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
Do you love hearing from other photographers on the the latest topics in our industry? Introducing The Bokeh Morning Show!
In this special series, our host, Nathan, will be jumping on Facebook Live and opening up the phone line to allow guests to call-in for a few minutes of conversation around a specific topic! Guests will contribute their favorite tip to better serve your business!
In this episode, Nathan discusses the impact that COVID-19 is playing in the industry and asks guests to share one tip for utilizing this time at home to their advantage!
The audio from The Bokeh Podcast Morning Show episodes is from our Facebook Live videos. Tune into the next episode live on Friday, March 27th at 9:00AM EST, at facebook.com/bokehpodcast.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait 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.
Special thanks to Haylee Gaffin, Rich Smith, and Andrejka Hirschegger for calling into the show today!
Links
DPReview - Nikon Suspends Repairs - bit.ly/bp-ms1-nikonrepair
DPReview - Canon Closes It's Service Centers in CA - bit.ly/bp-ms1-canonservice
SLRLounge - Canon EOS R6 Rumored Specs - bit.ly/bp-ms1-canoneosr6
TechCrunch - Apple Music Adds Personalized Playlist of Happy Songs to Cheer You Up Plus a Work From Home Mix - bit.ly/bp-ms1-applemusic
SLRLounge - Tips on How to Retool Your Business During the Current Downtime - bit.ly/bp-ms1-retool
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Do you struggle with creating blog content that is valuable for your potential customers?
In episode 355 of the Bokeh Podcast, Elisabeth Kramer joins us to discuss simple steps to approach planning and developing content for your site. Listen in as she shares how to create content that serves your clients, along with how she developed content regarding COVID-19 for her wedding couples.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait 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.
Planner vs. Coordinator (1:21)
Customer Experience: Think about how you want to be served throughout the whole process. (2:42)
Brand Position: Wedding Planner who is tearing down the wedding industrial complex. (9:51)
Technique for Time: Regimen, Routine, and Boundaries (15:57)
Timeline Challenges: It will change, so your timelines need to be flexible and collaborative. (21:19)
Outsourcing/Delegation: I want to delegate, but I don’t know where to start. (25:26)
Coronavirus Resources: (29:29)
Resources for Wedding Vendors and Coronavirus
Things to Read and Things to Do as a Couple Planning a Wedding During Coronavirus
The Wedding With the Surprise Mariachi Band
What the Hell Is Event Insurance and Do I Even Need It?
Book Recommendations: (32:36)
The Pumpkin Plan - bit.ly/bp-pumpkinplan
Profit First - bit.ly/bp-profitfirst
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown - bit.ly/bp-daringgreatly
Creating Content: (50:25)
1. Start with a story you would tell your work friends.
2. Use stories that you’re interested in to connect with your clients.
Writing Articles for Your Audience: Think of your ideal client and what they need in their planning journey. (1:00:51)
photographersedit.com/blog/slowseason
Links
Are you taking care of your clients during the fearful times surrounding COVID-19?
In episode 354 of the Bokeh Podcast, Taylor Ford joins us to share how she has made it a priority to serve her couples who are dealing with rescheduling or postponing their wedding right now. Listen in as she shares her proactive approach to being a pillar of strength for her couples who are being impacted by COVID-19.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait 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.
Customer Experience: Education & Expectations - Guide and show your clients what they need while listening to what they want. (2:55)
Brand Position: Timeless, Genuine, & Fun // The way photos should be. (6:44)
Delegation: (15:25)
House Cleaning
Inspiration: Magazines and Traveling and Cooking (18:35)
Book Recommendations: Big Magic - bit.ly/bp-bigmagic (22:22)
Taylor's Reaction to COVID-19: Stay positive for couples without making them nervous. (29:20)
Three Ways to Serve Your Clients
1. Community - Create a facebook group for your couples.
2. Gifting - Send them a Starbucks gift card.
3. Time - Offering your services that don’t cost you out of pocket.
Links
Jamie Findlay’s Episode - bit.ly/bp-321
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Has your business been impacted by unexpected slower seasons?
In episode 353 of the Bokeh Podcast, David and Whitney Scott join us to open up about their experience in business after the Joplin Tornado Tragedy, along with how the impacts are similar to what they're experiencing with COVID-19. Listen in as they share steps you can take to still serve your clients and community, even when your business slows down.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait 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.
Based in: Northwest Arkansas (2:07)
Client Experience: Present yourself as an equal. (5:17)
Brand Position: Fun, generous, and expensive. (10:55)
Technique for Time: Limiting themselves to 1-2 clients per week. (17:33)
Delegating Your Work: Accounting and Projects (24:00)
Book Recommendations: (32:15)
4 Hour Work Week - bit.ly/bp-4hr
A Real Life by Ferenc Máté - bit.ly/bp-areallife
The Joplin Tornado Tragedy (37:38)
The Importance of Giving Back to the Community (46:55)
When Business Slows Down: (51:00)
1. Look for ways to serve the community at large.
2. Be intentional with your plan as a business to make improvements on your business.
3. Work on the relationships with your clients.
Tip:Support small businesses by purchasing gifts for your clients; this also shows your clients that you’re thinking of them during this time.
Links
instagram.com/whitneyscottphotography
3xm Insiders Facebook Group - facebook.com/groups/121075548461035
Tribe of 5 - tribeof5.com
Amy & Tavis Episode 79 - bit.ly/bp-79
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Over the last year at Bokeh Podcast, we have spent so much time reviewing brand positions, that we thought it was time to offer live brand consultations!
In this special series, we’ll be exploring how to develop brand positions based on principals derived from Donald Miller’s book, Building a Storybrand.
In episode 352 of the Bokeh Podcast, Nathan chats with Paige Daniels to discuss her existing brand position and how to better communicate it with potential customers!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait 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: The unique value prop that our businesses offer to our market.
Benefits of a Clear and Distinct Brand Position:
A. Potential Clients to Immediately Know Your UVP
B. Filters Irrelevant Potentil Clients
C. Simplifies/Focuses Marketing Efforts
D. Encourages Better Time Management
Paige’s Competition (22:42)
Brand Position: Capturing the everyday magic of family life. (28:21)
Nathan’s Recommendation: Move your brand position statement to a more prominent position of your site. (39:01)
Links
instagram.com/sundayvibesphoto
Article Mentioned: bit.ly/bp-mission-position
Anna Anderson’s Episode: bit.ly/bp-345
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Are you interested in testing out Google Ads in your business, but struggle with understanding the platform?
In episode 351 of the Bokeh Podcast, Deirdre Andrews joins us to discuss the basics of getting started with Google Ads! If you're interested in understanding the value, benefits, and campaign structure of Google Ads, then you'll want to listen in!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait 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.
Customer Experience: Care about helping people and driving results for them; they’ll feel your intent. (4:45)
Brand Position: Teaching small business owners how to setup and manage their own Google ad campaigns, focusing on small and local business strategy. (9:52)
Technique for Time: Charge what you’re worth so that you aren’t overwhelmed with trying to find time to complete projects. (13:12)
Finding Inspiration (17:14)
Book Recommendations: (19:48)
Building a Storybrand - bit.ly/bp-storybrand
Profit First - bit.ly/bp-profitfirst
Value in Google Ads: Superpower that other platforms don’t have—intent. (23:28)
SEO and Google Ads (36:09)
1. SEO takes time/effort to rank and you don’t control it.
2. Algorithm updates can hurt your efforts.
3. Ads show up at the top of the page.
Campaign Structure (30:05)
Campaigns
Ad Groups (similar to ad sets)
Ads
Ad Groups: Highlight the keywords and impact the ads that you will run for those keywords. (30:05)
Retargeting with Google Ads: (34:43)
Google Display Network - Reaches 90% of the Internet
Links:
instagram.com/definemarketingblog
facebook.com/definemarketingblog
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Over the last year at Bokeh Podcast, we have spent so much time reviewing brand positions, that we thought it was time to offer live brand consultations!
In this special series, we’ll be exploring how to develop brand positions based on principals derived from Donald Miller’s book, Building a Storybrand.
In episode 350 of the Bokeh Podcast, Nathan chats with Rachel Howard, a photographer in north Alabama, to discuss her existing brand position and potential options to better serve her clients. Listen in to hear Nathan's recommendations on she can best convey who she serves to potential clients on her website.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait 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.
Benefits of Brand Position
1. Clarifies your unique value proposition to potential clients.
2. Filters irrelevant potential clients.
3. Simplifies marketing messaging.
4. Encourages better time management.
Located in: North Alabama (4:19)
Specializes in: Wedding & Couples (4:39)
UVP: Small town local who know everyone.
Why Rachel Got Started: (11:47)
1. Serve a purpose
2. Operate her own calendar
3. Financial Independence
Researching Rachel’s Competition (17:42)
Nathan’s Recommendations:
1. Take advantage of the lack of competition in your local market and focus on SEO for your local area.
2. Connect with your potential clients as a photographer, not a nurse, by taking nurse off your homepage.
New Brand Position: Photographing the raw beauty of weddings in North Alabama.
Links
instagram.com/raw_images_with_rach
Karen’s episode: bit.ly/bp-243
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Are you ready to nail down exactly how you should be charging for your services?
In episode 349 of the Bokeh Podcast, Nathan, Haylee, Heather, and Rich discuss the driving principles you should be considering when establishing your prices. Listen in as they share how they priced themselves when starting out in contrast to how they price themselves now.
The audio from Workflow Wednesday episodes is from our weekly Facebook Live videos. Tune in live on Wednesdays at 2:00PM EST, at facebook.com/photogsedit.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait 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.
Connect:
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Are you intimidated by the amount of work that goes into marketing on Instagram?
In episode 348 of the Bokeh Podcast, Casey Crowe Taylor discusses a few ways to simplify your approach to Instagram marketing in order to make it work for your business! If you're constantly feeling discouraged on Instagram, take a listen to this episode as Casey brings a fresh perspective to the conversation!
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait 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.
Customer Experience Principal: It’s not about you, it’s about them. (1:55)
Brand Position: (4:33)
Personal: Help people see their own unique beauty.
Photography: Real people having fun.
"People buy from you when they feel understood, not when they understand you.” - Dean Graziosi (10:35)
Time Technique: (12:06)
1. Hydrate and meditate first thing in the morning.
2. Take Monday mornings off to do whatever for yourself.
Impact of Outsourcing (18:00)
Inspiration Outside of Photography: (26:57)
Driving with really loud music.
Traveling and shooting on film.
Book Recommendation: Super Attractor by Gabrielle Bernstein - bit.ly/bp-superattractor (31:58)
Why Instagram is a Struggle: (39:17)
1. Photographers have a deep emotional connection to work, but it interferes with their marketing (re: validation).
2. Photographers rely on the internet to tell them what to do when it comes to posting, so they do it, even if it isn’t quality.
How to Get Out of Your Head: Write your caption first, then select the image. (41:32)
Misconceptions About the Algorithm: It’s working against you. (45:08)
"Instead of doing instagram purely as a marketing tool, remember you’re there to connect with other humans.” (47:12)
3 Things Your Should Stop doing on IG: (48:00)
1. Stop spontaneous posting and schedule it out.
2. Stop using the same 30 hashtags on every single photo.
3. Stop describing what is already visible, because you’re duplicating content they’re already seeing. Start adding CTAs to your posts.
Grab Casey’s IG Prompt Freebie: bit.ly/bp-caseyigcal
Watch Casey’s IGTV on Instagram Mistakes: instagram.com/tv/B4ffuv_hCgw
Watch Casey’s IGTV on Instagram Engagement: instagram.com/tv/B7WEhkZlcZp
Building Community on IG: (57:42)
1. Comment back on every comment.
2. Every time you get a new follower, go like and comment on their feed. Block spam accounts. Send video/audio DMs to accounts that engage with you.
Links:
UK Your Pe
Is your website showing up in online searches for your services?
In episode 347 of the Bokeh Podcast, Victoria Rayburn shares her strategy for utilizing long-tail keywords to increase your results for strong search rankings. Listen in as she shares the top tools you should be using to improve the search engine optimization on your website.
The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait 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: Giving couples wedding photos that will help them remember their vows and why they chose their spouse. // Wedding photos for joy-filled couples who can’t wait to be married. (3:44)
Advice for Photographers: Don’t let your work come before your relationships. (9:17)
Outsourcing: (13:08)
Editing
Kiss Books
Web Design
Recipe for Deciding to Outsource: (18:23)
Calculate the COB and determine how much you want to pay yourself.
Look at what is left over, and see what would be feasible.
Develop Systems and Automations (20:03)
Book Recommendations: Superfans by Pat Flynn - bit.ly/bp-superfans (23:40)
The Gear Bag: Deodorant (26:06)
Background in SEO (28:00)
First Website’s Biggest Weakness: Speed (30:43)
Tools for SEO:
Google Search Console: search.google.com/search-console
Blog Stomp: stompsoftware.com/blogstomp
WP Smush It: wordpress.org/plugins/wp-smushit
Imagify: wordpress.org/plugins/imagify
Google Pagespeed Insights: developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights
Google Keywords Tool: ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner
The Keyword Tool: keywordtool.io
SEO Yoast: yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo
Keywords: Ideas and topics that define what your content is about. (36:10)
Head Keywords:
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