Ben Hartley leads a wedding photography business at Style and Story Creative and is a business coach and podcaster on his site Six Figure Photography.
Safe to say, Ben knows a thing or two about branding; what works, and, what does not work. To Ben, branding supersedes pricing and even location. You see, Ben and his companies are located in Columbus, Ohio. It's a wonderful city, no doubt, but it isn't what one would consider a mecca for the latest fashion trends or even photography. Yet, Ben and his colleagues at Style and Story Creative have established a very legible mark in the landscape as the top wedding photography company in the area.
While all of that can and should be attributed to hard work, it was also a very strategic branding move on Ben's part to set himself and his company apart from the competition. That in a nutshell what branding is all about.
Branding Mistakes
While it's easy to concern yourself with marketing collateral – logos, business cards, promotional flyers, etc. – branding comes down to how your customers perceive you. In some respect, it is what they say you are that defines your brand, not how you define it for yourself.
Ben and I had a lively discussion on the topic and of course addressed the five common branding mistakes photographers make. Give this interview a listen now:
This is just speculation, but I think within the next ten years the photography industry for the middle to low end photographer is going to collapse. – Ben Hartley
Unpacking Your Branding Mistakes
1) You have a crappy headshot – why is it important to have a fantastic headshot or business portraits, and why it should be the best portrait on your site?
2) Your copy or your words on the website don't reflect who you are and way you use them in your emails or contracts is hurting you
3) You are your own graphic designer – be a photographer first and foremost and leave the graphic designing to a professional please
4) You don't know how to handle client conflict – diffusing issues with clients gracefully and tactfully – is it a win-win at the end?
5) You don't niche down – you are a generalist, a Jack-of-all-trades!
The Free Webinar
If you enjoyed the interview above and want to know more about each of the branding mistakes you could be making, click on the graphic or links below to sign up for the ShootDotEdit hosted FREE webinar that Ben Hartley will be leading on branding mistakes photographers make all the time.
Ben will be leading a free webinar on Wednesday April 6th with ShootDotEdit. The title of the webinar is 5 Branding Mistakes You Know You're Making.
Check out the work Ben and his colleagues at Style and Story Creative have produced for their clients:
Register now for the FREE ShootDotEdit webinar that Ben Hartley will be presenting on April 6, 2016.
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