#186: Creating a Netflix-like Membership Program for Your Clients, with photographer Annemie Tonken
Apr 11, 2024
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Photographer Annemie Tonken shares her journey from healthcare to family photography and how she created a Netflix-like membership program for clients. She emphasizes the importance of business creativity, client feedback, and efficient service tailoring. Tips on setting up a membership program and maximizing freelance business efficiency.
Thinking creatively about the business side of freelancing can lead to new opportunities and transform the way business aspects are viewed.
Developing a subscription-based membership can enhance client relations, provide a predictable income stream, and work in various industries beyond photography.
Evaluating and streamlining business processes through automation and outsourcing can significantly improve efficiency, productivity, and work-life balance.
Leveraging word-of-mouth recommendations and effective communication can be powerful tools for attracting clients, building trust, and driving referrals.
Deep dives
Creating Business Opportunities by Thinking Creatively
Thinking creatively about the business side of freelancing can lead to new opportunities. By reevaluating how time and effort are allocated, a freelancer can find innovative ways to increase income while reducing working hours. This approach can transform the way business aspects are viewed, shifting from a necessity to an exciting puzzle to solve.
Offering a Subscription-Based Membership for Clients
Developing a subscription-based membership can enhance client relations and provide a predictable income stream. By offering tiered membership levels and exclusive benefits like preferred booking times, freelancers can create a sense of value and continuity for clients. This model can work in various industries beyond photography, providing clients with a structured and convenient service.
Increasing Efficiency Through Automation and Outsourcing
Evaluating and streamlining business processes through automation and outsourcing can significantly improve efficiency. By auditing every step of the workflow, freelancers can identify tasks to automate or delegate, reducing time spent on non-essential activities. Implementing systems that handle repetitive tasks allows freelancers to focus on essential aspects of their work, enhancing productivity and work-life balance.
Embracing Word of Mouth Marketing and Communication
Leveraging word-of-mouth recommendations and effective communication can be powerful tools for attracting clients. Building trust through recommendations and utilizing clear communication channels can enhance client relationships and drive referrals. Additionally, prioritizing personalized interactions, such as initial phone calls with potential clients, can strengthen connections and lead to increased bookings.
Strengthening Client Relationships Through Exclusivity and Communication
Creating a sense of exclusivity and personalization can strengthen client relationships and drive loyalty. By offering benefits like first dibs on booking slots and clear communication on membership perks, freelancers can enhance client engagement and retention. Tailoring marketing strategies to emphasize exclusivity and personalized service can differentiate freelancers in competitive markets.
Prioritizing Continuity and Client Retention for Sustainable Business Growth
Focusing on sustainable growth through continuity and client retention strategies is essential for long-term success. By balancing new client acquisition with maintaining a core client base, freelancers can ensure steady income and workload distribution. Implementing measures to retain existing clients, such as membership programs and preferential booking, can create stability and predictability in a freelancer's business.
Encouraging Creativity in Business Development for Freelancers
Fostering creativity in business development can lead to innovative solutions and opportunities for freelancers. By breaking away from traditional approaches and exploring new perspectives, freelancers can discover unique ways to enhance their services and attract clients. Embracing a creative mindset in all aspects of freelancing, from marketing to service delivery, can drive growth and success in a competitive market.
Today’s guest is Annemie Tonken. Annemie lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She has been a professional photographer since 2010 and is the owner of Megapixie Photography.
She also teaches creative entrepreneurs how to run profitable, sustainable businesses they love, by focusing on how they can develop helpful business systems and strategies. And, she’s the host of a business podcast for photographers called This Can’t Be That Hard and the creator of the Simple Sales System, which is used by thousands of photographers worldwide to create in-person sales-level income and service in an automated way.
In this episode, we talk about:
How she became a photographer and later focused on family photography.
How a surgery left her income and business vulnerable — and she vowed to change that.
Her lightbulb moment that led to her membership program.
Why we should think creatively about the business side — and not just the creative services we provide.
The importance of listening to the challenges many of your clients continue to have.
Tips on how to set up and sell your own membership program.
Why this is a good model for branding photographers and writers, too.
How to adopt this model to service businesses beyond photography.
What freelance photographers struggle with and how Annemie responds.
The three phases of business Annemie thinks about.
Biz Bite: Conduct an audit of your business systems — with the goals of automation and outsourcing.
