This is Angela Pointon‘s third guest post on Tiffinbox. Read her first post and second post too. Follow her on Twitter and don't forget to scroll all the way down to sign up for a special event with Angela.
Arguably, visual artists are able to see the work of their competitors easier than any other industry in the world. You waltz onto their website and boom. There’s their latest stroke of brilliance.
Do you poke around the competition’s websites from time to time?
If your competitors are making a big impact using their creativity and their own marketing skills, and it’s killing your morale and confidence, I’m here to help.
There are two critical things you’re learning by looking at your competition. You just don’t realize it.
1. Blending In More.
The only thing looking at competitor sites will do is cause you to be MORE LIKE THEM. The world doesn’t want more of them. They want to be able to find unique differences between businesses. The world actually wants you to be more like yourself. Because if you’re more like them, then why should a buyer choose you over them when you’re practically identical? You have untapped talents to offer the world, and we need to start exploring and strengthening those talents.
2. Morale Deprivation.
You are your own biggest critic. Rather than cultivating a defeatist attitude by seeing things they’re doing that you’re not, challenge yourself daily to do something new… something more creative than you did yesterday. It will cause you to be introspective and to grow your own creativity. Most importantly, it will boost your self-confidence because you did it!
Limiting yourself by judging your own success against the competition is stunting your creativity’s future potential. The more you can be yourself, the more you can look at yourself, the more you can challenge yourself… THAT is what will make your business shine.
Register for a rare webinar with Angela Pointon.
Tiffinbox is presenting a rare chance to register for a three-part webinar series. Angela of Steel Toe Images will present A Swift Kick: Three Things Every Photographer Should Know About Business. Space is limited and will sell out. Learn more and register.
Latest posts by Angela Pointon (see all)
- Your Photography Business Doesn’t Need A Path - October 2, 2013
- Striking Balance: Juggling Life & A Photography Business - April 2, 2013
- 5 Books That Have Nothing To Do With Photography, But Completely Changed My Life - March 5, 2013
- Why I Put My Camera Down For 12 Years - February 5, 2013
- Five Steps That Ensures Your Marketing Rocks In 2013 - January 1, 2013
willwohler says
Great thoughts. I try not to even think of the other area photographers as ‘competition’ I am in this for me and yes I might like some of their work but why let competition get in the way of creativity. It’s not worth it.