What are some things to avoid when cold emailing?
The most important part of a cold email is to avoid sounding cold. I try to be in the moment to write as I speak, keeping it as “not staged” as possible.
At what bid price do you include a treatment, and when do you decide the production is too small to require a treatment? I have a cut-off in my head, but I’m a grumpy old-timer.
When you are up for a job that you want based on financials, opening the door, or creative exploration, you put your time into an awesome treatment. If it’s a low-budget, one-time situation, you can create a PDF of the appropriate images without writing a detailed production plan for every category. Either way, using an A+ design that stays strong with your branding is key.
When you talk about the rising importance of “content,” are you referring to the necessity for photographers to post more and better content, the necessity for clients to produce more content and hence hire photographers more often, or both?
When I refer to the importance of content, I am talking about both: photographers need to create more content, as do clients. We must constantly create and post content in today’s business world to make our work findable. Years ago, the marketing process was more challenging to show our work to clients, so this could actually be a win/win if we accepted it and joined the content party.
Is there a suggestion on what else to do to get blocked email promos through clients’ email filters?
I don’t have the technical fix yet, but this is a numbers game for us. I send out quarterly promos knowing that most will not get seen, but if 20% get opened, that is still part of our MARKETING PLAN that has succeeded in one way: more eyes are on our work than if we didn’t send it out. I use the same theory on IG as it’s the marketing plan numbers game.
I often hear portfolio viewings are crucial, yet I’ve never seen any locally or within driving distance. Should I consider traveling to a larger area such as NYC to have this done?
Yes, a one-on-one or group showing with your portfolio is extremely valuable. I’d highly recommend these for photographers at any stage of their career. Bring them some chocolate!
You mentioned the idea of a “Penalty Fee,” and I’ve never priced this before. I price usage fees, so how does that change for a penalty fee when a client has used my images without paying for them?
Fees in our industry are in constant flux, and there is no one standard across the board. I get creative, and as I am not sure this is the same standard for other reps, a “Penalty Fee” has worked well for me. Clients don’t want to use our images illegally; I find they are unaware of this and want to fix the problem. I price this as a one-charge double rate of the original fee.
How do I put together a treatment that really stands out from the other photographers bidding on a job?
Treatments can get you the job. A well-designed and well-written piece is most important. Use a designer and a writer unless you are really good at both of those.
Treatments are very common now, and even if they don’t request one, I recommend sending one in. The treatment should show the type of profession you are and what you’d bring to the job. Explain the technical aspects of how you’d shoot, then cover the important elements of the shoot like locations, talent, wardrobe, lighting, etc.
Email promos are barely working, and I hate to give them up because I don’t know what else will work better. Please advise.
Email promos may not match the exact success open rate you are going for, but we should continue sending them. We may get fewer clicks/hits/views on everything we do, but it’s still much more of a numbers game success than walking around with a portfolio in hand (which is also important to do). The marketing puzzle of what works to be seen is broad, so many potential parts require us to do them all.
What is your process after you’ve on-boarded a new photographer? After discussing where the photographer wants to go and where their work would be a great fit, what is your strategy in regards to marketing? What is a rep’s game plan?
“Marketing Outreach” is a big topic; I could write a few pages! The overall strategy depends on what stage they are at in their career. Here is a started checklist:
As a part-time photographer, I’m wondering how I should go about potentially getting an agent. Should I even attempt to go through the process? Do agents consider part-time photographers seriously? I’m hoping to get more lifestyle/event/sports photography jobs in the future.
Reps will require full-time photographers, but we will help to make you full-time if we see a promising portfolio style/look/vibe that matches what clients are looking for. It’s usually back to the same thing – your portfolio. That is the bottom line truth of what makes or breaks everything we are going for.
