{"id":1189,"date":"2023-09-16T22:25:07","date_gmt":"2023-09-17T02:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/?p=1189"},"modified":"2023-09-16T22:31:13","modified_gmt":"2023-09-17T02:31:13","slug":"123-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/123-2\/","title":{"rendered":"123"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-13603850\"><\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1316116\/13603850-8-steps-to-get-paying-customers.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-13603850&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h1>Mentioned in this Episode<\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/app.convertkit.com\/users\/signup?plan=free-limited&amp;lmref=infgmA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ConvertKit<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Set up a free account that lets you have a list with up to 1,000 emails.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1>Transcript<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hey, how\u2019s it going? I\u2019m Andy Jones and this is episode 123 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve been appraising lots of websites and portfolios this week and the first question is, \u201cIs my work good enough to sell?\u201d. Followed by, \u201cHow do I get paying customers?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay, so this week I\u2019m going to come up with 8 steps to get paying customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first thing I\u2019m going to address is \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build a Portfolio<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is so important. Without a good portfolio to show people, you are hoping potential customers will have faith in you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A basic website with a portfolio of your best work has to happen. All your marketing efforts need somewhere to send interested people. They need to be able to click a link and see what you have to offer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You need to show the world that you can produce well-composed, sharp-focused, and fully edited photos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well-composed<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By well-composed I mean they are balanced, and the subject stands out from the background. There are no distracting elements in the foreground or background. When you look at a photo your eye is drawn to the subject, not a parked car in the background.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focused<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharply focused photos are a must. You definitely won\u2019t get any sales if your images are soft and out of focus. If you think that you can get professional quality photos using your 18-55mm kit lens, think again. You need to use professional lenses to get professional results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn How to Edit<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I say your photos need to be fully edited, I mean a photo that isn\u2019t too bright or too dark, the colors look natural, and the subject stands out.\u00a0 Over-editing is just as bad as no editing at all, so\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So many new photographers think that by shooting in JPEG that the photos are ready to go, straight out of the camera. All the time I hear \u201c I need to learn how to edit\u201d as if it\u2019s an optional extra. Editing is half of what photographers do, so you need to learn how to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You need to capture RAW images, edit them, and then save them as JPEGs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don\u2019t have one of those four things, a portfolio, well-composed, sharp-focused, and edited photos, you will struggle to get any customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The quality of your photos and having a website with a portfolio are the foundation of your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, let\u2019s look at \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social Media<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today you have so many options for putting yourself out there on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For photographers, I think Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn are your best bets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, it depends on what you shoot and where your customers hang out. If your business is headshots, then LinkedIn and specific business-related Facebook groups might work for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facebook groups work well for all photographers, you just need to find the correct groups to join.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid selling directly to group members it won\u2019t work. Plus you will more than likely upset the group admin and get banned. You need to help people and be of service. Get known in the group, and ask them for advice on your work every so often. I did an episode on 18 March 2023, called Build Trust and Get More Customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram doesn\u2019t seem to be as useful to photographers as it started out to be. Posting your photos together with millions of other photos isn\u2019t the best way to get customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The thing I don\u2019t like about Instagram is how hard it is for someone to click through to your website. Twitter is okay, but thanks to Mr. Musk that platform is fading rapidly. If you use Twitter, think about moving over to Threads. It\u2019s an off-shoot of Instagram that is trying to fill the void left by Twitter. I like it, and it\u2019s way more civilized than Twitter. More like Twitter in the early days.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, whether you will attract new customers using Threads is still unknown. I guess you need to try it and see.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LinkedIn is an excellent platform to work on. It\u2019s been around for 20 years and is social media for business people. You might not think that using LinkedIn to get family portrait bookings would work, but there are over 900 million members. Just because they have links to people in their industry, doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t link to a photographer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, if they use LinkedIn regularly they will use it as their search engine. So don\u2019t rule out LinkedIn, I think you can use it to your advantage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another option is\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Free Classified Sites<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now I would only use these sites when you are trying to get a few customers at the the beginning. That is because you are probably going to be trying to get a booking based on a low price.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This might be the fastest way to get started. I used a free classified site when I started out and it worked well. Most people using these sites are looking for a deal so don\u2019t base your whole marketing plan on them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Posters, Business Cards, and Flyers<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, we have posters, flyers, and business cards that you can post on community notice boards. If you shoot sports at a local arena, ask if you can put a poster up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try local stores, they might let you leave some flyers or brochures next to their cash register. Give a special offer to anyone who books you from those brochures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anywhere you can put your business name is going to help you grow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paid Ads<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now paid ads work if done correctly, but if you are in the early stages of building your business I wouldn\u2019t advise it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mailing List Offers<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve mentioned setting up a mailing list in the last few episodes. This is something you need to do right now if you haven\u2019t already set one up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once your website is up and running you need to start a mailing list. Offer discounts to site visitors in return for their email address. I use ConvertKit and they offer a free plan for up to 1000 emails. I\u2019ll put a link to ConvertKit on the episode page over at PhotographySideHustle.com\/123. Plus I\u2019ll put it in the show notes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being able to email people interested in your services is priceless. So when you want to get more bookings you email your list with an offer. You can email your list as often as you like with information and special offers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Funnel<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using social media platforms, classified ads, and anything else that directs people to your website is a marketing funnel. You bring people into the funnel with the aim of getting them to book you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If they visit the website but don\u2019t book you, your aim is to get them to sign up for the mailing list. Then you can continue to try and make them a customer using emails.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So the 8 steps are \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portfolio<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Composition<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharp Focus<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Editing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social Media<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Free Classifieds<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Posters, Business Cards, and Flyers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mailing List<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just remember, you need to have a portfolio, of well-composed, sharp-focused, and edited photos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Good presentation and image quality are crucial to getting bookings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay, those are the 8 steps you need to complete to get a stream of paying customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you would like me to take a look at your photos or website, you can find me in the Facebook group or you can message me on Messenger.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right, I\u2019ll be back next week with a large recycled Amazon box full of waffle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talk to you soon, bye.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mentioned in this Episode ConvertKit Set up a free account that lets you have a list with up to 1,000 emails.TranscriptHey, how\u2019s it going? I\u2019m Andy Jones and this is episode 123 of the Photography Side Hustle podcast. I\u2019ve been appraising lots of websites and portfolios this week and the first question is, \u201cIs my [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"1080","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1189"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1189"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1193,"href":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1189\/revisions\/1193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/photographysidehustle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}