, for slavery only breeds despair. Freedom breeds hope."
THAT is a compassionate conservative message