Commercial Photographer: Your Guide to Marketing, Creativity and Growth

Lauren McWilliams is a Brand photographer and Strategist. Lauren works with ambitious service based entrepreneurs across the UK through photography and programmes. With a keen eye for capturing the essence of brands through photography and a knack for strategic thinking, she’s the go-to for those looking to make a lasting impact in their market.  Her passion for helping others can be seen and was recently recognised in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022 as a finalist for Young Entrepreneur of the year.  Lauren's business story Lauren started her business in 2019 not long before the pandemic began. When she started she had no idea how to run a business. Photography had always been a passion, so when she burnt out from her 9 to 5 job, she setup a photography business. Lauren got lots of support from the local authority for her business. Lauren started saying yes to any work that came along, like almost all of us do when we start a business. She quickly realised that what she enjoyed most was working with businesses. When the pandemic hit she had no work, as with most photographers. So, she decided to launch a challenge to help keep businesses telling their story. After lockdown she was suddenly fully booked having run the challenge. As she worked more Lauren realised that customers didn’t know what to do with their photographs. Most of the photographs she gave to customers stayed hidden. So she started to learn more about marketing and then started to help her customers with this. Lauren ended up with a contract as a consultant to support businesses in the same way as she had received support at the beginning of her business journey. Where do Lauren's customers begin as photography or branding clients? Lauren is known mainly as a photographer and so her clients tend to come in for photography, but then they move on to also become brand strategy clients once they have their photographs. Lauren works with businesses over a long period of time and builds up a long term relationship with them, which she really values. She tells us the story of a recruitment business that she has documented over time. Initially it was just the CEO of the business on her own. Now she has a team of 20 or 30 with a new office. Lauren has documented those changes. What could photographers could do to add more value to clients. Lauren suggests building more of a relationship with the client. Ensuring realty careful panning happens before the photo shoot. As an example for a corporate photo shoot you could involve the people having their photo taken from the planning stage. Ask them for ideas so that they can become involved in the process and start to own it and enjoy it. Collaboration Lauren thinks it is really important as photographers to collaborate and learn from each other. When she started off she found some local photographers saw her as a threat and wouldn’t answer her questions. Later she found more supportive photographers. She is now using her skills and knowledge to help other photographers.  Shoot to the top Facebook Group We have launched a Facebook group for the podcast. You can find it here. Lauren, Sam and Marcus are there and you can ask them questions.  Sam asked Lauren how we can make content to show the person we are without making it to much “me,me,me”. She says the balance is that we show who we are but we balance that with sharing out networks and our clients success. Lauren suggests the simple things that photographers could do to improve their marketing is to practice what they preach. Photographers are usually telling clients to get out and be visible. But then many photographers then hide behind the camera and aren’t seen. You can contact Lauren here. lauren@foryouphotographer.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-mcwilliams-brand-photographer/ https://laurenmcwilliams.co.uk/

This episode is sponsored by Website for photographers. Website 4 photographers help photographers get more leads from their websites. You can get in touch here ⁠info@website4photographers.co.uk⁠ ⁠01482 765871⁠ In this episode Sam says we should talk much less about ourselves in our marketing. People are interested in themselves, not about you. So if your marketing is talking about you, the people receiving it are not very interested. They are more interested in themselves. SocialWho was your last social post about? Was it about you? If so how interesting is that for other people? Some people think that being on social media regularly means talking about yourself all the time. This is not engaging for other people. So what can you post about? Helping others. By doing this you are helping people, but subtly showing them you are an expert.    Ask a question. Ask others for their ideas and opinions. Commenting on other peoples posts. This is helping to build a community not just talking about yourself.   Websites Visitors come to your website because they have a problem and want to know if you can solve it. The general public don’t browse photographers websites for fun. They come to see if you can solve their problem. So are you talking about the visitor and their problems and how you can solve them.The "I" testLook at your website. How many times do you use the word "I"(or we) and how many times do you say the word "you". If you use "I", more than "you", then you need to re-focus your website to the visitor and away from "you". About me page You have to even make the about page not about you, but what you have done, how you have helped people, rather just your story from birth.Blogs, videos and testimonialsThese are a great way to show how great you are and how knowledgeable you are without you having to do it directly. Visitors reading your blogs will realise you are an expert over time as they read your blogs. NetworkingThis also applies to meeting people in networking meetings. Let the person you are meeting talk as much as possible. You will build great relationships as people will see you are interested in them. NewslettersThis principal again applies to the newsletter. A newsletter that just explains what happens in your office last week is not engaging. A newsletter should not be your news. It should be entertaining, informing and engaging. Promoting yourself is not the same as talking about yourself. You want other people to be talking about you and your brand, you don’t want to be doing this yourself. Pascalle Bergman is a person who puts this into practice perfectly. She is constantly helping people, not talking about herself. Find her here on LinkedIn  

In this show we talk to Colin D Smith who is an expert in listening. A skill we have talked about many times in the show.   Listening makes people feel needed and valued. It is something that can be learnt either through coaching in group settings or 121. Even though most people think they are good listeners in reality very few people have the skills to do it well. And this is reflected in society with a rise in loneliness and sadly suicide rates.   Colin goes on to say the importance of using open ended questions “how do you feel about that?” “ interesting, what more do you want to say about that?”   Sam poses the question of how can we use this in our business, in particular networking.   Good listening can results in building trust and be more likeable. So when dealing with customers get them to open up with open questions, exploring different options. And if you become a better listener your clients will in turn listen closer to you. It's a win win!   Colin believes deeper listening can be learnt. Clear away distractions, go in to your discussions with a settled mind and be more in the present. Avoid interrupting, stop trying to fix things, don’t be an eighteen second manager.   Colin goes on to re-enforce the quality of being present. Think along the lines of becoming a listener as to doing it.  Take a three second pause after the other person has finished speaking, observe their body movements. Listen for key phrases “I have never told this to someone before”   Marcus brings up non verbal conversations. Eye contact, facing people during conversations, equality of viewpoints all contribute to the effectiveness of listening.   In times where you have to get to know people quickly, head shots, for example, it is important to get yourself centered before and during the event. Keep a calm demeanor in spite of everything.   Good listening skills will make your clients feel that they have the right person on the job. You can contact Marcus colin.smith@dexteritysolutions.co.uk https://dexteritysolutions.co.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/colindsmith1 07939-013651

Creativity and Rest Marcus takes us back to episode 12 and reminds us about the 5 Rs of creativity Rules Research Reflection Repetition Rest Today Marcus is going to talk more about the subject of rest. Marcus has been looking at the latest research into creativity. According to the research your brain works in two different modes 1.   “Default Mode Network” When you are not really thinking about anything. When you do something by habit. Like having a shower in the morning, or driving your car and you arrived without knowing how you got there. It is when your thoughts are going inwards 2.    “Executive Control Network” This is when you are really in the zone and doing focused activity. It’s been discovered that the Default mode network is linked to creativity.Taking the time  When Marcus wants to think about ideas he sits down in the evening with a glass of wine. Sam suggests then that meditation should be part of this process, which Marcus agrees with. It’s important to find that quiet space, and think about nothing and let the ideas come to you. It’s crucial this is in a quite space with nothing else going on. NotebookMarcus recommends always having a notebook to hand to write down your ideas as they come to you. But also Marcus says as you get better at getting creative ideas you can also train your brain to remember these ideas.How to startFor Marcus he says about 8pm he sits in quiet with a glass of wine and just sits, and thinks. And the more you try this the easier it becomes. There is lots of meditation help online, both in terms of techniques and calming sound tracks. Marcus recommends doing this every day. Finding that time can be very challenging. But it is worth that effort. For some people the day time is a better time, when the house is quiet. It’s important to try and schedule that quiet time into your day.   Long term This is a long term process and it will take time to get better at this. There is a great Netflix documentary about this            

This episode is sponsored by Website for photographers. Website 4 photographers help photographers get more leads from their websites. You can get in touch here ⁠info@website4photographers.co.uk⁠ ⁠01482 765871⁠ In this episode Marcus and Sam discuss the different platforms available for building a website. Sam grouped into three different broad groups. 1. The self build platforms – Wix, SquareSpace, Shopify and others 2. Content management system platforms. This is dominated by WordPress, but there are other platforms here like Joomla 3. Custom coding. This means someone builds a site for you using code.Self Build websitesThese are easy to use drag and drop website platforms. These make it very easy to get a website online. With some use of templates, dragging and dropping you can make something that looks quite good, quite quickly. They are easy to use  and deal with maintenance, security and hosting for you. This means it’s one simple monthly or annual payment and it covers everything. Once you chose one of these platforms you are locked into it. So if they dramatically increase your prices your only choice is to give up on that website, or pay the higher price. The speed and SEO for these platforms has improved dramatically in the last ten years, however they are behind the other types of website in these areas. Speed effects visitors experience and can also push you down the Google rankings. These platforms also have limits as to what they can do. They have quite a good range of functionality.  But if you want to go beyond the functionality they provide, you have to start again with a different platform. Sam explains there is a lot more to building a website than adding some text and images and making it look pretty. Take a listen to our back catalogue to get some ideas about this.WordPress and other CMS platformsThey talk about Wordpress here as it’s the dominant force. Sam explains that Wordpress is quite a basic platform (a bit like a new phone) but you can then add plugins (like apps on your phone) that can do all sorts of things. Some are free, some premium, some freemium. There are different ways to build a WordPress website, but many now use a visual editor so you can see what you are doing. But they are not drag and drop builders like Wix. When using WordPress you do need to think about your own security and updates. This isn’t that complicated, but does need thinking about. The most important thing is to keep all the software up to date.  Wordpress websites can move between website hosting. So if you have a problem with one web hosting service, you can move it to a different one. The number of plugins for websites is huge so there is a wide range of flexibility in what WordPress can do. Because these plugins are used by a wide range of users the cost of writing them is shared across hundreds or thousands of users, which keeps the cost down.Custom coded websiteThis means that a site is built just for you. There is no excess code here. It is a way to get a very fast efficient website. It can do a huge range of things. But it is very expensive as a coder writes it just for you. For a simple five page photography website, this would be very over the top. But if you want to do something more complex and you have the budget, it’s a great way to go.   Moving between platformsThink carefully before committing to a website platform as to leave you have to abandon the website and start again. But also don’t be afraid to let an old website go. For example maybe you built a Website on SquareSpace two years ago and you want to greatly improve it. Think carefully about whether you would be better to over onto another platform and start again, rather than stick to what you have.  Image sizesAs a sideline Sam and Marcus started chatting about photographers getting images onto their websites. Sam explained it’s important that photographers don’t add huge images to their websites.    

In this show Marcus tells us about style, what it is and how it can be used in your business. Marcus says having a style means that if someone looks at your work they can tell it’s your due to the style. Marcus gives these photographers as examples of photographers with a very unique style. Martin Schoeller Madame Yevonde   What makes a style? It could be a technique, it could be using black and white, using flash or your viewpoint, Another example is Edward Burtynsky who is a landscape photographer and uses ariel shots. The advantages of having a style If you have a particular style then customers know what to expect when they book you. It can mean you can command higher fees as you can become an expert in that look. But that can mean that you need to reach a wider audience so the relevant people who like your style can find you and work with you. Developing a styleHow can you develop your own style? Marcus recommends printing out some portfolio pieces, maybe your 100 favourites. Then lay them all out on the floor and start to arrange them to find common themes. In this way you can discover your own style through exploration. Another approach is reflecting deeply on your work. Reflection is important in all areas of business, and in life. And it’s important to make time for that. Another approach to developing your style is showing your work to others and discuss it with them. There are events where you can do this, take along your portfolio and talk to someone about your work. Developing a style is not an overnight thing, thing is something you develop over time, and never stop working on. Style versus brand How do you get the balance between your style and the style of the brand? If your style is too fixed does it mean you cannot with some clients? There is a balance here between your style and the brands style and how much you can adapt your style and how much you are willing and able to do this. Remember you don’t have to show work that’s not in your style (apart from the client you did the work for).

Fabienne is a property stylist who works with Airbnb owners. She loves to create an original, playful property. She helps their AirBnb stand out online. She loves to go crazy with paint and then build on the “fluff” from there. Fabienne has to think not just about the look of the property, but she also has to ensure it works. Once a visitor arrives it’s vital the property works for them. Fabienne is finding that AirBnb has got so competitive in the last year that property owners need to stand out much more than they needed to before. Even in the last year Liverpool Airbnb properties have more than doubled. Fabienne’s mission in life is to avoid the use of grey in these properties. For Fabienne the photography of the property is vital as that is what is used to get the property on AirBnb. Choosing the right photographer for this work is essential. Just seeing which photographer is available is not the way to go. Property investors need to choose the right photographer for them. Without the right photographs most of Fabienne’s work is wasted. Fabienne thinks that lots of photographers want the photographs to look clean and fresh, while Fabienne usually wants photographs to make the property look warm and welcoming. Marcus explains this would mean using natural light and lights in the room, rather than using large bright flash lighting. Fabienne has had some poor experience with photographers. For example the colours in the room being altered or almost lost. We discussed what is the best way for someone to choose a photographer in this case. She thinks a conversation with the photographer and being able to view their past work are key. She explains that also a great photographer amplified her work making it look amazing due to the photographers skill. Fabienne does have some clients using their phone not a professional photographer for the photographs, but this is quite unusual. Most do use a professional photographer. Properties for sale often use very wide lenses to make rooms look large. Fabienne thinks this can also work in an AirBnb. But it needs to not make the room look too big, as it has to match the reality for when visitors arrived. But, Fabienne said she has never seen a negative review where a visitor complained about the size of a room compared to the image. The wording used for the property is vital. The wording must include lots of feeling about the property. Fabienne explains that there are many property investment groups on Facebook and these are a great place for property photographers to be. Fabienne has her own group which you can find here. https://www.facebook.com/groups/propertystagingforinvestors But don’t just sell on these groups. Add value and help people.   You can connect with Fabienne here. https://fabienne-interiors.co.uk/ fabienne@fabienne-interiors.co.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/fabienne-miler-%E2%98%80%EF%B8%8Fproperty-stylist-to-make-rooms-work-harder%E2%98%80%EF%B8%8F-0b35554/

This episode is sponsored by Website for photographers. Website 4 photographers help photographers get more leads from their websites. You can get in touch here ⁠info@website4photographers.co.uk⁠ ⁠01482 765871⁠ This week Sam and Marcus discuss the “Call to Action". A key concept in marketing in general that is used a lot in websites. What is a “call to action”? In marketing it is the action you want someone to take. In the case of a website it is what you want the visitor to do before they leave the website. When creating a call to action there are a few things to think about.Tempting, a call to action needs to tempt your audience to follow it.Relevant to your target audience, make it specific for your audience. Time limited (optional), for example have an offer that finishes on a certain date.Clear, make your call to action short and very clear.   It can be hard to get a key message into a very short call to action. But remember there can be text above the call to action giving a little explanation and context. But we understand that keeping those can to actions brief can be hard. What are call to actions for?1. The end point of the website. Often for a photographer this could be “call now” or “email now”. 2. Then call to actions to direct visitors around the website. Getting visitors to the pages or sections of the site relevant to them. RepetitionRepetition is vital for call to actions. Your site should have a small number of call to actions, but they should be repeated throughout the site. You should also have a limited number of call to actions. Probably 2 or 3 for a small site. But these call to actions should be repeated throughout the site. Placing call to actionsIt’s important to have a clear call to action “above the fold” – on the part of the website people can see before they see. Ideas for end point call to actionsUsing calendly (or similar apps) can work well so visitors can book a call with you. If you are asking people to book a call then tempting them with an outcome can  work well. For example book a call to get "5 styling tips for your brand", if you are a brand photographer. Equally with offering “send an email” explaining what they will gain by dropping you an email is always good. The free give away is very popular as a call to action and can work well. You give a free give-away, often a pdf, and visitors give you their email address in return. Do all websites need call to actions?No. For some websites the sales process is elsewhere, not on the website. The website is simply there to say the right thing when the business is checked out by someone who is a potential customer. But for that potential customer the sales process is elsewhere. But for most of us, call to actions are essential.

This week Marcus and Sam discuss the use of black and white photography. Marcus did a poll on LinkedIn and found that (from the sample of people who responded) people preferred colour for a head shot, but like black and white photography in their homes. William Eggleston a famous photographer did an exhibition in the Museum of modern art, New York in the mid 1970s and he used colour. At the time the critics said his use of colour was “vulgar”. Marcus thinks that using actual film, black and white film, and developing it yourself will expand your understanding of black and white photography. Now the software we use for photography still uses many of the terms that come from those original dark room techniques. And they will make more sense once you have experienced developing actual film. There are photography clubs all over the country that have dark rooms you will be able to use.   Marcus also think photography books are also a great way to learn about black and white photography. Also go and look at photographic exhibitions and how those photographers use black and white photography.   Sam and Marcus then talk about the use of black and white commercially. Black and white is great for headshots. Also, for some businesses black and white can really match their brand. Some brands need some bright colours, but for others black and white can work really well for their brand. Barbara Kruger is a famous photographer who used red text against black and white photography which was a great look and could work really well for a brand. At weddings black and white can be used. It’s used often when the weather is bad as it helps deal with poor light. But black and white can also be used for effect on any wedding. But as the shots will be digital these can be made black and white after the event. Don’t forget to sign up to the podcast newsletter to get the lastest episodes direct to your inbox, get bonus extra content past episodes to try and more.

Website planning This week Sam and Marcus discuss website planning. An effective website needs planning carefully and Sam shares his knowledge and experience in this area.Goals and Call to actionsIt’s vital that a website has a goal. What is it that you want the visitors to your website to do? Do you want them to call you, buy a product or something different. Once you’ve decided this is essential to get this “Call to action” across in a tempting way. That call to action also needs to be repeated again and again across your website. Landing pagesSam and Marcus chat about the difference between a landing page and a website. A landing page is usually a focussing single page focussed on getting visitors to click on a focussed call to action. But both regular websites and landing page need tempting relevant call to actions.Website structureWhat is the classic way to organise a website is into service offerings. For example for a photographer a wedding page and a pet portraits page. But, Sam suggests organising the website by type of customer is also a good way to organise it. Although for photographers the service type and customer type can be the same. It’s then important to think about the customers journey through the website. It’s good to use the home page to give people little pieces of information and send them to the relevant pages for them.  Keep the menu simple. Ideally five or six items across maximum. When you have blogs be careful about where you send visitors at the end of the blog. Some websites set up a loop where the main pages send visitors to the blog and the blog sends visitors to the main pages. This sends visitors in a loop. You need to ensure that either your main pages or your blogs have a final call to action and not direct visitors elsewhere.Calendar bookingThis can be a great place to direct people to from your website. It’s a way they can book a call easily. If your call to action says “book a call” then directing visitors to a form like this is perfect rather than a generic contact form.  Key messagesMany people writing their own websites write way too much detail. Visitors need to know about the outcomes of your services. They don’t need endless detail about every part of your business. They need to know what it will feel like having worke3d with you and what they will have having worked with you. “You will have an amazing set of photos your business can use for social media for the next year” gives a good clear outcome. The number of images, format, image size and things like that aren’t really needed. ImagesSome websites reply just on images and nothing else. As we discussed this can work for photographers working with agents where the website is just for agents this can work. But this is very few photographers. For most the text is as vital, or more so than the photographs.