We are very excited to let you know we have just finished work on a small maintenance release for our blog software. We have added several features you've been asking for! Here's a quick rundown of the changes:
* Support for Your Meta Keywords and Description
* Added Fields for Telephone Extension and Email Address
* Ability to Customize Elements like "Main Site link", and "Links"
* Completely Disable Comments
* And Several Small Interface Improvements
Our goal has always been to make this the easiest software you use. Please take some time to look over these changes and if you have questions, don't hesitate to contact us!
To learn more about Marathon's Blog, click here.
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The new 2009 background designs are below or view all available backgrounds here!
Package Websites are the perfect solution for photographers whose goal is to create an impressive web presence with only a small investment of time and money. Package Websites feature a variety of Flash and HTML designs created with the professional photographer in mind. Simply choose your favorite template, then provide Marathon with your images and text, and your website will be up and running in about two weeks! All development is managed by Marathon’s team of professional web designers, so you can be assured of a great-looking, well-functioning, attention-getting website.
View all 2009 background designs here.
View HTML Package Websites. | View Flash Package Websites.
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With Marathon's Blog added to your website, you'll be able to present your most up-to-date studio news at the push of a button. Share your favorite photographs, announce your recent promotions, or tell a story! It's all about making a connection between you and your favorite people: your clients!
Marathon's Blog has been designed and developed by Marathon's own team of programmers with the needs of the professional photographer in mind. That means you'll receive Marathon's superb technical support rather than having to turn to a third party developer when you need assistance.
Features include:
- Customization through color changes and header updating.
- A much wider aspect ratio to support today's larger/wider screens.
- Security features such as re-Captcha to prevent SPAM posts to your blog.
- Include videos and/or slideshows to posts from embed features found in YouTube.com, Animoto.com, or even Slide.com.
Contact a Websites Account Representative directly at 800/228.0629 or click here to learn more.
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blog
One of the wonderful things about BellaGrafica is that you can take these amazing concepts and customize them for your own needs. Arizona interior design firm, Interiors Remembered, did just that when they combined two products from two diferent collections to create a unique client gift. Using the bag tag from the Lori Nordstrom Collection and the Pyramid Box new to Sandy Puc's Collection for 2009, the firm created a unique presentation for an appreciation gift.
Peggy Norwood, Vice President of Operations for Interiors Remembered, shared thier concept behind the presentation…
"We have a 'business to business' marketing rep that will be taking the pyramid boxes filled with our yummy medium-sized Hershey’s Kiss (that fits perfectly in the box of course!) to all of the contacts she makes as a small 'appreciation gift' for spending just a few minutes of their time to get acquainted with Interiors Remembered, Inc. Our staff will also be giving these out to potential business partners and clients as we encounter them.
"Being in the interior design business…presentation is EVERYTHING. A box is a box. But the perfect ribbon, tissue paper and chocolate (in this case) is a MUST to make people remember you! Our marketing tools make an impression often before any samples of our work are ever seen. They are sophisticated, fun and memorable, all at the same time…hard to toss in the trash…plus the bag tag has all of our pertinent information on it…easy to tack up on a bulletin board to keep us fresh in people’s minds.
"This was our first purchase from Marathon but definitely not our last. We loved the product and working with our account representative made the transaction go seamlessly! We look forward to getting feedback from our contacts!"
So…how are you using your BellaGrafica products?
We're looking for the top three concepts that have taken a BellaGrafica product and adapted it to fit your studio needs. Email your entries to info@marathonpress.com by July 17, 2009 and you could win one of three $100 gift cards!
Marathon is proud to have produced the following for our clients.
Category I
Printed publication of more than 12 pages, 4-color, published at least 3 times per year.
- 1st Place: Peggy & Steven Roosa, Professional Photographers of California, Pro Photo West
Category II
Printed publication of more than 12 pages, 1- or 2-color, published at least 3 times per year.
- 1st Place: Scott Green, Cr.Photog., CPP, Detroit Professional Photographers Association, Detroit Newsletter
- 3rd Place: Ladd Scavnicky, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, Professional Photographers of Ohio, The Contact Sheet
- Hon. Mention: Scott Green, Cr.Photog., CPP, Professional Photographers of Michigan, PPM
Category VII
Web site designed exclusively for a PPA affiliate group or school.
- Hon. Mention (TIE): Scott Green, Cr.Photog., CPP, Professional Photographers of Michigan, www.ppm.org
Now Available on mPrint:
Diane Wilson Theme-Set Promotional Cards
Canadian Photographer Diane Wilson says her Until Dawn Studio "caters to your imagination." Operating from a small space in an Ontario flea market open only on weekends, the popularity of her fantasy portraits of children allowed her to earn as much in two days as many successful photographers do in a week. Diane's flea market studio serves as a valuable marketing tool: Thousands of shoppers pass through the flea market each weekend, so they can view her work and see her working with children.
Diane has partnered with Marathon so that photographers interested in profiting from fantasy portraiture can jumpstart promotional activities by mailing a series of three promotional cards featuring Diane's designs to prospects. Once they attract fantasy portrait clients, photographers can substitute their own portrait images for future mailings. Offered through mPrint, Marathon's economical line of press-printed promotional products, each card measures 5.5 x 8.5 inches and is available in a variety of finishes. The three marketing cards now available portray "Fairy Magic," "Victorian Garden" and "Little Angels."
It’s not likely that anything as mundane as an uncertain economy will get Ed Pedi down. In fact the recession has yet to make a dent in the successful studio portrait business that he and his wife Linda operate in North Andover, Massachusetts. Ed’s practical outlook on business has a lot to do with his success: “Yes, some people are having a hard time,” he acknowledges, “but not everyone is. So do a little more marketing, and you’ll reach more of the people who are doing O.K.” Another of Ed’s key business principles is: “I do whatever it takes to keep my clients happy.” This is an attitude that he comes by quite naturally because his infectious personality and good humor make it obvious to clients that he genuinely loves what he does.
Ed’s enthusiasm and love of photography began at age twelve, when he received a camera as a gift from his parents. He continued making pictures throughout his 25-year career as a government employee, hardly dreaming that it would be possible to enjoy photography as a career. “Everyone thought I would be crazy to give up a government job,” he recalls, but when he began attending photography classes, photographing some weddings on weekends, and finally tearing down a wall between two rooms in his home to create a camera room, his confidence began to build. In 1992, Ed and Linda took a leap of faith by opening a full-time business in their home. It didn’t take him long to discover that his passion was photographing children and families, and that yes . . . he definitely could make a GOOD living from photography. Then in 2005, Linda left her insurance career to join the studio full time.
A Beautiful Studio— Indoors and Out
Today the studio is housed in a spacious addition to the home that doubled its size. Linda and Ed have furnished it to showcase their decorative portraiture and to convey a family-type atmosphere, which helps to give children a sense of security and to impress adults with their professionalism. The versatile camera room allows Ed to photograph expectant mothers, newborns, toddlers, first communions, and high school seniors, in addition to children and families.
One of the studio's most appealing attractions is the beautifully landscaped outdoor area that provides perfect backdrops for photography. The park-like grounds include a gazebo, tree-lined pathways, stone walls, ever-changing flower gardens, and a water pond that has become a popular setting for themed children’s portraits as well as for family portraits. “The more I shoot, the more I landscape,” Ed admits.
The most unusual feature of the grounds is a space that is specially equipped to facilitate portrait sessions. A pullout awning allows Ed to block the light above his subjects, and a studio light provides modeling on faces and helps to balance illumination throughout the scene. Ed manages to achieve infinite variety in the simple setup by creating different arrangements of seasonal potted plants to fit the subjects he is photographing.
Fall portraits are especially popular, so the studio advertises that autumn leaves will be available through October 31. Linda backs up that guarantee by making daily trips to a nearby campus where she rakes up and bags freshly fallen leaves to replenish the covered set. Ed is now in the midst of an upgrade of his prime shooting area: “Grass won’t grow in the shade, so I’m installing a 20 by 20-foot section of field turf that looks like real grass,” he explains. “This will save a lot of time and energy and really look great in portraits.”
Creating Business Systems
The outdoor set is an expression of Ed’s desire to standardize as many of his business systems as possible, so that time is not wasted. This efficiency allows Ed more time to spend with clients . . . time that he uses in making friends with children and understanding the portrait preferences of their parents. He pays particular attention to the little details that impress clients, one of the most charming of which is the sound of piano music that can be heard as clients approach the studio. The music plays through a speaker situated under the studio’s front porch steps, prompting Ed to joke with clients about the “lady under the porch” who plays the piano all day long.
Unlike some photographers, Ed enjoys presiding over projection sales sessions. “It really helps me as a photographer to get feedback from clients,” he says. “And I love to hear people say ‘That’s the look . . . you really captured my child.’ Hearing a statement like this just makes my day!” Ed’s approach to sales is decidedly low-key, but entirely focused on educating clients about the value of portraiture as wall décor and on guiding them in selecting the best images for display. Ed explains: “I remind them how lucky they are to have such a beautiful family, and how appropriate it is to display their family portraits. They really do appreciate this guidance.”
Marketing Success Strategies
By arranging for nine portrait displays in locations throughout the community, Ed has made it easy for local residents to learn about his business. Instead of opting for an expensive mall exhibit, he has sought out displays in local gathering places, such as restaurants, retail stores, and even the local UPS store. His success strategy in obtaining displays is simple and straightforward: “I choose places I frequent, because it’s easier to get to know the owner if you are a regular. When I approach owners to hang my portraits, I keep in mind that they will be asking themselves how they can benefit from this arrangement.” With this in mind, Ed is always prepared to offer his “marketing partners” something of benefit such as free ads in his studio newsletter. Ed rotates the images from time to time because people often tell him they notice when a new portrait goes up. He makes it easy to swap out the pieces by having only one or two on display at each location. “It only takes one portrait to catch their attention,” he says.
Community displays are the first step in Ed’s well-defined marketing strategy, which also includes a tri-fold studio brochure (a take-away item at his display locations,), his studio website, and seasonal direct mail. Ed describes his simple step-by-step marketing strategy: “The display portraits catches the attention of prospects, the brochure drives them to the website, the website encourages them to call, and our direct mail cards let residents know that our outdoor studio is open and asks them to call.” Ed believes that this combination of resources is the reason he often hears new clients say: “I see your work everywhere, I hear you are expensive, but you seem to be the guy to go to.”
lori nordstrom commented on June 30th, 2009
how cute! love how you mixed the two together and came up with something unique to you! really great presentation! :)