Stay ConnectedWelcome to The Bokeh Podcast, where we help photographers build sustainable businesses!
Host Nathan Holritz and his guests will help you build your brand, focus your marketing efforts, refine your workflows, and dial in your photographic technique – all with efficiency in mind.
In the end, we not only want you to succeed as a photography business owner, but to still have a life through it all.
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Copyright: © Copyright Photographer's Edit
Want to know how to find the right target market for your brand? The first step is to text your mom! (She's probably waiting for you to call anyway.)
On episode 558 of the Bokeh Podcast, we're so happy to have our returning guest, Taylor Fisher, on to talk about how refining your brand cannot only make you more money but also create loyalty with your clients. Listen in to hear some great tips and advice on how to strategically refine your brand through finding your target audience to create an unforgettable brand experience.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (7:14)
Creating a great customer experience (9:39)
What differentiates your business from others (12:16)
Technique for time management (21:24)
Outsourcing/Delegation (27:11)
Book recommendation (39:45)
Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield-Thomas
Get Rich, Lucky B*tch! by Denise Duffield-Thomas
Thoughts on Starting Pricing (41:40)
Context on Brand Significance and Brand Experience (46:10)
Significance of Environment for Building Brand Experience (55:45)
Steps for Finding you Target Market (58:00)
1. Know what to have to bring to the table
2. Work with what you know
3. Know what work you're passionate about
4. Your business should serve your lifestyle
Principles for Developing a Brand Experience (1:05:57)
1. Awareness
2. Commitment
3. Show Your Pricing
4. Hire a Designer
5. Pick 1-2 Social Media Platforms to Commit to, and Show Up
6. Make People Feel Good
Approach on How to Make Clients Feel Good (1:11:30)
Links:
instagram.com/taylorjonesphotography
Sometimes you go into survival mode and come out with a different perspective on both your life and your business realizing that some things are worth the trip!
In episode 557 of the Bokeh Podcast, Madison Hernandez speaks on what led her to run a long-distance business and the valuable lessons she learned along the way! Listen in to hear Madison give so many amazing tips on how to successfully run a long-distance business, from pricing with travel in mind to resources for time management!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (3:46)
Creating a great customer experience (8:22)
Technique for time management (11:59)
Outsourcing/Delegation (22:22)
Book recommendation (28:34)
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
WTF Moment (34:42)
Thoughts on prioritizing work vs. self-care (17:50)
Madison's journey to having a Long-Distance Business (36:07)
Raising your prices when changing locations (42:33)
Tips for running a long-distance business (43:43)
- Figure out the costs of travel, the cost of time and compensate those costs with pricing
- Time management and proactively managing your calendar
- Refine your services offered
- Explore different business platforms for time management and client management
- Have a flexible system that allows for unexpected events
- Reevaluate and let tasks go that take away from your time
- Make your services easy to understand for your clients
- Make your website easy to navigate
Links:
https://instagram.com/madisonhernandezphoto
Boundaries by Henry Cloud, John Townsend
Curious as to why posting cute photos on social media isn't creating business growth? Let's go past surface-level marketing and get into why relationship marketing with clients AND vendors can be the missing piece to a successful business!
In episode 556 of the Bokeh Podcast, we welcome returning guest, Ashley Freehan, to give insight and recommendations on how to successfully use relationship marketing in your business. Learn how to connect with clients and vendors in ways that can create an authentic and valuable relationship for both parties.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Ashley's Take on word-of-mouth referrals and relationship marketing (4:57)
What is the mental block that many photographers have in regards to having an active strategy for referrals? (10:01)
How to redevelop your marketing when changing locations (14:51)
Passion regarding the concerns about lack of development in relationship marketing (16:00)
What is relationship marketing? (17:30)
Importance of distinct brand positioning and relationship marketing (20:38)
Key Relationships for Photographers (25:07)
1. Complementary Businesses/Vendors
2. Potential Clients
Steps to successful relationship marketing (27:27)
1. Commit to the process and make it a priority
2. Set up a system to keep up with clients
3. Find and connect with your complementary vendors
4. Present the idea of collaboration
5. Use relationship marketing with potential clients
How to help your clients feel comfortable and how to become more comfortable with clients (46:24)
How to use relationship marketing with potential clients (01:02:04)
1. Hot Leads
2. Engaged Followers
3. Researched Leads
Links:
https://www.charitywater.org
Ashley Freehan's Previous Episode 508:
https://www.photographersedit.com/bokeh-podcast/episodes/the-key-steps-from-part-timer-to-ceo/
https://thepurposegathering.com
https://www.instagram.com/thepurposegathering/
https://www.instagram.com/ashleyfreehanphotography/
https://bokehbookshelf.com
Some might think, "My client received their images so they don't need me anymore." WRONG! There's so much more you can do to retain clients for future shoots!
In episode 555 of the Bokeh Podcast, we talk to returning guest, Gavin Wade, about how to continue a relationship with your clients after their images are delivered. Also learn how important print and product sales are for your business including how you can use cloudspot.io to make it easier for clients to purchase prints from you!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (4:36)
Creating a great customer experience (14:04)
Technique for time management (16:08)
Outsourcing/Delegation (18:53)
Book recommendation (22:42)
Extreme Revenue Growth by Victor Cheng
WTF Moment (24:46)
What are some of the biggest mistakes you made in an effort to grow your business? (28:21)
1. Only marketing to one demographic
2. Perfectionistic Paralysis
What are some of the best decisions you made when growing your business? (36:10)
1. Having a Mentor/Connecting with your Community
- Find someone in your market /location
- Secondary shooting
2. Investing in Relationships with Vendors
Growing your Business After Image Delivery (43:11)
1. Think of image delivery as the start of a continued relationship with a client
2. Print and Product Sales
How do photographers become more sales minded with print and product sales? (50:18)
1. Get over the perfection paralysis
2. Start talking about prints/products from the beginning
Tools Cloud Spot has that enables photographers to market their images successfully (53:49)
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/cloudspot.io/
Gavin Wade's Previous Episode:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bokeh-the-photography-podcast/id1140118526?i=1000384604035
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ANmziyaMwUEvF9ERQu6yz?si=NvDP5uJmRZ2fV8wEWNNfvA
Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller:
https://www.amazon.com/Building-StoryBrand-Clarify-Message-Customers-ebook/dp/B06XFJ2JGR
There is so much hard work done behind the glitz and glam of fashion photography — although the gorgeous outcome can be worth it. And just like wedding photography, the "dirty work" is usually the key to the best results.
In episode 554 of the Bokeh Podcast, we have Rago Alasa come on to explain ways you can use skills from fashion photography to implement in wedding photography and vice versa! Listen in to learn tips and recommendations about how to pose clients in a more fashion forward approach and also develop a consistent style in your photography!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (5:00)
Creating a great customer experience (8:43)
Technique for time management (13:05)
Outsourcing/Delegation (18:15)
Book recommendation (20:47)
Favorite piece of gear (26:38)
Driving Factors of Fashion Photography (33:40)
Driving Factors of Wedding Photography (42:14)
Ways to Combine Fashion and Wedding Photography (53:25)
Tips for Using Fashion Posing in Wedding Photography (57:29)
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/ragoimages/
https://www.instagram.com/ragoimagesweddings/
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari: https://www.amazon.com/Sapiens-Humankind-Yuval-Noah-Harari/dp/0062316095
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari:
You might be thinking to yourself, 'Why would I charge spokesmodels to advertise for me?' The answer is more simple than you might expect!
In episode 554 of the Bokeh Podcast, Leslie Kerrigan joins us to explain the benefits of implementing a senior spokesmodel program for both photographers and clients! Tune in to learn where to start and what mistakes you should avoid while creating a spokesmodel program that fits best for you and your potential clients!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position
Creating a great customer experience (7:05)
Technique for time management (9:54)
Outsourcing/Delegation (11:56)
Book recommendation (15:26)
Favorite piece of gear (18:27)
How did Leslie go about getting to know the expectations of her clients and surpass them? (7:54)
How to get your creativity and inspiration back after burnout (21:33)
What is a Senior Spokesmodel Program? (24:05)
How did Leslie implement the Senior Spokesmodel Program into her business? (24:48)
How do photographers make the transition from pro bono to charging with senior photography? (27:13)
Why the Senior Spokesmodel Program is charged as opposed to pro bono (29:00)
Steps for transitioning from pro bono to charging for senior photography (31:45)
Recommendations on simplifying the process of running a Senior Spokesmodel Program (35:13)
Is there a standard approach to the incentives offered? (38:38)
What are the driving factors for figuring out what seniors want in the program? (40:37)
What are the common mistakes made when implementing a spokesmodel program? (45:54)
Key Idea for Implementing a Senior Spokesmodel Program (49:35)
Links:
https://lesliekerriganphotography.com
https://www.instagram.com/lesliekerriganphoto/
https://www.instagram.com/seniorologie/
The Seniorologie Podcast:
Sometimes one moment of chaos — in this case a muddy dog — can make you realize that your workflow needs to change!
In episode 552 of the Bokeh Podcast, Leah O'Connell explains how to create a simplified workflow that fits you — and it's not as difficult as you would think! Listen in to hear Leah give advice and recommendations on how to create a workflow that works best for your business, and how to notice issues before a complicated workflow turns into complete chaos!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (3:04)
Creating a great customer experience (8:17)
Technique for time management (11:56)
Outsourcing/Delegation (16:46)
Book recommendation (22:40)
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon Sinek
Favorite piece of gear (25:10)
What does Leah think complicates a photographer's workflow, and what is a step someone would take to simplify their workflow (5:55)
What is the most important driving principle for a more focused approach to business and workflow? (27:20)
Why you should start designing your workflow now (31:17)
Recommendations on how to simplify workflow (34:26)
1. Breakdown you process into smaller workflows
2. Find the problems in your business that need to be solved
Principles to Create a Simple and Efficient Workflow in Business (40:23)
1. Think openly when creating your workflow
2. Solve your actual problems in your business
3. Notice when a task in your workflow takes too much time
Why are photographers opposed to change and how can they get better at being flexible (47:05)
How to gauge whether it's time to create efficiency to grow a business or to create time for other parts of life (51:21)
Links:
https://www.charitywater.org
https://lofirefly.com
https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step by Edward de Bono
https://www.amazon.com/Lateral-Thinking-Creativity-Step/dp/0060903252
Do you feel that your brand conveys the appropriate message about who you are and what your business offers to potential customers? If not, maybe it is time to rebrand!
Lisa Aihara joins us for episode 550 of The Bokeh Podcast to share insight into why intentionality in branding is so important, and why your brand isn't simply pretty colors and photos on your website. Listen in to hear the building blocks of brand design, as well as how you can create a balance of infusing your personality into your brand while keeping the practicality of a clear value proposition.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (2:19)
Creating a great customer experience (5:34)
Technique for time management (9:21)
Outsourcing/Delegation (10:51)
Book recommendation (11:35)
https://brenebrown.com/book/the-power-of-vulnerability/
What is a healthy balance between infusing personality and being practical in your branding? (16:48)
Should we combine our personality into our brand position statement or infuse it on our website in other places? (22:05)
4 Building Blocks of Brand Design: (25:30)
1. Logo
2. Colors
3. Fonts
4. Photos
(Plus patterns and illustrations are bonuses)
Why does a logo carry less weight than colors or other building blocks? (26:39)
What is the significance of font in branding? (28:40)
How should photographers approach photos for their website? (30:28)
How to build your color palette (33:13)
Why should photographers narrow down their brand position into keywords to help drive decision-making? (37:05)
Links:
https://www.charitywater.org
https://www.ellettestudio.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ellettestudio
https://www.googlefonts.com
https://www.coolors.co
Free Resources from Lisa:
https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6119e452d42241134b1c0b58
How important is it to have an insurance policy for your business? As long as you take care of your equipment, you're ok without it, right?
Wrong!! Ashley Strickland is here to dispel the misconceptions and share the reasons why it is crucial for all photographers to have a policy to protect not only their equipment but themselves as business owners! Listen in to episode 549 of The Bokeh Podcast to hear both how you can proactively protect yourself and your business as well as the key ideas to keep in mind when shopping for the right insurance policy.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (4:00)
Creating a great customer experience (6:27)
Technique for time management (12:17)
Outsourcing/Delegation (15:28)
Book recommendation (18:39)
Rise of the Youprenuer by Chris Ducker
Favorite piece of gear (20:45)
Nikon 85 1.4 lens
Ashley's background in insurance and risk management (23:37)
The biggest misconception that photographers have about business insurance (25:30)
Key ideas to keep in mind when shopping for insurance for your business (29:10)
1. Be clear about how much risk you want to take
2. Calculate the value of the equipment you own
3. Work with an agent who can shop multiple companies for you vs. going straight to one company
How can photographers mitigate risk (40:00)
1. Pay attention to your surroundings
2. Break up your valuables so that they aren't all in one bag or location
3. Only take clean SD cards with you to new shoots
4. Ensure you have the correct policies to cover all aspects of your business
Links:
https://www.charitywater.org
https://www.ashleynicolephotos.com
https://www.instagram.com/ashleynicolephotosatl
https://www.ashleynicoleeducation.com
https://www.instagram.com/ashleynicoleeducation
Is there actually a strategy behind writing blog posts? Isn't it good enough if I just share information from my recent sessions with some cool keywords and photos?
Claire Lauer of CL Content Marketing is here to dispel myths and provide strategies for writing blogs that will actually help with SEO! Listen in to episode 548 to hear how to set goals for your blogs, strategically use keywords, and appropriately use tagging to not only help Google find your site, but your ideal clients too!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Image Editing for the Professional Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.
Brand position (3:05)
Creating a great customer experience (7:45)
Technique for time management (10:00)
Outsourcing/Delegation (15:21)
Book recommendation (17:58)
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
https://bokehbookshelf.com
What is the significance of blogging in the photography industry? (23:49)
How photographers should approach writing blog content (26:31)
"Create blog content that answers the most frequently asked questions that your customers are searching for."
What is the significance of goals as they relate to your SEO strategy? (29:00)
What is the significance of keywords and the placement of keywords in your content (32:12)
What is meant by tagging your blog content? (36:49)
What are top keywords or tags to use when tagging (41:40)
Links:
https://www.charitywater.org
https://www.clcontentmarketing.com
https://www.instagram.com/clcontentmarketing
https://asana.com/
https://www.keywordseverywhere.com
https://www.semrush.com
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