Marketing Tips for Photographers | The Tog Republic Podcast

It’s not a secret that the first quarter of 2024 has been a bit slower than previous years, and if you don’t have data from your own business to compare, this could be very scary.

However, this is the name of the game; some years will be better than others, and the goal is to keep momentum, even when it's harder to do so.

So in today’s episode, I’m sharing with you 5 things I’m doing to keep my business on everyone’s radar! Constant eyes on my brand means opportunities that I can take to book new clients.

I hope you take these strategies and use them in your own business!

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ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS?

Friend, today’s episode is an interview I did with my fellow podcaster Bobbie Barbarich.

Friend, if you've been a photographer for over 15 years, you've likely heard the name Jon Canlas at least once. If you shoot film, you've definitely heard his name at least twice ;)

I've been a fan of his work since the early stages of my career, and I'm thrilled I had the opportunity to have this chat at this stage of my business!

A conversation that was supposed to be about a business without a website took many turns into other important topics. Although I'm a sucker for structure, I let Jon guide me into a chat that felt heartfelt and vulnerable, filling me with inspiration. I hope this conversation does the same for you!

If you are new to Jon, he’s been a photographer since 1999. He has created a profession around shooting film. Known for his family work both professionally and personally, he also is known for his workshops FILM IS NOT DEAD and the current FILM SCHOOL ROAD TRIP. He resides in Payson, UT with his 6 kids.

You can find more about Jon here:

Today’s episode is a bit different, as I've invited a previous client of mine to share her experience booking a photographer for her engagement session.

I photographed Dilihana and her fiance, David, in December, a few months after her initial inquiry. The reason I wanted to hear her point of view was that after presenting my pricing, she politely mentioned that unfortunately, she was going with another photographer based on her budget.

However, a gut feeling and perceived value made her reevaluate her original decision and book my services instead, despite the price difference.

This candid conversation is filled with valuable insights on what future clients are looking for and the little things that make a difference.

Read Dailihana’s Work:

I published this episode 2 years ago and since we are talking a lot about websites, I'm going to share this with all of you!

I hope in 2024 you focus on your site as a major component of your marketing strategy!

Enjoy this episode!

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ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS?

Friend, the very first impression that prospects get of your business is through your images. Are you showcasing the kind of work that will attract your ideal client?

But here lies the catch-22. How can you attract the clients you want if your work isn't speaking to the right audience?

Allow me to introduce David Abel, an international wedding photographer based in Virginia. He took matters into his own hands with exquisite editorial work that bridged the gap between his portfolio and his dream clients!

In today’s episode, David shares with us how to build your portfolio and curate your images to reach the clients you are most interested in working with.

You can find more about David Abel here:

Happy 2024! Blogging is back in fashion, and I hope this episode provides you with the encouragement and strategies you need to start using this approach as a fundamental tool in your business.

Brianna Parks is an adventure elopement photographer in Northern California, and her website receives over 300 inquiries per year, thanks to Google!

In today's episode, we discuss her blogging approach, what she's done, and the timeline it took her to reach page one for over 10 different keywords!

SEO is a massive topic, and although we did our best to cover the basics, you might need some extra context or information. If that's the case, please visit my Patreon, where I have several tutorials about SEO and its components.

You can find more about Brianna here:

Gratitude plays a significant role in both my life and business, so here are five ways to show gratitude in the Wedding Industry and Grow Your Business!

In this super short episode, but very applicable, I share with you five simple strategies to show gratitude, while getting noticed by your favorite vendors.

ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:

Friend, so it's been several months since the release of ChatGPT and since AI is going nowhere we might as well learn how to use it.

This chat with Corey Potter from Fuel Your Photos is packed with knowledge, dos and don'ts, and general ideas as to how to use ChatGPT as a tool to help you with your writing.

This episode is perfect for photographers who want to blog more often and feel very intimidated not only by writing articles but also by the content creation process.

You can find more about Corey here:

Friend, we all have been there: Overwhelmed, is the reality of running a business, at some point, you will face some things that will overwhelm you, but you need to find a way to reset your nervous system and carry on.

Today’s episode is an honest chat with Aida Glowik a wedding photographer based in Germany. She is also a speaker and host of My Wedding Season - The Podcast! In addition to running two businesses, she’s also renovating her home and taking care of her family.

You can find more about Aida here:

Friend, Meet the incredibly talented Bobbi Barbarich, an award-winning documentary wedding and family photographer known for her unique perspective on traditions and her ability to find magic in the everyday.

In this conversation, we dive into the world of candid photography, the art of documentary coverage, and how to capture your clients authentically. Whether you're a seasoned documentary photographer or looking to add a new dimension to your portfolio, this chat is for you!

You can find more about Bobbi here:

Friend, as a business owner, I find it valuable to assess where my business stands at the beginning of each quarter. But when it comes to the last quarter, I take a deeper dive. I review the data from the previous months, gathering insights from the entire year. This helps me make informed changes and kickstart the new season with a strategic edge.

You might be turning people away by engaging in any of these behaviors with your prospects! In this episode, I share a recent interaction I had with a company I wanted to hire and how their customer service left me feeling confused, annoyed, and sadly turned off by their brand.

Avoid making these mistakes at all costs!

ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:

Blogging is a tedious task. There, I said it. But it's also a strategy that keeps eyes on my brand, brings new clients to my website, and gets vendors excited about working with me.

"'If you build it, they'll come" has to be the biggest lie ever told.

A better phrase is: "If you build it and then promote it, they'll come."

So, in today's episode, I'll share with you my process before, during, and after writing a blog post.

ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:

Friend, this episode is about a recent dining experience at a Michelin Star restaurant and some of the subtle things I noticed that can be applied to your photography business.

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ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:

Hi Friends, this episode has some juicy Q's like how to use a podcast to market your business. Is Pinterest still relevant? How to connect with vendors online. And what to do if you need to start all over in a new city!

This episode was sponsored by one of my favorite tools! Imagen: Personalized Photo Editing Assistant and you can get 1500 free edits with this code: https://imagen-ai.com/?ref=carolinaguzik

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ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:

Friends, for years I posted on Instagram twice a week, but I wanted to challenge myself and also see what kind of impact it would have on my business if I committed to posting weekly.

Although the results of this exercise only apply to my business, the lessons I learned could be beneficial to you! Mostly, I hope that this short episode inspires you to get out of your comfort zone, take a look at your data, and draw your own conclusions.

Let me know what you think, and if you are planning on taking up this challenge for your own account.

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ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:

Friend, today’s episode is an interview I did for my friend and fellow podcaster Daniel Moyer.

In addition to being a fantastic photographer, Daniel is a great podcast host and you can find amazing content on his show.

In this episode, Daniel asked me important questions about Pinterest and how to market your business in the platform.

YOU CAN FIND MORE ABOUT DANIEL HERE:

Friend, meet Pam Kriangkum, a fabulous photographer who after facing some burn out found herself at a crossroads: to continue to photography career, or to let go of what felt comfortable to find a new passion and purpose in life.

After feeling overwhelmed and a bit confused as to what she wanted her career to look like, Pam decided to have 100 coffee business dates to hear about other people’s journeys. What she didn’t know is that she was going to rediscover her purpose by listening to others’ stories.

In this chat, Pam shares with us how did she connect with 100 strangers and the lessons these chats taught her.

You can find more about Pam Kriangkum here:

Friends, it’s been a couple of months since the last time I published an episode, and I’m so happy to break the radio silence with this interview with Michelle Gifford.

If you don’t know Michelle, let me introduce you! She is a Brand Strategist, Business Coach, Podcaster, and highly sought-after Public Speaker. With her signature combination of straight talk and tough love, Michelle teaches Social Media Marketing and Strategy to thousands of followers on Instagram every day.

In today’s episode, we focus on a topic that I have been avoiding for years… Instagram Reels.

You already know that I love actionable content and Michelle shares with us actionable steps we can start implementing today!

This conversation includes why understanding the power of Instagram Reels is crucial in a way to engaging with a brand new audience!

YOU CAN FIND MORE ABOUT MICHELLE HERE:

This is the current existential question of 2023, to get verified or not to get verified…

Friend, I have been writing blog posts for over a decade, and during the majority of this time, the post was poorly written and obviously had a very low impact on my brand.

Friend, we talk a lot about “Social Proof”, but if we flip the coin then we have “Social Doubt”

Social Doubt is what repels people from buying your services, due to uncertainty.

If you take a closer look at your whole brand, you might find aspects that are causing doubt in the mind of your prospects and we don’t want that!

In today’s episode, I cover six parts of your business that you should look into and make sure you don’t have any room for social doubt.

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ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:

Friend, this is the very first time that I post an interview from another podcast.

Friend, talking about money and mindset can be intimidating, but those conversations are a must if you want to move to level up your business.

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with the amazing Kristin Sweeting about how to reach 100k, and what to do next once you achieve this goal.

Kristin is a wedding photographer and business coach based in Nashville, TN. She helps brands and businesses shine through intentional imagery and strategic coaching. Kristin has 12 years of experience photographing weddings and thoughtful brands worldwide and creating scalable systems and supportive communities for creative entrepreneurs wanting to make a big impact.

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Friend, I’m late to this conversation, but it’s absolutely worth having it.

If I hear one more Instagram coach comparing your small business with Rihanna and how she worked for free at the Super Bowl, and how you should work for free too, I’m going to flip a table (Teresa Giudice style)

In this episode, I chat about how you can’t compare your small business with Rihanna and her Super Bowl performance.

Indeed, at some point, you have to pay your dues ( you will choose how you do that)  and you can’t expect to start a business and immediately be successful, but this broken system that expects you to show up, give your best and maybe, if you are lucky, get something that will advance your business in return needs to stop.

Work for free if you want to, after all, this is your business and you are in full control of your choices, just don’t do it because someone told you, your future success depends on it.

Friend, today’s episode is packed with information and key content to succeed at sales.

If you haven’t met Sam Jacobson, let me introduce you. Sam Jacobson is a sales, pricing, and copywriting expert who helps wedding pros book more couples at higher prices. He uses approaches grounded in behavioral economics and elevated by 17 years of working with weddings.

Today’s episode is all about buyers’ persona, how to sell to different people, and how to identify which persona a future client might be.

Friend, by now you know that I’m a Pinterest Evangelist! I love Pinterest and I have seen great results using the platform! But I have also audited and talked with many photographers about their Pinterest accounts and how they use the platform, and why they haven’t seen results yet.

In this episode, I cover the four major mistakes why your Pinterest isn’t delivering results.

My Dm’s are always open for questions. Feel free to get in touch.

Friend, starting a photography business can be hard, it’s a catch-22, to be honest. How can you get clients if you don’t have a portfolio? How can you get a portfolio if you don’t have clients?

Recently I came across a website where 90% of their site was stolen. Their images were taken from other photographers’ websites and so was their copy. This is not only a bad move for them as artists, but the fact that they are selling a product they can replicate to clients will burn their business to the ground.

If you are new to the photography industry, I hope this episode brings some light to this complex issue of plagiarism.

Friend, in today’s chat Eden Strader, explains how you can build a brand that has no competition and what that actually means for your business.

Eden shares with us some business strategies you can implement to make sure your brand stands out, and we also discuss how mindset it’s a crucial part of moving your brand into a place where you are no longer worried about competition.

Eden believes we should be building our dream businesses in order to have our dream lives - not stopping at the business as the final destination.

Eden has two great freebies! Make sure you get them:

Friend, happy 2023!

One of the things that have been crucial to my business growth and success has been tracking my data! I track everything!

From my followers to my website views, to my referrals these numbers guide all my marketing efforts and where I spend time on my business.

Today’s episode is short, but straight to the point. If you have any questions, just join my free Facebook group!

Wishing you a very successful year ahead!

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Friend happy Tuesday! Today I want to share with you three business lessons that we can learn from watching the World Cup. Whether you are a football fan (ahe… soccer is not a real name),  or not, I can guarantee you today’s episode is going to bring you inspiration :)

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Friend, running a business requires work, endurance, stamina, relationships, and a bit of luck! And if you want to make sure your business and headspace will make it in the long run, then you need to get systems in place.

Systems are not the only software that you can install, but also your network and the relationships your build around your business!

In today’s episode, I’m talking about systems and why they are fundamental for your success and well-being.

I like to plan ahead, and I also love structure, so obviously I enjoy a good timeline.

In my opinion, photo timelines for weddings are an incredible tool to help you maximize the time you have been hired for while managing expectations and having enough time to create the body of work that will impress your clients.

There is always room to capture things as they unfold, but I believe that without a plan ( in this case, a timeline) things can get confusing.

In today’s episode, I covered this topic and explain why I believe timelines are essential for your overall success during a wedding day.

You can’t create a timeline without collaborating with the couple, so make sure you listen to this episode where I talk about the client’s questionnaire  

Friend, as photographers we are constantly looking to get on the grace of wedding planners (and you should), but venues are where is at! Venues have more opportunities for business than a single planner, and you can count that couples looking at your favorite venues that are within your budget and aesthetics.

In today’s episode, I had the opportunity to chat with Shannon Tarrant. She is on a mission to help event pros learn a proven system for success. A professional go-getter, she is a highly regarded speaker and coach while running her own business - WeddingVenueMap.com, and launching a new podcast, The Wedding Sassholes.

Listen to today’s episode to get some tips and insights about how to nourish relationships with venues and opportunities to get on their lists.

You can find more about  Shannon Tarrant here:

Friend, if you are a wedding photographer and have needed help you know how stressful can be to find a talented and responsible assistant, second, or even a lead photographer to help you out.

We all have read horror stories on Facebook groups, and it can be a bit nerve-wracking to hire someone you have never worked with.

Let me introduce you ShootWith.Me is a platform that simplifies and streamlines the way photographers find and hire help for their jobs and fills the gaps in their schedules.

In ShootWith.Me you can post jobs and request upcoming jobs, and connect with available photographers and assistants. You can also check out portfolios and read reviews on how photographers have performed in previous assignments.

ShootWith.Me was founded by Nathan Desch. He’s been a wedding photographer in the Philadelphia area for over 15 years and after seeing so he personally knows how important it is to have a talented and reliable team by your side.

You can create an account for free, so check it out and connect with some local talented photographers.

You can find out more about  ShootWith.Me here:

Friend, welcome to another episode! Today we are having a conversation with the talented Alex Eischeid.

Alex Eischeid is a creative portrait photographer, mentor, and instructor. She is passionate about storytelling through self-portraiture and is devoted to helping other photographers develop their own personal and artistic voice.

In this episode, we talk about how to develop concepts into final images. Even though Alex specializes in self-portraits, you can apply the teachings to how you create and collaborate with your clients!

This episode is also packed with information about how self-portraits can be a tool to help you develop your creativity and point of view as a photographer.

Friend, welcome to another episode! Today’s conversation is with the super talented KT Merry about custom proposals.

KT Merry has been a luxury wedding photographer for 15 years. She has photographed the most opulent and beautiful weddings and her clients include several celebrities.

In today’s chat, we are covering the topic of custom proposals and how they can elevate your brand, and put you ahead of the competition.

KT shares with us how she presents proposals to her clients, what to include, what to avoid and how to follow up! The conversation is detailed and packed with actionable steps.

Even if you currently are not in the luxury market, this conversation will give you some insights on how to elevate your brand perception and value in any market.

KT Merry has a couple of offers for you:

Yo sigo por aquí hablando mucho acerca de websites, porque en realidad es una de las herramientas fundamentales para tu negocio!

En este episodio me enfoco en tu página de portafolio y los errores que más a menudo veo! Espero que esta información te ayude a mejorar tu website.

In the famous words of Ice Cube, “you better check yo' self before you wreck yo' self”.

Today’s episode it’s short and to the point: simple advice to keep your sanity during the busy season! That’s it, nothing fancy, not a marketing tip, but a life hack just in case you start to get overwhelmed in the weeks ahead.

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If you’re a wedding photographer, perhaps at some time during your career, fellow vendors have asked you if you can share some images from events with them.

Creating a gallery for vendors after weddings have been one of the easiest marketing strategies I have implemented in my business, as it helps me build a relationship with them, while also exposing my work to their audience.

In today’s episode, I cover the importance of sharing your work with fellow vendors, and how to do it to minimize exposure. I even share an email template with my friends on Patreon, so they can communicate expectations with vendors.

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Friend, to gift or not to gift, that is the question.

This is a hot take on a topic that very often appears on Facebook groups and conversations: “do I need to send my new bookings a gift?”, “What should I send them?”, “Is this ok for a gift?

I have done it all! I have gifted my clients and I have skipped it too,  and it today’s episode I’m sharing with you my experience and some things to consider whether you gift or you don’t

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ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS?

Friend, I keep seeing all over Facebook Groups fellow photographers being stressed about their marketing efforts not delivering results, and when I ask them what specifically are they doing, or not working, their answer tends to be along these lines “I‘ve done it all and I have no clients”

I know it’s really easy to attempt to measure our marketing efforts’ success on the number of clients we book; however, this will add frustration to your life, as there are so many components and smaller goals we need to tackle before we can celebrate a new booking.

Think of this as a recipe for a delicious dish! Yes, the end goal is to eat something yummy, but before you get to do that, you need to accomplish other steps.

In my business, I focus my marketing efforts on 4 different groups, and each place group has a very specific goal!

For example one of my group is Pinterest. The goal of my Pinterest account is to drive qualified traffic to my website. I check my analytics every month to see if my strategy is working. So long as Pinterest is sending quality traffic to my site, then I know my strategy is working.

You see, my Pinterest strategy is not to “get clients”. Getting clients, is the side effect of someone that saw my work on Pinterest, then visits my site, falls in love with my images, and connects with me personally on a discovery call.

So in today’s episode, I cover why being super clear on your marketing goals, and the goals of the tools you use to reach new people are crucial for your success!

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ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS?

Friend, meet the talented Nina Larsen, an elopement photographer based in Boulder, Colorado.

She’s done over 200 weddings and elopements since her start in 2017, is passionate about SEO and content creation and loves helping other photographers with all things marketing and business strategy.

Nina has been a guest on the podcast before, so I recommend you also check out that episode.

Friend, if you are not blogging, you are missing out! Blogging is definitely not dead, and in fact, it is alive and well!

In today’s episode, I chat about why having a yop list of venues to get married in your city is crucial not only for SEO but most importantly to set yourself as an expert and connect with couples even before they realize they need a photographer.

Listen to this episode where I break down the strategy and give you some tips on how to get this post done.

And if you get inspired and write your own post, come share it with us on the Facebook group! See you there!

ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS?