Three Photography Marketing Secrets You Should Know

You and I are not professionally trained marketers. We don’t have a Marketing degree from Harvard. No – we’re professional photographers who love photography and basically hate marketing.But, there are three photography marketing secrets you should know. These three secrets are life-changing, and no one has probably ever revealed them to you – until now.Photography Marketing Secret #1: It’s critical you create a huge demand for your “limited supply” and then control the volume of work you do with the price.When I first started in photography, I didn’t “get” this at all. I thought like this: “How much marketing do I need to do anyway? I’m just one person. How many clients can I possibly work with anyway? I’m small, so my marketing can be small.”No! In an artistic profession such as photography, it’s important to realize that you must create a HUGE demand for your limited supply, and then you control the volume of work you do with the prices you charge.So what you need to do is think much bigger. You need to have “multiple streams of marketing” out in your marketing area. (See #3 below.)Photography Marketing Secret #2: Remember, not everyone with a pulse is a good prospect for you. In order to be successful, you must be willing to send some people away.I first learned this from the great Donald Jack, with whom I understudied and apprenticed with for two years at the beginning of my photography career. I owe so much to him, and am so thankful for all he taught me.The point here is that there is only a certain limited number of people you are going to be able to work with, so you need to pick and choose very carefully who you allow to hire you.So what you do is create that HUGE demand for your limited supply, as I talked about above, and then you carefully pick who you will work with out of all the people who contact you as a result of your great photography marketing.Now, I know this sounds strange – most photographers are thinking all the time about how they can get MORE clients to work with – and not really thinking at all about whether or not a certain client “qualifies” to work with. And that is one of the reasons most photographers are not successful.So, starting right now, you want to qualify each person who contacts you (by asking them questions) to make sure there is enough potential there for you to take the time to work with them. (More on this in upcoming articles.)Photography Marketing Secret #3: The most dangerous number in photography marketing is the number one. Don’t put all your “eggs” into one basket when it comes to photography marketing.What I mean by this is that you can’t just “use the Internet” and expect to get all the clients you will ever need. And likewise, you can’t just “do a mailing” and have that be the only marketing you do. Not in this day and age.I have found that you need about 16 different marketing methods, or “medias” to get enough good qualified people actually sitting in front of your camera. So stop thinking that just one single way is enough!You see, the shocking, honest truth about photography marketing is this: It’s way more work than you thought it was going to be when you first decided to get into the photography business. It takes planning, study, research, testing, good copywriting, calls to action, closes, double readership paths, multiple means of response, guarantees, and so many more things for your marketing to be effective and bring you the people you want to work with.So there you have them – three major photography marketing secrets that 95% of all photographers in the world do not realize. Now you do, and if you will take action on what I just revealed to you, your photography business will grow and prosper while your competitors are complaining and dropping like flies!All the best to you,Charles J. Lewis, M. Photog., Cr.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

An Introduction to Lifestyle Living in South Africa

The idea of lifestyle living has redefined the South African property market in recent years. A concept that has numerous applications, it appeals to those who want the very best of life. This is because it arouses an emotional desire for true quality and a yearning to live a life of choice.While not unlike lifestyle living in other countries, the concept has a special appeal within the African context, with South Africa offering a combination of raw scenic beauty, African adventure, an extraordinarily rich cultural heritage, and world-class facilities and living standards. Gone are the images of lions roaming the streets of Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. Instead the famous Big Five live in well managed game parks while the streets of South Africa’s top cities offer shops and restaurants that promise First World luxuries and treats at affordable prices – especially for those who visit from foreign lands.So it is not surprising that lifestyle living is a concept that appeals to both foreigners and locals alike.Nestled between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, South Africa is the 25th largest country in the world, covering an area of 1,221,040 square kilometres or 471,446 square miles. It has a population of more than 47-million people from a wide variety of cultures and religious beliefs. There are nine official languages and nine provinces, making the country truly a rainbow nation.Anyone looking for property opportunities within this southern-most country in Africa will find that property agents enthusiastically espouse the concept of lifestyle living. On the other hand, magazines published locally use the term loosely to describe just about anything that relates to quality gracious living: food and wine, health and beauty, and occasionally, property.The beauty of the lifestyle living theory is that it can be adapted to meet almost every discernible desire. That is undoubtedly why the term is often used to promote property values and desirability. As such, lifestyle living has defined its own place in a very competitive industry. And to many, it is absolutely irresistible.It is accepted that any type of lifestyle estate in this country will provide an exclusive home environment where you are secure and have easy access to the amenities you value. Thousands of gated communities in towns and cities across South Africa meet this basic definition. However quality lifestyle-living means a whole lot more than living in an upmarket housing estate densely packed with identical-looking mansions and triple garages.Quality rural lifestyle living is the connoisseur’s prize; far removed from city stress. Savvy developers of successful country lifestyle estates link the needs of buyers to lifestyle desires such as game farms, private nature reserves, golf, wine, horses and “gentleman” farming, whether on a full-time basis or “get-away” retreat within a few short hours drive from the city.Many international buyers want all the benefits of a “Farm in Africa” without the management worry or financial liability. For every buyer there is an environment that satisfies and soothes both the soul and the budget.Once you understand your options, you can look for the place of your dreams, just like I did.

Posted in Lifestyle | Tagged | Comments Off

Auto Insurance Damage Claims: Must Read “How To” Guide

Have you just been out from a vehicle accident and filing an auto insurance damage claims? Then read on. We’ll talk about some tips with your auto insurance damage claims that would make it easier and less hectic than it may seem.Oh! I also compiled more articles that you should read before buying any auto insurance to avoid regrets later. You can view them at my site, look for the link at the bottom of this article.Going through an auto accident is never a pleasant experience. But it is very important to keep a cool head as much as possible when dealing with your auto insurance damage claims. It is important that you remember as much as possible what happened. What was the weather, what was the road like, the landmarks? All of this would be very helpful during your auto insurance damage claim. Insurance companies will try to verify your story with the police report and other parties.When filing an auto insurance damage claim, insurance companies would most likely ask for documentation. So be prepared to by writing down the names and address of people who are involved with the accident. It would also be a big help if you have contacts with possible witness to the event. Be ready for the copy of police report, medical report and forms that your insurance company would ask for.
One thing that you must always have with you to lighten that auto insurance damage claim burden is your insurance card. Keep with you all the time. Stuck it to your wallet or in the glove compartment. Anywhere, as long as you have it all the time when driving your vehicle. This nifty card contains lot of information such as type of coverage, span of coverage and identification.It’s worth mentioning that when filing forms during an auto insurance damage claims, that accuracy is a must. It’s easy to misspell the names of people, name of street or block and even your car. That’s why you must double-check those records especially the documents on police report and auto insurance damage claim form. Doing this ensures that there will be less chance of a delay on processing those documentations.Auto insurance damage claims may be daunting at first glance, and maybe it is. But following this article would make it a little bit easier for your head. At least you will only have a headache from the accident and not from filing those auto insurance damage claim.

Posted in Insurance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off