Social Influencers: The New Commercial

Once upon a time, a photographer in any genre would try to get the attention of magazines, newspapers, clothing designers, automakers, restaurants, hospitals, sports teams and music venues in hopes of landing a gig. Whether it was a one-off campaign or steady work on a retainer, the holy grail of good-paying commercial work has always come from big companies. And while the dollar amounts of these major-client jobs is still highly desirable and worth the effort to land, there is a new type of commercial role that has emerged in the last few years, and it’s exploding by the hour: social influencer.

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Where Did All My Clients Go?

Are you sitting there wondering why your business is struggling? Why your phone is not ringing? Why your email leads are nonexistent? Are you convinced that it’s not your fault? That it’s somehow the Russians? Or even worse, all those dastardly shoot-and-burners? In this article, I show you some ways to change your “luck” and take control of your destiny. The sooner you realize there is plenty of business out there for all of us, the sooner you will start taking a healthy and realistic look at your business—because then and only then will you accept that you control your business.

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10 Tips for Creating Eye-Catching Social Media Videos

We’ve all been there, scrolling aimlessly on our phone, floating in a sea of emojis and LOLs. We may not even realize we’re doing it, but suddenly 10 minutes (or two hours) pass, and we’ve watched 10 two-minute episodes of something called “Parkour Cats From Outer Space” and found ourselves ordering some swag from their website. What is going on here? How does one begin to make an impact in this sea of endless distraction? This is an ever-evolving science, but there are some methods to the madness of keeping people’s attention.

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8 Ideas For Your Next Photography Blog Post

It’s a slow time of year for business for many of us, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be busy. In fact, it’s just the opposite. The first quarter is the perfect time for you to lock in your plans for the year ahead, starting with your blog. Here are some ideas for your next photography blog post.

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5 Social Media Marketing Tips for Better Sales

One of the most powerful reasons customers decide to spend money is because they find enough value in a product. The reverse is true for a customer who does not find enough value in a product, and therefore will not spend money. The perceived value of a purchase needs to be equal to if not more than the dollar value spent. This is why two photographers can sell the same product from the same lab at prices thousands of dollars apart. Creating value for a client can come in many forms, and when it comes to the value in the artwork we provide them, we must begin creating that value before their first phone call or email. This happens via social media.

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How to Avoid Facebook Blackout

This month, Facebook is testing a plan to move all nonpaid Page posts away from the newsfeed. The Guardian reported that tests by Facebook (in six countries outside the U.S.) caused a devastating 60 to 80 percent fall in user engagement on business Pages. A story on Medium.com described the change as “death to small businesses.” It certainly could be . . . if you don’t know how to adapt. Here’s everything you need to know to avoid the impending blackout before it hits your business.

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The Evolution of a Brand

One aspect of photography that has come into play in recent years is much more prevalent to photographers than it used to be. In fact, it’s now a crucial element for all businesses, big and small. It’s the brand. While most consumers don’t know the difference between good and great photography when looking at a single image, they now instinctively know it when looking at a collection of images. Thanks to social media outlets like Instagram and Pinterest, most consumers have been passively trained to appreciate a good, consistent brand image—and recognize a bad one.

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