Today’s post was inspired by a question posed by one of the members of our LinkedIn Photography Business and Marketing group. The question he raised was “Adding Value – how do you differentiate yourself?“, and I thought my response to this great question would make the basis for a more detailed post here on the blog.

As a professional photographer, you need to know what it is that YOU are doing differently to prove to your clients that you can provide a valuable service that’s worth the price you’re asking. You could also ask yourself what you’re doing that goes over and above the call of duty.

However, the real power of this question is in getting photographers to really think about what motivates their clients to work with them, and what makes them the obvious choice, rather than the photographer next door…

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Photography Business Ideas photography business, professional photographer, professional photography, USP

The work involved in an effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategy can be divided up into about 25% for on-page SEO and 75% for off-page tactics. On-page SEO is the one most photographers concentrate the majority of their efforts on, and refers to all the things under our direct control, such as the keywords, website copy, images etc.

Today’s post looks at a few of the important components of off-page photography SEO, which deals with those factors over which we have less or very little control over, such as external links to our site.

Of course, much of the work involved in SEO for the photographer is still about selecting and using the right keywords, but there’s also another important factor that’s starting to take a firm hold, and which requires serious consideration in our SEO strategies – social commenting and sharing.

Listen in to one of my photography coaching Q&A calls for some great tips on making the most of some useful website SEO strategies…

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Photography Website SEO photography blog, photography seo, photography website, search engine optimization, SEO, social media marketing, website copy

Are you a wedding photographer and find yourself spending a lot of time constantly reworking your price list because you’re just not 100% confident in the pricing of your wedding packages and collections?

If so, then I can totally sympathize with you, and all the other wedding photographers who are in the same boat – I’ve been there myself, having spent countless hours revising and tweaking my own price list in an effort to find that sweet spot that clients would invest in.

Sadly, this is not only a tragic misuse of our valuable time, but it’s also unnecessary, and I decided a long time ago that I would use a system as close to a formula as I could find to rid myself of the nagging headache that came with learning how to book weddings and price wedding photography…

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Photography Business Ideas how to price wedding photography, photography pricing, wedding photography

Are you a wedding photographer wondering how in the world to attract and book more clients willing to pay more than bargain-basement fees? Do you feel a little stuck in the trap of having to charge less than you want to, and can’t see your way out of it?

How to sell wedding photography is all about emotion and telling the right stories. For example, relating the story of this photograph to a potential client can elevate their emotional connection to the image, and help them understand more about the value these photographs will have for them.

What if you started out in your wedding photography business as a part-time photographer, charging lower rates for the sake of exposure or because you were new to the business, but now you want to match your fees with your real worth as a photographer, by serving a more discerning clientele?

How can you sell higher-end wedding photography when it seems that your market has been trained to respond only to low-end prices?

These were the questions posed to me by a photographer I spoke to this week during one of my “ask the photography coach” business breakthrough sessions, and he was kind enough to allow me to share our 45 minutes conversation on the topic with my Zenologue Insiders site members.

Listen in, and download the MP3 of this call for future reference, as we go into detail about how to attract the right clients, educate them on the value of what have to offer, eliminate the idea that price is the most important factor, and how to book weddings…

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Ask The Photography Coach photography business, photography coach, professional photographer, wedding photographer, wedding photography

Our associated LinkedIn group for professional photographers – Photography Business and Marketing – is growing rapidly (currently standing at 3,467 members) and is still very active, so I thought it would be helpful to share a weekly roundup of news and discussions from the group.

The photography business and marketing LinkedIn group continues to grow - come join in!

In the last week, we’ve seen 132 new members and some interesting discussions on the photography business. As always, it’s great to see lots of insightful and passionate comments from other professional photographers…

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LinkedIn Photography Group LinkedIn, photography business and marketing, photography group

A couple of weeks ago, I issued a challenge to professional photographers everywhere to write a post on their blog about a recent photograph they’d created, describing what it means to them, and their telling the story of their passion for photography.

Announcing the winners of our recent "Passion For Photography" blog writing contest...

The Professional Photographer Blog Contest was designed as a test to see how many of you are willing to communicate what it really means to you to be a photographer, pouring your heart and soul into everything you create for your clients.

After reading all the wonderful entries, and making the very hard decision to choose the winners, the results are finally in…

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General photography blog, photography business, professional photographer, professional photography, writing contest

During my “ask the photography coach” Q&A sessions for Zenologue Insider members, a question I hear quite often goes something like this: “As a professional photographer, how can I build up a portfolio of photographs by doing free sessions, without creating the wrong reputation of being a cheap photographer?“

Can You Relate To This?

You’re either just starting out in your photography business or wanting to move into a new niche, but you don’t yet have a portfolio of work to show to prospects…

How can you use free (or discounted) sessions to create a body of work without implanting the idea that you’re a cheap photographer in the minds of your target market?

This is a great question, and shows that the photographer understands the real power of their chosen business model to influence how their target market perceives them and their business.

During a recent call-in day, I was asked this question by a photographer who specializes in real-estate photography, and the answers can be equally applied to almost any specialty.

Here’s a recording of our detailed discussion on this fascinating topic…

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Ask The Photography Coach photographer reputation, photography coach, portfolio building

To most people with a keen interest in photography, being a professional wildlife, nature and landscape photographer sounds like a glamorous business to be in, and there are certainly some amazing photographs to be created, but the same rules of business and marketing still apply if we’re to be successful at it.

Tony Bynum immerses himself fully into his subject of wildlife, nature and landscape photography

One such successful photographer is Tony Bynum, based in the beautiful and breathtaking scenery of Montana. Tony’s amazing images have appeared in countless magazines, and have been used extensively by the Montana office of tourism, and he graciously agreed to talk with me about his work and some of the challenges he faces in running a photography business that sells wildlife, nature and landscape imagery…

A beautiful and classic Montana landscape that has been one of Tony's most successful photographs

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Photography Business Interviews landscape photography, nature photography, photographer interview, photography business, Tony Bynum, wildlife photography

Following the amazing response to last week’s personal business breakthrough coaching sessions, I’ve decided to put my photography coach hat on for a wider audience this week with a FREE open Q&A call – Ask The Photography Coach.

Would you like to ask me your unanswered questions about your photography business, or do you need feedback or advice on a marketing strategy that you’re thinking about putting into action? What about photography SEO? Want to talk about the idea of hiring a photography coach?

How would you like to get your questions answered and benefit from an open discussion of the challenges other photographers are facing in business right now, many of them the very same ones that might be holding you back?

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Photography Business Coaching photography business, photography coach, professional photographer, professional photography

Do you know which mindset you’re using to run your photography business? When it all boils down, there are basically two types of professional photographer, one of which has a greatly improved chance of success in professional photography, compared to the other.

The two business personality types I’m referring to are responsible for many of the success stories in our industry, and almost all of the failures, and they are mutually exclusive in their nature.

No one is immune from either of these two business philosophies, which encapsulate the mental attitude we adopt, and the way we approach the operation of our photography studios.

Understanding how to create inspiring images is not the same as understanding how to create an inspiring business

You might as well face it – you’re either one or the other, and there’s no fence between them upon which to sit in quiet denial. On one side is possible success, on the other likely failure…

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Photography Business Coaching mindset, photography business, photography coach, professional photographer, professional photography

Photography marketing, and especially the idea of branding ourselves as passionate and trusted professional photographers, is something that sits at the very core of what we are. For example, in order for us to communicate anything meaningful about why we’re photographers in the first place, or why anyone should hire us, instead of the photographer down the street, we must first know who we are, and how to relate to the clients we’re meant to serve.

I happened to be thinking about the subject of branding and photography marketing this morning as a topic for today’s article when I serendipitously came across a very interesting and illuminating video interview with Sally Hogshead by Bryan Elliot on Mashable.

After watching the interview, in which Sally talks about the 7 most important personality triggers, I found myself fascinated by the idea of how these triggers might relate to those of us engaged in the business of being creative.

Take a look and share know your thoughts on this fascinating subject…

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Sales & Marketing branding, photography business, photography marketing, professional photography

I’m very passionate about the photography business, and I’m very serious about my mission to help other people learn how to be a professional photographer and find peace in their business. But, sometimes, I come across something that not only teaches me something valuable, but also makes me smile too, so I just had to share this with you today…

Do people ever say things to you that you either wish they hadn’t said, or leave you shaking your head, wondering why?

Well, you’re not the only professional photographer out there asking the question, “what were they thinking!?”

Check out this great video I came across today, that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at this very question…

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How To Be A Professional Photographer becoming a photographer, photography business, professional photographer, professional photography