Branding & Marketing for Commercial Photographers / Photoshelter Luminance

BRANDING &MARKETINGFor Commercial Photographers Bill Cramer/CEO

Promotion equals…BRANDING Create a memorable identity for your photography +MARKETING Introduce that identity to appropriate clients

BRANDING

BrandingPHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTITY GRAPHIC IDENTITY Choose the right pictures Design marketing materials to show to support those pictures ▹  Who you are, what you do, how you do it ▹  Consistent, intelligent and appropriate use of type, color and graphics builds▹  Specialties, style, audience familiarity▹  Not just about your “favorite” pictures ▹  Resonates with the right clients▹  A good portfolio looks forward, not back ▹  Communicates your level of▹  In a nutshell: this is what my pictures are professionalism going to look like ▹  In a nutshell: this is what it’s going to be like to work with me

BrandingPHOTOGRAPHICIDENTITY

What is my photographic identity?

What youlike to do.

What you What youlike to do. are good at doing.

What you What youlike to do. are good at doing. What the market wants from you.

PHOTOGRAPHIC What you like to do. What you are good at doing. IDENTITY What the market wants from you.

Generalist Specialist

BrandingGRAPHIC IDENTITY

Graphic It’s the “look” of all your marketing materials:Identity Website Blog / Social Media Print Portfolio Mailers / Leave Behinds Stationery

WEBSITE▹  Match URL to your company name— yourname.com or yournamephotography.com▹  Consistent use of word mark (and/or logo), color, design▹  Large images▹  Logical sections with meaningful names▹  Concise galleries < 30 images▹  Don’t repeat pictures▹  Intuitive navigation—show what gallery you are on, where you are in that gallery, make it easy to move forward and back▹  No music, no elaborate intros, no splash page, no water marks, no “recent work” section▹  Mobile device friendly

WEBSITE▹  Contact page with contact info and location (no forms to fill out)▹  About page with short bio and picture of you▹  Link to blog and social media▹  If images can be dragged off your site, include metadata with your copyright & contact info▹  Check spelling, punctuation, grammar▹  Make sure copyright notice is current▹  Update photos regularly

BLOG/SOCIAL MEDIA▹  Coordinate with (but don’t duplicate) the look of your main website▹  What audience are you trying to reach (clients or other photographers)?▹  Write about recent projects, your creative process▹  Keep it fun and informative, but always professional (not personal or political)

PRINT PORTFOLIO▹  Still important for big jobs▹  Makes a great conversation piece for face to face meetings▹  Make it visually consistent with your website, but not a printed version of it▹  Include your logo/word mark, contact information▹  Pick materials that suit your pictures and your audience▹  Update it regularly▹  Print portfolio vs. iPad

MAILERS/LEAVE BEHINDS Most are ignored, so do what you can to stand out ▹  E-Mailers▹  Print Mailers ▹  Post cards ▹  Accordions ▹  Booklets

STATIONERY▹  Same look as your other marketing materials▹  Design is important, but function comes first ▹  Business Card ▹  Letterhead ▹  #10 Envelope ▹  Crack-N-Peel Label

BrandingTHE LITTLE THINGS

THE LITTLE THINGS▹  What’s your email address? Should match your url (no gmail)▹  What do your emails look like? Normal sized (black or dark gray) text▹  Do you have a proper email signature?▹  What do your estimates look like? Treatments when appropriate▹  How do you answer the phone? What does your outgoing message say?▹  How do you dress?▹  Are you responsive to emails and phone calls?▹  Are you nice? Are you easy to work with?▹  Do you know how to act on a creative call?▹  Do you send thank you notes to your clients after a big job?▹  Personality counts for a lot!▹  Everything you do, say and create is part of your brand

Case studyMark Katzman Lifestyle, St. Louis

MARKETING

Promotion equals…BRANDING Create a memorable identity for your photography +MARKETING Introduce that identity to appropriate clients

MarketingPASSIVE MARKETING ACTIVE MARKETING Make it easy for clients Seek out clients who are to ﬁnd you right for you ▹  There are a lot of clients out there that you ▹  Take charge of your career path don’t know exist ▹  Get where you want to go▹  You never know who might relate to your work

MarketingPASSIVEMARKETING

Passive Website BlogMarketing Social Media Online Photographer Directories Printed Source Books Ads Picture Agencies Reps Editorial Credits Contests News Releases SEO, SEM

WEBSITE▹  The only absolutely essential marketing tool▹  Centerpiece of every photographer’s promotional efforts▹  Your other marketing tools should drive viewers here

BLOG▹  Reveals your personality, allows clients get to know you▹  Helps with SEO

SOCIAL MEDIA

ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHER DIRECTORIES

PRINTED SOURCE BOOKS

PICTURE AGENCIES

EDITORIAL CREDITS

CONTESTS

NEWS RELEASES

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO TIPS▹  Avoid Flash (unless you have an HTML ghost site behind it)▹  Tag your photos so search engines can recognize them ▹  Example: Portrait Photographer Philadelphia, PA Bill Cramer Photography▹  Link to other relevant sites and have relevant sites link to you▹  A blog is a great place to include lots of relevant text that search engines look for

SEM (Search Engine Marketing)

MarketingACTIVEMARKETING

Active Research Customer Relationship Management (CRM)Marketing Prospect Contact Lists Email Broadcasting Services Mass E-mailers / Print Mailers Individual Emails / Print Mailers Phone Calls Portfolio Meetings Industry Events

RESEARCH▹  Ad Agencies ▹  Record Companies▹  Magazines ▹  Fashion, cosmetics▹  Corporations ▹  Media Companies▹  Graphic Design Firms ▹  Architects▹  Non-Profits ▹  Department Stores▹  Book Publishers ▹  Institutions, schools, hospitals*

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP"MANAGEMENT (CRM)

PROSPECT CONTACT LISTS▹  Agency Access, Creative Access, File FX▹  Find and target the right clients for you▹  Build a list of fewer than 1000 prospects▹  Refine it over time

EMAIL BROADCASTING SERVICES

MASS E-MAILERS/PRINT MAILERS▹  Spray and pray?▹  Limit your list to relevant prospects (don’t add to the noise)▹  Use catchy subject lines, but don’t try to fake people out

INDIVIDUAL EMAILS/PRINT MAILERS▹  Personalize each email by drawing a connection between what you’re offering and the needs of that particular client▹  Much more time consuming than mass emails, but can be more effective too

PHONE CALLS▹  Have a purpose ▹  Get a meeting ▹  Pitch a project▹  Send some emailers or print mailers first to build familiarity▹  Create a script so you know what you’re going to say▹  Research the client before you call so you know that you’re relevant to them

PORTFOLIO MEETINGS▹  Meet with clients who are most important to you (and the best match for you)▹  Clients are generally interested in meeting with photographers who are relevant to their needs

INDUSTRY EVENTS▹  Speed-Dating (pay-to-play) style portfolio reviews▹  Art Directors Club and other associations are opportunities to meet clients

MarketingWORD OF MOUTH /NETWORKING /CHANCE MEETINGS

You can’t do it all.

Shoot pictures Show marketing Integrate them intomaterials to clients your marketing materials

RESULTS

ResultsWHAT’S ALL THISTRYING TOACCOMPLISH?

For the photographer: work with clients who are right for you.

For the creative: build a level of comfort so that they’re willing to take a chance on you.

More Resources Go to our blog and navigate to How We Help Photographers > Resources Expert Advice Articles Go to our blog and type in “Expert Advice:” into the search ﬁeld Print & iPad Portfolios Go to our blog and scroll down to YouTube Videos

Questions?

Thank you! (The End)

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Branding & Marketing for Commercial Photographers / Photoshelter Luminance

by wonderfulmachine on Sep 14, 2012

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Branding & Marketing for Commercial Photographers / Photoshelter Luminance Presentation Transcript