I am almost finished reading “The Brand Called You” by Peter Montoya (with Tim Vandehey), and have enjoyed reading this so much I thought I would share it with you here. This is a must-have book for any photographer (or anyone in business for that matter). There are so many actionable tips that they are too numerous to mention here.

For anyone, like me, who has a hard time trying to figure out how to brand themselves effectively to create a unique place in the marketplace, I can’t recommend this highly enough.

The book is a no-nonsense read of about 270 pages and is great for anyone new to the idea of trying to create a brand.

I’m sure I’ll be reading this one again several times.

Here is a link to the book on Amazon:

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Sales & Marketing book review, branding, education, marketing, studio branding, success

When times are tough, it pays to explore creative, low-cost marketing solutions. One such strategy is using the professional social networking site LinkedIn to build your prospect database, turn cold calls into warm leads, and establish yourself as a subject-matter expert.

Just create a professional profile, send invitations to people you know to connect, request introductions to prospects your friends or colleagues know, and you’re off! And the best part is that you don’t have to spend a dime!

Here’s the low-down on what you need to know:

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Sales & Marketing marketing, professional photographer, search engine optimization

I have read, with great interest, the recent Internet articles regarding “How to make money from photography.” I have also read many excellent pieces of advice given by members of the industry that I have learned to respect and apply during my professional photography career.

The often cited 20% talent and 80% marketing formula for a successful photography business causes me some concern. As a 30+ year professional in the photographic industry, I would dispute these 20/80 percentages, although the accuracy of these numbers is not the reason for this article.

Any “talent versus marketing” percentages assume one basic premise that seems to be very much understated or overlooked in these discussions. Like any venture in life, to be successful, any photographer must first gain a mastery of his/her craft. This is much different from the “talent” referred to in the 20/80 marketing formula.

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Sales & Marketing marketing, professional photographer

Success is in the eye of the beholder… Let’s think about that slightly paraphrased statement for a moment. One of the interesting points I’ve learned in sales is that success breeds more success. People like to do business with those who are already successful, rather than those who are not. This can be very hard for those just starting out, with no proven track record for others to judge them by.

Take a new wedding photographer as an example. Although they’re a competent and skilled photographer, they may not have a wide portfolio of photographs to show prospective clients. How do they get around that? Perhaps by photographing churches, using models to show off bride and groom portraiture, or by assisting another photographer on a wedding and using some of their own images.

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Sales & Marketing branding, marketing