Monday Q+A

Q:

I was a wedding photographer and then got into commercial photography. The challenge was having a wedding-forward website in the commercial world. I worked with a rep company for the website edit, which looked beautiful, but I was told to switch to a standard industry website for easier navigation. Since then, I’ve lost massive business, and my traffic and SEO rankings have dropped severely. Because of this, I want to put headshots and wedding work back on my site and listen to myself instead of someone else.

A:

I get it. Feedback for photographers is not easy to come by. We seek out what is available to us, hoping for directional cues. We are running our businesses, which entails a long-term goal awareness guiding the ship. Every decision we make should have our future business plan in mind, which is the part of ourselves we need to listen to. Our direction needs to be clear as we are in a situation to grab all the paid opportunities as they come in, often becoming our future showpiece.

Q:

All my work so far has been just me or me and one assistant. I want to start building up to bigger productions. It makes sense to start with a personal test project or two to expand my portfolio, practice working under new conditions, make connections with possible crew members, etc. How do I gradually build up my productions, and in what order should I start adding crew, e.g., prop & wardrobe stylists, HMU, digital tech, producer, etc.? Or does that depend on the specifics of each job?

A:

Production Value is one of our highest industry-level rating metric systems controlling photographers’ careers. Why? Clients want to know what to predict if they hire you. They want to see proof that you can control the outcome of their project and not leave it to a moment of chance. In saying that, we must also incorporate the market’s popular trends toward a natural editorial feel of “realness.” Aside from having a consistent, steady message in your overall portfolio, commercial advertising requires high-quality styling. Whether it’s food, hair/makeup, wardrobe, or props – stylists are the #1 factor in raising the production value of a photographer’s portfolio.

Q:

How should I spend my marketing budget this year?

I have two options:

1) I have a listing agent who reaches out to specific clients.

2) I can do online or in-person portfolio reviews.

Neither one is cheap, but I can commit to doing at least one of them this year, and would like to, as I’m trying to land at least one more corporate or ad client this year. I’m also hoping to expand my reach, and not always be hired locally/regionally.

A:

SternRep’s Marketing Budget Formula is the overall breakdown of the available imagery placed in all potential places attracting the attention of potential clients.

We call this combo- InReach and OutReach; working in tandem. Our marketing budget covers our time and hiring help in all areas, used to gain insightful feedback on what works.

InReach:

Step one – updating quick + easy landing spots (website, IG + BeHance) for clients to see/find the work.

Step two – consistent content creation show-pieces for LinkedIn posts, promos, portfolio pdf, IG Reels, articles/blogs for SEO, etc., all drawing traffic to landing spots.

OutReach:

Step one – personal and mass engaging on all platforms generated by the timely content we have to show.

Step two – setting up reviews/meetings/showings/calls taking the connection a step further.

Step three – follow-up across all mediums on a well-scheduled system.

Q:

How do you try to save a client relationship after messing up repeatedly?

A:

Client relationships are usually not personal. They see the work you do and want that look on their brand. Treat this as a professional by showing them how they will achieve their goals using you. You can always offer a free test, but most importantly, tell them what matter-of-fact calculated new system will improve the situation. Get yourself to that level, and then with humble confidence, express how you will do it right. In the comments, please share examples of this dynamic and what you did.

Q:

I know an artist rep who pays for his photographer’s marketing. My rep is a company where I pay a monthly fee while still paying them the same 25% of each job. How do I know what percentage is accurate with this different type of representation company?

A:

The rep/agent/marketing company configurations are more diverse due to the increase of photographers in our industry, each with different fee structures, making it challenging to compare. We have reps, marketing companies, and networking promotional directories removing the easy comparison of who does what and how much to pay. I’ve even opened a wing called Temp Rep due to the large number of photographers needing bidding representation. Which platform(s) best fit your client base awareness while fitting into your annual salary percentage allotted for marketing? My rule on this is -the expense should eventually pay for itself. The simple answer is to pay for what works for you. 

Q:

I’m trying to get into the beauty photography business by going for smaller brands in my local area, but I’m finding it very hard to create leverage in this industry. I’ve tried email marketing, and sometimes their PR domains are blocked. Instagram messages think I want to “collab” with them. I’m unsure how to start networking with consumer package companies. What do you recommend I can do to be seen by commercial clients?

A:

We all face similar challenges to get in front of potential clients, as described here, no matter which area of photography we focus on. Of course, it begins with a strongly branded portfolio showing you off quickly and succinctly. After that, it’s a potluck of strategic moves knowing which you are getting done and which need more attention.

Check out my Marketing Strategy Planner on “Downloads” –https://asksternrep.com/downloads/ where I map out all the potential ways I use to rep photographers to the appropriate clients. Pick a few favorites on my pyramid chart and see what works for you. 

Q:

I send quarterly newsletters, and some keep me on their radars, but at the same time, I always feel like I’m leaving something on the table by not directly engaging with whoever opens the email. What’s the best way to send that email? Do I go direct and say, “Hey, I noticed that you enjoyed my promo, so can we set up a meeting in the future to say hello?” Do we send a follow-up to put a face to the name? I don’t want to be weird and pushy because they know I want to work with them. This outreach is tough for me, and any advice would be great!

A:

The mistake in our Marketing Plans is to think it’s over once we reach out. That is when engaging clients with our brand begins; we open the door, growing a state of ongoing continuous awareness. With that in mind, you find any sign of response from who clicked, following analytics to see which agency is looking at your site and who liked your IG to put yourself out there in a genuine human-to-human connection. Be yourself and take them to lunch, share your response on their IG Story and LinkedIn posts, and join them where they are. You are right; they know you want to work with them, so be the spam caller with whom you wouldn’t hang up on by keeping it real.

Q:

My name is XXXXXX, and I’m a food photographer. I want to know how you can tell the difference between a serious client vs. someone who is just shopping around. Is there a question I can ask, so I’m not just wasting my time?

A:

I have found this “shopping around” of low-budget clients happens mostly for food photographers found on Google. Start-ups without an ad agency or marketing team expect photographers to do the creative work for them, so it’s up to us to quickly find out if they can afford us. Normally we base our costs on the project’s information, but with these calls, I go in reverse and give them a budget range to see if we should continue in the mad sleuth process of digging into their shot list, backgrounds, surfaces, etc. My line is, “Sounds like a fun project that may run somewhere between 10k to 30k, depending on your shot list. Let me know when you have the specifics so I can run this by our food stylist to see how many images can happen per day.” 

For more specific ideas addressing these types of “blind bid” requests, go to www.asksternrep.com – https://asksternrep.com/2022/01/19/dont-waste-time-doing-estimates-with-information-we-dont-have/

and this one – https://asksternrep.com/2021/12/22/is-this-estimate-request-worth-your-time/

Q:

Has there ever been a case of a photographer negotiating down their rep’s percentage? Does this simply lead to bad morale in the relationship? Is there a workable solution to this or might parting ways be the best option?

A:

Reps are negotiators, so there are workable solutions to commission percentages. “House” accounts are the standard norm for lower commission rates based on fair compromises. The one thing you don’t want to do is slow down your rep’s time/effort by removing financial gains. My answer is to determine the undercurrent issue – is this a teammate who brings a quality you need in your career trajectory? If not, well, that may be the answer.

Q:

I’m raising my prices for the upcoming year. Should the increase be the same for all clients, so everyone pays the same? Or should the old client’s loyalty be taken into consideration? What about clients who just became clients this year?

A:

Sustaining an ongoing business depends on constant reevaluation matching our financial intake to the reality of the cost of living. Times change, so we business owners have to change with it. Mostly, we need to stay aware of the cost of living and the current rates for our expenses. Mileage rates, meals, and electricity bills all affect our business costs. What are rental studios charging for equipment? What are assistant rates and Digi Tech’s capture package costs now? Old or new client budgets may affect bidding situations, but overall we should be charging what we need to run a solid long-term business.