The Link Between Image Marketing and “Want Photography”
Portrait/wedding photography can be broken into two categories: Need Photography and Want Photography.
Need Photography products refer to those that satisfy the requirements of lifestyle situations such as weddings, graduations, and even school activities and sports. You need a wedding photographer in order to document and relive the grand occasion; and you need to purchase pictures of your child’s team so that he or she is not the only child left out when the picture-day photos arrive.
Want Photography comprises those types and styles of photography that budget-minded consumers might consider to be luxury products. Even though photographers might argue that all families need to have pictures of their children and of the family itself, these needs can be fulfilled by mass-market studios and low-price school picture packages. For families to be persuaded to pay much more for portraits of their family and children requires more intensive marketing—marketing that presents a compelling message about why they should give you their business. This is the mission of image marketing. While action marketing can be very effective in promoting need photography, industry experience shows that it takes much more image-building promotion to be successful in creating a demand for want-photography products.
Categorized In:
quick marketing tips
Product Branding Versus Call-To-Action Marketing
Small businesses shoulder a very heavy marketing burden. Because independent studios lack the resources of large companies that spend millions polishing their image and promoting their brand, photographers historically have tended to spend most of the promotional time and money on action marketing that is designed to create short-term profits rather than build a long-term brand. Increasingly, however, financially successful photographers are demonstrating the value of both “image marketing” and “action marketing.”
Image Marketing is designed to promote the value of your photography. Often referred to as institutional advertising or product branding, image marketing tells the world that your products and services are the very best and why, specifying what is unique about your business. Although you do not say these exact words, the implication is: If money were no object, all consumers would buy from you.
Action Marketing is designed to stimulate business, usually during a specific time frame. Industry experience shows that action marketing is most effective prior to gift-giving occasions, especially Christmas and Hanukkah. Action marketing also can be effective during times of seasonal change (such as spring and fall) or for limited-time events that feature a specific product and/or involve special offers. Action marketing typically involves campaigns.
Smart marketers recognize a link between image marketing and action marketing: Studios that excel at image marketing enjoy better action-marketing results than those that stick to action marketing alone. Why? Image marketing builds brand identity and helps to create a demand in the marketplace; this brand equity carries over to action-marketing activities, typically increasing their profitability.
Categorized In:
quick marketing tips
Introducing the most powerful video creation tool available… Animoto.
Special Offer:
Signup for an annual subscription and receive 2 additional free months or signup for 90 days and receive 1 month free.
Enter promo code MPannual for the $249 annual subscription or promo code MPtrial to redeem your 90-day Animoto Pro subscription for $99. If you are not completely satisfied with Animoto Pro, there is a 10-day risk-free money back guarantee.
Already using Animoto Pro? You can still redeem the promotional code to add additional time to your existing Animoto Pro account.
Animoto for Photography is loaded with features designed to support the unique needs of businesses. In addition to Animoto's regular features, your account will be equipped with the following:
White label
Remove all Animoto branding from your video when you sign up with Animoto Pro.
Unlimited DVD-quality videos
Create, download and burn as many DVD-quality videos as you like. Give to clients as gifts or resell them for profit.
Call-to-action button
Add a custom call-to-action button at the end of your videos. This optional feature turns an Animoto video from a passive viewing experience into an active marketing tool for lead generation. For example, create a button to "inquire about rates" that links to your appointments page, or "learn more" that links to your website.
Note: the "Call to Action" button works only with the Animoto embed code. It won't appear in downloaded videos, and won't link to your site if you export a video to YouTube.
Commercially licensed music library
500+ free-to-use songs licensed for commercial use. Animoto did all the heavy lifting for you.
Speed control
In addition to Animoto's recommended speed, derived from the tempo of the selected song, you can choose half and double speeds. Half speed is ideal for displaying each image longer within your videos, while double speed can heighten the action in a more stylized video composition.
Limitless uses
With Animoto's service, you are provided with the tools to place your videos online with ease.
Along with their social media support for posting videos on Facebook or MySpace, you can also share your videos on a Marathon-hosted blog! Don't yet have a blog with Marathon? Take a look at its features now by clicking here, or call a Marathon Websites & Services Representative today!
Enter promo code MPannual for the $249 annual subscription or promo code MPtrial to redeem your 90-day Animoto Pro subscription for $99.
To sign-up, visit Animoto now.
Categorized In:
internet
|
promotions
| |
| |
|
Free Imaging EXPO Pass! You’re invited to join us—VIP-style—at Imaging USA’s Imaging EXPO, the largest photographic tradeshow in North America with 600+ booths. Part of Imaging USA, the first major industry event of the year, Imaging EXPO gives you a first look at our special tradeshow deals and all the latest inspiration (including admission to the International Print Exhibit, the world’s largest display of award-winning images from around the world).
Use your FREE Imaging EXPO Pass to join us at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee (January 10-12, 2010).
Redeem your VIP Expo Pass online
Imaging Expo hours
January 11: 12:00pm – 5:30pm
January 12: 12:00pm – 5:30pm
January 13: 9:30am – 2:00pm
International Print Exhibit hours
January 11: 9:00am – 4:30pm
January 12: 11:00am – 4:30pm
January 13: 9:30am – 1:30pm
Visit www.ImagingUSA.org for complete convention and Imaging EXPO information.
|
 |
|
|
| |
|
|
Categorized In:
holiday
Please join 28 industry leading photographers for The Joy to the World FREE Marketing Websummit on December 28, 2009. They'll each share their best money-making ideas for your business in the new year. From promotional ideas, to earning a larger investment from each wedding client, workflow improvements and more, you'll learn so much in these 14 FREE hours to substantially grow your business in 2010. At the same time, we'll be helping fund smiles for children in need of cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries through PPA Charities.
Over 10,000 professional photographers registered for the Free Marketing Telesummit in September. You raved about how much you learned so why not do it again to help you get off to a strong start in the New Year...and make it BIGGER and BETTER! This time, you can learn from David Jay, Sam Puc, Julia Woods, Jerry Ghionis, Scott Crosby, Will Crockett and more! The Joy to the World Websummit promises to provide you with serious money making ideas for your business.
All you need is a computer with an Internet connection on December 28 (and the latest version of Adobe Flash - it's free, too). The Websummit will be available for 24 hours beginning at 12:01 CST on December 28. Listen to only those speakers you like best or watch all 28. You can start, stop and pause each speakers' presentation to learn at your leisure within the 24 hour window. Simply REGISTER NOW for FREE!
If you're not available on December 28, 2009 or want to get a head start on 2010 planning for your business, you can purchase the Adobe FLASH files of all 14 hours for $89 and receive access to the speaker presentations IMMEDIATELY. A pre-websummit special price of $59 is available until December 27. Just register before December 28, 2009, and you'll receive this special offer!
Recognizing the 5 Steps to Making a Sale
While marketing is not selling as such, sales and marketing greatly affect one another: Marketing creates the conditions under which sales can be made. This relationship is best explained in the diagram shown on the next page. It illustrates how prospective clients must move through a step-by-step process that leads to the ultimate sale and beyond to client loyalty. This process is profoundly affected by the success of your marketing.
Step One—Awareness: Clients will deal with you only if they know you exist—if they become “aware” of you. In order to achieve awareness, then, your marketing must spell out as clearly as possible and without any confusion who you are and what you do.
Step Two—Comprehension: Prospective clients also must “comprehend” what you do. If you advertise that you make the finest Giclée prints in town, you probably won’t sell many portraits to those who don’t comprehend what a Giclée print is all about. So your marketing effort must convey a message that is easy to comprehend, such as: “This is a photography studio that does romantic wedding photography, and they are located in the next town over.”
Step Three—Conviction: This is a critical step in “convincing” prospects to use your services. They will experience conviction only if they believe that what you offer might have some relevance for them. Conviction is built in many ways, including word-of-mouth-advertising. Clients who receive top-notch products and services from your studio will tell their friends about you. This facilitates conviction better than any advertisement can. So don’t overlook the power of testimonials, whether they are delivered in person or presented as part of your marketing.
Step Four—Trial: Once conviction is established, your next task is to induce prospective clients to “try” your services. Trial is greatly facilitated by an appealing offer or compelling marketing message, coupled with a “risk reducer” (such as a satisfaction guarantee) and a “payment facilitator” (such as a payment plan or acceptance of credit cards).
Step Five—Loyalty: The trial stage allows the photographer to do what he or she does best. When all goes well—when the product, the pricing, the promotion, and the place meet or exceed the expectations of the client—then it is possible for that client to develop loyalty: the ultimate achievement in the client-studio relationship.
Categorized In:
quick marketing tips
Laurie Hansen commented on January 4th, 2010
Will I be charged now, or when my current subscriptiion runs out? Thank you, Laurie