Launch strategies aren’t just for educators, and it’s something that I wish I had learned sooner in my photography business. This week on the podcast, I’m diving into the must-know launch strategies that can take your photography business to the next level. We’ll talk about creating intentional content and automating your processes to make everything run smoother. I’m super excited to have Dolly DeLong, a family photographer and systems educator for creatives, with me to share her top tips.
Keep scrolling for links to the episode, show notes, and a full transcript.
Show Notes
Dolly DeLong: http://www.dollydelongphotography.com/podcast
Free Launch Resource from Dolly DeLong: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/the-launch-bundle-kajabi
The Systems + Workflow Magic Bundle: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/the-systems-and-workflow-magic-bundle-seo-waitlist
Template Shop: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop
Save 50% on Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/LIBPSANDRA
Takeaways
- Launch strategies can be applied to various types of businesses, including photography
- Promoting yourself and staying top of mind with clients is essential for success
- Email marketing is a powerful tool for nurturing relationships and generating leads
- Planning and strategizing for launches can streamline the process and increase success
- Understanding your ideal client and catering your marketing to their needs is crucial
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Misconceptions about Launch Strategies
06:18 How Launch Strategies Differ for Photographers
10:49 Streamlining Launch Processes for Photographers
18:10 Planning and Strategizing for Launches
25:38 Automating Launch Processes and Lead Generation
35:28 Promoting Yourself and Staying Top of Mind
39:04 Conclusion and Next Week’s Episode
About Dolly
Dolly DeLong is a wife, mom, believer and a photographer turned systems educator for creatives. She loves teaching other creative business owners about the power of systems, workflows and sops to better impact the backend of their business so that the front end of their business feels streamlined (and magical).
What do your taco choices reveal about your wedding photography business? Take my quiz to find out!
Other Episodes You’ll Love
054 How Brand Photos Help You Stand Out In An Oversaturated Market with Angie McPherson
Experience the Difference of Long-Term Marketing with Kara Duncan
042 Next Level Email Marketing Strategies with Candice Coppola
TRANSCRIPT
00:00 Introduction and Misconceptions about Launch Strategies
[00:00:00] Sandra Henderson: Before I started my business working as a system strategist, I truly thought that launch strategies just didn’t apply to me.
[00:00:07] Every example I saw when it came to launching had something to do with educators and coaches. And so as a photographer, I just felt like it had no application for my business. But once I started learning more about how to actually launch things like this podcast and my group coaching program, I realized how incredibly wrong I was.
[00:00:26] Not only do I do several launches a year with my mini sessions, but these strategies can really be applied to things like the start of booking season for weddings or doing print sales or anything like that in your business. Launch strategies have actually helped me increase my mini session bookings by 30%.
[00:00:44] So when I was brainstorming about this episode, there was just one person who came to mind and that was Dolly DeLong.
[00:00:50] Dolly DeLong is a photographer turned systems educator for creatives. Love to see it. She loves teaching other creative business owners about the power of systems, workflows, and SOPs to better impact the backend of their businesses so that the front end of their business feels streamlined and magical.
[00:01:08] During our interview, Dolly and I talked about the importance of email marketing, how photographers can promote themselves in a way that keeps them top of mind with their clients and how being intentional with your content will be a game changer for your next launch.
[00:01:23] Welcome to keeping it candid. I’m your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach. I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the backend of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way. On a more personal note, I’m a strong enneagram three wing two who’s obsessed with tacos and my love for travelling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems workflows and beating burnout as a business owner.
[00:01:53] Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like working as a wedding photographer, where I’ll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends. So go grab your favorite notebook and pen and let’s dive into this week’s episode
[00:02:13] Dolly, I am so, so excited to talk more with you today, but before we dive into all of the goodness that I know we have waiting for us, I want to give you the floor for a quick second. If you want to just introduce yourself and let everybody know a little bit about what you’re all about.
[00:02:26] Dolly DeLong: Definitely. First of all, Sandra, thank you so much for having me on your podcast. I’m very honoured you reached out. My name is Dolly DeLong. I am a Nashville-based family photographer and I also am a systems and workflow educator for other business owners. So what that means is I love teaching other small business owners, the importance of setting up systems.
[00:02:51] Workflows and SOPs to better run the back end of their business so that they feel more streamlined and confident running the front end of the business. So that is a little bit about me on the business side. And other than that personal life, I am a wife and I am a boy mom to two wild boys. And, yeah, I’m based in Nashville, Tennessee.
[00:03:15] Sandra: I love that. I am all about systems and workflows and SOPs. So you’re totally singing my language with all of that. My stepson is actually at his mom’s house right now but he’s 16. So he’s very self-sufficient. I did actually have a coaching call with my business coach yesterday. It was like two hours long.
[00:03:31] And I said to my stepson, like, this is a meeting that you can interrupt. So anything that you need, just come and get me. Yeah. But of course, he comes in like the only time during the whole call that I’m talking. There was a good hour and a half. Where I wasn’t speaking and I was just hanging out, listening to everybody else.
[00:03:46] But then they’ll like, when it’s finally my turn, it’s like all of a sudden he needs something.
[00:03:49] Dolly: I can’t imagine my son being a teenager. I cannot fathom it. I have nephews who are teenagers and they are like, well, to me, they’re very sweet. I’m sure my, my sister-in-law, as they have like, you know, a different mother-son relationship, but.
[00:04:06] I cannot imagine having a 16-year-old that just blows my mind.
[00:04:10] Sandra: It’s, it’s definitely hard to wrap my mind around some days, especially because I actually started dating his dad when he was only four months old. So I’ve been there watching him grow up the whole time. But I will say now, mind you, maybe I just remembered my teenage years, which were not the greatest of years, but like my stepson is such an easy teenager.
[00:04:29] And I worry that I’m going to jinx it but I don’t know. I’m just sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop because of course he has attitude and things like that. But yeah, that’s human. I feel like there’s, there’s just a different approach to it now with how we recognize mental health and support our kids and things like that, that I don’t see a lot of the behaviours in him that I recognize from like myself and my friends when we were teenagers.
[00:04:53] So that has been really nice. We actually really enjoy having him around. So I hope that that rings true for you too.
[00:04:59] Dolly: Yeah. No, I’ve heard it like so many people with teenagers or who have Kids who are older now, like adult children, they, they always are reminding me like just, and let them know that you enjoy being around them, even when they’re little turds, that’s like the best way, the cleanest way of saying that they need to know, they are loved even when they are just being little, little rats, like they need to know they’re still lovable. So I am always thinking about that, like, okay, he just needs to know, both my sons need to know they’re so lovable even when, Oh, they are grading my innermost being right now, but I still need to let them know that they’re loved.
[00:05:41] Sandra: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, unfortunately, the, like, grating on the last nerve doesn’t go away, but I wonder, I should call up my parents and be like, so am I still doing that to you at 37? Like, is this ever going to go away?
[00:05:54] Dolly: It never goes away, but I just like, love them so much.
[00:05:57] Sandra: It’s so true. Well, I am so excited to dive into all the things about systems and specifically launching.
[00:06:05] I wanted to talk about how launching you think differs for photographers versus educators. Because I know before I got into the education space, I would see people talking about launching and I didn’t think that it applied to me.
06:18 How Launch Strategies Differ for Photographers
[00:06:18] But then as I got into the education space and started working with launch strategies more, I realized that I’ve been launching my mini sessions several times a year, but I just had no strategy behind it. So I would love to hear your take on how launch strategies differ for photographers who are not in the education space.
[00:06:37] Dolly: Yeah, so I have a really hot take about launching and I’m sure it’s not really controversial, but I’m just setting it up to be a hot take. It’s this, I believe that launching is, is essentially promoting yourself. Like. All the time in some way, selling yourself and promoting yourself. And regardless, if you are a service-based business owner, or if you are like have online courses, or if you have a group program, it doesn’t matter.
[00:07:05] You have to promote yourself. You have to sell your services in order to run your business. And so that’s how I look at launching, just promoting myself. It has helped that I am both a service-based business center with photography and then I also am an online educator with systems and workflows.
[00:07:27] So that’s kind of like helped me. Kind of like bridge that definition for me. I am essentially promoting myself in different ways. Yes. It looks so different as a service provider versus an online, online educator, but essentially the foundations are the same. It’s knowing how to sell yourself and knowing how to promote yourself at different phases, if that makes sense.
[00:07:53] Sandra: Oh, yeah, absolutely. I know my like when I say I had no strategy for my mini sessions, I was the like post it once and then we’re done kind of person. And for some, some years it worked. Some years it was an absolute disaster. I’m glad that I’m not doing that anymore. But yeah, that definitely makes so much sense and just how important it is to keep talking about ourselves and keep promoting ourselves.
[00:08:18] I don’t remember if it was with my business coach, or if I read it online or wherever it was, but there was this conversation that I was having last year about how we are the only ones who get tired of talking about our businesses because we are the ones who are talking about it all the time. But.
[00:08:32] Everybody’s not hearing it all the time. And so that was definitely like a mental hurdle that I had to get over.
[00:08:38] Dolly: I like to piggyback on that, of what you just said, Sandra, I was at a conference a couple of weeks ago. It was the creative educator conference led by Laila Ahmadi and she had invited a guest speaker, Ashlyn Carter, who is a copywriter for creatives.
[00:08:55] And Ashlyn was specifically talking about the power of launching. And so she. Said this quote that I’m never gonna forget as long as I’m an online Educator, it was like when you feel like you’re screaming about your offer over and over and over again You, in reality, are barely whispering to your audience. They are barely hearing a slice of what you are trying to promote and so that’s kind of like your permission slip to just like to keep on pushing yourself and to keep on promoting yourself because what you perceive as like, well, I’m just being annoying.
[00:09:34] I am like being redundant. I am just talking about this too much. Like. No, keep on promoting yourself. Like you can do it in different ways to where it’s not, it does. It’s not icky, but you still need to talk about yourself because of what you perceive as yelling. It’s really coming across as barely a whisper online.
[00:09:57] Sandra: Oh, that’s such a good analogy. I loved how you were just talking about how it can feel redundant and like we’re saying the same thing over and over again. That was one thing that brought a lot of clarity to me and kind of figuring out my footing in creating a launch strategy was just finding different ways to say the same thing.
[00:10:16] And so I felt like, you know, I, in my lack of strategy, when I would post it once and forget it, and I was trying to build off of that, it was like, well, how many different ways, or how many times can I say spring minis are now booking or don’t forget to book your session. And it just felt really dry. It felt really like not engaging in any way.
[00:10:35] And so finding different ways to send that message out but keep it fresh brought like a new excitement to it for me so that I didn’t feel like I was like you were saying like screaming a whisper of just the same thing over and over again.
10:49 Streamlining Launch Processes for Photographers
[00:10:49] So, what are some ways that photographers can streamline things during their next launch, whether that be for mini sessions or, you know, a wedding sale or anything that they’re going to be launching this year?
[00:11:00] Dolly: So I am going to try to encourage both the photographer who’s listening in, who might be in year one of their business. And then also a lot of what I’m saying is speaking directly to the photographer who might be in the messy middle. So like years three to five, they are figuring things out very slowly.
[00:11:22] And they have a little bit more figured out than what they had in year one. So if you’re in year one, just like keep on putting your foot forward, and try to see what’s working best for you. Because really like by the time year two, year three rolls around, you should have a cadence with understanding when your high season is and when your low season is, like you should have a really good understanding of when, like those fall minis are going to traditionally book out or spring minis are traditionally going to book out.
[00:11:53] And the reason why I bring this up is that once you get that basic understanding of like, okay, I know for a fact that based off of my last two years or three years of being a photographer, I traditionally tend to sell out of my minis around April and then in, I’m just throwing out examples and then in October and November.
[00:12:15] Okay. So I would say take that information. That is like literal data for you. And then I want you as a photographer to put on your strategist hat. You might just be like, no, I’m a creative. I don’t want to be a marketing strategist. And, but you are like, you are most likely running the show on your own.
[00:12:36] So I’m encouraging you to put on a strategist hat and marketing hat and work backwards. So let’s say you are planning some spring minis and you know that there is this Gorgeous floral field in your district. And like, you always sell out, like, but you’re already stressing out about, Oh, what if I don’t sell out?
[00:12:58] Or what if like this happens? Like those insecurities are coming up and you don’t have to be insecure about it. If you know, like, based on the data from the last two or three years, you can have a system and streamline this.
[00:13:13] So you look at when you ideally want those mini sessions to happen, then work backwards. I would say eight, like if, if that’s too much for you, maybe six weeks backwards.
[00:13:28] So let’s say. April 27th, and so starting March the 2nd is 8 weeks from April 27th, then I want you to be very intentional about the type of content that you are going to create to start bringing awareness to your mini sessions. Does this mean that you, in every piece of content, you’re going to hard sell your mini sessions?
[00:13:51] No. But, you can take, like, your two years’ worth of photography content that you’ve created traditionally around that setting. And you can create different pieces of content leading up to the mini session date. That’s like eight weeks of content. And for me, like, this is exciting. And for a listener who is like, this is stressful.
[00:14:14] I don’t want to do that. Like, hear me out, hear me out. You have to start planting seeds in people’s brains and minds early on. Because just because you post about it. Once that doesn’t guarantee everybody’s going to see it. And most likely the algorithm, like we all talk about the algorithm, but most likely your viewers won’t see it.
[00:14:37] So you really have to be intentional about sprinkling and reminders leading up to that April 27th date. How do you do that? Like you were saying, Sandra, you talk about different facets and different factors of the mini sessions. So you don’t have to say the same thing all the time. But you can, like, get people interested, and excited about working with you.
[00:15:00] Okay, so one way to streamline it is to work backwards, to plan ahead and work backwards and be intentional. A second way to streamline it is if for sure you know you want to set up Mini session dates on April 27th. I would say plan ahead then and just do everything on the backend in your CRM tool, like HoneyBook or Dubsado or 17 hats, whatever CRM tool you use, like make sure you have all of those puzzle pieces put together in order for a streamlined mini session booking to happen. So if a person does, let’s say you start announcing it on March 2nd, they’re like, Oh, I want to book it right now.
[00:15:41] You can send them the link. So that is one way to streamline, just like, so you don’t have to go back and forth with potential clients. So make sure you have that set up right off the bat. A third thing that you can really be intentional about to streamline your success, is by maybe carving out once or twice a week.
[00:16:02] Like being. Very forward-facing with your marketing and messaging and help cast a vision, like, let’s say on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and on Thursdays at 10 a.m., that’s when you’re either going to go live on Instagram or you’re going to do something that That, you know, where your audience is and you can then start like creating content pieces about, okay, like I’m going to talk about why I would book a mini session over a full session if you have children and then another day you can talk about like how to prepare for a mini session.
[00:16:41] You can create different forward-facing content to get people excited about booking those mini sessions with you.
[00:16:48] Sandra: Those are such great examples. And as you were talking, I was thinking about how often we see things like that in the wedding photography industry, where people are creating reels with like, you know, this is what you do want to do with your wedding.
[00:17:00] This is what you don’t want to do with your wedding. We can really do it the same way across the board with any kind of portrait. And I definitely, Don’t see it as much in the family photography industry. So I’m so glad you brought that up.
[00:17:11] Dolly: Yeah, it’s really good too, I’m a family photographer, but what wedding photographers really good wedding photographers do really well, I’ve noticed is like, they are really good about talking to their potential couples.
[00:17:25] 6, 9, 12 months down the line, like, because if you think about it, like, it’s not like somebody’s going to book your services and then next week you’re going to do their wedding, like, no, like you are most likely if you’re Like, again, really good at casting that vision as a wedding photographer, you are going to be booking clients like nine months, 12 months, sometimes even like a year and a half ahead of time, because you are presenting like this vision to them early on, as soon as they get like either they’re planning on getting engaged, they’re already engaged, and then you’re helping them cast that vision.
[00:18:04] So as a family photographer, you can do the same thing. Maybe at a little smaller scale, like obviously somebody’s not going to book you for a year and a half down the line for family portraits. That’s very rare unless you’re a travelling family photographer going international, but we’re talking smaller scale here.
18:10 Planning and Strategizing for Launches
[00:18:25] So I want you to like, if this is an April mini session and you are sitting in February, start thinking through like. What is happening in April that a lot of families are like really heavily involved in like I can tell you like normally This is like a month of Easter sometimes even like depending upon where you live in the country spring break Mother’s Day is coming up.
[00:18:53] So you need to start like Looking ahead in your marketing and see, okay, like what can I start talking about right now so that my families can start planning for the next two, three months, because I’ll tell you this as a mom, it’s not helpful for me to only like plan on a day by day basis.
[00:19:13] I have to really like look ahead. And my husband’s way better at this than I am. And like, I’m sure some families are like, what? Like what? Your husband’s better at this than you are. Like, yes I have to give credit where credit is due. My husband has helped me out a lot in this, as far as being more intentional with our family goes, but we are already thinking ahead of like what we need to do as a family in June, July, and August.
[00:19:37] Like, and we have like the things that we’re doing now, it was decided like. November and December. Oh, like, these are things we have to keep in mind for February, March, and April. So, put that, if you are working with families, you have to like, put on the thinking cap, the strategic cap of like, what are they thinking about right now?
[00:19:58] It’s not most likely what’s happening now. Yes, they’re bogged down with like, what’s happening, like, technically, but they’re really thinking about, oh, I need to like, start Start planning out like what we’re going to do for Easter. And I need to do like, what are we going to do for summer break? So get in there, get in their shoes in a way, and like be at the top of mind for yourself and that will benefit your business in so many ways.
[00:20:24] Sandra: Yeah, that is such a good point. Putting ourselves into our client’s shoes or potential client’s shoes is so important. I don’t think there’s really a way to successfully market your business if you don’t do that and you don’t know who it is that you’re speaking to.
[00:20:39] Dolly: Yeah. And like, it’s, And especially, that’s why I wanted to mention that in the very beginning of this episode, like, if you are in year one of your business, like, don’t beat yourself down because you’re still figuring out who you want to ideally serve, and who you want to photograph like if I’m speaking directly to photographers or and if I’m not speaking to photographers Then who in general who do you want to serve because it might feel like you’re just throwing spaghetti at the wall and figuring out But once that’s spaghetti starts sticking and like if things start clicking then, you know, like, okay These are the people I want to talk Talk to and serve and then you’ll know like what they’re You’ll see like what their buying behaviour is like, what their patterns are like.
[00:21:25] It really, when you are intentional about looking at that, you will see like, Oh, like this is true, it started clicking for me like a year or so ago with, a certain type of clients buying behaviours. I was like, Oh, when I market this during this time of year, they are most likely to buy versus if I market this month, like They won’t buy it. It’s just so crazy how that works out.
[00:21:50] Sandra: It’s so true, but it just kind of goes to show how important it is to pay attention to things like that and not just have inquiries coming in and out. And like all of that is great, but understanding where they’re coming from, why they’re hiring you at certain points definitely gives you an advantage when it comes to marketing your business in the future and not wasting your time on maybes and just focusing your energy when you know you’re going to be getting those yeses.
[00:22:16] Dolly: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Exactly.
[00:22:19] Sandra: So there are any ways that you’ve been able to automate launch processes that photographers and business owners might not necessarily have thought of?
[00:22:26] Dolly: Yeah, definitely. Well, this is not so much an automation, but just a system I have put in place for myself at the beginning of the year.
[00:22:35] And then I assess every quarter. So for those of you who are like, you love casting a vision and planning ahead for the full year, you’re going to love this point. And for those of you who are like, I don’t like planning the full year then you’ll like point two. So point one is I love at the very top of the year, I love Casting a vision for the full year of like how my, I know what my services are already.
[00:23:03] I know what makes me money already then. And so I like to plan ahead for, and you see Sandra, Sandra can see like my calendar right behind me. I know when I’m going to be busiest with family photography.
[00:23:16] Sandra: Hey friends, I’m interrupting this episode because I wanted to remind you that the waitlist for my brand new template shop is now open.
[00:23:24] This template shop is going to be filled with everything you need to simplify and streamline your business behind the scenes, including things like HoneyBook smart file templates, email swipe files, workflow processes, and tutorials to help you get them built inside your CRM. So many good things are coming.
[00:23:40] So head over to SimplySandraYvonne.ca/shop to get on the waitlist and you’ll also have a chance to enter to win a free bundle as well as get a little special something to say thank you for being here. That’s SimplySandraYvonne.ca/shop.
[00:23:58] Dolly: Then, that, like, flip, I know, like, we’re using photography as an example, but, my other service is Systems and Workflow Education.
[00:24:07] So, then, once I know my busier seasons for family photography, I can look at my slower seasons when I’m not getting as many inquiries, because, like, in January and February, it’s like dreary and gross here in Nashville. And so I’m not getting as many inquiries for outdoor photography. So that’s when a lot of my systems and workflow education picks up.
[00:24:31] And so I know, okay, this is when I’m going to be heavily marketing certain things, for the education side of my business. And so that’s how I’m able to like market and plan out. My entire year and see, okay, this is what I’m going to be talking with to my families. Okay. This is when I’m going to be amping up my promotional for my students for systems and workflow education.
[00:24:56] Again, it’s taken me like five, almost five years to get, like, to understand like the ebbs and flows of like my business. But okay. So let’s talk about for the students, for the. Client, the listener who’s listening in and you’re like, I do not, that makes me want to vomit, like just thinking ahead for a full year.
[00:25:16] Okay. I hear you. I would encourage you to look ahead for the next 90 days. Like what is happening in the next 90 days. How you can be better prepared as a photographer and what is happening? Like, I know right now we’re recording this in February and 90 days out is March, April, and May. And again, that season is like spring minis, motherhood sessions.
25:38 Automating Launch Processes and Lead Generation
[00:25:45] So, If I was like, Only wanting to do, If I did not like the idea of like casting a vision for the full year, Then I would just do every, like, 90-day assessments. Like what’s happening in the next 90 days?
[00:26:00] Okay, how can I create content that serves the next 90 days that helps people help me keep, helps people keep me top of mind or helps me stay top of mind to my ideal client? How can I create content that helps me stay top of mind? And not just content, short-form content, but what type of long-form content.
[00:26:25] Okay. This might be getting a little more like… A little bit more strategic and I don’t want people to like tune me out. How can you create long-form content that not only answers the question, like immediate questions for the next 90 days, but is more evergreen for, I don’t know, like summer.
[00:26:44] Like, so how can you balance both? Like, can you take, let’s go back to the Tuesday, Thursday example on Tuesdays. You are intentional about creating the next 90 days worth of content that speaks directly to what’s going on in the next 90 days. And then on Thursdays, you’re like, okay, summer is happening in the next quarter after this quarter or fall, okay, what type of content should I be creating that will attract the right type of client to me? And so maybe making Tuesdays the more next 90 days content and then Thursdays the more evergreen content, like seasonal content. I really hope I’m making sense.
[00:27:27] Sandra: Oh yeah, absolutely. That makes total sense. It’s just so important to always be thinking forward. I’m going to go back to using my mini sessions as an example again, but there was a large portion of time that I was Booking my weddings and not taking any time to plan when I wanted my mini sessions to happen, but I love doing mini sessions.
[00:27:48] And so it was like every season I was like, Oh no, I have to launch this or I’m not going to have enough time. They’re happening in a month or whatever the case may be. And I would just have to. Find a date that I could squeeze them in around my weddings. And I eventually had to kind of make a decision for myself.
[00:28:04] Like, what is my priority going to be? If I want my priority to be weddings, then maybe I ditch the mini sessions. If I want to keep doing mini sessions, then I have to make those dates a priority. And so I think even just for like our own sanity, it’s so important to have an idea of what’s coming up next, but just finding those, like.
[00:28:22] tangible chunks of time that it’s easy to look forward on. So like you were saying, like the 90 days and just kind of breaking it down into quarters or whatever it is, that’s going to work for you.
[00:28:31] Dolly: I will also say another strategy that I really wish was taught to me a year one and year two was this. And I know like, again, this is not like a sexy TikTok viral video strategy I’m about to share.
[00:28:44] This is about lead generation. So email marketing. So again, before you, before the listener tunes me out, hear me out on this one. You should always have email marketing, and email growth at the, like, at the very front of your mind every single day, because what, like, as you’re growing your email list. They should be funnelled into like, some sort of nurture strategy.
[00:29:09] You’re nurturing them either weekly, bi-weekly, once a month. And then, your email subscribers are most likely, they will. I, I, it’s not a most likely scenario. They will be the ones that book with you before your social media books with you, unless it’s very weird where you are just, I don’t know, like, I haven’t, I have only experienced the cause I have a very small family segment.
[00:29:43] Of subscribers, and those are the ones that book me out year after year after year, versus my bigger Instagram audience on my photography page, like, it’s very, it’s very clear to me. Every year, as I go into like, I really need to always focus on email marketing, nurturing my newsletter every week, reminding them what I do, reminding them about blog posts, reminding them about family photography, reminding like, just like every single week.
[00:30:13] And so when I do open up those doors to many sessions, they’re the ones booking me first. And then I’ll have a few stragglers from either SEO or Instagram stories.
[00:30:25] Sandra: Yeah. I’ve noticed the exact same thing in my business too. I really started leaning into email marketing for my mini sessions last year.
[00:30:32] And of the 12 sessions that I did for my family mini or my family minis, my fall minis, 10 of them had come from my email list and they were repeat clients. And the other two had come through social media. So that was really eye-opening for me as someone who even had been doing email marketing for a long time was just like, wow, like I kind of have just been half-assing it because it was like, cool, I’ll get a few from here.
[00:30:57] But like I was really focusing my energy on social media and when I flipped that and put my energy into email marketing and just casual content on social media. It was like a night and day difference with the level of sales I was making.
[00:31:10] Dolly: Yeah, that’s so true. And to listeners who are like, okay, Dolly, can you give me tangible examples of like, how to do this in the next 90 days?
[00:31:20] Like, how do I grow my email list out? Well, if you’re brand new to email marketing, I do want to share this. You have to like, have an incentive for a person to actually be added to your email newsletter. An incentive you- or you’ve heard it called a freebie, a lead magnet. Just whatever. But why would a person like me hand over their email to you? Like, make it really easy for them. Don’t just like put it on your website, like join my newsletter. That has a conversion rate of less than 3%.
[00:31:56] Like it’s very bad. But have a real incentive. They, if, if somebody really does want to work with you, like maybe a really simple way, what would be join my newsletter and get 20 percent off for your next session, like that’s an incentive right there, or a big incentive that works for me is a style guide.
[00:32:21] Because moms, like, I know, as a mom, and then I serve moms, like, we are, like, stressed out about how could, like, how do we dress our kids? Like, how, how do we, like, show up and, like, make sure that these, like, I’m investing a lot in photos. I want to make sure my kids, and my family looks good.
[00:32:41] Like I’m not a stylist. Like, how do I do this in the most stress-free way possible? So I’ve created freebies and guides on like a free style guide so that they can use that regardless if they’re working with me or if they’re working with someone else, they show up and they show up well. Another idea I have that I’m kind of like thinking about doing is a private podcast for families. Not for family photographers, not like education, but for families who are especially moms, because moms don’t have time to sit around and read a novel about like, Oh. Now, like, this is how you get dressed, and you go through your class, like, I, as a mom, I’m like, I need, if I’m gonna learn something, I need to learn, I’m gonna pop it in my earbuds while I’m driving my children to school.
[00:33:31] So, photographers, maybe consider, Putting your, if you have a style guide, or if you have blog posts, or if you have a series, put that series in the form of a private audio podcast and do that as a lead magnet. And then it’s like a fun and cool and new way, to deliver free value to your potential clients.
[00:33:53] And then they’re thinking about you cause they’re listening to your voice. They’re making that little emotional connection with you. Through your voice, and then hopefully that also adds. Like they’re segmented into your weekly newsletter and then you are again building that relationship with them.
[00:34:10] Sandra: That’s such a great idea. I love that. I mean, video is not my favourite, but I do it because I know how important it is. So I love the idea of doing something that’s audio-based for clients so that they can listen to it on the go. I’m sure photographers across the board can find that as a takeaway, but definitely family photographers.
[00:34:27] You brought up such a good point about how a lot of parents. Don’t have time to just sit down and read through a PDF of tips. But if it’s something that they can listen to while they’re on the go, then that is going to go so much further. And I really loved what you said about how you give the style guide, even if someone is not going to be working with you.
[00:34:46] This is just available on your website. And I think that When it comes to a lot of tips and tricks, photographers are worried about sharing that information because what if they take that and they go work with somebody else, but it’s going to happen. It’s totally going to happen.
[00:35:00] And so I just love that you have that information available to potential clients and if it helps them somewhere else, that’s amazing. But if it helps them and they want to book with you, then it’s really contributing to that like, know, and trust factor.
[00:35:15] Dolly: Yeah. And so like how this ties in, cause your question, Sandra was like, how does this tie into like your promotional period, your launching period as a photographer, so consider this as yours. Like promotional phase of growing at being very intentional about lead generation.
35:28 Promoting Yourself and Staying Top of Mind
[00:35:30] Let’s just say growing out your email list. If that’s like simple layman’s terms right there. So I want you, the listener to be very intentional and have a plan of action of how you are going to push people. I’m going to say, I’m going to be aggressive when I say this.
[00:35:51] Every single day, like, have like some sort of call to action on your stories, or if you don’t use Instagram on TikTok, if you don’t use TikTok, like, wherever you are presenting yourself, you need to also be very intentional about growing out your email list every single time you post. Like, it might seem overwhelming to you, but the whole thing is, like, you really need to, like, bring people in and grow your email list.
[00:36:17] The right people. The right people. Not just everybody. The right people. Because then, that way, they are being nurtured by you year-round, hopefully. I, I’m not saying they’re going to guarantee book with you like next week, but you will stay top of mind to them. You are delivering value to them, hopefully.
[00:36:37] And if not every week, maybe every other week, if not every other week, once a month. And then, when that time comes, they will either book with you or they will send somebody your way because they’re like, wow, Sandra, like has all these great tips about like either how to get ready or, I don’t know, like those tulip sessions she did, like they were so beautiful.
[00:37:00] And I have a friend who really loves tulips. So I’m going to send her your way. I don’t know. Just like, just as an example, it’s just really important to stay top of mind. And again, let me reiterate. It’s important to sell yourself all the time. You can like, you just need to get over the, the sorry, like you need to get over the mindset of like, it’s really icky and gross to sell.
[00:37:25] I mean, you can make it icky. You can make it sleazy, but it’s really like you have to really learn how to get comfortable with promoting yourself because they’re like other people’s opinions aren’t paying your bills. Like you, you have a business to run. You have overhead to do like, to contribute to, you have your family to contribute to.
[00:37:47] And so, and I, I think I got better at selling once I started having kids. Cause I’m like, Oh, like I need to start buying diapers. I need to start buying formula. Like, Oh, other people’s opinions don’t matter as much because I have a business to run. And so I’m just going to keep on, keep on going, keep on pushing towards my goals because it impacts my sons and impacts my, family.
[00:38:11] Sandra: Yeah, absolutely. That’s so important. I love that. Well, before we wrap things up, Dolly, I would love if you could just quickly share where everybody can find you on social media so they can come and give you a follow.
[00:38:23] Dolly: Yeah, definitely. If you are more interested in just The photography side, you can find me @dollydelongphoto, but if you want more systems and workflow education to apply to the back end of your business, you can find me @dollydelongeducation.
[00:38:39] I also have a podcast, the Systems and Workflow Magic Podcast. Those episodes come out every Monday and then I have YouTube episodes that come out every Friday. I love diving into different systems, workflows and SOPs and just making it really tangible for you, the listener, so that you can take more baby steps to be more streamlined.
[00:39:03] Sandra: Love it. Well, thank you so much again for joining me. This was such a fun interview, and I know that listeners are going to have so many takeaways that they’re going to be able to apply regardless of what they are launching this year. So thank you for everything that you are sharing, and I hope that our paths cross again one day soon.
[00:39:17] Dolly: Thank you so much for having me, Sandra.
[00:39:19] Sandra: Of course.
39:20 Conclusion and Next Week’s Episode
[00:39:20] Oh, that was such a fun interview. And if there’s one takeaway that I really want you all to leave this episode with is that launching is essentially just promoting yourself regardless of whether you are a service-based business owner, or if you’re an online educator, everybody needs to be promoting themselves.
[00:39:38] One thing I’ve talked about a lot with my own business coach is how we are the only ones who get tired of talking about our businesses because we have to talk about it so many times for people to actually hear about it, and there are two major factors. There’s probably more, but two major factors that go into play with that are one only about 1 to 2 percent of people are actually seeing the content that we’re putting on social media.
[00:40:02] And I know for photographers, a lot of what we’re doing for marketing, we’re relying on social media for that. Hopefully, after listening to this episode, you’re going to be feeling more confident about leaning into things like email marketing, but I know a lot of people are really focusing on social media.
[00:40:17] So I get that. And then the second thing is that studies have shown that the average person needs to see something at least seven times for it to resonate before they actually realize that they’ve seen it. So if you have to show somebody something seven times, but they’re only going to actually see one to 2 percent of the things that you are actually posting, realistically, like you could be looking at hundreds of times that you have to talk about something before someone is actually going to buy.
[00:40:46] So, the next time you’re putting together an email, or you’re creating a blog post, or you’re writing a social media caption, and you’re feeling cringy about promoting yourself, just remember that. You are the only one who knows you’ve been promoting yourself as often as you have. And if you’re not going to be promoting your business, then you can’t expect anybody else to be promoting your business.
[00:41:08] So it’s time to get comfortable with promoting yourself. Start telling everybody how amazing you are, because we know that you are, and it is time for you to sing that from the rooftops because everybody else deserves to have some of that amazingness in their lives to.
[00:41:21] Now, next week, I am going to be back with a short and sweet little episode. With family photography being such a huge passion of mine and something that I’ve been doing as long as I’ve been doing weddings, I feel like there’s definitely a place for it here on the podcast.
[00:41:35] So if you’re a family photographer or interested in getting into family photography, definitely come back next Wednesday, where I’m going to be talking all about my three favourite family session prompts to get natural emotions in your photos.
[00:41:49] Until then friends, have a great rest of your week and stay cool, however you can, if you’re in the midst of summer like I am.
[00:41:56] Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today’s episode at simplysandrayvonne.ca/shownotes. In the meantime, let’s connect! You can find me on Instagram and TikTok, just search Simply Sandra Yvonne. And if you love this podcast, I’d be so honoured if you go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review until next time!
This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small amount of money if you make a purchase from any of our affiliates. This is done at no cost to you!
Have you ever wondered how I tackle the ups, downs, and all the in-between that happen on a wedding day? This week on the podcast I’m sharing a step-by-step look at how I manage two very different weddings, each with its own set of logistics and demands. I also dive into what I’ve learned about healthy diets and proper carb intake when you’re working a high-energy job like this. My mind was seriously blown!
Keep scrolling for links to the episode, show notes, and a full transcript.
Show Notes
Timeline Freebie – https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/timelines
Template Shop: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop
Massage Gun & Tens Machine: https://www.amazon.ca/shop/lifeisbeautifullondon/list/1N8RQD8D6WL82?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsflifeisbeautifullondon_8P7KA28E18XVQ74H4JK7
Save 10% on Aftershoot: https://account.aftershoot.com/referral-signup?referrer=YT1AEQW8
Takeaways
- Wedding photography involves physical and mental exertion, and it is more than just pressing a button.
- A well-planned photography timeline is crucial for capturing all the important moments of a wedding day.
- Taking care of one’s physical and mental well-being before, during, and after a wedding is essential.
- Carb-loading before a wedding can help maintain energy levels throughout the day.
- Proper hydration and nutrition can contribute to a better overall experience on a wedding day.
- Using tools like massage guns and TENS machines can aid in muscle recovery after a long day of shooting.
- It’s important for photographers to have a hands-on approach to the photography timeline and work closely with other vendors to ensure a smooth wedding day.
- Each wedding is unique, and photographers should be adaptable and flexible to meet the needs and preferences of their clients.
- Taking time to relax and enjoy the wedding day can lead to better photos and a more positive experience for everyone involved.
Chapters
00:00 Preparing for Two Different Weddings
15:28 The Importance of a Well-Planned Photography Timeline
20:49 Fueling Your Body for a Wedding Day: The Role of Nutrition
25:12 Taking Care of Yourself: Preparing Physically and Mentally
28:20 The Physical Demands of Wedding Photography
29:10 Collaborating with Vendors for a Successful Wedding Day
31:52 Enjoying the Wedding Day: Balancing Work and Fun
What do your taco choices reveal about your wedding photography business? Take my quiz to find out!
Other Episodes You’ll Love
040 Creating A More Accessible Photography Business with Erin Perkins of Mabely Q
022 3 Mistakes Every Wedding Photographer Makes
034 Self Care For Wedding Photographers with Chronic Illnesses
TRANSCRIPT
00:00 Preparing for Two Different Wedding Days
[00:00:00] Sandra: If you’ve ever wished you could peel back the curtain in somebody else’s photography business and see exactly how they approach a wedding day, then today is your lucky day.
[00:00:09] My last two weddings were so different from one another. So today I am so excited to be diving into how I prepped for both weddings, how the days went, the differences between the two hurdles that we came across and things that went well, and then how everything went after the wedding was all said and done.
[00:00:27] My last wedding was just a few days ago and I have so much to say and so many thoughts to share.
[00:00:33] Sandra: So here comes the intro and then we will get right into it.
[00:00:37] Welcome to keeping it candid. I’m your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach. I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the back end of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way. And on a more personal note, I’m a strong enneagram 3 wing too who is obsessed with tacos, and my love for travelling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner.
[00:01:07] Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like working as a wedding photographer, where I’ll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends. So go grab your favourite notebook and pen, and let’s dive into this week’s episode.
[00:01:23] For anybody who’s been a long-time listener of the podcast, you know that I have really been pulling back on the number of weddings that I take on every year because I have so many other things going on with my health and things like that, that the physical toll that it takes on my body.
[00:01:37] Just is too much for me to be doing this every single weekend. So this year I have a wedding in June, July, and August. And with my June and July weddings out of the way, I thought there was no better time than to kind of give a behind-the-scenes day in the life look at what it looks like for me on a wedding day.
[00:01:56] I’m going to start with my June couple. They got married on June 22nd, and in my area, we were in the midst of a major heat wave. Earlier in the week, I believe the humidex hit, close to 41 degrees Celsius, which is, correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe a hundred and five-ish for anybody who’s listening in the U. S. and is using Fahrenheit for temperatures.
[00:02:21] But thankfully, by the wedding day, it did cool off, and I’m using some air quotes here, cooled off a little bit, and it went down to 36 degrees Celsius, or roughly about 96, 97 degrees Fahrenheit. So, still hot as hell, but we were ready to make the best of it. As wedding photographers know, wedding vendors know, there’s nothing you can do to control the weather.
[00:02:43] But the day we figure it out, I know we are all going to be rejoicing because it will make our jobs so much easier. Anyway, so I woke up at 8 a.m. that day and I had done a few things the day before to kind of help myself get ready. I had a high-protein dinner, some chicken breast, and some steamed vegetables, and then when I woke up the next day, I had Greek yogurt for breakfast. I had some chicken salad and some cold vegetables for lunch, and I packed a couple of protein bars to bring with me for the wedding day.
[00:03:18] I also packed a ton of water. I did the math on all the water I drank that day and it equalled out to about Four and a half litres of water, which is more than a gallon for all of my American listeners. It was a lot. And I was still dehydrated. Like that’s how hot it was. So I get all of my protein bars and my water and everything loaded up into the car.
[00:03:43] And then I had about a half an hour drive to go and meet my assistant Emily. And we started with the groom’s getting ready photos at a hotel. This was a lot of fun because it’s hit and miss on whether or not the groom and his groomsman or his side of the wedding party are going to be really into photos.
[00:04:03] This time we had a bunch of guys that were just really excited, ready to participate in photos, and that always just makes the photos turn out so much better. So we got that all done, thankfully, keeping everybody inside and the air conditioning at the hotel.
[00:04:18] It didn’t make much of a difference for me. I started sweating from the second the day started and I did not stop sweating until I got into the shower after the wedding was over.
4:30 How Your Cycle Impacts Your Body Temperature
[00:04:30] Part of the reason for that was it was hot as hell outside, but I was also in a phase of my menstrual cycle where my body temperature just naturally increases. For a lot of people who menstruate, this is going to happen the week before your period starts.
[00:04:45] For me, it lasts a little bit longer just because of how my hormones are interacting with my body, having endometriosis and things like that. So it was a very, very sweaty day for me. Once we finished up with the guys, we headed over to the venue because the bride was getting ready at the same building as the ceremony and the reception, which was nice.
[00:05:06] I love being able to cut down on any sort of travel time so we can really maximize the time we have for photos.
[00:05:12] So once we got there, we unpacked all of our stuff and we headed inside and this venue is a, it’s gorgeous. It’s a really old train station, but you all know, with really old buildings, this typically means that there are air conditioning issues and airflow issues.
[00:05:28] So, even though there was air conditioning in this building. You really wouldn’t know it unless you were standing like directly over a vent. We headed upstairs where it was even hotter and we went to go and start the bride’s getting ready photos.
[00:05:42] But as we were doing details, I noticed that the bride wasn’t feeling well. She asked if we could just take a few minutes so she could have something to eat and something to drink. And of course, when it comes to a wedding day, my priority is to make sure that the couple and Everybody having their photo taken can relax and enjoy themselves.
[00:06:01] The priority is not the photos when it comes to whether or not the bride is feeling well. So we shifted things around. I shortened the time that we were going to need for photos. I told her that we could do photos with her bridal party later on during our wedding party photos. So that eliminated some time and we could just let her sit, try to cool off, hydrate herself, and we would keep going from there.
[00:06:25] And so what we ended up doing was my assistant and I took the bride into the bathroom and we plugged in a whole bunch of fans. A couple of her bridesmaids were in there as well, and I was the one who did up her dress. The bridesmaids that were in there had no experience with a corset dress.
[00:06:42] And so, of course, I was more than happy to step in and do that for her while my assistant and her bridesmaids tried to keep her cool. And then once her dress was all ready to go, we took her out and we did some mock photos with her mom. That way she still had those memories captured while we were able to take that extra time to cool her off and make her more comfortable.
[00:07:02] Thankfully that ended up being exactly what she needed. And we were able to head downstairs to start our pre-ceremony photos.
[00:07:10] When I do pre-ceremony photos, I like to section off about 20 to 30 minutes prior to the ceremony, and that gives us a chance to get photos of all of their ceremony details of the guests coming in and saying hi to one another and getting seated. And then, of course, most importantly, making sure that our camera gear is all ready to go for when the ceremony starts.
[00:07:30] Now, because of the heat, cocktails were moved into the reception area. So I had to make a quick little last-minute change. Once the ceremony started, I sent my assistant over into the reception space to start getting all of those details before all of the guests filled the room.
[00:07:47] Thankfully, the ceremony space that we were in was pretty compacted, so it was really easy for me to get all of the necessary angles and moments without being intrusive and being able to send my assistant off to get those photos.
[00:07:58] And that’s a perfect example of how as wedding photographers and wedding professionals we really need to think on our toes and sometimes make some last-minute changes and go with the flow of the day to make sure that we get the photos, even if we had planned it all perfectly and things aren’t exactly going according to that.
[00:08:15] One of my favourite parts of the whole day was actually during this ceremony one of the bridesmaids came up to do a reading, and she actually did a reading from the movie Crazy Stupid Love, which is one of my absolute favourite movies. If anybody listening has seen it, It was the part where Steve Carell is talking about the first time he ever lied to his dad about being in love with the girl that he had just met. And it was such a perfect reading and it was the first time I’ve ever heard somebody quote crazy stupid love. So I will definitely not forget that.
[00:08:46] It made me so happy. And then after the ceremony was over, we headed outside the train station to take advantage of a nice breeze that was finally rolling through and we used the old brick and natural light to do their family formals and the wedding party photos.
[00:09:02] For the newlywed photos, they had originally planned on going to a secondary location to have photos done, but because of how hot it was, they decided to just scratch that and take advantage of the great,
[00:09:15] and take advantage of everything that the train station had to offer instead.
[00:09:19] We did photos with them walking around out back of the building, And then we went back upstairs into that room where we had started with the getting ready photos, which had thankfully cooled down because it has the most gorgeous wall with exposed brick and some old drywall still hanging on.
[00:09:34] It’s one of the biggest selling features that this venue has and why so many people love getting married there. so I was really glad that we were able to go back in and take advantage without making the couple pass out to have their photos taken.
[00:09:48] Once we got all of the formal photos done, it was time for our reception prep. This is the same as the ceremony prep that I’ve already mentioned, where we set aside about 20 to 30 minutes before the reception to get photos of the decor, to get candids of everybody as they’re taking their seat and socializing with one another, and making sure that our camera gear is all ready to go for when the grand entrance starts.
[00:10:14] When the grand entrance did kick off, it went right into the cake cutting, and then speeches were split between rounds at the buffet. I have to give the biggest thank you to this couple because where they sat me at the table, the pasta portion of the buffet was literally right behind me. And I’m not going to lie.
[00:10:35] It was some of the best pasta that I’ve ever had and I don’t know if that’s because of how hot it was or how hungry I was or if it really was the most delicious pasta ever.
[00:10:44] Either way, I had a lot of it with no regrets because there was tons left over and I hate seeing food go to waste. After dinner and dessert were all said and done. It was time for the first dance. And then the dance floor opened with all of the guests invited to come out and join them. And at that point, the incredible wedding planners helped me bring my vision to life for the night photo that I wanted to do with the couple. There was beautiful drapery all on the wall behind the sweetheart table with twinkling fairy lights in behind it and I had a vision of using that as the backdrop for their night photo.
[00:11:19] So the planners helped me move the sweetheart table out of the way and get it all cleared out so that the couple didn’t even have to leave the dance floor. The guests just moved their dancing a little bit off to the side and the couple came out onto the center of the dance floor
[00:11:33] and we ended the night with a bang. I’m going to be sharing this photo over on my photography Instagram account, which you can find at @lifeisbeautifullondon. I am going to be posting that later today when this episode airs, so definitely go and take a look if you are interested in seeing what the outcome of that was.
[00:11:49] And it was super fun because they had all of their guests just cheering them on and getting some more natural reactions out of them for the photos.
[00:11:56] Then after about an eight-and-a-half-hour photography day, we were all finished and we packed up our gear and we said goodbye to the couple and we went and headed outside. I had brought my laptop with me because my assistant and I live on totally different ends of the city. So we just hung out in the parking lot.
[00:12:14] Cool off a little bit While we uploaded our photos onto my hard drive.
[00:12:17] And then we said our goodbyes and headed home. Now, for me, this drive, I gotta say, was not fun. It was about 40 minutes from the venue to my house. And with it being a combination of my first wedding of the year, not the most convenient time in my cycle, having an already increased body temperature, and then also dealing with a heat wave, as soon as the adrenaline of the day started wearing off when I got in my car, all of it all kind of culminated, and I was so sick on my way home. I spent almost the entire 40 minutes dry heaving. I just did not want to pull over and get sick, so I tried to just, like, breathe through it as much as I could.
[00:13:07] And my husband, I just love him so much, he was standing outside waiting for me to get there, and he had a ginger chew candy, which they are,
[00:13:16] I mean, they’re exactly what they sound like. They’re candies that, these ones I get are mango flavoured, and they’re just a chewy candy, and they are also made with lots of ginger to help settle your stomach. They’re the best. So yeah, as soon as I started eating that ginger candy, I started feeling a lot better. I went inside, I immediately showered With one of the coldest showers I think I’ve ever had.
[00:13:38] Afterwards, I started importing all of my photos, and Then I went to bed, but the fun wasn’t over there because I was so overstimulated from the day, that it took me until about 5 a.m. to fall asleep.
[00:13:52] Sandra: Even though I was so physically exhausted, my nervous system just would not slow down. So I had to just ride it out. I finally fell asleep at around five o’clock in the morning and the wedding hangover lasted about three days. Which is pretty quick. I expect it to last about four days normally. So when I actually started feeling a lot better around day 2. 5 and then by day three was back to my regularly scheduled programming. It was mind-blowing. And the one thing that I had to thank for that was that my husband actually bought me a massage gun for Christmas. And I used that to roll out the muscles on my thighs, my calves, my biceps.
[00:14:40] I used a different attachment to get into my hips and my glutes.
[00:14:45] And it seriously made all the difference.
[00:14:49] I am all about trying different things to help with pain management and getting your body to recover faster. and of course, exercise is always the best thing, but for me and my chronic pain and my chronic health issues, that’s not always a possibility. So having this massage gun work so well was great.
[00:15:06] I also have a TENS machine that I’ll use, which sends small electric currents into your muscles. And I’ll use that for anything that’s like real deep down that my massage gun can’t get to. And the combo of the two of them had me back up and running at least a good day or more quicker than normal.
[00:15:24] So that was amazing.
15:28 Wedding Timeline Freebie!
[00:15:27] Even if your couples are hiring a wedding planner, I think it’s so important for a photographer to have a hands-on approach when it comes to tackling the photography timeline for the wedding day. It’s so important for vendors to all work together with the couple to make sure all those important moments are going to be captured perfectly. But when it comes time to actually write that timeline, it can be so tedious. So I put together a timeline template inside Google Sheets that you can download for free if you go to my website at simplysandrayvonne.ca/timelines. This Google Sheets template has four different tabs.
[00:16:03] One for notes, where you can put contact information, And anything else you’ll need to refer to a tab for the timeline with simple drop-down menus in 5-minute increments to make sure that you are able to note every single part of the day.
[00:16:16] A family shot list tab where you can write in every single family photo you’re going to do and also put notes for the relation of who the people are so you know exactly who’s standing in front of your camera. and then lastly, you’ll also find a vendor tab where you can put all of the vendor’s contact information, get their social media handles and more to make sure that it’s super easy to tag them and share photos going forward.
[00:16:39] If this is something you need in your wedding photography business, I want you to head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/timelines to get your copy.
16:49 A Different Approach To A Wedding Day
[00:16:49] Once I was out of the wedding hangover, I did have the following weekend off. So that was nice. And then it took me to my next wedding, Which just happened this past weekend
[00:17:01] This couple had a six-hour package and they really wanted a low-key, candid approach to their wedding day. Not that the other couple in June didn’t want a low-key approach either – that’s kind of my vibe that I bring to the wedding day but they had more hours and wanted a lot more with like the getting ready and post photos and things like that.
[00:17:24] Now for this wedding, when it came to how I was eating and how I was going to be nourishing my body before and during the wedding day, I decided to take a totally different approach. And I want to explain where my thought process came with this. So normally I associate protein with energy. and I think that most of us do, We know that having lots of protein in our diet is important and plays a huge role in how we can hold our energy throughout the day. And then if you’re like me, I’m 37, and if you are anywhere in my age bracket, you know that we grew up during a time when the world was very anti-carb.
[00:18:05] And I know there’s a lot of reasons that go into that, and for some people, obviously grains and things like that with gluten, it is an issue for them. But for me, I don’t have a gluten allergy, and I think that my understanding of how carbs play a role in your diet and your energy levels and things like that came from that negative approach to carbs.
[00:18:28] And so I was thinking about how that June wedding went, where it was really, really hot, and I’d eaten a lot of protein, but I was struggling to keep up throughout the day, and I assumed it just had to do with the heat And the fact that I was where I was in my cycle and things like that, but when it came time for dinner, I had some chicken and then I had that pasta that I was saying earlier was like the best pasta I ever had.
[00:18:52] Even though I wasn’t feeling that hungry because of how hot it was and how busy I was, I could not get enough of this pasta. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but as I was preparing for this next wedding in July, My wheels started turning and a light bulb went off about how the fact that athletes will typically carb load before a game.
[00:19:12] And so I decided to do a little bit of research. I did some reading myself and I reached out to some friends of mine who have more experience when it comes to nutrition and how it impacts your body. So I first talked to my friend Sid over at In Ink Weddings. Shout out to Sid. She is amazing at all things wedding.
[00:19:31] But she also just completed a marathon running through the Inca mountains in Peru and I’m not going to lie. I was fully online stalking her because I just found this to be so inspiring. And so I knew that she had been training for that for a while and that diet was going to play a huge role in that.
[00:19:50] So I reached out to her. And then I also reached out to a friend of mine who is a personal trainer and nutritionist and a couple of friends who are massage therapists. And these people all were able to give me so much insight into how carbs can actually help you on a wedding day. They do play a role along with protein and how you’re able to keep up your energy levels throughout the day. there’s also science behind it about how your muscles are able to heal after high-intensity workouts, which isn’t just at the gym. Anybody who’s worked at a wedding knows wedding days definitely count for high intensity. So I’m so glad that I reached out to them and I decided to take this different approach to my diet for this wedding.
[00:20:31] And I want to give a disclaimer that this is not advice by any means. I want to make sure that you are consulting who you need to consult before you make any changes to your diet. This is just something that I knew I would be able to try safely on my own and I wanted to share what the outcome of that was.
20:49 Fueling Your Body for a Wedding Day: The Role of Nutrition
[00:20:49] So, the day before the wedding for dinner, I had pesto pasta with chicken and some veggies, and then I had a Danish for dessert. The next morning, I had the rest of my Danish for breakfast. Definitely could have made healthier choices, but I was just going with the food that I had. So I ate the rest of that Danish for breakfast.
[00:21:09] And then for lunch, I packed myself a chicken salad sandwich. And of course, all the water again. This time we had a late start for the wedding day. We didn’t actually start until 4:30 pm, but the couple was getting married at a venue with a private beach, so my assistant Shannon and I decided to go up early and we spent a few hours laying out in the sun and swimming in the lake before we went inside and got cleaned up for when we had to start photos.
We were starting right with the ceremony this time, no getting-ready photos, but regardless of that, we always make sure that we have that time ahead of the ceremony to make sure we’re able to get photos of the details, guests as they’re arriving, and making sure that our gear is all ready to go for when everybody starts walking down the aisle.
The ceremony was running a little bit late, and it was very sunny outside, so the guests lingered around the edge where they were able to hang out in the shade and enjoy some water and things like that until the ceremony got started. It was a short and sweet ceremony with the most beautiful exit as the couple walked down the aisle and they had their guests do a petal toss, and then we really got into embracing the low-key, candid aspect of the day.
[00:22:17] We had a few family photos to do, but as guests were trying to make arrangements for their kids, use the washroom, get a drink, and things like that, we floated around doing candids until everybody was available, and we just fit those family formals in where we could.
[00:22:31] We didn’t do any wedding party or newlywed formals before the reception started, allowing the couple to mingle with their guests and take time to just enjoy their day.
[00:22:41] It also gave us lots of time for reception details and to get to know some of the vendors that we were working with because most of them were actually new faces.
[00:22:49] As the couple did their entrance into the reception, They did a Polish tradition where they take, I believe it’s a shot of water and a shot of vodka, but this couple opted to just do shots of water and then eat some, bread with salt on it. And then receive a Polish blessing and be on your way to the head table.
[00:23:07] And then immediately after the grand entrance, we went into speeches, which was really nice to get those done and out of the way so that everybody could just sit and enjoy their dinner.
[00:23:17] Towards the end of dinner service, the couple headed onto the dance floor for their first dance. And then we headed right outside into a golf cart. The staff from the venue drove us down to the beach for the most beautiful sunset I have had on a wedding day in so long.
[00:23:33] It was seriously like the picture-perfect sunset over the water, which made my photographer heart happy, but also made me even happier for my clients because I know specifically the bride booked this venue for that reason. And so it was so nice knowing that all of her wedding day sunset dreams came true.
[00:23:52] Once we went back inside the venue, we did some more candids on the dance floor, and then we headed home. This drive home was thankfully a lot less painful than the last one. I did not get sick. And once I did get home, I showered and went to bed and fell asleep at a normal time. So a huge difference compared to a couple of weeks ago.
[00:24:15] before. Overall, I felt so much more mentally clear and energized throughout the entire day. I forgot to mention during dinner, I went really carb-heavy again. I did have some chicken to make sure I was getting that protein in me, but I had two dinner rolls. And then I had some potatoes and vegetables, and really just made sure that I kept running with those carbs.
[00:24:36] My total water intake on this wedding day was about two and a half litres of water, which is about 0. 6 gallons for all of my American listeners.
[00:24:46] Now, even though I was at a much better, much more energetic part of my cycle, I really do think that the way I approached my diet and my carb intake for this wedding day was the catalyst for me feeling so much better.
25:00 Taking Care of Yourself: Preparing Physically and Mentally
[00:25:00] Not only did I stay so much more mentally clear and energetic throughout the entire day, But I also cannot tell you the last time I felt that good waking up the day after a wedding. Normally my thighs, my calves, and my biceps are all burning and sore and inflamed. None of that happened this time. My joints were still really sore.
[00:25:24] But that’s something that I know my joints are really needing to be strengthened and stabilized. So that’s something that I’ve been working on. Just starting to go swimming and things like that to try and get some low-impact exercise in when I can. But it was just shocking to me how different my muscles felt overall.
[00:25:42] And I didn’t wake up with a migraine the next day! No matter how much water I drink or how long I have my sunglasses on, or if I put a hat on when it’s really sunny and we’re doing photos outside, I’ve tried all the things and nothing has ever helped me escape that Sunday morning migraine that happens after a wedding, but this time I did not have a migraine and so I don’t know.
[00:26:07] I’m not a nutritionist. This is my first time doing this. Again, I don’t want to say that this is the absolute way to feel good on a wedding day, but it was enough for me to be really intrigued and for me to want to step back and look at how I’m approaching my diet, especially around work.
[00:26:26] And yeah, it’s also kind of been a little bit humbling to realize that something that I thought I really had a handle on was… Not necessarily totally wrong, but a little bit off base in terms of how to approach a high-impact wedding day versus how you would approach your diet for everyday life.
[00:26:46] So take that for what it’s worth. If it’s something that you can safely try and you’re interested in trying, increase your carb intake and see how it feels for you.
[00:26:55] There are lots of different ways that you can approach eating more carbs. For me, I’m thankful that I don’t have any sort of gluten allergy, and I love bread, so I will take any excuse to eat more grains. You don’t have to ask me twice. And so the next time that I have a really long, high-impact day, Day will be in a few weeks when I have my summer mini-sessions on the beach.
[00:27:17] And as of right now, I have eight families booked in and I still have a few more spots open that I’m hoping to fill before then. So I will be taking this same approach for that, where I’m going to try a really high carb, high protein diet around the time of the session and see how it goes from there.
[00:27:36] Now I know my story and my approach to a wedding day is going to be different than a lot of people listening. It’s not everyone’s story, but it is for a lot of us. And when it comes to listening to people talk about the photography industry from those who are not actually in the photography industry, they say things like it’s just pressing a button and they don’t understand why yada, yada.
[00:28:00] I get really frigging frustrated because it is so much more than that. Like, let’s ignore all of the editing and all the things that we have to do to prep and do behind the scenes in our office and things like that. On the actual wedding day, we are running, we are climbing, we are standing in weird positions.
28:18 The Physical Demands of a Wedding Day
[00:28:18] We are going nonstop for hours, and the physical toll of that is huge. There’s also a mental toll that goes along with it when you have to be on for that many hours. You’re not only having to think about what you’re actually doing, but you’re having to think about everything that is still to come.
[00:28:35] You’re probably thinking about everything that you’ve already done. You have to navigate not only your clients but all the guests that have attended the wedding. It can be a lot. I know I’m preaching to the choir here while I’m standing on this little soapbox, but we all know it is so much more than pushing a button
[00:28:50] and those physical requirements and the toll that it takes on a person’s body are a big reason as to why I’ve pulled back so aggressively on the number of weddings that I do.
[00:29:00] if you want to dive in a little bit more into how to tackle before, during, and after a wedding day to alleviate some of what you have to go through during the wedding hangover, after the wedding day is all said and done, I want you to go back and listen to episode 31 of this podcast, where I was joined by Kassandra Fuller, who is an ex wedding planner, turned personal trainer and nutritionist, she shared so much valuable information that I know is going to help you immensely throughout this wedding season. The link for that is going to be in the show notes. And I’m also going to throw some links in there for some of the things that I’ve talked about today, like my massage gun that I use, the tens machine, my big water jug and things like that.
[00:29:39] So make sure you go and get all of those details if you are interested. And that wraps up everything for me for this week’s episode. I hope that this gave you some interesting insight into how somebody else approaches a wedding day. Whether you learned something that you thought “I’m absolutely never going to run my wedding day like that, or you’re like, that’s a really great idea. Both are super valuable. So I hope that you had some sort of takeaway from it and enjoy the rest of your week.
[00:30:08] Have a great wedding this weekend if you’ve got one and I will be back next Wednesday.
30:14 Episode Sponsor – Aftershoot
[00:30:14] Today’s episode of Keeping It Candid was sponsored by Aftershoot. Aftershoot is an AI editing and culling software that is going to be an absolute game changer for your photography business.
[00:30:25] You can upload your photos, cull them and do base editing all in one platform before pulling your photos over into Lightroom to make your final tweaks.
[00:30:34] The culling software will go through and filter out photos that are blurry or where people are blinking, it will pick out the best of the best, and it will continuously learn from you every time you modify the selections. From there, you can pull it in for some AI editing that again is trained off of your personal editing style and will apply those settings to your photos It’s able to do cropping white balance levels, adjustments, curves adjustments, split toning – anything you could need to, and they’re even now beta testing an AI subject masking feature, which for a beta, you guys, it is so good, and I am loving it.
[00:31:15] From there, I pull my photos in the Lightroom, and I apply my final tweaks, and then they are ready to go to my client. For my spring mini sessions this year, I had 10 clients come in and I had all of their photos fully edited and delivered within eight days.
[00:31:31] Yeah, you heard that right. Eight days. Aftershoot is going to save you so much time and take so much work off your plate this year. It’s not meant to replace you, but it is going to be your new favourite tool in your toolkit to work more efficiently and get those photos out sooner so that you have happier clients and can spend more time behind your camera or even taking some time off.
[00:31:54] To try out Aftershoot, head over to my website, simplysandrayvonne.ca/resources, or check out the show notes for today’s episode, and you will find a link to save 10% off your first year.
[00:32:06] Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today’s episode at simplysandrayvonne.ca/shownotes.
In the meantime, let’s connect! You can find me on Instagram and TikTok, just search Simply Sandra Yvonne. And if you love this podcast, I’d be so honoured if you go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review. Until next time!
This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small amount of money if you make a purchase from any of our affiliates. This is done at no cost to you!
Do you ever feel like your photography business is lost in the masses of so many others in your area? I get it. The market’s saturated, and standing out can feel impossible sometimes. But listen, brand photos are your secret weapon to change that!
As photographers, brand photos are the key to building trust with the best kind of clients, and booking those weddings and sessions you’ve been dreaming of. Wondering how brand photos can elevate your biz and skyrocket your success? On this episode of the Keeping It Candid podcast, I chatted with brand photography guru Angie McPherson. She spills the tea on why brand photos are essential for photographers and wedding pros, how to attract your ideal clients with killer photos, and bring in more revenue in the process. Plus, Angie’s sharing some pro tips on hiring a brand photographer to ensure you get the most out of your next session.
Keep scrolling for links to the episode, show notes, and a full transcript.
Show Notes
Angie McPherson: https://angiemcpherson.com/
Get Angie’s Free Branding Photoshoot Inspiration Cheat Sheet – https://angiemcpherson.com/cheat-sheet
Template Shop: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop
Save 10% on Aftershoot: https://account.aftershoot.com/referral-signup?referrer=YT1AEQW8
Takeaways
- Brand photos help businesses stand out in an oversaturated market and attract the right clients.
- When hiring a brand photographer, look for someone who provides a planning guide, questionnaire, and shoot plan.
- Brand photos should have variety and consistency to be effective.
- Personal connection is important in building trust and attracting clients.
- Brand photos can lead to increased revenue and opportunities.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Overview
02:14 Introducing Angie McPherson
03:34 The Importance of Brand Photos in an Oversaturated Market
08:08 Tips for Hiring a Brand Photographer
13:42 What Makes a Good Branding Session
23:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
About Angie
Angie McPherson is a branding photographer, marketing strategist, and hype-woman for creatives. She photographs entrepreneurs, brands and influencers throughout the country, providing custom imagery to elevate their brand. Angie helps branding photographers build an impactful and profitable business through courses, digital products, and coaching.
Photo by Shannon LeBlanc
What do your taco choices reveal about your wedding photography business? Take my quiz to find out!
Other Episodes You’ll Love
040 Creating A More Accessible Photography Business with Erin Perkins of Mabely Q
037 Up-Level Your Client Experience With This One Simple Question
030 Breaking Into A New Market with John Mansfield
TRANSCRIPT
00:00 Introduction and Overview
[00:00:00] Sandra Henderson: Welcome back to the podcast, everybody. I hope you are having an amazing week so far. I hope that you’re hanging in there this far into wedding season. I know everybody in my area is about a month, month and a half into their season. So I hope that things have been going well. Your couples have been amazing.
[00:00:17] The days have been stress-free. Most importantly, you are absolutely loving the work that you’re producing. Last month on the podcast, I interviewed my friend Yasi Salavatian about incorporating brand voice into your business and your marketing. You can listen to that on episode 50 in case you missed it.
[00:00:35] And today I am talking to Angie McPherson about the visual side of your brand, more specifically your brand photos. Angie is a branding photographer, marketing strategist, and hype woman for creatives. She photographs entrepreneurs, brands, and influencers throughout the country, providing custom imagery to elevate their brand.
[00:00:56] She helps branding photographers build an impactful and profitable business through courses, digital products and coaching. She and I chatted all about how brand photos will help you stand out in an oversaturated market, which I think is something that we can all relate to regardless of where we live.
[00:01:12] We also talked about what to look for when you’re hiring a brand photographer and even how to get the most out of your next branding session. Angie is such a sweetheart And I know that you are going to love every second of this interview. So let’s get to it.
[00:01:26] Welcome to keeping it candid. I’m your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach. I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the back end of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way. And on a more personal note, I’m a strong enneagram 3 wing too who is obsessed with tacos, and my love for travelling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner.
[00:01:56] Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like working as a wedding photographer, where I’ll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends. So go grab your favourite notebook and pen, and let’s dive into this week’s episode.
02:14 Introducing Angie McPherson
[00:02:15] Thank you so much again, Angie, for joining me. I am so, so excited to get a chance to connect and talk a little bit more. but before we dive into all things, brand photography, I would love for you to just take a quick second to introduce yourself and let everybody know a little bit more about you.
[00:02:30] Angie McPherson: Yes.
[00:02:30] Hi. Well, thank you so much for having me. I am so excited to chat today. I’m Angie McPherson. I am a branding photographer, marketing strategist, and hype woman for creative entrepreneurs. I’m located in Virginia and I photograph entrepreneurs. worldwide. And I’m just excited to chat with you today. I’ve had a 10-year photography journey from pivoting from wedding photography to branding photography.
[00:02:54] So I know both sides of the coin there and I’m excited to chat.
[00:02:58] Sandra Henderson: I actually did my very first official branding session last year. And I loved it. I can totally see how so many photographers kind of like, it’s like you, you get that spark and it’s like, Oh, I really like doing this before I felt so intimidated to just pose a single person, but getting the chance to do some brand photography.
[00:03:18] I was like, okay, I see why this is so great.
[00:03:21] Angie McPherson: So much fun. It’s so much fun. And just. Less stressful than other, you know, niches of photography. I’ve just settled into it and I’m just like, I love it. I love it. And I just want to. Go deeper and deeper and reach more people and, and have more, you know, more experiences with branding photography.
[00:03:39] So it’s definitely a fun niche.
03:42 The Importance of Brand Photos in an Oversaturated Market
[00:03:42] Sandra Henderson: Oh, I love that so much. So why do you think that brand photos are so important for small business owners, whether that be wedding photographers or really no matter what industry you’re in?
[00:03:52] Angie McPherson: Yeah, I, I think it is so essential because we are, you know, especially photographers, When I was a wedding photographer, this is literally how I pivoted into branding photography.
[00:04:04] I was shooting weddings and, you know, in my local industry, everyone was showing photos of bouquets and rings and their clients. And not a lot of people were showing photos of themselves, the person behind the camera. And so my friend and I actually were like, Hey, and back in this day, it wasn’t called branding photography.
[00:04:24] It was like lifestyle headshots. My friend and I decided to meet up for lifestyle headshots and just swap another photographer. And I swapped and we brought like five different outfits. We’ve got our hair and makeup done. We were very intentional about the photos we were taking because we wanted them to align with our brands. We wanted them to go on our website, social media, and email marketing. So we were very intentional and we were doing this for the sole reason of setting ourselves apart from everyone else who was just posting photos of their work, of their clients. And as soon as I started posting photos of myself, my business just blew up.
[00:05:00] I mean, people were wanting to work. with me, not only because my work was beautiful, but because they wanted to work with me. And those are the type of inquiries you want to get in your inbox when someone’s already made the decision that they want to work with you. They’re not price shopping. They don’t like, you know, just a specific style of your photography.
[00:05:18] They are zoned in on you and they just want to know, how can I book you? And so that was the business that I had gotten into after I started sharing my branding photos. So they’re so important for. Small business owners, because every market is oversaturated. And that’s totally fine because we have our own unique personal brands or our unique personal, you know, personalities are unique approaches in our business.
[00:05:41] And if we share that, if we put that out into the world we’re going to be attracting the right people who can really have a transformation by working with us who can really sing our praises, you know, they’re going to have great testimonials for you. So you really want to connect with people on that personal level so that you don’t get the price shoppers so that you don’t get the people who are, you know, zoned in on something specific people who just truly see your potential.
[00:06:05] Your experience, your personality and your vibe. And you guys can just create magic together.
[00:06:12] Sandra Henderson: That was the best explanation as to why everybody should immediately be getting in front of the camera instead of just sticking behind. But one thing that you said that I really loved was talking about how it sets you apart.
[00:06:24] So when I’m looking to hire someone, I’ll go onto social media and see what kind of profile they have. It really stands out to me when I’m scrolling and scrolling and scrolling on Instagram, and I have no idea who you are or what you look like. For me, that sort of visual connection is really important.
[00:06:44] I want to know who you are as a person. And so that’s one thing, especially in markets. I love that you said that every market is oversaturated because it is so true. But we all know, being wedding photographers, like we feel that in the wedding photography industry, it seems like for every one photographer that leaves the industry, we’ve got 20 more that are joining.
[00:07:02] And so taking really beautiful photos isn’t enough anymore. And little things like putting yourself out there and letting people get to know you are so important in bridging that gap and getting people to see you and remember you as opposed to everybody else.
[00:07:18] Angie McPherson: Yeah. I, I hear so many people say, you know, in their respective industries, Oh, the market’s oversaturated.
[00:07:23] There’s too many, you know, X, Y, Z is exactly what I, you know, what I am. And I’m like, okay, you can’t control that, but what you can control is your narrative and how you connect with your audience and get people to be attracted to what you’re putting out there.
[00:07:38] Sandra Henderson: Focus that stress where it needs to be focused to be stressed
[00:07:43] Angie McPherson: on things that you cannot control. You cannot control the oversaturation of the market, but you can’t control yourself.
[00:07:50] Sandra Henderson: So what do you think makes a good or even not-so-good brand session?
07:55 Tips for Hiring a Brand Photographer
[00:07:55] Angie McPherson: Oh, I love this question. So what makes a good, a good branding session? I mean, both, I’m going to give you the same answer on different sides of the coin. What makes a good branding session is variety. Because there’s, there’s, there’s ways you can take headshots. You can take product photos, but in a branding session where you’re going in for a couple of hours, you have different ideas and different concepts, and you’re going to execute different props and accessories.
[00:08:22] A successful branding shoot is going to give you variety that you can use. across various platforms. So vertical images that you can use for Pinterest and Instagram, you know, real covers and then horizontal photos that you can use across your website, you know, as you’re scrolling down the page or YouTube thumbnails of a good, a good session is going to give you a lot of variety, but it’s also going to be consistent.
[00:08:47] The photos, the lighting, the colours. All of that is going to be consistent, even though you have variety in the types of photos you’re putting out there, lifestyle photos, headshots, product photos, behind the scenes, you know, things like that, that’s, that’s where the variety lies, but you’ve got to be consistent in how the photos actually come out because you want to have that brand recognition.
[00:09:08] If someone goes to your Instagram profile. And you have a gorgeous, you know, headshot as your profile photo. And then they go over to your website and the colours are completely like, it’s like, you almost have like a totally different photographer, your Instagram profiles, all bright and airy from one photographer you connected with.
[00:09:26] And then your website’s dark and moody. It screams inconsistent. And when things look inconsistent, you’re losing that trust factor. You’re losing that no like and trust factor. So a good branding photoshoot is going to give you consistent images with lots of variety. A bad branding photoshoot is going to get you a lot of inconsistency and really, No variety.
[00:09:48] So the same photos, you know, the same exact photos. Imagine you’ve done a branding shoot in your gallery. Everything looks the same. That’s not really a great branding shoot because you didn’t really leverage and maximize the time that you had. So, yeah, both sides of the coin. They can really, you know, make or break a branding photo shoot.
[00:10:05] Sandra Henderson: As you were saying that, my wheels were just turning about how that applies to my own business, but I’ve always done my branding photos, like, on the beach or, in like a white studio and my, My style editing and everything is all light and airy, but I live in Canada and we have four seasons here.
[00:10:23] I don’t just have beach weather all the time. And so I was just thinking, as you were saying that, like, it would make so much sense for me to get some photos in the fall so that I have photos that are consistent with the work that I’m showing to use all year round, and that would really maximize the amount of space I could stretch these photos out for.
[00:10:44] Angie McPherson: Yes, absolutely. And I love that you said that because I recommend people get branding photos done at least twice a year, like four times a year if you want to really do something special, but at least twice a year, because like you said, seasons change in your environment. Seasons change in your business.
[00:11:01] There are different seasons that you want to have different photos, different concepts, and different looks. I remember for myself, I did a branding shoot in the summertime and we went to a pool, I had vacation outfits on, I had magazines, I had, you know, fruity drinks and things like that. And I had, I use these from like May to like early September.
[00:11:21] And come in the fall, I was like, uh, I need fall photos. I need sweater weather and coffee and leaves in the background. And so I recommend at least. twice a year so that you’re able to show up year-round with fresh photos and be very relevant to what’s going on.
[00:11:38] Sandra Henderson: That is such gold. And that actually leads me perfectly to my next question for you.
[00:11:43] Do you have any tips for wedding photographers who are looking to hire a brand photographer for the first time?
[00:11:50] Angie McPherson: Oh, well, the first tip is to hire an actual brand photographer. Yes. So I come from the wedding photography world. I know what it’s like. Like I said, my first branding shoot was me and another wedding photographer.
[00:12:02] We met up, we swapped and that was before I, you know, pivoted. And it was great, you know, but when you’re at this level and you’re already a photographer. You’re going to have, if you’re already a wedding photographer, you’re going to have these preconceived notions in your mind about what you need. And if you connect with another wedding photographer, and of course, if you don’t have the budget for a branding photographer, absolutely fine.
[00:12:22] Go with a friend, go with a photographer, go with a wedding photographer. If you’re looking for an actual brand photographer, make sure that person is actually a brand photographer, and you’re going to know that by not them just saying, Hey, I’m a branding photographer, but their experience, ask them what the process is like, if they’re just going to show up and photograph you on the day of.
[00:12:45] It’s not really a legit branding photographer. It’s more of a lifestyle photographer capturing what’s in the moment. A branding photographer is going to send you a planning guide. They’re going to send you tips for planning and prepping for your shoot. As far as, you know, outfit inspiration, location ideas.
[00:13:01] What props to bring accessories, things like that. They’re going to set you up for success to help you prepare. They’re also going to send you a questionnaire because they want to get to know your brand. They can’t photograph your brand if they don’t know your brand. So they’re going to give you a questionnaire to really help the client.
[00:13:17] Of course, the photographer, you figure out. What their brand actually is. A lot of people are ready for a branding shoot, but they really don’t know what their brand is. And that’s how a branding photographer can help with branding. I call myself a marketing strategist because that’s what I am. I’m not just going to show up and take branding photos.
[00:13:31] I’m going to help you figure out what is the intention for the shoot? What’s your vision for the shoot? How can you use these photos to really connect with your audience and actually sell your services and products? And so when you’re looking for this branding photographer, like I said, make sure they’re sending you some type of guide or prep tips to get ready.
13:48 What Angie McPherson Thinks Makes a Good Branding Session
[00:13:48] Make sure they’re sending you a questionnaire so that you too can really nail down your vision for the shoot. Make sure that you are creating, like a vision board for them, a Pinterest board, a vision board, because there’s one thing about answering questions and there’s another thing about putting the vision into practice you know, a visualization that you can share.
[00:14:08] Sandra Henderson: Hey friends, I’m interrupting this episode because I wanted to remind you that the waitlist for my brand new template shop is now open. This template shop is going to be filled with everything you need to simplify and streamline your business behind the scenes. Including things like HoneyBook Smart File Templates, Email Swipe Files, workflow processes and tutorials to help you get them built inside your CRM. So many good things are coming. So head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop to get on the waitlist and you’ll also have a chance to enter to win a free bundle as well as get a little special something to say thank you for being here.
[00:14:45] simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop.
[00:14:49] Angie McPherson: I’ve had clients send something in a questionnaire. I’m like, Oh yeah, I’ve got it. This is great. And then they send the pinch, the pinch board. And I’m like, Oh, I see. They were going in this direction. And then I didn’t have that. It would not be in alignment with what they’re doing.
[00:15:06] So make sure that the planning guide questionnaire ends up a Pinterest inspiration board, and the number one thing I can say is make sure that you guys have a shoot plan. Most branding photographers will do this themselves but have an actual shoot plan that takes all of what you’ve talked about, the vision board, the questionnaire, the prep, what you’re bringing, and they’re putting into some sort of document that you guys can work from on a photo shoot day.
[00:15:31] So my shoot plan includes literally the addresses for all the locations that we’re going to, down to the street name, the zip code, and where the nearest parking lot is, because you’re working with a limited time. My branding shoots are three hours. We don’t have time to be circling the parking lot for 20 minutes looking for parking.
[00:15:48] And it also includes. This is a brief overview of their brand story. So I can really remember who they are as a brand. This also includes the concepts that we’re shooting. So I usually do 2 to 3 concepts for branding shoots. And by concepts, I mean, for example, if I’m working with a yoga instructor, one of our concepts might be, You know, meditation and, and I’ve worked with the yoga instructor and one of her concepts was meditation.
[00:16:11] So we took photos of her with, you know, headphones and their coffee with a notebook and, and captured a concept of her meditating and getting ready for the day. Another one of her concepts was one-on-one instruction because she does in-home yoga instruction with high-end clients. So she brought in a friend and we had her pose the client.
[00:16:31] And so those are just different concepts that you can have. So when you’re thinking about your own branding shoot. What concepts do you want to have in your business? What type of topics and content are you planning to share? What type of services are you planning to share? And so my branding shoot plan includes those concepts and the shot list for concept number one, the shot list for concept number two, the shot list for concept, number three, the prop list for concepts, number one, two, and three, the locations, and so just having it be thorough, but also giving space for the photographer to be creative. You don’t want them to go and feel like they’re like in the military checking off a checklist, you know, one, two, three, you want to make sure that it’s a guide and it’s a starting point so that you aren’t completely thrown off.
[00:17:16] Sandra Henderson: So two things, one, I need to go and find a real brand photographer immediately, like no offense to all my wedding photographer friends that I have done headshot swaps with, but that sounds like an absolute dream. I am so like, I’m such an organized person. And so type a that like that just, it would be so nice to have everybody just handle all of that for me.
[00:17:38] And then also I was thinking like for all the wedding photographers that are listening to this, I think your big takeaway is that your branding photographer should be treating you the way you treat your wedding clients when it comes to planning.
[00:17:50] Angie McPherson: Yes, exactly. Yeah, we know, we know wedding photographers.
[00:17:54] We know we don’t just show up to a wedding day. There’s a whole, there’s a whole, you know, front end of it where we’re prepping our clients and where we are getting the timeline of the day. And even my shoot plan includes the timeline, you know, if we’re shooting from 12 to 3, my timeline says 12 to 12, 15, we are setting up.
[00:18:14] Concept number one, 1215 to 1245, we are photographing these shots, these props, et cetera, et cetera. It’s not just a, Hey, we’re shooting 12 to three and we’ll figure it out when we get there. We need to know a timeline so that we can stay on track.
[00:18:27] Sandra Henderson: Yeah. That is so important. So for any photographers who are listening and have never done brand photos before, really feeling that hesitation of getting in front of the camera, do you have any words of encouragement to help them get past that intimidation?
[00:18:44] Angie McPherson: Oh boy – to not be intimidated my words of motivation are: It’s only going to help your business having branding photos is only going to help you connect more with your clients. It’s going to help you to stop just showing your work and actually showing a variety of the client experience. It’s going to help people connect with you on a personal level.
[00:19:11] It’s going to bring in more clients. More inquiries, more, more revenue and really more opportunities. Not only has branding photography brought me more clients, but just putting myself out there as a personal brand has. Got me speaking on stages, speaking on podcasts, you know, speaking in different groups, and just building my business that way.
[00:19:33] So having branding photos in your business, intentional branding photos that are just consistent and really showing who you are is only going to benefit you. And so, you know, some people say, Oh, I, you know, You know, I don’t have the time or, you know, I, I don’t think that people are going to care about me.
[00:19:54] Trust me, they will care about you. Think about the brands and the people that you interact with. Are you interacting with them because of what they’re selling, because of what they are, you know, what they’re putting out there for you to buy, or are you interacting with how they, how they give you great education on a specific topic?
[00:20:16] How the, for example, let me think of an actual, of an actual brand. Let’s just say maybe like a nutritionist, you know, she offers. meal plans. She offers things like, you know, like a 10-a-month meal plan or something like that. If I’m looking for a nutritionist, I’m not just looking at Instagram pages with a bunch of pretty pictures of food.
[00:20:36] You know, I want a variety of content. I want to know who this person is. Why should I trust her? Why is she the go-to nutritionist? You know, what’s her background? I want to know what she’s doing on the weekends. Is she going and she picking up local, you know, produce at the farmer’s market, that’s going to put her as an authority in my mind, because I’m seeing how she’s living personally in addition to what she’s actually selling. Now, she was just saying, here’s my meal. Here’s my meal. Here’s how you can sign up. You know, here’s a delicious… I’m just like, okay, great. That’s all great. I can get that from. You know, HGTV, not HGTV. What’s it called? The Food Network or a magazine. But if you want me to invest in you, then I need to be able to connect with you.
[00:21:25] And not only that, I’m going to tell. my friends about you. I’m going to, you know, send your link around to everyone else, especially, you know, with branding photography, it’s a great way to share your education as a business owner. You should be really educating your ideal clients to really show that authority that you have in whatever niche that you’re in.
[00:21:46] And so would you rather educate with just a bunch of like bullet points and text and stock photos and things like that? Or would you rather educate Show your face and say, Hey, here’s what I have to say about X, Y, Z. Like that is going to connect your clients more than just a regular stock photo that you took off of Google.
[00:22:07] Sandra Henderson: And there is nothing better than working with clients. That you just clicked with and connected with. They’re totally your people. You can be best friends with them outside of the wedding. And that happens when you’re able to make that personal connection. And we can even look at like big corporations.
[00:22:23] That’s why they have celebrity ambassadors and things like that because it gives a face for us to relate to.
[00:22:30] Angie McPherson: You’re still right. You’re still right. When you think of, like you said, when you think of brands and companies and you think of like Flo from Progressive. You know, like nobody was talking about progressive before Flo came along, and now Flo has like a team.
[00:22:47] She has like the, like two or three people that, you know, show up in these commercials and you know that look at Jake from State Farm, like I have State Farm, you know, and I’m just like, oh, like I, yeah, Jake from State, like you just connect with people. And if we’re just hiding behind what we’re selling.
[00:23:05] We were losing out on that connection. Branding photography is only going to bring you more revenue, clients, and opportunities.
[00:23:14] Sandra Henderson: Yes, absolutely. I think that is the perfect place for us to end. That was a mic drop moment, anything else that we say cannot top that. But that leaves me with my new favourite part of the podcast.
[00:23:27] I have a little, would you rather question to end things with. And so for any of our listeners who aren’t familiar, Angie was, on the TV show, press your luck.
[00:23:37] So I wanted to know, for your next TV game show appearance, would you rather go on The Price is Right or Family Feud?
[00:23:46] Angie McPherson: Oh my goodness.
[00:23:47] Okay. At this point, I have been on a couple of game shows. It is literally my hobby to apply for game shows. I really wouldn’t go on the strip one. I love that so much. And so, when I lost Press Your Luck, it was a devastating moment in my life. And it really was about luck. And so I think my next, my next game show, I want to pick a show that would have, I would have the best luck.
[00:24:16] So Price is Right. It’s like, hopefully, you get picked from the crowd. Hopefully, you get called up. Hopefully, you win. With Family Feud, it’s literally your family against someone else’s family. And I will take my odds on family feud any best family members that I can bring.
[00:24:36] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, for sure. I also am a huge Steve Harvey fan.
[00:24:40] So I got family here too.
[00:24:43] Angie McPherson: Yeah. And one of my, one of like my, my bucket list items is like having like a video go viral and but not like a video like I put on Instagram but like something funny like on Family Feud so my goal would be to like say something so funny and silly and it’s just like goes viral but hopefully nothing bad you know like something funny not like oh my gosh that was such a dumb answer.
[00:25:07] Sandra Henderson: Love watching the clips of Steve Harvey reacting to men who have said horrible things about their wives and then realized what they did after they said it. And Steve Harvey just looks at them like, no, what are you doing? I could watch this for hours. They’re so funny.
[00:25:25] Angie McPherson: I love it. I love it.
[00:25:27] Sandra Henderson: Awesome. Well, thank you so much again, Angie.
[00:25:29] This was such a fun conversation. I know that listeners are going to have so many takeaways to apply for their next branding session and hopefully they’ll find some inspiration to get in front of the camera the first time. So actually before we wrap up, if you could just let listeners know where to find you on social media and all the places where they can follow you.
[00:25:47] Angie McPherson: Yeah, you can check on my Instagram. It’s Angie Janine. So Angie and then J A N I N E, my middle name. Someone else had Angie McPherson, unfortunately, and then my website angiemcpherson.com.
[00:26:01] Sandra Henderson: Thank you so much again, Angie. This was amazing. You enjoy the rest of your day, and I can’t wait to connect again soon.
[00:26:07] Angie McPherson: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
23:40 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
[00:26:11] Sandra Henderson: Whether you’re doing a photo swap with friends or hiring a brand photographer, I think one of the most important takeaways from this interview with Angie is that you should be getting a variety of images beyond just new headshots. You also want to have photos that you can use for projects and launches down the road to get longevity out of the photos that you’re having done.
[00:26:29] When it comes to social media and your email list, it is never a bad idea to frequently reintroduce yourself to your audience as it grows, because you have to keep in mind that not every single person is seeing every piece of content that you’re producing. So letting them know who you are, and showing your face in various places on your website to help people get to know you and recognize you.
[00:26:49] These are all places where you are going to find your brand photos really come in handy. Another great benefit is that when it comes to sessions or consultations, I very rarely run into an instance where someone can’t find me because they know exactly who they’re looking for.
[00:27:04] I have my photo in my email signature.
[00:27:06] I have it included in my pricing guide. Everywhere that they could possibly be interacting with me, they’re gonna find a photo of me, so they’re always able to place a face with the name. And I mean, who doesn’t want to avoid awkward situations where people don’t know who you are or you think that someone is someone that they’re not?
[00:27:25] I, After 11 years in the industry have no shortage of embarrassing moments and situations that I’ve run into. And I will never forget waiting in a coffee shop for a consultation. And I saw this woman walking towards me and it was right at the time my meeting was supposed to start. She smiled in my direction.
[00:27:42] So I stood up, I introduced myself, and said, so nice to meet you. Then she replied by letting me know that she was actually there to see the person who was sitting in the booth behind me. She was not my potential client. And. So yeah, who doesn’t want to avoid a situation like that? Right. And having my photo all over my website and social media has definitely helped with that.
[00:28:03] And then being able to include photos when it comes to mini sessions and other launches that I’m doing in my photography business has really just been so helpful. So make sure that you’re getting a variety, especially if you don’t love being in front of the camera, because then you can get the most out of one session.
[00:28:21] And you don’t have to constantly be doing new sessions every few months or every year when you have new things that are coming out.
[00:28:26] And that wraps up another episode of the podcast friends. If anybody needs me, you can send me a DM, but I am laid up on my couch with my phone. So, um, I’m going to be talking a little bit about how I got my feet up, nursing myself through this wedding hangover.
[00:28:40] I had a wedding on Saturday and for anybody who is familiar with my story and my chronic illness journey, my wedding hangover is not just one day. It is usually about three or four days, if not more. And so I am in the thick of it right now and giving myself the time I need. To be able to rest. I plan this into my calendar ahead of time when I book weddings.
[00:29:03] So thankfully I don’t have a to-do list that’s piling up on me. Everything was scheduled around this. Highly recommend doing that. If you are listening and aren’t making time off a priority, it needs to go into your schedule first, but that’s a little side tangent soapbox for another day. You guys enjoy the rest of your week.
[00:29:20] Get some rest if you need it. And I will be back with our first July episode next week.
[00:29:26] Today’s episode of Keeping it Candid is sponsored by Aftershoot. Full disclosure, I took a break from using Aftershoot and have talked a lot about how incredible some other AI editing platforms are. And don’t get me wrong, that hasn’t changed.
[00:29:39] But I cannot deny how amazing Aftershoot’s new features are, and there was no question that I had to make the switch back. Aftershoot is an AI culling and editing platform that learns your style of editing based on the photos that you’ve already done in the past. And then applies that to new photos going forward.
[00:29:57] It’s not like finding presets where you just apply it to your photos and it doesn’t make any changes and you really have to heavily edit each one yourself. This actually learns your editing style and applies Lightroom settings to your photos the same way you would if you were the one who was actually physically moving the sliders yourself.
[00:30:16] With the AI culling feature, it’s able to sort through photos where people are blinking, photos that are blurry, and anything else that you might want to weed out as far as duplicates and things like that leaving only the best of the best for you to have to go through in a few minutes as opposed to a few hours.
[00:30:31] And the feature that brought me back to the platform is that all of this can now be done all in one. There is no more need to upload photos in Lightroom and then cull them an Aftershoot, and then load them back into Lightroom, and then edit them into Aftershoot.
[00:30:47] But now everything can be done inside the platform. The only time you have to bring them over to Lightroom is if you want to make any tweaks to the individual photos themselves. It’s an absolute game-changer and will save so much time. If you’re interested in trying it out, I want you to head over to simplysandreevon.ca forward slash resources to get a 10 percent discount using my affiliate link.
[00:31:07] Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today’s episode at simplysandrayvonne.ca/shownotes.
[00:39:29] In the meantime, let’s connect! You can find me on Instagram and TikTok, just search Simply Sandra Yvonne. And if you love this podcast, I’d be so honoured if you go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review until next time!
This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small amount of money if you make a purchase from any of our affiliates. This is done at no cost to you!
Maintaining consistency in a photography business is so important, but it’s not just about posting on social media every day. So today on the podcast, let’s talk about WHY it matters so much! To put it simply – consistency in client experience, brand materials, response times, tone of voice, and photo delivery is crucial for building trust and ensuring long-term success.
Keep reading for show notes and a full episode transcript!
Show Notes
Template Shop: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop
Save 50% on your first year of HoneyBook: https://share.honeybook.com/Sandra
My favourite photography business resources: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/resources
Takeaways
- Consistency in client experience, brand materials, response time, tone of voice, and photo delivery is crucial for long-term business impact.
- The use of CRM systems, such as HoneyBook, can streamline business operations and enhance client experience during busy wedding seasons.
Chapters
00:00 Recognizing Juneteenth and Supporting the Black Community
03:39 The Importance of Consistency in Wedding Photography Business
08:05 Streamlining Business Operations with CRM Systems
Check out my free, on-demand Masterclass! Inquiry To Onboarding – Creating An Effortless Client Journey | CLICK HERE!
Other Photography Podcast Episodes You’ll Love
Up-Level Your Client Experience With This One Simple Question
HoneyBook & Pic-Time Are Doing What?!
Creating A More Accessible Photography Business with Erin Perkins of Mabely Q
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Sandra Henderson: Diving into today’s episode, which is airing on June 19th, I wanted to take a moment to recognize the Black community and say happy Juneteenth to anybody who might be listening that celebrates
[00:00:14] Juneteenth is a date recognized in the United States as a commemoration of the end of slavery.
[00:00:22] Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was announced in September of 1862 to go into effect January 1st, 1863, it wasn’t until June 19th, 1865, that the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced in the southern state of Texas.
[00:00:37] Because of this, June 19th, or Juneteenth, is officially recognized as the end of slavery and celebrated by Black communities across the U. S. and worldwide.
[00:00:49] If you’re interested in learning more about the historical legacy of Juneteenth, I want you to head over to the show notes for today’s episode where you will find a link for the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
[00:01:00] I have also included a second link for the National Museum of African American History and Culture where you can make a donation if that is something that you are able to do. The Smithsonian has agreed at the time of recording this from what I can see on their website to match any donations up to 25, 000 in order of Juneteenth.
[00:01:19] So, if you are able, definitely go and check that out, read a little bit more into this, and then do a little bit more instead of only reading about the hard times and the horrible things that have happened to the Black community in history, look to find ways that you can support Black entrepreneurs and the Black community in your area.
[00:01:38] Okay. I have a little bit of a scenario I want to start today’s episode with. So press pause on all the things that you have going on around you for a second if you can. Close your eyes if you want to, and just walk with me through this:
[00:01:51] You get a wedding inquiry that you could not be more excited about.
[00:01:55] It’s at a dream venue. And this couple has the budget for your highest package. No questions asked. And at the consultation, you got along so well.
[00:02:04] You tell the couple that you’re gonna send over a proposal the next day and your anxiety starts building as soon as the consultation is over because you want to book this wedding so badly. Now, the next day you have a session in the morning and it takes every last bit of energy you have, so you unexpectedly have to take the rest of the day off. While you’re out of the office two more wedding inquiries come in.
[00:02:28] You’re feeling better on day three, and that’s when you remember that you have to get a gallery sent out. So you hop into Lightroom because you don’t want to deliver the photos late and you get those done. That evening, you have an engagement session out of town. So you pack up, you get in the car, you go to your session and by the time you get home, it’s time to call it a day.
[00:02:47] The next day is day four, and you’ve got a wedding. And on day five is wedding hangover day, when nothing is happening except for binge-watching some Netflix.
[00:02:56] On day six, you finally have a few minutes to go and check your inbox. And that’s when you realize that you forgot to send that proposal to the couple that you had a consultation with last week because they emailed you asking where it is and when they can expect it.
[00:03:10]
[00:03:10] And then those two wedding inquiries that came in, well, it’s been four days since then. Both couples have already booked consultations elsewhere and have told you they’ll get in touch if it doesn’t work out in the thick of wedding season. This scenario is all too familiar for photographers and wedding pros as a whole.
[00:03:28] So today I want to talk about what consistency means beyond posting on Instagram every day and what kind of impact it can have on your business long term.
[00:03:37] Welcome to keeping it candid. I’m your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach. I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the back end of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way. And on a more personal note, I’m a strong enneagram three wing two who is obsessed with tacos and my love for travelling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner.
[00:04:07] Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like working as a wedding photographer, where I’ll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends, so go grab your favourite notebook and pen and let’s dive into this week’s episode.
[00:04:23] More often than not, when I hear people talking about being consistent in their business, they’re talking about showing up on Instagram and social media. We hear it from quote-unquote social media experts and Instagram experts all the time that we need to be consistent, and consistent means showing up every day and doing all the things.
[00:04:40] But one, Consistency can look a lot of different ways, and two, there is a lot more to consistency than just showing up on Instagram every single day.
[00:04:50] When it comes to client experience, consistency can look like getting emails and other important documents sent out when you say you’re going to send them, delivering on brand materials like pricing guides and proposals that match everything else you’re putting out into the world, responding in the same window of time for every single person that contacts you, Using the same tone of voice and writing style in all of your email templates and delivering photos within the same time frame for all clients when you say you’re going to deliver them.
[00:05:21] I’ll be honest, especially that last one. I struggle with it. I would have a date in mind that I want to have these photos sent out, but if anything gets in the way of that happening, it completely throws off my game and I end up getting those photos out by the due date. And that is not what I want. It gives no consistency for when people can expect their photos and things like that.
[00:05:42] So, If you’re listening to this and you can relate to anything that I just said, don’t get down on yourself. It happens to everybody. And we are going to not focus on the things that we are doing wrong, that are not consistent, but we are going to be focusing on what we can do to make these things more consistent and easier in our businesses.
[00:06:02] So let’s talk a little bit more about why each of these is important and what kinds of tweaks you can make to make them more consistent. When it comes to having everything on brand, it’s like a cherry on top. It keeps everything visually appealing and easily recognizable.
[00:06:16] So when someone receives your pricing guide, everything looks exactly like they remember it from your website. It’s how they remember it from your social media. And there’s no sort of brain confusion on who they are talking about. Really makes it easier for people to remember who you are.
[00:06:31] When you’re consistently responding in the same amount of time, people know what to expect from you and it will stop people from following up incessantly because they, quote-unquote, aren’t sure if you received their email yet. We all know how annoying emails like that can be.
[00:06:48] Having a consistent tone of voice, again, lends to brand recognition the same way that having your visual brand colours and everything like that comes together. It gives your clients the feeling of having a personal experience, even though you’re working with so many other clients just like them. They know that it’s you speaking, but they don’t feel like they’re getting emails from four different people who sound nothing alike.
[00:07:10] And then consistency in delivering your photos within the same time frame, no matter what that looks like. Whether it be two weeks or six weeks, I don’t think that one is better than the other. you have to do what is right for you. So no matter what that looks like, it sets your clients up to know exactly what to expect from you every time they work with you.
[00:07:30] That every time they work with you might not apply if you are exclusively in the wedding industry. Hopefully, for the sake of your client’s marriages, they don’t have to come back to you a second time for wedding photos. But for my family photographers that are listening or newborn photographers, branding photographers, if you guys are working with your clients more than once, a lot of the time.
[00:07:50] And so, Making sure that they know what to expect and that they’re going to get that same experience every time they work with you is what keeps people coming back year after year. Beyond having them come back, we also want them to tell all their friends about us, right?
[00:08:04] Word of mouth is so powerful. And that consistent experience is what’s going to have people singing your praises from the rooftops, and then when someone that they know is looking for a photographer, you are going to be the first person that comes to mind.
[00:08:17] During busy season, it is so easy for things to start falling through the cracks when you have a million other things on the go. I have been there more times than I can count. And the best advice that I can give you is to set yourself up with a CRM system. I use HoneyBook, but whatever CRM that is going to be for you, create some workflows in there, get some on-brand templates set up and start delivering that consistent experience right from the very beginning.
[00:08:43] HoneyBook, in my humble opinion, is by far the best CRM out there for photographers, hands down, because of all the branding capabilities that it has. You can customize everything from colours to logos to fonts to the photos that you include, and they have so many templates that are pre-made for the photography industry.
[00:09:03] So all you really have to do is go in and drop your information and everything else is designed and ready to go.
[00:09:10] Now that you are in the thick of wedding season, I know you are probably thinking, okay, Sandra sounds good, but there’s absolutely no frigging way in hell I have the time to set up a new CRM system right now, let alone get any workflows ready. And I totally understand that. Don’t worry about it. My honey book moving day service is exactly what you need to get everything up and running while you focus on your clients and busy season. Honeybook moving day is when I get your Honeybook account set up and ready for you. Just like hiring professional movers on a moving day, I go in and I do all the heavy lifting and all you have to do is pick up your keys at the end of the day when it is all ready.
[00:09:48] If you are already living inside another CRM platform and you want to move over to Honeybook, I will be moving everything over there for you. If you are a new Honeybook user, then I will make sure that your account is running efficiently and has all of the settings set up that you will need to start building your templates and navigating your clients through the HoneyBook platform.
[00:10:08] And then I also have VIP days available where I will pop into your HoneyBook account and I will create templates for you and build out workflows so you can start enjoying all of the freedom that streamlined systems and automations can bring you again without having to do any of that heavy lifting yourself.
[00:10:25] I can’t believe that next week is already the end of June and we’ve got one more podcast episode coming out this month. Next week I am joined by the one and only Angie McPherson, an absolutely incredible brand photographer and educator.
[00:10:38] She is truly a gem. And I loved every second of our conversation. So make sure you come back next week to give that a listen, have a great rest of your week, and I will connect with y’all soon.
[00:10:50] The waitlist for my brand new template shop is now open. This template shop is going to be filled with everything you need to simplify and streamline your business behind the scenes.
[00:11:00] So head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/shopto get on the waitlist. You’ll also have a chance to enter to win a free bundle, as well as get a little special something to say, thank you for being here. that’s simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop.
[00:11:17] Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today’s episode at simplysandrayvonne.ca/keepingitcandid. In the meantime, let’s connect. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok. Just search simply Sandra Yvonne. And if you’re loving this podcast, I’d be so honoured if you go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review until next time.
Let’s talk about the struggle we all know too well: keeping up with social media. Instagram engagement is down, and new followers are few and far between. All in all, it’s exhausting! But here’s a refreshing thought: you don’t need to be everywhere all the time to make a big impact. Imagine focusing on the platforms that truly work for you and using strategic tools to lighten the load. Today on Keeping It Candid, I’m talking to Kara Duncan from The Kara Report, who shares insights on how to create a sustainable marketing strategy, the long-term magic of blogging, and the wonders of AI in content creation.
Ready to transform your marketing game and keep your sanity intact? Keep scrolling for links to the episode, show notes, and a full transcript.
Show Notes
Template Shop: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop
Wedding Photography Workflow Freebie: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/wedding-workflow
The Kara Report: https://thekarareport.com/
Kara Duncan’s Marketing Roadmap Freebie: https://thekarareport.com/roadmap
Save 10% on Aftershoot: https://account.aftershoot.com/referral-signup?referrer=YT1AEQW8
Takeaways
- Engagement on Instagram is down and gaining new followers and consistent engagement is harder than ever.
- Being consistent in marketing doesn’t mean you have to be on every platform every day. Choose platforms that work best for your business and focus on them.
- Blogging has long-term benefits and can drive traffic to your website for years.
- Using AI tools can help with copywriting and repurposing content for different platforms.
- Regularly evaluate which marketing tools provide a return on investment and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Chapters
00:00 The Challenge of Instagram Engagement and Gaining New Followers
06:22 Being Consistent in Marketing Without Being on Every Platform Every Day
13:42 The Long-Term Benefits of Blogging
25:07 Evaluating Marketing Tools for Return on Investment
About Kara
Kara Duncan is the writer behind The Kara Report, a content marketing agency serving women-owned service-based businesses. She specializes in website copywriting, along with offering done-for-you marketing services to get your business found in a sustainable search-driven way using Pinterest and Blogging. She’s worked with both six and seven-figure businesses across a variety of industries from wedding pros, course creators, fashion designers, and more.
Click here to get instant access to my brand-new free masterclass!
Other Episodes You’ll Love
042 Next Level Email Marketing Strategies with Candice Coppola
033 Ghosting: Why It’s Happening & What To Do About It with Michelle Harris
041 How AI Can Change Your Photography Business – And Your Life with Cameron and Tia
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Sandra Henderson: This year, we have been seeing a really big shift in Instagram, arguably even bigger than when Reels were first introduced and when video started being prioritized. Regardless of what kind of content you’re creating, engagement is down across the board. Gaining new followers and authentic, consistent engagement has literally never been harder.
[00:00:22] I gotta tell you guys I’ve been on Instagram since it first launched. I had all the terrible filters and all the things that went along with it and I’ve had my photography business on the platform since having your business on Instagram became a thing… and I don’t even enjoy being on the platform anymore.
[00:00:40] I feel like my feed is just filled with suggested posts. And if I want to look at things that people I follow have actually posted, I have to jump through hoops to try and find it.
[00:00:48] So for me, it has really just been taking away from that user experience and then from the business side of things, it’s really hard to want to put your energy into something that you’re not getting any return on investment on. I’ve never really been one to care about getting likes on my posts and new followers and things like that, but at the same time, when you put a lot of work into something and there are crickets after you put it out there, it is so frustrating and so so draining.
[00:01:14] And so that is where my guest on today’s podcast comes in. Kara Duncan is the writer behind The Kara Report, a content marketing agency serving women-owned service-based businesses, specializing in website copywriting, along with offering done free marketing services to get your business found in a sustainable search-driven way using Pinterest and blogging. She’s worked with both six and seven-figure businesses across a variety of industries from wedding pros to course creators, fashion designers, and more.
[00:01:42] I am so excited for you all to hear the amazing things that she has to offer during this interview. But selfishly, I knew that I had to have Kara on the podcast because I know she genuinely knows her shit, and any conversation with her always leaves me with a smile on my face, so I will literally take any chance to connect with her.
[00:01:59] We talked all about how you can be consistent in marketing without showing up on every platform every day, the long-term benefits of blogging, and how you can use AI to help you with Pinterest and copywriting. And we’re going to get right to it after the intro.
[00:02:13] Welcome to Keeping It Candid. I’m your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach. I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the back end of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way.
[00:02:28] And on a more personal note, I’m a strong enneagram three wing two who is obsessed with I’m obsessed with tacos, and my love for travelling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner.
[00:02:43] Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like working as a wedding photographer, where I’ll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends, so go grab your favourite notebook and pen and let’s dive into this week’s episode.
[00:03:01] Kara, thank you so much for joining me. I’m so excited to have you on the podcast, but before we dive into all the good things that I know are coming our way this episode, I would love it if you could just take a quick second to introduce yourself and let everybody know a little bit about what you’re all about.
[00:03:16] Kara Duncan: Yeah, I’m so excited. I love your podcast. I’m Kara. So my business is The Kara Report. We do a done for you blogging, Pinterest and website copy. And I’m a former destination wedding planner. And actually the business is still open and subcontractors just do the actual wedding planning work. So it’s kind of cool that I get to kind of treat my first business like a client and like experiment with marketing and all that kind of fun stuff.
[00:03:41] But I don’t do any of the planning. I’m full on marketing now. So it’s been super fun.
[00:03:46] Sandra Henderson: That’s awesome. I absolutely love. I mean, I’ve been in the wedding industry for about 12 years now, and so one of my favorite things at this point is just seeing how people’s careers progress, the things that change the things that were important to people at one point that aren’t important at another point.
[00:04:02] And so it’s super cool to see, like, What being in the wedding industry can lead to without it, like, you know, you going from planning weddings to planning birthdays, like you were able to still stay in the wedding industry and be a part of it all without having to keep planning events over and over again.
[00:04:21] Kara Duncan: Yeah, I totally agree with you. Like it’s, it’s so interesting to watch people’s careers progress in like unexpected ways, like I feel like a natural trajectory is like you said, like you go from wedding planner to maybe more event planner or coaching or like you progress that way. But it’s really cool when people do not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s just really cool when people branch off and like, like you do systems and blogging and that kind of like, it’s fun to see people like explore different interests and then do what they like.
[00:04:49] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, I totally agree.
[00:04:50] Kara Duncan: I know, possibilities are endless.
[00:04:51] Sandra Henderson: Right? Yeah. I mean, as like, more and more we saw over the last few years, people are just Flocking towards opening small businesses and being entrepreneurs. So there has, there’s definitely no shortage of avenues that you can take when, you know, if you ever reach the point where you’re just tired of what it is that you’re doing right now, which I can totally relate to.
[00:05:13] I, I always, whenever I talk about this, I’m like, God, I hope none of my wedding clients are listening because I love them and I don’t want it to sound wrong, but like, it’s definitely time for me to be phasing myself out of the wedding industry over the next couple of years. So yeah, clients, if you’re listening, don’t worry, everything’s still good.
[00:05:29] You’ll, nothing will happen to your booking.
[00:05:32] Kara Duncan: Yeah. Not tomorrow. Just in the future. Yeah. Just in the future.
[00:05:36] Sandra Henderson: And so I am so excited to dive into all things consistency in marketing with you, because when it comes to marketing and copywriting and all the, that side of like the creative side of your branding, you are the first person I think of.
[00:05:51] So I know listeners are going to have so many takeaways from this episode. But why don’t we kind of like start things off right in the beginning at the very basics and talk about what it means to be consistent. consistent in your marketing. Does it mean that you have to show up on every single platform every single day?
[00:06:09] Kara Duncan: Yeah, I love this question because I also think, okay, so much in marketing is like, there’s the people that are like, consistency is the most important thing. You have to do everything every single day. Like that’s how you get results. And then there are people that are like, consistency can mean anything.
[00:06:24] Like just. You know, blog once a year, like, whatever, as long as you’re consistent. And you’re like, there is a balance where you’re like, okay, how consistent? Like, first you have to choose something that is consistent. You know going to be possible for you to actually execute on but you also have to look at like what consistency means to actually get results.
[00:06:44] So like and it’s different per platform which is something you should think about when you choose your platforms. Like for example, one post per week on Instagram is consistent but it’s likely a waste of your time because in my opinion with the algorithms today like it’s not going to go. Grow your followers.
[00:07:00] It’s not really enough to nurture your followers. Like, it’s like, if that’s all that you have the time for, that’s all you have the time for. And there’s no judgment around that, but it’s like, maybe explore other avenues where that time could be better spent. Like one blog post per week, for example, is more than enough to be consistent.
[00:07:16] So by doing like less platforms, well, you know, you can be more consistent while still getting the results that you want.
[00:07:25] Sandra Henderson: I think it’s so important what you were just talking about, about kind of like thinking what you have the capacity for and not necessarily having to show up on the same platforms as everybody else.
[00:07:35] Because like you said, like one post on Instagram a week is probably not going to get you very far, but one blog post a week could be giving you a return for years after this. And so just kind of like, Exactly. And so I think just give it people giving themselves permission to do things differently is something that I am always advocating for because you don’t, you don’t have to be on Pinterest or sorry, I shouldn’t, you should be on Pinterest, but like, you don’t have to be on Instagram.
[00:08:03] You should be in all the places, but you don’t have to be in all the places. Like, I think there are so many successful businesses out there that are not on all the platforms every single day. So I’m so glad that you brought that up.
[00:08:14] Kara Duncan: Yeah. And I think like we see as like. Confirmation bias, right? Like, we’re seeing that everyone’s telling us we have to be on Instagram, but it’s like, where are people telling us that on Instagram?
[00:08:26] Right? So you’re like, you’re listening to people that believe Instagram is the best way, but there are a lot of people that are just not active on Instagram that are still running profitable businesses, but you’re not there. Seeing them because you’re only looking at on Instagram.
[00:08:38] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, absolutely. And I always think too, when I see people saying like, you have to post two reels a day and you know, a static post and show up in your stories 10 times, like they come up with all these numbers on how many times you should be on Instagram in a day or how many times you should be posting on TikTok in a day.
[00:08:56] But the goal and like the information they’re giving is not wrong, but the goal is to get more followers. And so when I hear photographers like focusing so heavily on like, well, I’m not showing up on this platform enough. I always ask them like, well, what is your goal? Is your goal to have 10, 000 followers or is your goal to book clients?
[00:09:15] Because these tips that they’re giving you are, if you want to. Yeah. 000 followers. It’s how to succeed on Instagram. It’s not how to succeed in your photography business.
[00:09:25] Kara Duncan: Yeah, I totally agree with you. There’s such a pressure to hit like a certain metrics and especially in the wedding industry. I know you have listeners across, you know, industries, but sometimes it’s like, how many clients do you need?
[00:09:38] Like we don’t need a thousand followers to get the amount of clients you want.
[00:09:43] Sandra Henderson: Oh, such a good point. And I think that like. The amount of clients that would come along with having like a million followers on Instagram, I don’t have the time for that. I don’t know anybody else who has the time for that.
[00:09:55] So if that, if that applies to you, then all for it. But I definitely do not want the client influx that may come along with having that many followers. I’m current, well, words are going to be a struggle today. But I am like totally okay with not like being an influencer and not going viral, my client load that I have.
[00:10:13] Coming from my blogs and word of mouth and things like that is totally manageable. So I think just like your overall capacity is super important to think about too, when you’re vying for goals, like having all these followers and things like that.
[00:10:26] Kara Duncan: Yeah, 100%.
[00:10:28] Sandra Henderson: We talked a little bit about if it’s important to show up in all the places every single day.
[00:10:34] And one thing that was a huge game changer for me going back to Instagram again, cause I think that’s like the platform that we all think about the most when it comes to our marketing. With somebody saying like, if you’re in your stories and you’re replying to messages and you’re posting, those are all forms of showing up on Instagram and being consistent.
[00:10:54] It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have a static post seven days of the week. You could have a static post. Three days of the week and be showing up in your story six days of the week responding to DMs. And that is still you active on Instagram.
[00:11:08] Kara Duncan: Yeah, I totally agree. Yeah. I think there’s like so much pressure.
[00:11:12] Yeah. To, like you said, mean that showing up means posting and it doesn’t necessarily, there are so many other ways. Like, I like to think of like, I think a lot of this. Stuff that goes like viral on Instagram or advice on Instagram is about using Instagram as like a top-of-funnel strategy, right? Like, it’s like, how can I get the absolute most people to find me?
[00:11:36] Which is like, okay, reels. I feel like that’s a general thing that people are agreeing on. If you want more people to find you, reels are kind of where it’s at. But it’s like where I find Instagram to be so effective is like as a nurture. Right. So that’s in your stories and in your DMs and like commenting on other people.
[00:11:53] Like I don’t really use Instagram that much for my business. And I just like literally only pop on like every couple of days to like check what my clients are doing. And. That’s a good one for me to connect to them. And like, even though they’re already clients, I’m not getting extra clients from it, it’s like a great way for me to like nurture that relationship and stay in touch with their business and show them that I care about them and your clients might feel the same way.
[00:12:20] And even in the wedding industry, like I kind of said, I use my other wedding business to test things. And like our Instagram strategy is literally like, we’ll do a post whenever we book a new client. Yay, the countdown begins. Do you know what I mean? And so it’s like, that is sometimes very, very infrequent.
[00:12:38] And also We just like to update old blogs because we wrote a ton of blogs in like the first few years and now we just update them. Like we haven’t really published a new blog in three years, like since COVID. Oh, that’s amazing. And it’s like, Google’s our number one referer. It’s amazing.
[00:12:57] Sandra Henderson: I hope that gives everybody listening a little bit of motivation to hit their blog because some of my most successful blogs like I have one for fall mini sessions that written back in 2017. And now it’s 2023. And these are still. sending hundreds of people to my website. We have Magnolia trees in London and I have actually keyworded all of my blog posts for Magnolia trees to cherry blossoms because that’s what people are looking for in the spring.
[00:13:27] And we don’t have any cherry blossom trees here, but most people don’t know that they’re not cherry blossoms. And so I, this. April and May had 1500 people come to my website from two blog posts that I wrote back in 2016. So I hope that, like, it gives people a little bit of motivation to see what the power of taking that time that you have instead of, you know, Trying to force yourself on Instagram seven days a week, maybe take some of that energy and pop out a blog post and just reap the benefits of that for a long time going forward.
[00:14:00] If you’ve done it strategically, I should say.
[00:14:02] Kara Duncan: Yeah. Well, you know what? Yeah, to add to that, I totally agree with everything you just said. I would also say that like blogs don’t necessarily always have to be perfect to rank. Like I look at my wedding business and I started it as a blog and You know, like my first blog post I look and it’s like, how are these ranking?
[00:14:21] And many of them aren’t right. But if you’re like, some of them are, and you’re like, sometimes it doesn’t need to be perfect if people find it helpful and stuff like that. And then also I kind of relate it lately to like, I don’t know if everyone else’s TikTok is blowing up about this, but I get a lot of like print on demand, like get rich with print on demand or like, whatever.
[00:14:42] It’s like the latest trend. And one of the big things that they say is like, you’re going to create a hundred designs and like two designs will make you rich. Right. Or whatever. And it’s like, I find the same with blog posts. Like you can’t just write, you know, it’d be nice if every single blog post you wrote brought in like hundreds of hundreds of people every month or whatever.
[00:15:02] But oftentimes it’s like, no, but you wrote once a week and like, let’s say that’s 52 blogs. And then like five or six brought you enough to fill your calendar for the year. Right. So.
[00:15:14] Sandra Henderson: Yeah. And that would be an amazing return on investment. Is it true that publishing these blogs, like we’ll keep going with this once-a-week reference that if you did publish these 52 blogs in a year and only five or six of them were actually like generating revenue for you, doesn’t Google and other search engines take it as like a green check in your favor that you are constantly posting onto your website?
[00:15:36] Kara Duncan: Yeah, totally. Google like any other platform values consistency.
[00:15:41] Sandra Henderson: I know that a lot of people are feeling the weight of Instagram and especially in the wedding industry, feeling the weight of like, things being really quiet this year for bookings in comparison to how it has been the last few years. So I’m hoping that people will take advantage of this lull in bookings and really focus on blogging because that is, I know for me anyway, and for a lot of other businesses out there, it’s been such a game changer.
[00:16:06] Kara Duncan: Yeah, I think like, one of the reasons I like love blogging or like Pinterest, like you said, I kind of consider the two hand in hand, because like if you’re blogging, you take the time to also put it on Pinterest, but you’re like thinking of like the frame of mind people are in, like when people are on Instagram, they’re just like scrolling, and when people are on Google or Pinterest like they’re looking.
[00:16:26] Right. I’m like catching people at a much better time. And one of the things like, let’s say your website ranks without a blog. It’s like a blog can keep them on your website and like warm them up. So like if I found your website, I read a few blog posts and I hit your contact form. I’m like much warmer than if I just found your website, and hit your contact form.
[00:16:48] And then maybe I’m like, Oh, you know, I’m having fun planning my wedding. Like, I’m going to go back to Google and just like, look at other options. Right. It’s like really good way of keeping people in your orbit. And again, in like a sustainable way where like, it’s not like Sunday morning and you’re like, okay, what am I going to post on Instagram today?
[00:17:04] Like interrupt family time or like, whatever.
[00:17:07] Sandra Henderson: Right. And for me, like, if I’m posting on the fly, that means I’m not posting because I just, I will sit there. I’m like, I don’t know what to say. I don’t have the energy to think of something to say, or I’ll start writing and then I’ll be like, okay, I’ll post that later because, you know, trying to think of the good time to post, which.
[00:17:24] I go so in and out of like, there’s no such thing as the good time. And then maybe there is a good time. And I’m back into like, there’s no such thing as a good time. But I would save these posts and like, I’m going to post it in the evening when Instagram says it’s better. And then I would just forget about it.
[00:17:37] And so like, I’m totally like I have to plan out my content. And I usually plan it for a whole month. If I can get it. Halfway through that month on schedule, then I’m pretty happy with myself but it just feels good to at least have it all laid out so that I can come in and out as my energy flows and schedule allows so that I always know what’s going, even if I haven’t posted for a couple of days,
[00:18:01] Kara Duncan: totally.
[00:18:02] Sandra Henderson: You actually mentioned I want to dive into this a little bit further, but you talked about if you are blogging to please also be putting that up on Pinterest. And then I was going to raise my hand and be like guilty because I’ve done it a couple of times. I’m definitely not doing it every time, and it’s one of those things that, like, when my schedule gets busy, I’m like, Pinterest is gone.
[00:18:20] Like, that’s gonna free up at least some mental space. But I would love to talk about how you are able to utilize content on multiple platforms, and how that can help photographers be more sustainable when it comes to their marketing efforts.
[00:18:36] Kara Duncan: Yeah, definitely. So, like, like you said, using a scheduling tool definitely helps.
[00:18:40] I love Tailwind for Pinterest. I wish other platforms Did what tailwind could do But basically, it’s like yeah when you write a blog depending on how consistent you are with blogging if you’re blogging sporadically, please still keep doing it. Google doesn’t penalize not being consistent as much as other platforms But then maybe you’re gonna create like five or ten pins and like just schedule them You know, manually on Pinterest or using Tailwind. Tailwind is nice cause you can kind of do multiple boards, which gives you more pins for your bang for your buck or whatever.
[00:19:16] Sandra Henderson: And I think you get like 20 free pins a month on there for you or something like that.
[00:19:20] Kara Duncan: Totally do. And, it doesn’t need to be up the second that you post, like if you are blogging once a week, like, you know, schedule your pins once a month or something like that.
[00:19:29] And don’t forget to do all the blog posts too is what I always tell people. So like when I’m doing Pinterest for a client, I’m not just like looking at their new stuff. I’m looking at like, what are their top performing blogs like last year during this season, or like, what’s going to be, what are people going to be searching for in the winter and like prioritize those.
[00:19:49] But Pinterest is a super easy platform to batch and they don’t require you to show up every day. Another thing that I do for Pinterest clients is I will download their Instagram Reels, especially the ones that don’t look Instagram-specific. So like if you’re putting like, read the caption on your Reels, it’s a little harder to reuse.
[00:20:07] On Pinterest, you can put it in the description, but it’s not a super great user experience. But for like, Ones where photographers specifically it’s like, you know, there’s like two seconds of a video or something and then it’s like 85 different photos Like you could definitely download that and put it on Pinterest.
[00:20:23] I like to use it as a video pin Instead of an idea pin it’s kind of up in the air what they’re doing with idea pins They kind of said they’re getting rid of it. And now they’re saying they’re merging it So honestly, I’ve seen better results with video pins lately So
[00:20:36] Sandra Henderson: yeah, yeah, I have to quickly interrupt you because I admit I’m not a huge Pinterest user.
[00:20:43] I go on like every now and then to update inspiration for what my clients should wear to their family sessions and to look for the odd recipe. But I, so because of that, I actually, I’ve heard the term idea pin so many times and I keep meaning to find out what the hell an idea pin is. And now you’re saying that they might actually potentially get rid of it.
[00:21:02] So please quickly explain to me, even if they are getting rid of it, what is the difference between a regular pin and an idea?
[00:21:09] Kara Duncan: So idea pins, you couldn’t add a link So they weren’t okay for business owners. They were You know, maybe good for content creators, but at the same time, Pinterest followers are not as like highly valued as like Instagram followers.
[00:21:24] So like if your content, you’re trying to leverage your metrics. I don’t know. It wasn’t really a win-win for everyone. Anyone except maybe the consumer because the consumer can have access to like zero click content like where they don’t actually have to go to your website and you’re sharing the recipe in like An idea pin could be like a mix of video and pins.
[00:21:43] So like think about like an Instagram stall or something like that like you so you could like in theory Pinterest wanted you to share like a how-to or like You know a whole wedding so people can swipe through and stuff like that And then they never have to go to your website But business owners didn’t necessarily love using it because people business owners want it Up to their website, right?
[00:22:05] So right it was something I feel like they tried and they tweaked, you know to make work But ultimately I don’t think I don’t know I don’t think it was super successful because then they tried adding idea pins, but it was only in beta And now I think they’re gonna just get rid of it, but I could be wrong
[00:22:20] Sandra Henderson: Today’s episode of Keeping It Candid is sponsored by Aftershoot.
[00:22:25] Full disclosure, I took a break from using Aftershoot, and I’ve talked a lot about how incredible some other AI editing platforms are. And don’t get me wrong, that hasn’t changed. But I cannot deny how amazing Aftershoot’s new features are, and there was no question that I had to make the switch back.
[00:22:43] Aftershoot is an AI culling and editing platform that learns your style of editing based off the photos that you’ve already done in the past and then applies that to new photos going forward. It’s not like finding presets where you just apply it to your photos and it doesn’t make any changes and you really have to heavily edit each one yourself.
[00:23:02] This actually learns your editing style and applies Lightroom settings to your photos the same way you would if you were the one who was actually physically moving the sliders yourself.
[00:23:13] With the AI culling feature, it’s able to sort through photos where people are blinking, photos that are blurry, and anything else that you might want to weed out as far as duplicates and things like that, leaving only the best of the best for you to have to go through in a few minutes as opposed to a few hours.
[00:23:28] And the feature that brought me back to the platform is that all of this can now be done all in one. There is no more need to have to upload photos in Lightroom and then call them in Aftershoot and then load them back into Lightroom and then edit them into Aftershoot. But now everything can be done in
[00:23:45] inside the platform. The only time you have to bring them over to Lightroom is if you want to make any tweaks to the individual photos themselves. It’s an absolute game-changer and will save so much time.
[00:23:58] If you’re interested in trying it out, I want you to head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/resources to get a 10 percent discount using my affiliate link.
[00:24:08] That makes a lot of sense. Like from the consumer standpoint, it’s nice to not have ad generated content. But. I feel like all, if not like 99 percent of the people creating the posts going on Instagram are business owners that want to redirect off the platform.
[00:24:25] So from our standpoint, I can definitely see how like that doesn’t make sense and would cause a lot of problems for people.
[00:24:30] Kara Duncan: Yeah, like it’s kind of like if you go to get a recipe and you have to like scroll through the food bloggers like stuff. Story first. Life story. But yeah, it’s like, okay, nobody actually wants that.
[00:24:40] So if IdeaPens just like skip to that, but then at the same time, yeah, food bloggers have to make money. Otherwise, what’s the point of them doing it? Right? Right. There has to be somewhat of a win-win, because it’s like, you as a business owner, like, we don’t want everyone to stop creating content. And like, that’s kind of how I feel about like, Google is making some changes. So people are like, a little nervous about it, right, especially if they rely on SEO.
[00:25:04] And it’s like, ultimately, like, Google is Just testing things, right? They’re not like permanently changing anything. Algorithms are always going to be changing. And if you like, because I think one thing that they’re testing is like just an AI generated answer at the top, right? And you’re like, that’s fine.
[00:25:21] But if everyone that is creating the content that is ultimately like giving Google that answer if they stop because it’s not worth it to them. That’s not going to be good for Google, right? So it’s like, it really has to be this like win win we have to do. We have to serve our customers. And then we also have to make sure that we’re doing things that give us an ROI.
[00:25:40] So just balancing that and then one quick tip that I’ve been doing more that I want to share with repurposing your content. If I’m writing a blog post, I’ve started using AI to be like, create a caption from this one paragraph. Cause I think I know you have AI people coming on the show or maybe have already been on the show.
[00:26:01] But I feel like there’s like a lot of like, AI is unethical or stealing other people’s content or whatever. And like all valid, but it’s like, you can also use it for your own content and be like, can you just make this paragraph of this blog post? You know, if your blog post has like three or four, you know, the meat of the paragraph or whatever, it’s like, that can be three or four Instagram captions and you can like, and it’s your own content, own ideas and that kind of stuff.
[00:26:26] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, I am totally with you. Like, all the hesitations and concerns around AI are totally valid, but I absolutely love what, like, something like ChatGPT is able to do with your own content. Like, I’ll take something, a paragraph that I’ve written that says, It’s two, three, four sentences long. I guess two sentences are not a paragraph.
[00:26:47] The English nerd in me was just raging as I said that, like two sentences is not a paragraph, but like if I have a paragraph and I want it to be longer and I’m just like struggling to elaborate on what I want to say, it’s nice to be able to put it into chat, chat, GPT and just see what it says. Like I’m never using anything word for word, but it’s saving me so much time getting me out of ruts that I get stuck in.
[00:27:08] And I just, I love it. I could go on forever, but the photography side of AI,
[00:27:13] Kara Duncan: I know I’m like pro AI as well. And yeah, like you said, sometimes I’ll literally be writing like three sentences. Cause I’m like looking through, you know, like if I’m blogging for a photographer, I wasn’t at the wedding.
[00:27:25] Sometimes I just have to think like, okay, how am I going to put this all together? So it’ll be like, you know, bridesmaids wore green dresses, the couple had a first look, this was the venue. It’s like, can you turn this into a paragraph?
[00:27:40] Sandra Henderson: Right. Turn it into a story that people actually want to read, not point form with like random thoughts about the day.
[00:27:46] Kara Duncan: Right. Yeah. It’s super helpful. And like you said, it’s like, literally, can I just copy and paste that? But it’s like, sometimes it will give me ideas on how to like flow these like things together.
[00:27:57] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, absolutely. Or like there’s times that I’m like, no, that’s 100 percent not what I want to do. And so it’ll like, there’s been times where it’s just reframed the way that I’ve approached things.
[00:28:07] And so, yeah, I think there’s so many benefits to it. And I’m excited to see it because this is just the beginning. At the start of it we are not even at the tip of the iceberg. So yeah,
[00:28:15] Kara Duncan: I totally agree like I had what was I writing? I wanted something about like being a wedding copywriter, like to rank on that keyword.
[00:28:22] So I’m like, Oh, write a blog about this or whatever. It wasn’t chat GPT was a different one. And it literally like wrote me an entire 3000-word blog post on like But it was geared toward couples hiring a wedding copywriter for their wedding website, which you’re like, to my knowledge, that’s not a thing.
[00:28:40] Thank you for the 3000 words, but like, none of this is usable. Not one word.
[00:28:46] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, when I first started playing around with it, it was definitely like writing everything to like the couple that was looking to hire a photography coach. And I’m like, no, like, that’s not quite what we’re going for here
[00:28:58] Kara Duncan: and we’re using it. I feel like, I’m excited. And like you said, I feel like a lot of the Instagram stuff that we see is all about, like how you can use AI to write stuff. And it’s like, I’m so excited about the non-writing stuff we can use AI for, like you said, for photography and like, you know, like a fathom note taker is one that I see in almost every zoom room now.
[00:29:20] And it never used to be a thing, right? And you’re like, there’s like tango for SOPs. You’re like. All of those things I’m like, so excited about.
[00:29:29] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, I’m totally with you and just like, There’s so many different ways we can use it. And I’m excited about all of it. So just kind of like, going back to like, we’re saying, use this as inspiration and a tool to get you started.
[00:29:40] When I was first playing around with chat GPT, I was saying how, like, it was really just making everything geared towards the couple that was looking for a photography coach, which did not apply. I did ask it to just write out a workflow for wedding photographers because I was just curious as to what it would see what it would say to do versus the workflow for wedding photographers that I already have shameless, plug.
[00:30:02] I will include the link for that in the show notes because I do have a freebie for that. But the workflow that it wrote for me had the couple reaching out to the photographer to confirm their contract details one month before the wedding day. And so when I saw that, I was like, okay, guys, we don’t need to worry about AI taking our jobs.
[00:30:22] Like, totally fine. We are still years away from a point where we have to worry about that because if couples are taking this advice and they are trying to finalize a contract with a wedding photographer one month before their wedding, they are going to be sorely disappointed. So, yeah, I definitely do not have any concern whatsoever at this point that AI is going to be taking my job in any capacity.
[00:30:44] Kara Duncan: I totally agree.
[00:30:46] Sandra Henderson: So that wraps up all the questions that I have for you, but if you could leave listeners with one final takeaway that will help them stay consistent with their marketing, what would that takeaway be?
[00:30:56] Kara Duncan: I think it would just be like regular check-ins on what marketing tools are providing you an ROI. And considering the best practices of a whole platform and not feeling like you have to be on one platform. Right. So like if. Like, for example, TikTok. I love TikTok. I think it’s a great marketing channel. I do not have the bandwidth for, like, what it demands.
[00:31:19] Maybe I will in the future, right? And, like, the busier you are, the, you know, the more dialled in I think you have to be. Like, if you’re in the start of your business, I like to say, like, Do try everything. Like, don’t do everything perfectly, but try everything. Because a lot of times I think people start their photography business, obviously they start on Instagram, and they are, you know, then surrounded by people who tell them Instagram is the only way.
[00:31:42] And it’s like, consider the source, right? And like, be open to other ideas. Because like, if anyone’s going to tell you, you can’t run a business without Instagram, like you absolutely can. Many people are, and you’re just not seeing them because they’re only looking on Instagram.
[00:31:59] Sandra Henderson: Such a good point. And you were saying like, you don’t have the capacity to do all the things that TikTok they claim to require.
[00:32:07] I literally just like, take, I saved my Instagram reels and I posted over on TikTok and I don’t change anything. And it’s been so interesting to me to see how completely differently they perform. And like, there’s yet to be a reel slash TikTok that has seen It’s performed equally on both platforms. It either does really well on Instagram and does horribly on TikTok, or it does really well on TikTok and it’s just like mediocre on Instagram.
[00:32:34] So that has been…
[00:32:35] Kara Duncan: which I feel like is like, where it’s hard, right? It’s like when you’re comparing things, you’re actually comparing them with data instead of like, well, I like sharing photos of my coffee more than I like blogging, which same.
[00:32:48] Sandra Henderson: Yeah. And I think it just like, hopefully, it will give people permission to show up a little bit messier. And just kind of evaluate what is working best for you to make educated decisions in your business. And if you don’t have the capacity to show up in all the places, that’s okay. I think like we’ve driven that point home a few times in this episode.
[00:33:07] And I know that that’s something that I think is super important as a business owner. So I’m glad that we got to touch on it so much.
[00:33:13] Kara Duncan: Ya absolutely.
[00:33:15] Sandra Henderson: I just have one last fun little, like, would you rather question for you? Now I know you are retired from the wedding planning industry, but would you rather plan a celebrity wedding, which like we can all imagine would probably be one of the most stressful, difficult weddings to plan, or would you rather copywrite for someone who hasn’t taken the time to figure out who they are, what they do and who they want to work with?
[00:33:42] Kara Duncan: Oh, I think I would rather copywrite and the reason is because sometimes I will have people come to me like that. And even though I try and get it out of them, sometimes it’s like, well, I’m just not good with words or whatever. And it’s like, that’s great because part of my job as a copywriter is like, I’ll invent an angle that I think will work for you.
[00:34:04] Sometimes people are like, they think that they’re bringing me all this not to go on another tangent, but they think they’re bringing me a lot. But it’s like that their ideal client is between 25 and 35 and makes 200, 000 a year. And you know what I mean? You’re like, This is like, and it’s so much and like, how helpful is it really?
[00:34:20] So sometimes I’m like, Oh, Hey, like after I like stalked your Instagram for the last four years, I decided that this angle is actually like what makes you different. Even though, you know, cause it’s an outsider. I’m like, I’ve never seen that before. But as you as a business owner, sometimes you’re like, I don’t do anything special.
[00:34:37] Whatever.
[00:34:38] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, for sure. It’s nice to have a different perspective on it because like I was saying earlier, like, I feel like I, my consistency is all over the place. But then I have someone like you following me, we follow each other and you’re able to see that. And you can give that like, different insight into how things look because.
[00:34:55] We are definitely our own worst enemies when it comes to running a small business. I think we are all going to be guilty of that. So that’s nice to know that working with someone like Kara for copywriting, they’re going to come in. And if you aren’t quite sure what’s going to happen or what you should be doing, you’ve got a professional to help you steer you in the right direction.
[00:35:12] I know, like for me, my ideal client was totally like the 25 to 35 for up until about a few years ago, for everybody that’s listening, Kara and I work with the same business coach, Candice Coppola, I give her a little bit of a shout out. But yeah, it was like every single person who teaches ideal clients in the photography industry is like, how much did they make?
[00:35:32] What gender are they? What’s their name? Like, let’s come up with just a basic dating profile for them. And it wasn’t until I started working with Candice and took a workshop with someone else that taught Just kind of like diving in really deep to think about what their concerns are and like what their values are in life and things like that, that I was like, oh, okay, now I understand why this is such a game changer.
[00:35:54] Kara Duncan: Yes, yeah, totally. Because you’re like, well, I don’t get it. I’m filling it out. Right? How come it’s not working? Yeah, right. Yeah, I would vote that unless it’s like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, then I’ll come out of retirement, but anyone else is not worth the stress.
[00:36:08] Sandra Henderson: This, I, I am all for little tangents, so now it’s my turn to do a little tangent.
[00:36:12] But it has been like, I live for making fun of sports. I am not a sports person by any stretch of the imagination. And so like my good friends who are really, really sporty and like my best friend is like so into sports. And so like I get my entertainment from just like kind of poking the bear and making fun of it a little bit.
[00:36:31] So this whole Taylor Swift Travis Kels thing is like. Raining down from the heavens for me and like, I saw a t-shirt that was like something about here to see Taylor Swift’s boyfriend play I saw another thing about how, like, Taylor Swift is visiting all these stadiums before they get turned into Mojo Dojo Casa houses, and I’m like, oh, this is everything I need in my life.
[00:36:51] So thank you, Taylor Swift, because I’m going to be, I’m going to be looking at this for months. It’s just so much fun.
[00:36:58] But thank you so much, Kara. This was such a fun interview and I know listeners are going to have so many takeaways that they can apply to their businesses.
[00:37:04] Sandra Henderson: It was so great chatting with you. Thank you so much again. And I look forward to connecting with you again in the future.
[00:37:11] I recorded this episode with Kara back in October when the media entirely revolved around all things Barbie, Taylor Swift, and Travis Kelce. And honestly, as I was listening back and doing the editing, I was seriously patting myself on the back for being able to drop the words Mojo Dojo Casa House during an interview about marketing.
[00:37:30] Now, if you want to find Kara online, you can find her on Instagram at TheKaraReport, and you can also listen to her podcast, also called TheKaraReport. It is one of my favourites to listen to, and I know that you guys are going to love it as much as I do. Now, my own takeaway from this episode confirms what I’ve already been feeling.
[00:37:48] I need to start putting more energy into marketing platforms that have a long-term return, like Pinterest and my blog, because it’s how I will be able to stay consistent no matter what I’m dealing with health-wise. That’s what drives everything I do in my systems business, that drives so much of what I talk about here on the podcast, and so it’s time to start practicing what I preach and really embracing those long-term marketing strategies this year.
[00:38:12] If blogging is something that you are struggling with, I do offer a blog writing creation service. That’s not something that I really talk about a whole lot because it’s just something that I do when I have the free time in my calendar available, but I absolutely love writing. And off and on over the last 12 years, I have actually been ghostwriting blogs for other photographers.
[00:38:31] So what this looks like, it can be just content creation. Whether you are doing educational blog posts or if you are a photographer or a wedding pro writing about a specific wedding or photos or anything like that, we can do content that is more client-facing.
[00:38:46] And then I also have add-ons for things like doing keyword research and having your post built out inside your blog platform.
[00:38:53] All you really need to do is decide on what topics you want talked about, and give me any photos that you want included, and then I handle the rest. If you’re interested in more info on that blogging service, just send me an email at hello@simplysandrayvonne.Ca and I would love to talk more.
[00:39:10] All right friends, that is another podcast episode in the books. Thank you so much for being here. Have an amazing rest of your week and I will be back next Wednesday.
[00:39:20] Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today’s episode at simplysandrayvonne.ca/shownotes.
[00:39:29] In the meantime, let’s connect! You can find me on Instagram and TikTok, just search Simply Sandra Yvonne. And if you love this podcast, I’d be so honoured if you go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review until next time!
This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small amount of money if you make a purchase from any of our affiliates. This is done at no cost to you!
If you’re a photographer looking to streamline and boost your print sales, using the right tools can be a game-changer. Efficiently managing your client galleries and automating the post-session sales process not only saves time but also has the ability to significantly increase your revenue. I’ve seen it first-hand in my own business!
Today on Keeping It Candid, I’m diving into the benefits of using innovative gallery platforms – specifically Pic-Time. The right gallery service will not only simplify your operations but also offer features designed to maximize your earnings and elevate your client experience. Whether you’re frustrated with your current system or just curious about improving your business efficiency, this episode is for you!
Keep reading for show notes and a full episode transcript.
Show Notes
Template Shop: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop
Get one free month of Pic-Time: https://lifeisbeautifullondon.pic-time.com/referral (affiliate link)
Save 50% on your first year of HoneyBook: https://share.honeybook.com/Sandra
One free month of Showit: https://showit.com/referral/?referralCode=sandralibp
My favourite photography business resources: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/resources
Takeaways
- Pic-Time is a platform that allows photographers to automate sales after a session, leading to increased revenue.
- Switching to Pic-Time can result in a significant increase in sales revenue, as experienced by host Sandra Henderson.
- Pic-Time offers pre-made automations, email templates, and seasonal campaigns to make the sales process easier and more efficient.
- The integration of Pic-Time with HoneyBook provides a seamless experience for managing client galleries and bookings.
- Affiliate links are available for a free month of Pic-Time and a discount on HoneyBook.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
01:21 Frustration with Previous Gallery Platform
03:15 Passive Income and Automation with Pic-Time
04:05 Positive Sales Experience with Pic-Time
05:01 Automation Features of Pic-Time
07:13 Integration of Pic-Time with HoneyBook
09:02 Affiliate Links and Conclusion
Take my quiz to find out what your taco preferences reveal about your wedding photography business!
Other Episodes You’ll Love
021 Taking A Look Back At 2022
049 What’s A Photography Locations Gallery? I’m Glad You Asked…
019 The Local Vendor Series with Life is Beautiful Photography
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Sandra Henderson: Over the last month on the podcast, I have been talking a lot about pick time because now that I am back behind my camera more regularly, it’s a platform that I am spending a fair amount of time in, and I am regularly reminded about why I love it so much. The biggest reason by far is how easy it is to automate sales after a session.
[00:00:18] Since switching to pick time. I have been able to achieve a 90 percent increase in sales revenue from digital photos and printed products in just 13 months. And today on the podcast, I’m going to tell you how I was able to make that happen.
Welcome to keeping it candid. I’m your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach.
[00:00:40] I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the back end of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way. And on a more personal note, I’m a strong enneagram 3 wing 2 who is obsessed with tacos and my love for travelling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner.
[00:01:02] Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like working as a wedding photographer where I’ll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends. So go grab your favorite notebook and pen and let’s dive into this week’s episode.
[00:01:21] Back in 2022, I was beyond frustrated with my old gallery platform because there were so many features that they were releasing that weren’t available to users living outside the U. S. If you wanted to use these features, you had to go with U. S. printers and charge U. S. currency, which for anybody living in Canada or outside the U.
[00:01:41] S., that can really start to add up when you’re factoring in the exchange rate and shipping and things like that. I talked to the company multiple times. They kept reassuring me that Canadian options were coming soon. And they said that for a couple of years before I finally just got fed up and knew I needed to start looking elsewhere.
[00:02:01] So, after doing a little bit of research into the different options and talking to friends, I tried out PipTime and I have truly never regretted that decision. I made the switch in November of 2022, which is arguably my busiest time of year because I knew that it would be worth it, even with all that extra work on my plate.
[00:02:20] My total sales from digital photos and prints in 2022 was a whopping 250. It’s great. I’m not, I shouldn’t say I’m not complaining. It was great. I like it. Everybody can use an extra 250, but I knew that there was a lot more room to grow there. I actually had a few clients tell me that they weren’t placing orders because they didn’t want to pay the exchange rate and I don’t blame them for that.
[00:02:45] I would have done the exact same thing if I were in their position, so I needed to find a new way to do things. After making the switch to PickTime, my sales increased by 90 percent to 2, 500 within 13 months of switching to the platform. Upselling is so important, especially if you have a chronic illness because more often than not, we have fewer working hours than someone who doesn’t have health issues, but we still have the same bills to pay, sometimes even more, and we still have a life that we want to live.
[00:03:15] When you use a platform like Pic-Time, it becomes passive income to sell digital photos in print. Of course, there is a bit of work that you have to do on your part, in the beginning, to get your storefront set up, but after that, you can literally sit back and let your clients self-guide themselves through the ordering process, having their order sent directly to the printer, and even shipped directly to the client, all without you ever having to get involved.
[00:03:40] I hate it so, so much when you’re online and you see people talking about making money in their sleep because nine times out of ten, it’s absolutely bullshit. But I literally woke up last Thursday to a 110 sale. And since that client is having it shipped to their home, all I had to do was click approve the order and then it was done.
[00:03:59] And clicking the approve order button is even an option that you can turn off if you want to be completely hands-off, but I have a little bit of a trust issue with technology. And so I just want to make sure that everything looks okay before I send it to the printer. No matter which option you want to go with, Picktime makes it so, so easy.
[00:04:19] Y’all know how much I love systems, automations, workflows, and getting things just working in a streamlined and simple manner. And Picktime has so much that’s already built into it to help make that happen. There are automations that are already existing and made ready for you to just apply to any gallery that you’re sending out for things like celebrating someone’s wedding anniversary, giving them a discount as a thank you after they’ve made a purchase, for something like giving an abandoned cart discount, which you may have seen on other e-commerce sites where if they put something into their shopping cart and then they don’t purchase, you can automatically send out a discount for them.
[00:04:55] All of these are already made and live inside everybody’s Pic-time account as soon as you sign up. Hey friends, I’m interrupting this episode because I wanted to remind you that the waitlist for my brand new template shop is now open. This template shop is going to be filled with everything you need to simplify and streamline your business behind the scenes.
[00:05:14] Including things like HoneyBook smart file templates, email swipe files, Workflow processes and tutorials to help you get them built inside your CRM. So many good things are coming. So head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop to get on the waitlist. You’ll also have a chance to enter to win a free bundle, as well as get a little special something to say thank you for being here.
[00:05:39] That’s simplySandraYvonne.ca/shop.
So it literally is as simple as just applying it to a gallery. The email templates are ready to go. You can change the colour and make them on brand if you’d like to, but otherwise, you don’t need to do any work at all. They also release seasonal campaigns for things like Mother’s Day, Christmas, and things like that throughout the year.
[00:06:02] So you can constantly be sending out Automated sales campaigns with just the click of a few buttons. Another thing that I do in my business is that I gift every client a 30 percent discount that’s good for 30 days when I deliver their gallery. And that discount can also be shared with their friends and family.
[00:06:19] So that gives them the opportunity once they receive their gallery and they’re getting their digital downloads to take advantage of that excitement, all the emotions that they’re feeling when they look at their photos and go and order some prints for their walls or gifts for family members and things like that.
[00:06:33] It has been really, really beneficial for my business. And outside of ordering prints and products, one of my favourite features is one that I actually use for my mini-session clients. So they are able to log into their gallery and they can choose the photos that they want included. They can have instant access to downloading those photos, and they can purchase more if they would like to upgrade their gallery.
[00:06:57] So if they want to order one extra photo, three extra photos, get the whole gallery, They’re able to do that and do the selection process, the purchasing, and the downloading, all automatically without me having to be involved. Before I switched to Picktime with the old gallery service I was using, I sent my clients their gallery.
[00:07:15] They went through and picked their favourite photos. Then they had to send me an email to let me know they were done making their selections. After that, I would have to go back into their gallery. I would have to activate downloads specifically for the photos that they selected. Then I would have to send them another email to let them know the downloads were available.
[00:07:32] There was a lot of back and forth and I really hate anything that involves a lot of back and forth emailing the clients. So switching to pick time made it so that I don’t have to do that. I have automatic emails set up to remind people that their gallery is expiring. There’s truly no shortage of options when it comes to being able to customize this for your business to serve your clients and help you make some more money.
[00:07:56] And if I haven’t sold you on using PickTime yet, one other thing that I am absolutely obsessed with is the fact that PickTime integrates with HoneyBook. I was already using both of these platforms separately before this announcement was made, so I was truly jumping for joy because they are able to be integrated.
[00:08:13] When a client books with me through HoneyBook, a new gallery is automatically created. created for them inside pick time. And once I upload all of their photos into their gallery, I’m able to see those inside their HoneyBook account as well. So it’s super cool how everything is able to be integrated and you’re able to get a more comprehensive picture and idea of everything that is going on within one specific client.
[00:08:36] I don’t know about you, but I hate having things in all the places, trying to keep track of what lives where. So having one spot where I can just go into their honey book account and I can see all the things there are quick links and access to the gallery from there. It just makes things so much easier.
[00:08:52] If you want to give pick time or honey book a try, head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/resources, or as always check the show notes for this episode there. There you are going to find affiliate links to get a free month of pick time in addition to the free month trial that you already receive when you sign up. And you can find an affiliate link for 50 percent off your first year of HoneyBook.
[00:09:14] Next week, I am going to be back with another interview, this time joined by Kara Duncan from the Kara Report talking all about consistency in marketing. Until next time, friends, have a great rest of your Wednesday. I am off to go spend the weekend feeling really, really old because my stepson is turning 17.
[00:09:34] And I really just don’t understand how we got here so fast. So I hope that your weekend comes with nice weather, amazing weddings, great clients, and not feeling as old as I do. Are you looking for a simple, easy-to-use website platform that will help you incorporate your brand voice after you’re done listening to this episode?
[00:09:54] ShowIt is exactly what you need. It is truly the best website platform for photographers, hands down. Trust me, because I have tried a lot of them, and I’m pretty sure at least half of the gray hair on my head came from trying to navigate the horrible platforms I was using before. With ShowIt there are so many templates available that you can choose from that are geared towards the photography industry.
[00:10:17] All you need to do is implement your photos, your own brand colours, and your own copywriting. Everything else is designed for you, so instead of having to put together an entire website from start to finish, from the ground up, laying every single piece along the way, you can just pop in the information and you are good to go.
[00:10:35] The SEO strategy that you can build into every page is incomparable and the customer support is amazing. So if you’ve been feeling like your website could really use a new facelift, or if you just want to get started with your very first website, I want you to head over to my website, simplysandrayvonne.ca/resources
[00:10:52] or check out the show notes for today’s episode to get my affiliate link, which will give you one free month of show it. I promise you will not regret it. Again, that is simplySandraYvonne.ca/resources, or you can find the link in today’s show notes as well.
[00:11:11] Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today’s episode at simplysandrayvonne.ca/keepingitcandid. In the meantime, let’s connect. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok. Just search simply Sandra Yvonne. And if you’re loving this podcast, I’d be so honoured if you go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review until next time.
Building a successful photography business isn’t just about technical skills and stunning photos; it’s about creating a brand that truly resonates with your clients on a personal level. This week on Keeping It Candid, I’m diving into the transformative power of storytelling and authenticity in your brand with Yasamin Salavatian. We talk about how showcasing your personality, sharing your unique process, and connecting on a deeper level can not only set you apart in a competitive market but also attract clients who genuinely appreciate your work. Get ready to rethink branding, embrace your individuality, and learn how to make every client interaction memorable and engaging! Keep scrolling to listen and read the transcript.
Show Notes
Template Shop: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop
Freebie from Yasamin Salavatian: 5 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand From Scratch
Takeaways
- Photographers should showcase their personality and build relationships with clients to set themselves apart.
- Luxury brands can still have a personality and connect with clients on a personal level.
- Photographers should incorporate their process and expertise into their brand messaging.
- Believe in the value of your stories and use affirmations to shift your mindset.
- Utilize the contact page and footer of your website to provide valuable information and connect with potential clients. Infuse personality and authenticity into social media captions and websites to create a memorable and engaging experience for potential clients.
- Share personal stories and experiences to establish a deeper connection with clients.
- Be specific and unique in your messaging to attract the right clients rather than trying to appeal to everyone.
- Embrace community over competition and refer clients to other professionals who may be a better fit.
Chapters
02:01 Introducing Yasamin and the Importance of Storytelling in Photography
03:04 The Changing Definition of Luxury in the Wedding Industry
05:32 Incorporating Personality and Connection in Brand Messaging
07:49 The Importance of Process and Expertise in Branding
09:31 Believing in the Value of Your Stories and Shifting Your Mindset
11:45 The Power of the Contact Page and Footer in Building Connections
25:10 Infusing Personal Stories for Client Connections
26:07 Specific and Unique Messaging for Attracting the Right Clients
27:41 Embracing Community Over Competition and Referrals
About Yasamin
Yasamin Salavatian is a Storytelling Strategist and Positioning Coach who partners with transformational coaches, educators, and creative entrepreneurs to bring words to their vision. She willfully challenges traditional marketing rhetoric, personalizing brand communications to fit like a glove. Her raison d’être? Differentiating brands from the sea of well, let’s face it – DRAB!
Click here to get instant access to my brand-new free masterclass!
Other Episodes You’ll Love
029 Content Strategy vs. Content Planning with Amanda Warfield
030 Breaking Into A New Market with John Mansfield
042 Next Level Email Marketing Strategies with Candice Coppola
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Sandra Henderson: Before I get started with today’s episode, I am going to just quickly take a minute to give some space to something that I think is really important.
[00:00:08] Today I am holding space for the humanitarian crisis happening in Gaza. I’m not here to speak on anything that I don’t know, thousands of innocent people are being caught up in this mix, losing their lives exponentially, and it should not be happening. If you are able and interested in doing more, please visit www. pcrf. net to make a donation to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund and write a letter to your representatives to insist on their support and action in calling for a ceasefire.
[00:00:43] Welcome back to another episode of Keeping It Candid, and for all of my friends who are in the northern U. S. and in Canada, happy official start to spring! I know the first day of spring is back in March, but like, it’s still snowing here usually then, and Especially where I live, spring really doesn’t start until May.
[00:01:01] So happy official spring.
[00:01:03] It’s finally here and it’s warmer than usual, but I am not complaining one bit. Listen, I know that global warming is horrible. I get it. I do. I do what I can to lessen my carbon footprint and make environmentally friendly decisions however I can. But hear me out. I hate the cold. I hate it so, so much, so much.
[00:01:24] So I have a hard time being mad about the shift in weather patterns. I honestly, I just can’t help it. I was meant to be in a warmer climate, so I am just going to take what I can get. I’m not going to contribute to the problem by any means, but I am going to enjoy it.
[00:01:38] It has been a busy month for me because it is officially my spring busy season in my photography business. So I had a full day of mini sessions, plus a few other family sessions over the last few weeks, which by some miracle have actually all already been edited and delivered. Thank you so much Aftershoot for making that possible.
[00:01:57] and now I’m prepping for my weddings over the summer. I’m meeting with my clients, finalizing timelines and doing all the things that go along with that.
[00:02:04] And then outside my photography business, I’ve also been fully booked with my VIP clients, getting their honey book account set up and streamlined with workflows that will take some of the work off their plate while they’re juggling all the things that go on during wedding season.
[00:02:18] If you’ve never heard about my VIP days before, these are days where I dedicate my time to getting things done in your business. Whether that be getting a HoneyBook workflow set up for you, getting an email funnel set up for you, or creating smart files and email templates to go along with your workflows.
[00:02:36] Think of it almost like a one-day virtual assistant service where you don’t have to sign a contract for long-term work.
[00:02:43] As much as I love systems, workflows and automations, and I think that they are so great and can be so easy once they’re set up, getting them set up requires time. And I totally understand that not everybody has that, but I love organizing. I love piecing the puzzle together. And so it’s absolutely amazing to get a chance to work with photographers and wedding pros and dive into their businesses and help them figure out how to make things simpler so they can get back to spending their time and energy doing what they love the most.
[00:03:14] With a VIP day service, I’m the one that’s actually implementing all these things for you. If you have preexisting email templates, I go in and I make sure that they are all consistent and on brand and utilizing automation features. If you have any templates that are missing, I create those for you.
[00:03:32] And at the end of the day, we check in over a video call so I can teach you how to use everything that I built, and you don’t have to worry about trying to Figure out what the hell is going on all on your own from there.
[00:03:43] If you want more information, just head over to my website, simplysandrayvonne.ca/vip-days.
[00:03:52] Sandra Henderson: I mentioned a few weeks ago that I have a huge backlog of incredible guests that I recorded interviews with back in 2023 that I couldn’t let just go by the wayside.
[00:04:00] So if you’re listening to today’s interview and the dates seem a little bit off, that’s why! Today I am joined by Yasamin Salavatian. Yasi is a storytelling strategist and positioning coach who partners with transformational coaches, educators, and creative entrepreneurs to bring their words to vision.
[00:04:17] She willfully challenges traditional branding rhetoric, personalizing brand communications to fit like a glove. She and I first met back in 2023 at the creative educator conference when we were in the same breakaway group, and she did the most incredible job talking about embracing your authentic self.
[00:04:34] After her five-minute lightning presentation, I knew that we were like kindred spirits. During this super fun interview, we talk about showcasing your personality to help build stronger relationships and to set you apart from the competition, how to incorporate what you do into your brand messaging through storytelling and all the places where you should really leap into your brand voice and messaging.
[00:04:55] Whether you’re a photographer or a wedding pro, this episode is going to be so helpful for you. So make sure you have a notebook and pen ready, or can come back to listen to this episode later because you are not going to want to miss a thing.
[00:05:07] Welcome to keeping it candid. I’m your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach.
[00:05:15] I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the back end of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way. And on a more personal note, I’m a strong enneagram three wing two who is obsessed with tacos, and my love for travelling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner.
[00:05:37] Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like working as a wedding photographer, where I’ll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends. So go grab your favorite notebook and pen and let’s dive into this week’s episode.
[00:05:55] Thank you so much for joining me. I’m so excited for this interview. when I saw you speak at the creative educator conference back in January. I honestly felt like I had a kindred spirit up on that stage. So I am so excited for everybody to get to know you a little better.
[00:06:11] So before we dive in, if you could just introduce yourself and tell everybody a little bit about you, that would be awesome.
[00:06:16] Yasamin Salavatian: Yeah, totally. So my name is Yasamin Salavatian, but I go by Yasi and I am a messaging and positioning strategist and I partner with you to bring words to your vision. So what that means is.
[00:06:30] I’m there to help you make sense of what you do and what you’re saying so your client will understand because it’s a two-way conversation and it is the joy of my existence. It is My happiness. It is, it is what I was sent to this earth to do. So…
[00:06:48] Sandra Henderson: I love that so much. And I, I’ve been talking about this a lot in the interviews that I’ve been doing for the podcast this season, in talking about the fact that as a wedding photographer, it’s not enough To just take beautiful photos, so many people can take beautiful photos.
[00:07:04] And so there has to be some other things that you’re putting forward out there and out into the world that are going to set you apart from all those other people that are also taking beautiful photos. And so I think that a way that. I mean, maybe I’m speaking from personal experience just because I love to write, but it’s just such a great way to be able to express yourself creatively and make those connections with people.
[00:07:28] Yasamin Salavatian: So I did a nasty, I did a nasty a few years ago and it was just because I had to prove a point. Cause I had a lot of photographer clients at one point and I, and they were all telling me, you know, like, well, this person’s style, like, Celebrity photographer A, like theirs is the best.
[00:07:44] Celebrity photographer B, like their, their work is so different than mine. Like I couldn’t, you could never tell whose work it is. And I was like, okay, bet let’s play this game. Let’s, let’s play this game. So I took all of these photos from like really well known photographers, like photos that we’ve seen in, in publications.
[00:08:03] And I took photos of people who we haven’t seen. And I was like, tell me which one’s whose. There were like 30 on there and they could, I mean, it was like both of us just staring at each other and me being like, it takes more than photos. Right.
[00:08:16] Sandra Henderson: Yeah.
[00:08:17] Yasamin Salavatian: Like, I think at the end of the day, we forget that this is a service and like providing beautiful photos is a bare minimum. Like you are being
[00:08:25] Sandra Henderson: so true!
[00:08:26] Yasamin Salavatian: Right? Like you were being hired for your talent. Like we know you’re good, but it’s like. We want to see who you are.
[00:08:33] And I think a lot of that depends on the couple that you’re serving. And we can talk about that too. But I think a lot of people when they’re in the industry, they get really caught up about, you know, this is this person’s name, this is their aesthetic. And it’s like, that’s all great. But at the end of the day, when you look at all of these photos, can, if you can’t tell.
[00:08:52] If you can’t, your client will not be able to tell bro, like if you can’t tell and I can’t tell and I’ve been like gathering these photos for five hours, then your client cannot tell. So then what is the next differentiating point?
[00:09:07] Sandra Henderson: For sure. And I think that is where people that I see they jump to that next stage of the brand, but they’re kind of just dipping their toe in the water.
[00:09:18] Like a couple of headshots, a quick little bio, the same catchphrases they use in their captions, which is all good. That all goes along with it. But what are some other things that photographers should be focusing on when it comes to passing that messaging along in their brand?
[00:09:32] Yasamin Salavatian: Yeah, so I think, so I have a, I have a bone to pick with the, the wedding slash photography industry, because I think that, sorry,
[00:09:40] Sandra Henderson: no, that’s okay. I love it. I’m here for it.
[00:09:42] Yasamin Salavatian: Okay. I think that there’s this whole concept that if like, if you want to be high-end and luxury and sell this experience, then you need to remove yourself from the equation. You need to be talking in the third person and pretend that you have, you know, accolades and elevate yourself to a place that nobody can read your copy because it’s meant for You know, right?
[00:10:05] Like you have to have a PhD to be able to read this. And the truth is that other than, other than luxury, you can think of luxury, how, how you want, but luxury is being redefined. On a daily level, like your new generation is coming in. We think about money differently. We think about luxury differently and no offense, but like most of the people that I know that are luxury, like, yes, there’s a subset of people that are luxury that like, just want you to show up and do your job.
[00:10:32] Right. Like they just want you to show up, and take beautiful photos. Don’t say hi to them. Maybe say hi maybe once and then leave. But there’s like a whole bunch of other people who want to like know you and like have a relationship with you and like want you to be a part of their wedding day and want you know you to be a part of the experience and like I feel like we just ignore that.
[00:10:54] Huge subset for the sake of being luxury. And so I think my biggest thing is, is like, you can have a personality and be luxury. They are not two separate things. Like, and I think that just really bothers me because it takes away from the identity of the photographer. It takes away from like, it just makes us fully, solely focus on skillset, but owning a business is so much more than that.
[00:11:20] And I like. I like it when people put their personalities out there because, at the end of the day, this is the person that’s going to be staring at you on your wedding day. Like, right. Like, it’s like for a lot of us, that person is important. We want that person to have a vibe with us. We want them to have a vibe with us during our engagement photos.
[00:11:42] And when they’re talking to our families, like it’s so much more than, you know, I came out of the womb with a camera and I’m really good at shooting now. And I think In the wedding industry, a lot of times we try to condense that narrative for the sake of being luxury, and that just, like, pains me.
[00:12:01] Respectfully.
[00:12:03] Sandra Henderson: I am here for all the hot takes, but I love that. You said that the definition of luxury is changing. That’s something that I’ve kind of thought a lot about just on my own. This year is just changing what it means to be professional and what it means to be like a luxury brand and all these things.
[00:12:19] things. There was a point in time where to be professional, you had to write like essay quality letters and dear sir and madam and yada, yada, yada. But we don’t have to do those things anymore. It can be totally different. And that’s one thing that was a huge hesitation for me for wanting to get into the luxury market was wanting, not wanting to be treated like I wasn’t a person.
[00:12:42] And so I love that you brought up the fact that you can, it’s, they are not two separate things. You can still have a personality and be yourself and work in the luxury market. There’s not like a dividing line that says at this point, if you use your name instead of the third person or use me instead of the third person, that you’re no longer professional.
[00:12:59] Yasamin Salavatian: Right. And I think, you know, I was on Clubhouse once and I was listening to one of the top wedding planners and one of the top photographers and they were talking about how they were doing this wedding and everybody, all the service providers had to show up wearing the same outfits and the same shade of outfit and how they didn’t want to see the service providers before the time of the wedding and how they were just, you know, they were just there.
[00:13:24] They were there to be seen and not heard. And that to me, I like really took that to heart. Cause I was like, is that actually your ideal client? Like, is that actually who you want to work with? Like, if it is great, like you do you queen, but like, if it’s not, I don’t want you to feel forced into that because that is such a subset, you know?
[00:13:43] And it’s like to brace your base, your whole brand on that for the sake of luxury aesthetic is just like, You’re not going to like your job anymore.
[00:13:52] Sandra Henderson: I could not agree more. I will never ever forget. I always wanted to do Disney weddings. Like it sounded like a dream ideal, like I will have made it if I shoot Disney weddings.
[00:14:04] And then I did a Disney wedding with a friend of mine and we ate our dinner on our laps on chairs in a back room away from all of the guests because we were not allowed to be seen eating food and we were sitting Where the catering staff was pulling plates and getting all that set up to be served.
[00:14:24] And I know there are so many venues that operate that way, but in my area, they don’t, we, like, I am always sitting with the guests and having a conversation and building relationships that way. And so it was such an eye-opener for me. What, like the different levels of like. The way vendors and other staff are treated can like how that can vary too.
[00:14:45] So I love that you brought that up because it definitely does not have to be that way.
[00:14:49] Yasamin Salavatian: I just think it’s important to be honest. Like there are so many people who take such beautiful photographs and I feel, and I meet with them and they tell me, like, they tell me about a club they’re in or a community they’re in that teaches them how to be luxury.
[00:15:03] And it’s like, there’s so much more to luxury than this. This to me is not luxury. This to me is rude. Like, you know, like this, this is, this is rude. Like there’s a different, and it’s a lot of these people have those bubbly personalities, or maybe they’re a little bit more introverted and they want to develop that connection.
[00:15:21] And it’s like, you need to trust yourself when it comes to that. Like, you know, who your ideal client is better than. Any expert because it’s your business and you have to find a way to fall in love with your business again and again and again, right? Cause owning a business is not easy, right?
[00:15:38] So it’s like, how do you fall in love with it again by working with people you love? How do you work with people you love by putting material out there that will attract them? Right? It feels like A to B to C, but I do, there’s a lot of, there’s like a lot of wording out there and narrative out there about how you really need to distance yourself from your brand.
[00:15:57] If you’re trying to be, Luxury and it just it makes my blood boil.
[00:16:02] Sandra Henderson: understandably. I totally agree with you. So do you have any pointers for listeners and wedding photographers out there who are wanting to start incorporating more of who they are personally into their brand and the messaging that they’re putting out there?
[00:16:17] Yasamin Salavatian: Totally. So I think the most important part is like, so let’s say we’ve covered skill set, right? Like you obviously need a good skill set and that’s, that’s not what I’m here for, right? Like you need to, you need to go on that personal journey, develop your photography skills and like, like that is, that is your journey, right?
[00:16:35] But when you’re done with that, what, the first thing I ask people is what’s your process like? What do you want to do throughout your contract? What’s the type of relationship that you want to build, right? I want to see that on your website. Because guess what? You may be the person who just wants to show up, not talk to anyone, take photos and leave.
[00:16:54] But then I want to see, I want to know that. Right. If you’re not that person, I want to know that and that’s something that you can put on your website and you can make it an infographic. You can make it cute. You can make it a joke. You can, I don’t care how you do it, but there needs to be somewhere there because I need to understand how you work and how you prefer to work.
[00:17:13] And when you show that, that. Command of your process and that command of your expertise. It lets it not only lets me know how you do what you do, but it makes me feel a lot more comfortable. I’m like, this person knows what they’re doing and I am, I’m going to be safe and I’m going to be good.
[00:17:30] Sandra Henderson: Things like that are so important in so many industries, but especially in the wedding industry, where it is, there is a lot of emotion that goes into a wedding day.
[00:17:38] And so we feel that emotion. when we are dealing with our clients. And you were talking about how, like, if you’re going to be the photographer that just shows up and takes your photos and leaves for the day, that’s awesome. There are definitely couples who are looking for photographers like that. But make sure you are making that known.
[00:17:53] And the first thing I thought of was, this was actually something that I saw on threads the other day, where someone had requested a quiet Uber ride and their Uber driver at 5 a.m. On the way to the airport would not stop talking. And I think that’s something that’s such like paints, such a great picture of like what our clients are going to be experiencing on the receiving end if our messaging doesn’t align with what we are doing and what we’re putting out there, because if they’re expecting someone who’s really bubbly and take charge and going to handle all the posing and everything, but you’re someone who does documentary style and you’re just going to be a fly on the wall, then there’s going to be a major disconnect.
[00:18:31] And you mentioned this already, like, not only are you going to end up hating your job, but people are not going to be happy with their experience and they’re not going to be referring you. So in the end, nobody ends up being happy because you simply just didn’t let people know what you were all about.
[00:18:45] Yasamin Salavatian: Totally. And I think that. You know exactly what you said, there is a person. It’s not like there’s no person for that. There are so many different types of people. There are people who want to take that quiet Uber ride. If I was sitting in personally, if I was sitting in a car with someone for an hour and they didn’t talk, it might make me really uncomfortable.
[00:19:03] Like at least a hello or something. I’d be like, I am not, you know, Like a Bridgerton here. Like this is really uncomfortable, you know, but that’s just me, but I think putting it out, it’s, it’s better to put it out there and I’m not saying drown them with information. You need to, you know, find a way to put it out there.
[00:19:20] That’s informative but concise and easy to digest, right? And I think that’s how you find the people that you’re going to, and exactly what you said. Referrals, referrals are so important in this, in this business, not just from your client, but from your vendors, you know, there’s so much cross-collateral marketing opportunity.
[00:19:40] And it’s like, you want to work with people that have the same vision of a successful wedding of a successful experience that you do, because then you’re working with your best friends all the time too. Like what’s better than that? So, and I think another, another thing that I thought of when you were talking about the documentary style is like, you know, not to, not to be weird, but like grandmas, right?
[00:20:03] Like when we take those family photos, is your photographer, the person who’s going to help grandma walk up the stairs and, you know, fix her hair? Or is she just going to be standing behind and being like, yo, that’s a you problem. Again, there are two different types of families. There are two different types of people.
[00:20:20] Sandra Henderson: Hey friends, I’m interrupting this episode because I wanted to remind you that the waitlist for my brand new template shop is now open. This template shop is going to be filled with everything you need to simplify and streamline your business behind the scenes. Including things like honey book, smart file templates, email, swipe files, and workflow processes with tutorials to help you get them built inside your CRM So many good things are coming so head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop to get on the waitlist and you’ll also have a chance to enter to win a Free bundle as well as getting a little special something to say thank you for being here. That’s simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop.
[00:21:03] Yasamin Salavatian: I come from a very. Big, loud Persian family. Right. And it’s a lot like my big fat Greek wedding. Right. Like that’s, that’s us. Right. And it’s like, that’s what we want. Like, we want someone who’s going to be nice to grandma. You know, we want someone that’s going to make grandma feel beautiful. Like that’s important to me.
[00:21:24] So I just think you never know. And by guesstimating or by kind of not discussing what luxury it means to you and your brand. You’re really doing yourself and your clients a disservice.
[00:21:38] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, absolutely. for everybody who is listening, that is a gold takeaway. So I hope that you are writing these takeaways down because that was so, so good.
[00:21:47] So we’ve talked a lot about, how Utilizing different aspects of our story can help set us apart and help even just set the tone of what our brand is going to be. What are some bits of encouragement you might have for photographers who are still hesitant, even though they know how important it is?
[00:22:06] Because something that I see in photography groups a lot is people are like my life’s not that interesting. I don’t have anything to talk about. I don’t have any stories to tell. I’m sure you hear that all the time. So I would love to hear your takeaway on something like that.
[00:22:19] And any encouragement you have to help get people out of that mindset.
[00:22:23] Yasamin Salavatian: Okay, I will give you a really great example. I was in corporate, I had no clue what being a photographer was about, what the creative industry was about. Like, it was foreign to me. The whole concept was foreign to me.
[00:22:35] And this idea that your life isn’t interesting blows my mind. Because when I joined the creative industry, I was like, I cannot believe people like this exist. Like, I, I was. And I’m from the Bay Area, you know, there’s like definitely a stigma of the type of person that lives here. Like, right? And I was just like, shocked.
[00:22:55] And not just like for a month, for like three years, I was like, I cannot believe this. There’s this other type of person out there living their life so intentionally, so beautifully, so aesthetically, like it was, it was bonkers. And, I think what comes off to you as not being interesting or as being every day is so not what your client is experiencing.
[00:23:20] For them, it’s a window into a new world. And you’re never going to get, you know, you have to believe that you are worth it and that you are special. You know, there’s this whole thing going around on TikTok about being Delulu, but there’s like a kind of a component of a significant component of self-confidence and self-belief that goes into it.
[00:23:41] So I, if you’re having that problem where you’re thinking, you know, I’m not interesting or my stories aren’t cool or my life is boring. Let’s reframe that. Like what a part of today was cool. What part of today are you texting your best friend who lives 10 hours away from you, right? There’s always gold in there and sometimes you have to search for it and that’s absolutely okay.
[00:24:02] Like, yes, I get it. None of us are Kardashians, but That’s fine. You don’t need to be, you know, on the front page of Vogue to have an interesting life. There are levels to it. And it’s just about finding that point that you intersect with your client. And the first part of that is believing that you have something to say and that you have something to share.
[00:24:23] And I always recommend my clients, cause it is a mindset shift. It is a, it is definitely, especially if you were in, you know, in an environment before you started your business where they value. Um, like, what is it, like a homogeneous, like, presentation, you, they don’t really want you to be an individual or have an identity.
[00:24:45] It is a total mindset shift. And what I recommend, it’s going to sound bonkers, but I really like those affirmations, waking up every morning and telling. And like five, limit it to five. It doesn’t need to be a novel, but like telling yourself that what you have to say matters that what you’re writing on your website, someone’s going to connect with, like, I’ve had so many photographer clients come to me after we’ve worked together and say, my bride or my client or my groom has specifically picked this line of copy from my about page and said, this is what resonated with me.
[00:25:20] And it’s like, how, how beautiful is that? Right? That it’s like, you’re literally talking to, you are literally talking to them. Like this is not, this is so much more than like a marketing thing. This is about you having the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation on a public page.
[00:25:37] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:25:38] And it really just helps people feel seen like we all share memes all the time and there’s the best part about sharing memes is how relatable they are. And like, they’re all, I’ll be scrolling on Instagram meme and I’m like, Oh my God, I thought I was the only one who felt that way. And there are 350,000 likes on this post.
[00:25:56] And so those little things, it might seem mundane and it might seem silly, but those are the things that we love to connect with.
[00:26:04] Yasamin Salavatian: Totally. And I just, you know, I am a sucker for, I always call this out. I am a sucker for a footer and I’m a sucker for a contact page that doesn’t suck. They’re like the parts that nobody cares about.
[00:26:15] And it’s like, dude, you can put so much gold in there. Like your contact page can be bopping. That is the last chance you have to say something to your client before they end up in your email box. Please make it a non-excruciating experience.
[00:26:30] Sandra Henderson: Oh, I love that. It’s like you said, it’s the last point of contact before they reach out to you. So I love the idea of filling that with personality and different takeaways that aren’t just, you know, your information.
[00:26:43] Yasamin Salavatian: Right. And it’s like, If I was a client and I just literally had to post my entire life, right?
[00:26:48] Because they ask that, I mean, understandably, right? The questionnaire is usually quite extensive, but it’s like, give me a gift after that. Give me, give me a smiley face. Give me something. Like I just like, give me just something, just something for a reward for going through this experience. Right. Cause it’s like, I’ve probably done this.
[00:27:10] Like how many people do you reach out to you when you’re interested in a service? Like at least three. Mm hmm. At the most, I mean, I guess, like, three to fifteen, I would say, if you’re really thorough. Three to five, if you’ve narrowed it down. Right? Yeah. Like, that’s a lot of contact forms. You know, and it’s like, what would it take for yours to stand out just a little bit?
[00:27:29] Not a lot.
[00:27:30] Sandra Henderson: Um, that was amazing. You’ve already got my wheels turning. It’s really my favourite part about being a podcast host is kind of like getting all the juice myself first and getting the wheels going. so do you have any like, fun stories? Final tips or takeaways that you want to leave listeners with to encourage them to go out and hit their social media captions and their websites with that authentic personality that they all have, that uniqueness that they all have inside them.
[00:27:59] Yasamin Salavatian: Yeah, totally. I think get specific, right? Like even a meme, super specific, right? Or, you know, like if you’re like, if I’m a, okay, I’m just going to use my name, but I know that I’m not a wedding photographer. I wish, I wish. Um, but it’s like, You’re Yasi bride if you might have like 10 varieties of sprinkles in your cabinet, right?
[00:28:22] You’re a Yasi bride if every salt shaker and pepper shaker in your house is filled with salt. These are things that are unique to me that are weird, but I know the people that I connect with Also have this weirdness and it might not be the same weirdness, but they’ll see a piece of themselves and be like, Oh my gosh, that’s my person.
[00:28:42] Right. And that’s all you want on your wedding day. You want people who can reflect back to you the experience that you’re trying to create for your guests. So don’t be afraid to say your favourite flower is a Dahlia, but Oh, you know, I also know it’s poisonous to dogs. Because your client’s probably thinking the same thing.
[00:29:00] Sandra Henderson: Right. Exactly.
[00:29:02] Yasamin Salavatian: So I don’t, I don’t think there’s any harm in talking about what you like and what your experience is like. I think I encourage you to, what you think is oversharing is not oversharing. Someone needs to hear something. A hundred times, at least seven times, I think, according to like the marketing statistics for it to even go across the membrane, right?
[00:29:22] And it’s like, you’re not boring. Like, you are your own I mean, I literally just talked about a salt and pepper shaker. Like you want to talk about boring? That’s right. Like, it’s like, you know, you, you can make anything fun. You can make, and it’s, you know, I think another misconception is like, Oh, well, if I’m going to have a personal brand that I need to be extrovert and I need to be this bubbly person.
[00:29:44] I want to tell you that like 99 percent of my clients are introverted. And I think I just, you know, there’s that, speaking of memes, there’s that, that thing they send you that, that they’re like, um, raise your hand if you’re an introvert. An extrovert found you and became friends with you. And like, yeah, that’s me.
[00:30:00] Sandra Henderson: Took you in.
[00:30:01] Yasamin Salavatian: Yeah. Took you, that’s me. Right. So it’s like. It’s not even that your client will be the same person as you, but they will have the same values as you. They will have the same thought process as you and being able to show that in your social media captions and your graphics and your podcast and your, on your website, the depth is another level.
[00:30:22] It’s another level of depth that you just don’t see out there. And I think, especially if you’ve been in the game for a while, like. This is the time to differentiate. This is the time to really hone in on what makes your brand yours. Like, is it the experience? Is it that weird thing you hide for them under the table when they’re getting married?
[00:30:43] I don’t know. Like, I, I don’t know. That’s the thing. It’s like, and I won’t know unless you tell me. So, you know, there’s an argument to be made that if you’re newer in the industry and you don’t really know what your process is and stuff, yeah, it’s going to take some figuring out. It’s going to take some exploration to find out what you want.
[00:31:02] Little Goldilocks. Activity as you would say, right? Like a little like, Oh, this is, this is not fun. This is as with any industry, but if you’ve done that work, you owe it to yourself to narrow in. And I’m not just saying like wedding photography. People think that wedding photography is a niche. It’s like, is it?
[00:31:20] We just talked about like 30 different types of wedding photographers, right?
[00:31:23] Sandra Henderson: Yeah.
[00:31:24] Yasamin Salavatian: Yeah. It’s like, that is not enough. That’s like telling me that like, Oh, I want to buy a cracker. It’s like, okay, great. Like what type of cracker? What kind of cracker? Yeah.
[00:31:31] Like there’s a million different types of crackers. And if I pick up like a garlic onion cracker, I’m going to, that’s going to hurt my stomach, you know? So I just feel like there’s such an opportunity to dive in. And the first thing you have to tell yourself is that it’s going to be scary until it’s not.
[00:31:46] And then when you start, like, and there’s that trajectory, you know, like, I don’t want to, I don’t want to like freak people out, but it’s like, usually when people work with me, there’s this, there’s this curve. It’s like, they’re getting all these inquiries, they’re getting inquiries with people they don’t really want to work with or aesthetics that they don’t really like.
[00:32:03] And then we work together and we come up with a super specific message, right? And the first thing that happens is that their inquiries tank.
[00:32:10] And they freak out. And I tell them, I like, I have a graphic at this point. I’m like, I’m like, yeah, this is what’s going to happen. So just brace yourself. Okay. Just everything is going to be okay.
[00:32:21] Yeah. But what’s happening is you’re telling people who are not a good fit for you to stop inquiring. So you really, you’re saving yourself some sanity and some time and some paperwork and some email work. So after that happens, after that they get super specific and they start leaning into it and leaning into it and sharing more and sharing more, then we get the inquiries coming back up.
[00:32:44] The difference now is that it’s the right inquiries. It’s the people that you’ve been wanting to work with. It’s the people that you, as soon as they tell you their wedding story on their inquiry page, you’re like, like so excited to meet with them on Zoom. Like, And that whole watching someone’s, someone’s entire demeanour and their, their kind of relationship with their business shift over that, I just got goosebumps.
[00:33:10] But it’s like, it’s such a beautiful, it’s such a beautiful transformation because it’s like, you can really, you can see in them that it’s like, there is a place for me. And now, because there’s a place for me, there’s a place for my client.
[00:33:23] Sandra Henderson: And I think it’s important to remember not to assume that people are just going to know things about you and that they’re just going to know about your business.
[00:33:30] Like you were saying before, like, your potential clients are not going to know this is something that you do differently from anybody else if you don’t tell them that. So that’s super, super important.
[00:33:40] Yasamin Salavatian: And also, like, how do we even, I mean, specifically with wedding photography, I mean, maybe with other types of photography, we can argue, like, oh, well, I’ve done 35 boudoir shoots, right?
[00:33:51] How many people have had 35 weddings? Like, I don’t even know what industry standard is at this point, or what industry behavior standard is. Like, I can’t tell if yours is different if I don’t even know what the baseline is. So, and I’m not telling you to educate your client, that’s not your responsibility, but it’s certainly helpful.
[00:34:08] Sandra Henderson: I actually have a salt and pepper story that I’m going to throw out here so that you don’t feel so alone. I don’t have a weird, like, salt and pepper thing in my house, but I don’t know if you remember, we’re roughly the same age, but like, way back when we were little, there was the Ikea commercial that had the little salt and pepper shakers and the pepper started crying and I literally used to cry at this one.
[00:34:31] And also the Ikea commercial with the lamp that got left on the side of the road out in the rain. That one really did it for me too. So Ikea commercials used to make me cry as well. Inanimate objects, but like, especially the salt and pepper.
[00:34:43] Yasamin Salavatian: But like that, that story, like immediately what I’m hearing for that is like, you’re an empath.
[00:34:48] You’re someone who really really cares. You’re someone who’s gonna go above and beyond. And I know that this is, but this is just what I’m like, this is, this is the vibes that I’m getting. Like you’re someone who’s going to go above and beyond and you’re going to cop a vibe, right?
[00:35:01] And these are just things that I know from you talking about an ikea commercial from like what the 90s like, right. It’s just like, there’s so many different, you know, people are like, this story isn’t relevant. The story is. And it’s like, it’s not about the story. It’s not just about the story. It’s about the emotion.
[00:35:18] It’s about what we’re learning about you. And it’s like, Even the most randomest, weirdest things that you think are like, weird, right? And like, same. Fair. Same. Like, we’re all, we all have that, that initial like, Huh! Like, do I want this to be out there? But it’s like, It just opens a window into a new depth.
[00:35:39] So yeah, that’s so true. I have goosebumps now too. That was amazing. I love that so much. well that, wraps up all the questions and everything I had for you except for one final one. so I have a little, would you rather question for you? So let me find where I wrote yours down. Okay. So if you had to pick someone from Vanderpump rules to be your next client, to help them out, fix their brand and get their messaging right. Are you going to go with Ariana or Tom?
[00:36:12] Oh my God. I can’t work with Tom. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
[00:36:16] Sandra Henderson: Right. I feel like his brand is a lost cause.
[00:36:19] Yasamin Salavatian: I just feel like for me that this is, and this, and I say this, like, I say this on the call, like when people inquire, it’s like, I can’t build you something fake. Like, that’s against my code.
[00:36:30] Right? And that’s my right. As someone who works with personal branding, like, you will meet people, and it’s wild, dude. You will meet people on Instagram and then meet them in real life, and you’re like, Who created this person? Fictional character that is on Instagram, because this is not what I’m seeing IRL.
[00:36:46] And like, you, you’ve seen me now, you know, me, I’m the same person across everywhere. And it’s like, that’s the vibe that I want for my clients. I don’t want some of my clients to show up somewhere and be like, Oh my God, is that really her? Cause I really her like, Oh, right. Like, no. And I’m sorry, Tom. I just like from a personal person, like, just like our vibes are different.
[00:37:07] I can’t. Totally off. I just, honestly, like, yeah, like there’s no way there’s, I, I would fire him before I hired him. There’s no way. I’m sorry.
[00:37:18] Sandra Henderson: I love that. 19-year-old Sandra would have fallen for his bullshit, but thankfully 36-year-old Sandra has learned a thing or two. And so I am right there with you. I could not deal with it.
[00:37:27] I would absolutely be firing him as a client.
[00:37:30] Yasamin Salavatian: And listen, I want to say, like, there’s someone out there for Tom, right?
[00:37:33] Sandra Henderson: Oh, for sure.
[00:37:34] Yasamin Salavatian: Someone is dying to get on this personal branding journey, right? Like someone is dying for this project. It’s just not me. This is a project that would make me gain 15 pounds, question my sanity, and really reevaluate my feminine energy.
[00:37:48] Like it’s just like, I don’t need that. And you know what? He doesn’t need that either.
[00:37:52] Sandra Henderson: No. And if I’m going to put on 15 pounds, I would like it to be because I’ve been eating sandwiches from Ariana and Katie’s shop.
[00:37:59] Yasamin Salavatian: Like not even comparable, like not even like a different universe, right? Like happy weight.
[00:38:05] Sandra Henderson: Yeah, exactly.
[00:38:07] Yasamin Salavatian: Not like I’m questioning my values weight. Yeah. So, and, and you know what? And at the end of the day, we can even take it a step further and say that he doesn’t deserve to have someone on his team that doesn’t wholeheartedly believe in him. You know.
[00:38:20] Sandra Henderson: yeah, that’s so fair. I love that. I think that’s something that a lot of small business owners, we get into a mindset of, like, we just want to bring in more money.
[00:38:29] And so we’re willing to make all these allowances and accommodations for people. And we end up being miserable about it. And so, when we don’t put that money factor forward, and we work with people whose values align and make sure that they are going to get the same experience that somebody who you really click with will get, then that’s when you’re really going to start seeing and even finding comfort in saying, no, you’re not the right client for me, but also like, I’m not the right photographer for you or whatever the case may be.
[00:38:56] Yasamin Salavatian: Totally. And I, you know, I think there’s a, there’s almost like a,, a liberation in that.
[00:39:01] Like, I’ve come to the point in my business where it’s like, I’m really, really open about whether we’re not a fit. And I’ll, I mean, it’s not that it’s right or wrong. Like, I think assigning it a right or wrong brings a lot of judgment into it. It’s just like, does it fit or doesn’t it fit? And if it doesn’t fit, like, I actually have like a roster of other people that I’m obsessed with that I’m like, you should look at this, this, and this person, because they might be a fit for you.
[00:39:24] Yeah. And guess what? You just made another industry friend by sending over someone that you actually think is a good fit, right? Right.
[00:39:33] Sandra Henderson: Yeah. It brings back that whole community over competition thing to like, some of my best friends are where I send all of my referrals to. Some of them are because I’m not available.
[00:39:42] Some of them are because I just don’t want to do it and it’s not the right fit, but there’s nothing wrong with them as a person. We are just not. the right vibe to work together. And so here are some amazing people that you’re going to have a great experience with that are going to offer you the service that you’re looking for.
[00:39:56] So we have to kind of take a step back from wanting to work with every person to fill our bank account and take a look at the bigger picture.
[00:40:04] Yasamin Salavatian: Yeah. And it’s like, not only am I not the right person, but like, I can tell you a hundred percent that you’re going to laugh with this person. You’re going to, you’re going to vibe with this person.
[00:40:12] Y’all are going to be friends. Like. I know this person and I know that you guys are going to have a vibe and I don’t want to rob you of that vibe and I don’t want to rob me of a perfect fit client who is that vibe for me either. So like, why are we doing this? Like we shouldn’t be doing this and it’s okay.
[00:40:27] It’s okay. It’s just about, again, the self-belief and the confidence that there is someone. It’s like finding your romantic partner, right? It’s like there is someone for you. You don’t have to settle. Right? Like, keep going. I promise you, you’ll find the clients that are right for you.
[00:40:45] Sandra Henderson: This was the best conversation. I know listeners are going to have so many takeaways. Before we jump off this call, I would love it if you could just let everybody know where to find you on social media and online so they can give you a follow.
[00:40:57] Yasamin Salavatian: Totally. And thanks for having me.
[00:40:58] So, my name, my business name, and my full name is Yasamin Salavatian. And I have an Instagram @yasaminsalavatian, and I also have a website. YasaminSalavatian. com. And, I also have a LinkedIn. I’m not really sure where I’m going to be in the future, but those are my, those, those are my most probable places.
[00:41:16] Sandra Henderson: I love that. Well, everybody that’s listening, definitely go and give her a follow. You will not be disappointed with all the amazing things that she has to offer when it comes to figuring out your brand and your messaging and everything like that. Thank you so much again, Yasi. Enjoy the rest of your day and I can’t wait to chat more soon.
[00:41:32] Yasamin Salavatian: You too.
[00:41:33] Sandra Henderson: I really do believe what I said during this interview. It’s not enough to take beautiful photos anymore. There are too many photographers who take beautiful photos for that to be the differentiating factor on why someone should hire you. Show people who you truly are and give them the opportunity to connect with you on a deeper level.
[00:41:51] Not only is it going to set you apart in business, but you’re also going to like working so much more because you’re going to love the people that you’re working with. When I started sharing more about my personal story with endometriosis and chronic illness, I was really worried that people were going to hear it and they weren’t going to want to work with me. That they were going to be worried that I was going to be flaky and all the negative things that swirled around in my head, right?
[00:42:15] But I’ve actually been able to make so many incredible connections and talk to so many amazing people since I started sharing my story that it really just gave me some validation and made it easier to keep going with it. I also make sure that everything that I am putting out online in captions or in the copywriting on my website, I make sure that it all sounds how I speak in real life.
[00:42:38] Now the way that I do that, and I highly recommend everybody do this, especially if you feel like you’re really struggling to write in a way that sounds natural to you, is once you’ve written something, speak it out loud. And if it feels weird as you’re saying it, that’s because that’s not how you’re normally used to talking.
[00:42:55] If you’ve written in a way that you normally speak, it is going to flow off your tongue, and there won’t be any sort of issue feeling like it’s not really you, and that’s going to help you lean into your brand voice as well.
[00:43:06] Since most of you listening to this episode are getting into the thick of your busiest season, start with places that you can control on the go, like the way you approach your reels or the things you’re writing in your captions on social media. But the big projects like changing your website copywriting and things like that, save that for the off-season when you’ve gotten a little bit more comfortable and a little more practice under your belt using social media for this. And when you just have more time to be leaning into something like redoing your website.
[00:43:32] All right another episode done friends. Thank you so much as always for being here Enjoy the last of your may and I will be back with our first June episode next week.
[00:43:43] Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today’s episode at simplysandrayvonne.ca/keepingitcandid. In the meantime, let’s connect. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok, just search SimplySandraYvonne. And if you’re loving this podcast, I’d be so honoured if you’d go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review. Until next time.
Ever get bogged down with clients asking for photography location ideas? I did, until I created a “locations gallery” in my PicTime account. It’s a lifesaver for keeping my sessions fresh. And I get to avoid the overused default spots that get so boring after a while. Listen to this week’s episode of the podcast to hear all about it! And keep scrolling to read the transcript.
Show Notes
Template Shop: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop
Get A Free Month Of Pic-Time: https://lifeisbeautifullondon.pic-time.com/referral
Takeaways
- Creating a photography locations gallery can save time and streamline the process of suggesting photo shoot locations to clients.
- Including important details about each location in the gallery helps clients make informed decisions.
- Curating a portfolio through the photography locations gallery allows clients to visualize the look and feel of their own photos.
- Using a gallery service like PicTime is essential for preserving and delivering client photos.
- Technology advancements, such as cloud storage, are crucial for safeguarding clients’ memories.
- Utilizing templates and automation tools like HoneyBook can enhance efficiency in business workflows.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Announcement
02:33 Streamlining Photo Shoot Location Suggestions
05:22 Curating Your Portfolio Through a Photography Locations Gallery
06:40 The Importance of Using a Gallery Service
07:08 Preserving Memories with Technology
07:36 Conclusion and Promotions
About Sandra
Sandra Henderson is a photographer, systems strategist, and podcast host based in Ontario, Canada. She specializes in helping photographers create strategic systems for their businesses to help them get their time back so they can spend it doing the things they love most. As an entrepreneur who also navigates chronic illness life, Sandra takes a unique approach to using systems that will help businesses thrive no matter what life throws your way.
On a personal note, she loves tacos, all things Bravo, 90’s music, travelling, and spending time at home with her husband, stepson, and two cats!
Click here to get instant access to my brand-new free masterclass!
Other Episodes You’ll Love
How AI Can Change Your Photography Business – And Your Life with Cameron and Tia
Up-Level Your Client Experience With This One Simple Question
Ghosting: Why It’s Happening & What To Do About It with Michelle Harris
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Sandra Henderson: Welcome back to the podcast, friends. Now, before I get started with everything that I have in store today, I just wanted to share some really exciting news. I am going to be launching a template shop. I’ve been working so hard on this behind the scenes.
[00:00:15] Over the course of this year, I am going to be launching things like HoneyBook smart file templates, email swipe files, and workflow processes that you can copy over into your CRM with a tutorial video on how to get it all set up.
[00:00:28] Anything and everything that you can use to get your business more simplified and streamlined behind the scenes. If you head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop, you can get on the waitlist. And while I’m putting the finishing touches on everything, you are going to have the chance to win a free inquiry workflow template bundle when the shop launches.
[00:00:46] And you’ll also get a special little something as a thank you for being on the waitlist and for sharing this excitement with me.
[00:00:54] So I want you to head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop, get on the waitlist, and I will be sharing all the details soon, as soon as everything is ready to launch.
[00:01:05] Now we’re going to get to the intro in just a second, and then I’m going to be diving into one of my absolute favourite systems in my business that you can easily build on the go throughout the year, no matter how busy you are.
[00:01:21] Welcome to keeping it candid. I’m your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach. I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the back end of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way. And on a more personal note, I’m a strong enneagram three wing too who is obsessed with tacos and my love for travelling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner.
[00:01:47] Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like working as a wedding photographer, where I’ll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends. So go grab your favourite notebook and pen and let’s dive into this week’s episode.
[00:02:07] Okay, honest question. How often do you get emails from your clients asking if you have any ideas of where to go for photos? If you’re anything like me, you probably get asked this question by about 90 percent of the clients that you work with.
[00:02:21] The back and forth of that conversation was taking up so much of my time, which I was happy to do because I want people to have that perfect spot for their photos. But I knew that I needed to find a more efficient way to keep serving my clients without having to spend all of that time emailing back and forth.
[00:02:39] That’s when I decided to create what I call my locations gallery. Inside my PicTime account, I have a gallery that includes folders within it for all of my favourite photo locations in and around my area. And then inside each of those folders, you’re going to find a variety of photos from each location at different times of the year and different times of day, as well as a graphic that outlines important details of what to expect.
[00:03:02] So for example, when this location is best to use, whether that’s a specific time of day or specific time of year, if the location is accessible or not, if there are any travel or entrance fees that are associated with using it, and any other important details that I want someone to know before they make this location their selection.
[00:03:20] I love doing this so much because it gives my clients the chance to explore some locations that they may have never even heard of before. I’m sure every person listening to this episode can think of one specific location that’s a default go-to in your area. Whether that’s like a park or a certain monument, this is the spot that every photographer in your area goes to.
[00:03:40] It’s the default one that people who don’t know where to go for photos, they’re going to choose this spot. In my area, it’s a place called Springbank Park. It is a beautiful spot. Don’t get me wrong, but after going there 20 times in one year, it can get really old and I’m sure that you all feel that way.
[00:03:56] It just gets really boring, really creatively unfulfilling, and you just don’t want to go there anymore. So with this locations gallery, I’m able to keep things fresh by suggesting my favourite locations and honestly, I don’t even include those default locations because everybody already knows that they exist and they do not need me to remind them that it’s an option.
[00:04:17] For any listeners who are my chronic illness and disabled friends, this is also a chance for you to not include any locations that you’re not comfortable working in. So that way, you never have to deal with the extra anxiety of knowing what to expect in terms of accessibility. Another great thing about creating a locations gallery like this that you can share with your clients is that it’s a great way to help you curate your portfolio in a certain way, with a certain look or feel, while still giving your clients the option to choose their own spot.
[00:04:47] It really helps them visualize what their own photos are going to look like if they make the choice to go there. And it’s something that you can create on the go throughout busy season. Whenever you go into your gallery to upload photos to deliver to a client, select a few favourites and drop them into your location’s gallery at the same time.
[00:05:05] There are no extra expenses because you are already paying for this gallery service for your clients anyway. If you’re not using a gallery service in your photography business yet, I highly recommend that you do. I got married in 2016, so not that long ago. We are just coming up on eight years, and two years ago, I went to go and pull some wedding photos off of our USB for our anniversary, and I realized that the USB was dying.
[00:05:28] Thankfully, I was able to pull all of those photos off. It took over a day for me to transfer those photos onto my computer, and I kid you not, Once it was done, I was never able to get my computer to read that USB again. So I am so, so thankful that I was able to get those photos uploaded onto a cloud server.
[00:05:47] And it just reminded me of why it’s so important to progress with technology sometimes when it comes to preserving people’s memories. A lot of times, new computers and new laptops don’t even have USB ports anymore. Some people just use iPads, which don’t have USB ports. So it’s more important than ever to just make sure that your business is set up with a gallery service just to save your ass if anything goes wrong and make sure that nothing ever happens with your client’s photos.
[00:06:14] I highly recommend Picktime. I made the switch to using Picktime back in the fall of 2022, and I have had no regrets ever since. I have a whole episode coming up as to why it’s so amazing and how I have been able to increase my print and product sales by 90 percent since I started using it. That episode is coming out in a couple of weeks, so make sure you check back for that.
[00:06:38] If you head over to my website or the show notes for today’s episode, you can get my affiliate link. And that is going to get you one free month of pick time in addition to the one-month trial that pick time already gives you when you sign up. So you will get two free months to go and check it out and get it all set up and running.
[00:06:55] Anyways, friends have a great rest of your week and I will be back again soon.
(Outro music) Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today’s episode at simplysandryvonne.ca/keepingitcandid. In the meantime, let’s connect. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok, just search @SimplySandraYvonne. And if you love this podcast, I’d be so honoured if you’d go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review. Until next time. (Music fades out)
Thinking about outsourcing your editing because you’re drowning in galleries or your body’s begging for a break? I get it. But before you hit send on that first Lightroom catalogue, let’s talk about what actually needs to happen behind the scenes.
In this episode of Keeping It Candid, I sat down with Janelle from Janelle Joy Private Editing to talk about how to outsource your photo editing without losing your style. We cover what the hand-off process really looks like, how to build trust with your editor, and what systems you should have in place first—especially if you’re managing chronic illness, burnout, or just a full wedding season.
Keep scrolling for the full transcript, or hit play if you’re ready to listen in.
Episode Highlights
Here’s what we cover in this episode of Keeping It Candid
(Don’t feel like listening? You’ll find the full transcript below!)
- 03:36 – Welcome, intro to our topic & the behind-the-scenes of outsourcing
- 04:17 – What it took to say “yes” to outsourcing my editing
- 07:02 – The top hesitations photographers have about outsourcing
- 09:25 – How to find a private editor who truly matches your editing style
- 12:27 – Maintaining creative control when handing your edits over
- 19:47 – How outsourcing impacts your workflow, consistency, and client experience
- 22:33 – Why outsourcing can elevate—not detract from—personal client service
- 27:56 – Final words: balancing burnout, systems, and sustainable scaling
? Thinking about outsourcing your editing—but your backend’s a mess?
Before you hand over your Lightroom catalogs, make sure your client flow can actually support it. That’s where Fix Your Foundations comes in—a low-lift, strategic challenge designed for photographers to clean up HoneyBook processes and set the stage for smooth outsourcing, automations, and sustainable growth.
This isn’t one more thing to add to your plate—it’s a bite-sized system refresh that respects your time, energy, and business rhythm.
? Join Fix Your Foundations and build workflows that hold—so you can let go of the editing without losing control.
How to Outsource Photo Editing Without Losing Your Style (Transcript of my interview with Janelle Henningson)
[00:03:36] Sandra Henderson:
? (Intro Music)
Welcome to Keeping It Candid. I’m your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach. I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the backend of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive—no matter what life throws their way.
And on a more personal note, I’m a strong Enneagram three-wing two who’s obsessed with tacos. My love for travelling, combined with navigating chronic illness life, are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner.
Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like working as a wedding photographer, where I’ll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends—so go grab your favourite notebook and pen and let’s dive into this week’s episode.
? (Music fades out)
Interview
[00:04:17] Sandra Henderson:
Hi Janelle, and thank you so much for joining me today from all the way across the seas! Before we dive into all the goodness I know you have for this episode, I’d love it if you could introduce yourself and let listeners know a little bit about what you’re all about.
[00:04:32] Janelle Henningson:
Sure, I’d love to! I’m Janelle of Janelle Joy Private Editing. My team and I are private photo editors—mainly for wedding photographers from all over the world. We edit one-on-one for them so they can free up such a huge chunk of their time and not feel bogged down. That’s the business side.
On the personal side—I’m a mom to three amazing girls. We’re currently living in France for a year, which is quite the adventure. I’m glad we could get together and do this.
[00:05:10] Sandra Henderson:
Yeah, me too! A little off-topic—but how are your kids adjusting to the move? I feel like as adults, we’re used to big changes, but how are they handling it?
[00:05:23] Janelle Henningson:
That’s such a great question. Honestly, they’re doing really well. My oldest is almost 19 and still back in the States doing her adult thing (which is so weird to say!). The younger two—12 and 8—are adapting incredibly well. We’re homeschooling, which helps a lot since they’re not enrolled in the French school system.
[00:05:54] Sandra Henderson:
I remember listening to a podcast back in 2020 about a family that moved to Italy for a year so their eldest could have that life experience before graduating. My stepson is 16 now, and I keep nudging my husband like, “You know what would be really cool…”
[00:06:21] Janelle Henningson:
I’m a huge advocate for it. We hit the perfect window and just went for it. We’d been dreaming about this for 15 years. We hadn’t even been to France before—we just decided to jump in.
[00:06:39] Sandra Henderson:
I love that! I need more people like you to back me up so I can take this idea to my husband, haha.
[00:07:02] Hesitations About Outsourcing
Sandra Henderson:
Let’s get into it. Today we’re talking about outsourcing your editing—the hesitations photographers might have and what they need to know. I know you have photography experience yourself, so I’m sure you’re familiar with all the feelings that come up around this.
Janelle Henningson:
Absolutely. I hear the same hesitations all the time from photographers—and not just my own clients, but the community in general. The top three are:
- Fear of losing control – “Can someone else really match my editing style?”
- Cost – A lot of people assume private editing is way more expensive than it actually is.
- Past bad experiences – Maybe they tried outsourcing and it didn’t work, or they went with a big box editor and didn’t get the results they wanted.
Sandra Henderson:
Yes! I’ve been through all of those myself. If I had let my first editing experience define everything, I’d still be manually editing all my galleries today.
[00:09:17] Tips for Finding the Right Editor
Sandra Henderson:
You really do have to work through it to find the right fit. Everyone has different skills—just like any other creative field.
Janelle Henningson:
Exactly. Some editors just don’t have the eye for it, and that’s okay. It’s a specific skill—matching contrast, tone, style—and not everyone can do it, even if they technically know how to edit.
Sandra Henderson:
One thing I always say is: the right editor can sometimes edit your photos better than you can. Most photographers I know want to be behind the camera—not stuck editing in their office all day.
Janelle Henningson:
Yes! And you’re not giving up creative control. Editors like my team use “anchor images”—your own edited photos—as the guide. We don’t bring in our style; we match yours, consistently.
[00:12:27] Maintaining Creative Control
Sandra Henderson:
That’s such a key difference. I used to love opening my catalogue and watching all the edits load. I’d still go in and do my final tweaks—maybe a little mask here or there—but I saved so much time.
Janelle Henningson:
Exactly. You still touch your images, especially for albums or blog posts—but you’re not manually editing 800 photos anymore. And that time adds up fast.
[00:13:29] Finding the Right Fit After a Bad Experience
Sandra Henderson:
For photographers who’ve had a bad outsourcing experience—do you have tips for how to find the right editor?
Janelle Henningson:
Yes, but first—ask yourself: do you actually understand your own editing style? It’s not just “light and airy” or “clean and classic.” You need to know your version of that style. How do you achieve it? What do your images need to look like?
If you’re not sure, it’ll be hard to communicate your expectations—and that’s where most editor-client relationships fall apart.
Sandra Henderson:
That’s such a good point.
Janelle Henningson:
And once you know your style? Start asking in your photography communities. Referrals are gold. Learn who your friends trust and how the experience worked for them.
[00:14:57] Sponsor Break: PicTime
Sandra Henderson:
Today’s episode of the podcast is sponsored by PicTime.
This is the gallery service I use in my photography business that honestly doesn’t compare to anything else I’ve tried. First and foremost, it’s fully accessible to Canadians. Other platforms might be available here, but they limit features due to printer options, tax issues, or general US-only headaches.
But with PicTime? Everything works. Canadian pricing. Canadian printers. Full feature access. And yes—if you’re in the US, you’ve got plenty of options too. But as a Canadian? That accessibility made me very happy.
PicTime also offers pre-made and custom automations to help boost your print sales year-round. There’s optional AI facial recognition, watermark protection, custom storefronts with international pricing, and even HoneyBook integration. You can literally view gallery images right inside your HoneyBook client profile.
If you’re looking for a new gallery platform this busy season, head over to my website or the show notes to grab my affiliate link. You’ll get one free month on top of the free trial PicTime already gives you—so that’s two full months to try it out, get everything set up, and boost your client experience.
[00:16:30] Janelle Henningson:
Instagram is a great way to find an editor—we get so many inquiries there. But it’s important to do your research. Look at their website, check testimonials, set up a consult call if needed.
That’s step one: do your homework.
And then—just interview them! Make sure you feel comfortable. Because giving feedback is a huge part of this process. If you feel awkward giving notes, you’ll never get what you want from the edits.
We want your feedback. If your white balance feels off, or the exposure isn’t quite right, we need to hear that. If you don’t say anything, nothing will change—and you’ll assume we’re just not good. When in reality, we’re flying blind.
[00:17:42] Sandra Henderson:
Yes! I remember when I started working with Jade, she said, “Don’t worry—any feedback you give me, I won’t take it personally. That’s how I do my job better.” It was such a relief.
[00:17:56] Janelle Henningson:
Exactly. And please, if you’ve tried outsourcing before and it didn’t work—don’t give up. Your editor is out there. I promise. And when you find them? You’ll be like, “Where were you three years ago?!”
But here’s the thing—if you’re stuck making tiny, hyper-specific adjustments like +1 tint or -2 exposure tweaks… you might not be ready to outsource. That level of control will make the experience frustrating. You have to be okay with someone else doing 95% of the work—even if you still add the finishing touches.
What matters is: does the catalogue look cohesive? Can the images sit side-by-side in an album and feel consistent? That’s what success looks like.
[00:19:32] Sandra Henderson:
YES. Maybe it’s the wedding photographer in me, but that level of consistency is just so calming. Doesn’t matter if it’s 2PM sun or a 10PM reception—when everything flows, it’s magic.
[00:19:47] The Impact of Outsourcing on Style and Workflow
Sandra Henderson:
So speaking of style—how do you think outsourcing affects the actual work photographers put out?
Janelle Henningson:
Great question. Honestly? We’re removed enough to avoid second-guessing. You know how photographers re-edit a gallery three times? Editors don’t do that.
We match your anchor image and deliver consistent work all the way through. No triple-checking. No magenta adjustment rabbit holes.
Sandra Henderson:
Oof. That’s so me. I even have a sticky note on my monitor that says “done is better than perfect” to stop myself from going down that path.
Janelle Henningson:
Exactly. Most people—including your clients—can’t even tell the difference between a +2 tint and a neutral version. That’s usually just us being in our heads. Your photographer friends might notice. Your clients? Probably not.
Sandra Henderson:
Totally. Once I started working with an editor, it made my style more consistent—and helped speed up my entire workflow because I had someone waiting on me to deliver the catalogue. That accountability helped so much.
Janelle Henningson:
YES. That’s the goal. We want to be a part of your workflow—not an add-on, but a partner. So you deliver faster, with less stress, and your clients get their galleries sooner than expected.
[00:22:33] Enhancing the Client Experience
Sandra Henderson:
Here’s a question I hear a lot—do you think outsourcing takes away from the personal, hands-on client experience photographers are known for?
Janelle Henningson:
Honestly? No. I think it makes it better.
Serving your clients doesn’t mean being glued to your laptop editing. It means showing up for them. Being responsive. Being present. And during busy season, that’s hard to do when you’re four weddings behind on edits.
Think about it—are you showing up for your October clients the same way you showed up for your May clients? Probably not… unless you’ve built systems and support around you. That’s what outsourcing allows.
Sandra Henderson:
That was such a strong point to end on. We think outsourcing is just about saving time—but when you zoom out, it actually creates space to serve your clients better.
Whether you’re saving five hours or twenty-five, that time can be re-invested into delivering a better experience.
Janelle Henningson:
Exactly. I’m a big advocate for being intentional with your time—that’s probably why I became an editor after being a photographer.
Sandra Henderson:
Same here. Chronic illness life means my time is unpredictable, so anything that takes something off my plate while maintaining quality? I’m in.
[00:25:26] Choosing the Next Adventure
Sandra Henderson:
Okay—last question! Inspired by your current adventure in France: once your year abroad wraps up, would you rather live in England or Italy next?
Janelle Henningson:
Haha—funny you ask because we’re doing both! I’ve been to England before, but I love Italian food, so I’m especially excited for that part of our next stop.
Sandra Henderson:
Same. I’m a huge foodie. I need a good place to sleep, great food, and then everything else is just bonus.
Janelle Henningson:
Right? Give me pasta and gelato and I’m in.
[00:26:27] Wrapping Up
Sandra Henderson:
Thank you so much, Janelle. This was such a valuable conversation. I hope everyone listening feels inspired to go find their perfect editor match.
Before we jump off, can you share where people can find you online?
Janelle Henningson:
Absolutely!
- Instagram: @janellejoy_photo_editor
- Website: janellejoy.com
I answer DMs and emails, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sandra Henderson:
Perfect. Thanks again, Janelle!
[00:27:56] Final Thoughts
Sandra Henderson:
If you ended last year feeling burnt out and overwhelmed, take this episode as your sign to outsource your editing.
There’s a learning curve. It takes a few weeks to hit your stride. But if you go in with realistic expectations, you’ll set yourself up for success.
Build the cost into future bookings. Eat the cost for the weddings you’ve already booked. You’ll get photos out faster, your clients will be happier, and you’ll actually have time to rest.
You can’t rest if you’re constantly editing—or worrying about all the editing you haven’t done. Outsourcing, paired with systems that support you, is how you scale without burning out.
It’s not about working harder. It’s about working smarter.
That’s it for this week, friends. I’ll see you back here next Wednesday with a new episode.
? Want someone to clean up your HoneyBook so you’re actually ready to outsource?
Book a Done-For-You Setup and let me get your workflows working behind the scenes while you focus on what you actually want to be doing.
About Janelle
Janelle is the founder and owner of Janelle Joy Private Editing. After being a photographer for 14 years she saw a huge need for personal photo editing and decided to launch Janelle Joy Private Editing back in 2016. She now runs a thriving and successful editing business helping wedding photographers from all over the world take back their time, enabling them to upscale their business, create better client experiences, and have a personal life in the process.
In-fact, the high-demand for Janelle’s personal and unique approach to private editing ended up growing from a one woman show to a team of 6 editors in a period of just 1 year! Janelle is in all the details and definitely delivers a premium experience and service to all of her clients. Janelle and her team work with extraordinary high-end luxury photographers all the way down to the every day wedding photographer. She thrives by the motto, “Time is a luxury we can’t afford to waste. So use it wisely and purposefully.”
Keep Reading:
Your New Favourite Freebie: A Wedding Timeline Template Built for Photographers, by a Photographer
How to Book More Weddings with Less Stress During Engagement Season
For tips and updates follow me on Insta @simplysandrayvonne
find me on
© 2025 Simply Sandra Yvonne. Designed in collaboration with multiple Showit designers. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions
click here
Stop overthinking your HoneyBook inquiry workflow. Fix it in 5 days — join the waitlist →