Updating Design
Pardon the minimalist look around here - I'm making long-overdue updates to the PTP site design.
I want to make sure you've got easy access to all the content here on the site, that Google can find it and share it, and that it looks good enough (on desktop and mobile) it doesn't give you a headache trying to find and read what you want to know.
What a street beggar can teach us about marketing and sales
How about this:
A peddler can stand at any intersection here in San Antonio and bank more tax-free money in a half hour than I can after taxes in two at my day job.
Why?
F8 and Be There, mates: he is where his clients are with a compelling message that inspires them to take action, to put their money into his pocket.
It's not his art: he has no product per se, other than the feeling of compassion and giving which his clients enjoy when they contribute to his life.
It's not his business: he has a process for acquiring clients, but it's not his policies or procedures or follow-up: his clients are sold on investing in him before the exchange of value is even made.
His marketing is basic, inelegant, but in arguably effective - and here's the powerful secret: he asks.
He asks.
He holds his sign, stands dead center where his clients are, and looks them straight in the eye.
He asks for the business. He asks for the sale.
And he doesn't get it.
Not right away.
Not the first car to pull up, not the second or third. At a busy intersection in San Antonio, how many cars, how many people, how many potential clients look right at him, but don't buy?
But our beggar friend knows his numbers - if not consciously, then on instinct, on experience.
He knows if he stays in front of his target market long enough with a powerful enough message, and asks for the business, he'll get it - he'll get enough to satisfy his every financial need.
Where is your marketing, friends? Are you asking the right people, at the right time, in the right way, for their business?
You could walk the streets of your town, camera and smartphone in hand, and hustle money into your pocket.
All you have to do is ask.
In the bigger picture of running a successful part time photography business, of booking yourself solid with clients you love who pay you more than you ever thought you could earn with your art, you're going to use myriad methods in your marketing mix to earn success. In time, your marketing plan is going to become a well-oiled machine with many parts, all working together fluidly to keep you shooting and depositing checks in the bank.
But you will always have to ask.
One day, your art may become so good that it makes the ask for you.
But you have to ask.
You will always have to stand in the center of your target market's world with a powerful message, a clear value, and ask them for their business.
It's not your pricing.
It's not your name.
It's not your camera gear.
It's your marketing.
Go find your people.
Show them how you can make their lives better with your art.
Then ask them to do business with you.
Next Steps
- You knew I was going to push you out of your comfort zone today. Let's do an exercise in local government: Find your local city hall, walk in their doors, and tell them you want to walk around town on the weekends and offer to take people's photo for money. Ask them what kind of license you need, what kind of 'signage' you can carry, if there's a public place you can 'set up'. Every city ordinance will be different, so learn what yours is, and how you could make it happen if you wanted to try your hand at busking your art in your city.
- Look up all the local Market Days and booth opportunities in your city and surrounding cities. Find out about vendor fees and what it would take to set up a booth at these events (which could just entail two chairs, one for you and your subject, and your camera).
- Go downtown. Go to a coffeeshop. Do some street photography. Ask folks if you can make their portrait. Then ask if you can e-mail them the portrait you made. No money need change hands, this is just an exercise in getting yourself, your camera, and your art in front of people. All you have to do is ask.
- Brainstorm session: Get out your pen and paper. From what you've learned above, make a list of Next Steps, baby steps, to be able to walk around your city or set up in a certain area of your city to make people's portraits for money. What are some locations that combine nice light, a nice background, and enough foot traffic that you could score some $5 bills doing street photography? Pretend that you're building a successful business model for only busking your photography in your city. What would that business look like? What would you charge? How many people per hour would you need to shoot to put enough money in your pocket, after taxes and overhead, to leave a big grin on your face? Is this something you want to try just for fun (and profit!)? File this away in your Brainstorms folder.
- My writing at PartTimePhoto.com exists to serve your needs as an amateur photographer making the transition to paid professional. I appreciate and welcome your readership, and invite you to subscribe to my e-mail newsletter at the top of any page of this site.
- What's the biggest struggle holding you back right now? E-mail me your answer (yes, right now!), and let's make a breakthrough today.
- If anything in this post has spoken to and inspired you, please comment below, drop me an e-mail, or call or text me at 830-688-1564 and let me know. I'd love to hear how you use these ideas to better your part time photography business!
Why courtship matters in marketing
As usual, let’s start with the end in mind.
(As opposed to starting with the how, then trying to make it fit the why!)
On any marketing campaign, you want to have an ultimate goal – whatever tactics you employ, you need a goal action you’re moving potential clients to take.
“I want them to give me their money, of course!”
Courtship first, Romeo.
Many startup business owners want their marketing to explode with a Direct Response - someone sees your ad / post / card / postcard / portfolio / fan page / contest, and immediately calls or e-mails to book a shoot and throw bennys at you.
This is also why most newly-minted professionals can't get a critical mass of clients on board and stay booked solid.
And the simplest, most common Direct Response campaign is... A BIG SALE! Immediately devaluing the product or service, and catering to the least profitable, least loyal, most demanding and problematic clientele.
No wonder so many good artists burn out so fast when they try to go pro.
If we want to avoid chasing the quick sale, we have to court the relationship.
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook - you want to give, give, give value and great reasons to know, like, and trust you before making the ask.
Even then, make it a soft ask - we're talking a peck on the cheek on the fourth date, friends.
Then back to the center of the ring: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.
So what's a knock out for you? What action do you want your client to take as a result of your 'right hooks'?
Every campaign will look different, but here's how a good strategy might play out:
> Momma sees you shooting her daughter's varsity softball game
> Sees your byline in the local paper or on the school web site beneath the photos you took
> Meets you at the next home game
> Gets your business card
> Visits your portfolio online
> Signs up for your e-mail newsletter because she likes your work, and really likes your contest to win prizes like movie tickets, gift cards, and a full photo shoot
> Reads about your Facebook contest in the newsletter and likes your Fan Page for a monthly entry
> Shares your great photo from her daughter's softball game
> Sees your Senior Photography work on Facebook and in the newsletter, starts thinking about graduation invitations
> A month before graduation, sees your reminder for last-chance senior photo shoot bookings, and panics
> Has seen your work a dozen times over the school year, loves your art and visiting with you at the games, appreciates the senior fundraiser you helped with for Project Graduation, has read the customer testimonials in your newsletter, appreciates the great photographs you've submitted of her daughter's team to the local newspaper, and...
> Nine months after learning who you are and what you do, e-mails you asking, "What do you charge for a senior photo shoot?"
Can you see how far removed this story is from, "Never heard of you, but since you handed me your business card, let me book with you right now!"
Not to say the latter doesn't happen, but the first story - one that plays out multiple times every single year in my own business - is a great example of a marketing strategy, built from multiple consistent messages in multiple venues, which leads your target market to Know, Like, and Trust you.
When you do it well enough, "What do you charge?" is not even the question they ask. Instead, it's "How soon can we get started?"
There are a lot of moving parts in this one strategy:
- Learning, practicing, and growing as a sports photographer as a vital part of your senior photography business (How can I give value to my niche target market?)
- Getting your photos published regularly in the local newspaper (How can I get my target market to know and remember my name?)
- Chatting up parents at games (How can I connect with my next client?)
- Handing out business cards (How can I make a potential client think of me again later?)
- Having a great online portfolio which funnels visitors to your e-mail newsletter sign-up (How can I earn the trust of my client and get permission to market directly to them?)
- Sending out a great weekly or monthly e-mail newsletter which gives three parts value for every one Ask (How can I continue to make my client like me and trust me?)
- Hosting a Facebook contest with an offer so good that it earns Likes (How can I get stay in front of my potential client in multiple venues?)
- Planting the seed idea of "getting ahead so you don't fall behind" for senior photos and invitations (How can I begin to build want and need for my paid services?)
- Getting your name in front of potential clients in multiple good venues: in-person, in the newspaper, via business card, on your web site, in your e-mail newsletter, on Facebook (How can I become an obvious choice for my potential client's needs?)
- Being a big part of a school fundraiser (How can I show my potential client I'm a positive, supportive part of their world?)
- Collecting and sharing testimonials from thrilled clients (How can I use 'social proof' to build credibility with potential clients?)
- Asking for the business (Like that cute girl at the big dance, is my client ready to commit, but waiting for me to 'ask'?)
And all this is what went into just getting that golden "Are we a good fit for each other?" e-mail or phone call.
But, can you imagine the confidence you'll feel when, from the first handshake with a potential client, you'll know all the next steps to turn that handshake into a thrilled and paying client?
Marketing is a story you write hoping the clues you pen will guide the characters to a happy ending.
Every story is different.
What's yours?
Marketing Is...
The post you're reading is the kickoff to my Marketing Is... Series, where I'll tackle the challenges of how to do the right things, in the right places, to reach the right people, at the right times, to spur action.
I know these can be daunting topics, but that's why we're here together right now.
The point of this series is really to save you time and money - it's deceptively easy to buy an ad or build a web site, never having a grasp of how all the moving parts of your marketing strategy work together...or worse, not having a marketing strategy at all.
Don't worry, you're neither the first nor the last, but you're getting wiser by the day - and you don't have to learn everything the hard way.
Even though I've been blessed with success as a part time professional photographer (at least my vision of it), I've made countless marketing mistakes along the way.
Buying over $750 in radio advertising (for a visual medium!) because the ad rep asked me to.
Losing $8,000 in six months on a retail studio which generated zero new customers during that period.
Being cheap where I could have gotten a great return on my investment, such as frugal local newspaper advertising.
Running special offers and discounts according to my bank account, instead of a marketing calendar.
Pitching on price instead of value because I was scared nobody would call if I asked what I was worth.
Being too shy, elitist, or perfectionist to reach out and work with other business owners on co-op campaigns and projects.
Buying expensive business card ads in yearbooks and football programs, year after year, with no purpose whatsoever - no goal, no strategy, no offer, no message, no coordinated campaign in other media.
Trust, the list goes on.
I can't tell you what will work - anybody who makes those guarantees, especially with a price tag on them, is a whale of a fibber - but I'll share with you what I've seen work, and seen fall flat, over the last 15 years.
The best way to stay savvy is by slipping your e-mail address into the newsletter sign-up box at the top of this page. You'll make your momma proud.
Next Steps
- What's your niche? How tightly have you narrowed your target market? When you 'speak' to your market (through your marketing), does your target market undeniably know you're talking directly to them? Can you tell me where they shop, where they bank, where their kids go to school, who their family doctor is, what kind of house they live in, what they most enjoyed studying in college, how 'busy' they would rate their lives, whether they host Thanksgiving dinner or go to Grandma's, if they have sit-down dinners or outdoor barbecues with friends, what their biggest joy is in buying professional photography for their family? If not, keep niching down until you have no more than a few avatars which descriptively fit your ideal client - then make your focus to find and engage your people (#protip: your people are out there, and they're waiting to be blessed by your work!).
- Brainstorm Session: Knowing your ideal client, what's the first touch a potential client might have with you on the path to hiring you as their photographer? Like the sports photography example above leading to a senior portrait client, how can you Own Your Zip Code - how can you be where your clients are, and contribute value to their world?
- Pick up a copy of John Jantsch's new book, Duct Tape Selling: Think Like a Marketer-Sell Like a Superstar - John has a wonderful ability to break down the confusion and fear of sales, and what it takes to make them (le hint: marketing!). He is the master of Know, Like, and Trust.
- Would you be interested in a rich list of fully-written, value-giving content examples for your e-mail newsletter? E-mail me and let me know.
- My writing at PartTimePhoto.com exists to serve your needs as an amateur photographer making the transition to paid professional. I appreciate and welcome your readership, and invite you to subscribe to my e-mail newsletter at the top of any page of this site.
- If anything in this post has spoken to and inspired you, please comment below, drop me an e-mail, or call or text me at 830-688-1564 and let me know. I'd love to hear how you use these ideas to better your part time photography business!
PartTimePhoto.com Redesign in Progress
Please excuse the dust, mates, I'm going about redesigning PartTimePhoto.com to bring you even more delectable content!
Thank you for your patience!
Your source for making money as a part time photographer
So who am I to give you advice on how to make money as a part time photographer?
My name is James Taylor.
I own Outlaw Photography of Bandera, Texas.
I shoot almost entirely portraits; seniors, children, brides, couples, families. My wife shoots maternity and baby photos.
I fell bass ackwards into professional photography over 12 years ago. I landed a job as a photojournalist with my hometown newspaper, and as people saw my photos in the paper, they began asking if I also did family portraits. One good paid photo shoot led to the next, and I continued to do off-and-on professional work until I launched Outlaw Photography 'officially' in 2005. Since then, I've worked hard to improve my art and my business acumen while learning to balance a full time day job, part time photography job, and life.
Life for me includes my better half Jacklen and three young kiddos, McCayla (7), Canon (4), and the newest addition, Athena Corinna (celebrating one year in November 2011). Yes, Canon, as in my son is named after my preferred camera manufacturer. But that's a story for another day.
I have been blessed with a great deal of success as a part time professional photographer over the years, and after a decade, I've hit a stride which now allows me the chance to share this success with others. Success to me is happy clients, happy family, happy self. A big part of the latter for me is giving back, which is what I hope to do here at PartTimePhoto.com.
After years and years of studying the art, business, and industry of photography online and here in the real world, I've learned that the people making the transition from unpaid amateurs to part time professionals is a massive, confused, underserved, underappreciated community.
That's about to change. Drastically.
You generally have three levels of photographers:
- Amateurs and enthusiasts who shoot for fun and don't care about making money off their work (Hi Uncle Joe!)
- Amateurs interested in making money with their photography (that's you!)
- Professionals actively earning good pay for their time
Certainly there are, as the supermodels of ModelMayhem call them, "GWC's" or "Guys With Cameras"; you have insanely talented amateurs and students all over Flickr; and you have a wide range of professionals from starvings artists to the Vincent Laforets and Anne Geddeses of the world.
This entire web site is targeted squarely at that Middle Category: amateurs, enthusiasts, students, part-timers, stay at home dads, unfulfilled day job moms, teenagers looking for summer work, etc.
I'm living that dream right now, and have been for many years. It is fun, it is stress-free, it is a perfect creative outlet, it's a great way to meet interesting people, and it pays well. It took a lot of trial and a lot of error to learn how to achieve that sweet-spot balance between art, business, and life.
I hope that through sharing here on PartTimePhoto.com the whole of my experience in this journey, I will help others achieve the same success I have as a part time professional photographer.
Here's some boring background bio info for you, just to show you how small-town I am and that it's possible to be successful anywhere:
James Taylor's "If I can do it..." Profile:
Me: Outlaw Photographer James Taylor.
Born in Tarpley, Texas, population: 30.
Graduated from, got a job in, and started part time photography business in Bandera, Texas, population: 957.
Still working for the same newspaper over a decade down the road.
Still a happy part time photographer.
Won gobs of big fish, small pond journalism awards, for sports photography, feature photography, news writing, page layout and design, etc. Voted "Best Photographer in Bandera County (population < 20,000) in 2007, 2008." Most recently picked up my biggest contest win yet, a first-place sports photography award from the Texas Press Association.
Everything I know about being a successful part time photographer, I look forward to sharing here on PartTimePhoto.com. It will take time and plenty of writing, but I truly believe you have the capability to better your life and the lives of those around you through the art and business of part time photography.
It's benefited my life, and if you so desire, it can benefit yours.
Next Steps
- Surf over to Flickr and find three photographers whose portraiture work inspires you. Bookmark their photo streams. Contact each one: say by phone, e-mail, or picture comment, "I am an aspiring professional photographer and your work on Flickr is really inspirational. May I contact you once in a while to talk about photography?" You'll learn that the most successful photographers are often the most open to helping you.
- Brainstorm session: make a list of all the people - famous, celebrity, or otherwise - with whom you would love to do a portrait session. From the President to a favorite comedian to Grandma. Save in your Brainstorms folder.
- If you're down with the clown until you're dead in the ground and would like to continue benefiting from the articles posted to this blog, please feel free to click the "Subscribe" button at the top of any page of this site.
- Who inspired you to take up photography, and then take it to the next level by doing paid work? Leave a comment below, e-mail me, or call or text me at 830-688-1564.
Want to make money as a part time photographer?
If you're here, you know you're here, and that's good enough for me.
If you have a few hours a week, access to a camera, and a hint of gumption, it's my goal to help you make money as a part time photographer.
Perhaps:
- You have an unfulfilling day job and want to stretch your legs as a professional photographer
- You have a good day job that doesn't pay enough, and you want some extra money to pay down debts, save up, or play with as fun money
- You're a stay-at-home mom or dad and would like to earn some money working part-time with a set-your-own flexible schedule
Whatever drives your desire to explore the world of part-time professional or ProAm (professional-amateur) photography, it's my own desire to help you be successful.
There are metric tons of information online about starting your own business and becoming a better photographer. Where I saw a need was while surfing photography forums and seeing so many men and women asking best-guess questions about how to get started. You don't know what you don't know, right?
In the same threads, I saw a lot of full time professional photographers give half-hearted advice and plenty of negative feedback.
"It's not as easy as it looks."
"Your photos are horrible; perhaps you should find another job."
"The market is saturated with amateurs like you killing the industry."
"If you're not doing it full time, and you don't have my expenses, and you don't charge what I do, you're not a real professional and you're taking food out of the mouths of my babies."
To which I indelicately respond, "BS."
Anyone who has studied business will tell you there are many, many markets and demographics for any given product range. Professional photography is no different from car sales or widget sales or interior decorating.
From "budget" to "luxury," there's a lengthy scale of customers seeking different levels of service at different prices.
Everybody has to start somewhere, every journey begins with the first step, and it's my goal through PartTimePhoto.com to help you transition and grow into the ProAm or Part Time Professional Photography business. I want to help you make money with photography.
I have no love for overcomplication, hidden agendas, withholding information, snobbery, and bait and switch games. I like simple instructions, "do this this way" clarity, and obvious next steps. Reading this blog and learning to make money with your photography shouldn't be an exercise in existential thinking.
On a daily basis, you'll find within these pixelated walls my best advice in developing your artistic and business skills to make good money for your time. I'll give you concrete examples, walkthroughs, visual examples, step-by-step tutorials, equipment buying advice, marketing pieces and projects, a hell of a lot of encouragement, and a holistic approach to doing good business that serves your own life as much as your customers.
Who am I to give such advice? Tune in tomorrow for my self-indulgent bio, but all you really need to know is that my name is James Taylor, I own Outlaw Photography in the rural town of Bandera, Texas, and I've enjoyed the life benefits of part time professional photography for over 10 years now.
Next Steps
You'll find that I am very big on clear, specific Next Steps. David Allen's system of Getting Things Done is a brilliant one, and one of the biggest things I got out of his book was the practice of establishing Next Steps.
I think the two biggest things missing from most instructional-type web sites are real world examples and well-defined Next Steps, so you'll find plenty of both here on PartTimePhoto.com. At the end of every article, I'll provide one or several Next Steps to give you an exact idea of what you can do at that point to better your part time photography business.
Here are today's Next Steps:
- Take a deep breath and let go of any preconceived fears or doubts you have about becoming a part time professional photographer. Shake them haters off.
- Get a sticky note or piece of paper and tape - write down the three biggest ways being a successful part time photographer would improve your life. Put this piece of paper on your monitor or somewhere you will look at it on a daily basis.
- Grab a piece of paper or open up your computer's note pad and brainstorm - this will be a Next Step for nearly every article I post to PartTimePhoto.com. I cannot overemphasize the value of a good brain dump, pouring your ideas out on paper or to a text file. Today's topic: Envision how your life would be different if you could earn some money through part time photography. No idea is too stupid or simple - write everything down. Spend several minutes on this. Try to build off every item you write down. Don't do it any specific order, just get it out on the page. Grab a folder for your paper or create folder on your desktop in which to place these brainstorm sessions.
- If this all sounds like a good thing for your life, please feel free to click on the "Subscribe" link at the top of any page on this site.
- What experiences have you had in your search for information and inspiration in becoming a part time photographer? Leave a comment below, e-mail me, or call or text me at 830-688-1564.
Congratulations - you have taken the first steps toward enjoying the lifestyle of a part time photographer!
Testing wordpress post
This is a test.
It is only a test.
It is the best test.
This is the rest of the test.
It's sort of a test fest.
Sometimes these tests are too much to digest.
Some tests testers truly detest.
And this is a test of getting it all off my chest.
It's hella better than getting a testes test.
Keep your hands off my untested love nest.
I don't make this caveat in jest.
That's some ish that won't come off with Crest.
It's time for me to get dressed and wordpressed.
So go out today and be love, be joy, be blessed.