Tiffinbox

Inspiring Photographers

How To Use Facebook More Efficiently For Your Business

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Facebook is a beast. Right? One month you are getting tons of traffic from it, and the next it's a trickle. I know I've been there right with you. But beyond being frustrated, which is an easy reaction to have, there are some amazing resources to help you use Facebook more efficiently.

I've been paying close attention to Jared Bauman, president and co-founder of ShootDotEdit. While he is of course keen on serving his clients from the company's Facebook account, he is also acutely aware of how his clients are using and seeing results from their Facebook accounts.

With a large sample size – hundreds of photographers – Jared has managed to extrapolate a ton of data about using Facebook more efficiently. And he is eager to share this information with you via a free webinar on October 28th. Sign up right now!

If you are seeing this post after that date, don't worry; you can still watch the webinar after you enter your name and email address. After making a few changes in the content I post and in the way I engage my audience, I've seen some exciting results for this blog. I can only imagine what would happen to your sites if you deploy the suggestions Jared will make during his hour-long webinar.

I caught up with Jared and asked him a few questions about the webinar and what we can expect to learn from him. Give this short interview a listen. If you have any questions for Jared or me, please use the comments section below. We are here to help!

Do you use Facebook? Do you have a business page for your photography business? If you forego your morning latte and spent that money instead on targeting clients who are waiting to hear from you on Facebook, would you do it? What has stopped you from using Facebook advertising? Is it the expense? Or is it the technology? Let us know below!

By the way, ShootDotEdit, is rocking it with their webinars. Check them all out!

How To Get Your Big Break, With The Right Crowd

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Back in the 1960's if you wanted to make it big in the entertainment industry, you needed to get a nod from Ed Sullivan. Most of this generation missed watching The Ed Sullivan Show but it was what launched The Beatles in America.

Yesterday, I was listening to This American Life and Act One was about a comedy duo, Charlie Brill and Mitzi McCall who were going to be on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. As David Segal narrates it, the duo had rehearsed rigorously for their big break on the show. It was an exciting time for them, no doubt. They were going to be superstars. Or, so they thought. Then Mr. Sullivan, after watching their rehearsal, asked them to change their show up. Yes, right there and then. Weeks of planning had started to circle the drain for the couple. They really had no choice. They had to get in there and make the most of it.

If you listen to the show, you'll understand why Ed Sullivan requested a change in their skit. There must have been hundreds of 14 to 16-year old girls in the audience that evening. Ed Sullivan instinctively knew which comedy skits would work and which wouldn't. But Brill and McCall had no concept of their audience.

Why were the teenage girls in the audience? Yes, it was The Beatles they came to see that night. There were five or six other acts in addition to The Beatles but nobody really remembers any of them.

So, what does any of this have to do with photography and perhaps your photography business? Not knowing your audience is going to hurt you. Worse, you are going to be quickly forgotten. If you want to be a hit in your community, figure out who is going to scream their heads off for you and the work you love to produce.

Thankfully, Jamie Swanson of The Modern Tog, shows us how to do just that through her six-week marketing course called Marketog. She will help you define your ideal clients who not only love what you do for them but will gladly pay you for it without making a fuss. When there is a balanced value exchange between you and your clients, everyone wins. Right?

Marketog: Get More Photography Clients That Are Right For You

Enrollment for Marketog closes today, for the last time this year. The next time you will be able to take the course will be sometime next year. Jamie consistently adds content to the course and therefore more value. The fact that this course is being offered for only $79 a month (for 12 months) baffles me. You can also pay the one time payment of $799 and save yourself some money in the long run. Jamie is also offering a 45-day risk free guarantee. You can go through the entire course, do the work and see the results for yourself.

This is what Jamie says – “It doesn’t even matter if you’ve never booked a client in your life, or if you already have some experience under your belt. Because Marketog takes you from step 1 all the way to success.”

Now, can you afford NOT to be in front of the right audience? Is your big break just around the corner, but you are just not prepared for it? With Marketog, you learn the most powerful business skill – attracting the right clients for your photography business. I outline everything Marketog covers here.

Look, I am going to be real with you. If you are making $5000 to $6000 a month in your photography business, you could still learn to do better from enrolling in Marketog. But if you are retooling your business or starting from scratch, Marketog is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Yes, being careful about your spending is a wise move until you simply don't act when a great opportunity like this presents itself. That's what worries me about most photographers. I see their excitement to create photographs, but the thrill simply isn't there with the business side of things. Until you start attracting the right clients for your business, you are in essence a hobbyist. I suspect most of us started at that point, but when it comes time to upgrade equipment or software or pay our mortgage, a hobbyist wage isn't going to cut it. Your photography business is going to need a boost.

Couple of years ago, Marketog gave me that kick in the pants I needed to invigorate my photography businesses. It might help you too.

Remember, enrollment closes today. At least seven of your peers have used the links in this post already to begin their new journey. Will you join them or do you prefer to remain anonymous?

Looking for a sample lesson? Here you go! Also Jamie just released a short PDF on “How To Educate Your Clients On The Value Of Professional Photography.” Click the graphic below to download it for free. Not only do you get a bonus lesson out of it, you get a glimpse of Marketog's quality. Jamie's writing is engaging, lucid and always useful.

Blogging Brilliantly For Your Photography Business

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She doesn't have much of a southern drawl, but Christine Tremoulet is a business coach based in Houston, Texas.

Christine is ideally positioned to teach you about blogging and it's not because she coined the word “WordPress.” She is intimately involved in helping business owners like you make a mark online; with well defined intentions, purpose, clarity and focus. She has been blogging for nearly 15 years now!

Blogging Brilliantly is 30 days of pro advice from blogging & business expert, Christine Tremoulet. Learn what to write, how to write it, and ways to automate your blog for better results. Say hello to more time, more clients, and less stress.

Listen to her talk about her new course, Blogging Brilliantly –

As she says, Blogging Brilliantly, is a course that you can follow along for free or buy for only $27.

This is Christine's promise to you:

“You'll also receive an ebook of the course material, a guide on creating an editorial calendar, and 4 value packed worksheets that will be integral tools in growing your business via blogging.”

Blogging Brilliantly by Christine Tremoulet

If you have ever felt nervous about starting a blog and sustaining a blog over the long haul, sign up for Christine's 30-day course just to see if it is worthwhile. I bet you will dig into it and see results right away. Of course, when you buy the whole bundle at one shot, you don't have to wait the whole 30 days plus you get a whole lot more that will level up your game.

Want to make your mark in the world? Start blogging brilliantly today.

How To Make Your Photography Business Magnetic & Memorable

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As a business owner, marketing to the right clients is top most on my mind. I am sure you are thinking the same thing. Life is too short to be working with the wrong clients. Right?

Angela Pointon is a business coach and author based in Philadelphia. Her articles in Professional Photographer Magazine are the first ones I read because they are timely and useful. Not only does Angela have an MBA, she worked for an agency for a number of years seeing trends and crafting strategies for brands to have sustainable businesses. She knows what she is talking about and as a one-time photographer, I know she has our backs!

I spoke with Angela about her course, Magnetic Business Masterclass. It's one that I enrolled in when she first offered it last year. This next Monday, she will be kicking off another five-week run of the course for a very limited number of photographers who are serious about hand picking their clients and making a mark for themselves in this business.

Listen to Angela talk about Magnetic Business Masterclass. I put her in the hot seat to tell me what makes it special and unique.

If you don't have the time (make the time then) or you you believe in silver bullets to solve your business issues, don't bother signing up for this course. It's going to take some work, but one where Angela is ready to help you through. For those who complete Magnetic Business Masterclass, she is offering a special bonus where she will spend 30 minutes with you brainstorming and finessing your marketing material. I can't tell you what she charges by the hour, but that half-hour is pure gold!

So, tell me, if you decide NOT to sign up for Magnetic Business Masterclass, what would you do to make your business so attractive to the right potential clients that you have to create a waitlist? How do you stand out in your community? Share your tip below!

The Youngrens Will Teach You To Discover Your Ideal Client

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The Youngrens, that's Erin and Jeff, based in San Diego, California are industry leaders, presenters and mentors to many photographers.

You may remember that a few months back, I interviewed them about why it is important for photographers, especially wedding photographers, to blog for their business websites. If you missed their free webinar hosted by ShootDotEdit, you can still check it out here. Just fill in your info and you'll be spirited into the replay section of the ShootDotEdit website.

One more thing, the Youngrens also have a free six-week course on effective blogging. I would jump on that right away! And, they walk their own talk. Check out their blog, too. Any surprise why they are so good at what they do and how incredibly popular they are in their community?

Another Free ShootDotEdit Webinar

On May 20th, the Youngrens are leading another free webinar thanks to ShootDotEdit on finding your ideal client. It's a topic that most photographers avoid until it is almost too late and then have to start from scratch. The Youngrens, suggest working on defining your ideal client first, so that you can begin serving them in a way that is going to make both them and you truly happy.

Imagine not having to take on clients who aren't a good fit? Are you suddenly awash with a sense of relief? I bet you are.

I caught up with Erin & Jeff to chat about this new webinar and why it is so crucial for photographers to identify and work with their ideal photography client. Give this short chat a good listen:

The Photographer's Shop

In addition to dispensing sound advice on blogging and business topics, the Youngrens also have a robust shop for photographers where you can buy contracts, email templates, workflow guides and schedule consulting sessions with Jeff and Erin. Coming this summer to the shop will be a self-guided “Discover Your Ideal Client” resource that the Youngrens are pumped about.

More about the “Discover Your Ideal Client” Guide:

The Youngrens will be launching a downloadable self-guided course in mid-June that will walk you through the steps of discovering and profiling your unique ideal client. With the course, you will walk away with a crystal clear picture of who your dream clients are and how to attract them to your business. To stay in the know about this head on over to their photographer site and make sure you’re signed up for their newsletter.