Episodes
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How does an $8500 average sale sound to you with a cost of goods of just 5%. That is reality for today’s guest who deliberately moved their studio location to be in a town that aligns with their studio brand. I’m talking about Kim of Kimberly Sarah Photography. She joined us back in season five to share all things client experience and I’ve got her back today to share her insights into achieving consistently high sales. They’ve also just launched a new business, Hey Winston and if you’ve ever dreamed of outsourcing your sales- then it is for you!
We covered:
What is a luxury studio these days Low volume, high price point What is a Dog Art Gallery How to choose a town for your studio spaceKimberly Sarah Photography average sale, and how they reach itWhy they have a studio if they could make the same money without itKim’s biggest tips for getting high sales What is Hey Winston! And how can you help photographers and what will it costIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
Kim’s studio sales process Pricing and product options at Kimberley Sarah PhotographyThe key questions Kim asks that lead to higher salesBlogging challenge: https://thepetphotographersclub.com/blogging-challenge
Other links in the show notes: https://www.thepetphotographersclub.com/podcast/1601
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For most of us pet photographers, we have to have a strong, layered marketing plan in order to get consistent bookings. But what if your website did all the heavy lifting for you? For today’s guest, Angie Rose, that’s exactly the case. Her marketing budget is almost exclusively spent on a her content creator who does all her blogging, which she admits wouldn’t get done otherwise. That blogging, combined with the main website is her biggest lead source and then it’s through her booking process that those leads are converted into dream clients.
If ditching expo’s, affiliate programs and Facebook marketing sounds like a dream to you- tune into this episode to hear how Angie runs her business without all that!
We covered:
What clients book Angie for Angie’s booking rate and the process to booking Working with professionals to establish a high converting website How the website helps attract enquiries and convert them to bookingsIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
The benefits of using your name as a business name How people find Angie’s website The positive impact of bloggingOutsourcing content creation for newsletters and bloggingHow Angie customises her sessions Why pets with their people?MENTIONED LINKS
www.angierose.com
www.facebook.com/AngieRosePetPhotography
www.instagram.com/angieprose
www.thepetphotographersclub.com/blogging-challenge
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Missing episodes?
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Today’s guest has over 25 years of experience as a pet photographer. Back when she started, pet photography basically didn’t exist. A lot has changed in the photography world since then, but as you’ll hear, a lot of things haven’t really either. I’m talking about Margaret Bryant of Bryant Dog Photography who started out shooting dog sports on film but quickly realised that wasn’t sustainable (for the time) and moved into studio portraits. Since then she’s photographed thousands of dogs in her home studio in Texas and even published a couple of books.
One of which is helpful for us as fellow pet photographers as it’s full of posing tips and other advice. It’s called Dog Photography: How to Capture the Love, Fun and Whimsy of Man’s Best Friend
We covered a lot in this episode, from Margaret’s experiences in the early days of her business, to who our biggest competitor is and how we can book clients anyway. And if you’ve been thinking about offering puppy packages, definitely tune into the second half to hear exactly what Margaret is offering.
We covered:
What did pet photography look like in the 90’sPhotographing dog sports, on film! Why Margaret changed business modelsThe reason Margaret opened a home studio What’s changed in terms of sales over the last 20 yearsWhere do Margaret’s clients come fromMargaret’s golden rule to survive unexpected difficult times after making it through the GFC and CovidIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
How to make it easy to book through your websiteHow audience can get to know you and like you for a better client experience The reason a client should choose you (and not their iPhone or AI)What are “in but not in” photosHow being observant can help your client and your bottom lineManaging expectations for a good client experience Puppy first year - what it looks like, pricing, structure and why the client can own the responsibilityDog birthday parties as a pet photographerBiggest tips for someone wanting to do puppy first year The impact of AI for us as pet photographers in business
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It’s been just over a year since today’s guest launched her pet photography business. She spent 2022 learning all about business and hit the ground running in 2023. She’s proof that actioning what you learn is the only way to meet your goals. Tune in to today’s episode to hear all about the marketing strategies that worked and didn’t, to get this pet photography business off the ground for England-based photographer, Diane Gollowitzer of Dogs in Focus Photography.
If you are looking to see who has recently walked the path you’ve just stepped onto- today’s episode is for you.
We covered:
Starting a photography business without knowledge of photography Why Diane quickly realised she needed to re-brand her pet photography businessHow starting a new business is just like dating!Following your passion and aligning your business with your values and desiresIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
How Diane filled her first few months in business with paying clientsChristmas Markets and the difference the audience can makeGiveaways as a training groundSelling gift vouchers What Diane would do differently next timeOther marketing avenues Diane has triedCheck the show notes for links!
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What if I told you that it’s possible to be completely fully booked thanks to past clients either returning or referring? That is the reality for today’s guest, who clearly doesn’t do things in halves! A quick look at either his Instagram or Website is proof of that with stunning images, useful information and beautiful design so it isn’t a surprise to learn that his client experience is also seamless. In today’s episode, we broke down exactly what that experience looks to make his clients tell all of their friends!
We covered:
The reason Carlos is running his business part-timeClient availability for a part-time business offering this style of pet photographyThe marketing campaign that actively seeks out the friends of his clients and turns them into clients tooAn overview of Carlos' client experience and the elements that lead to referralsIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
The role of an assistantWhat a thinking dog first looks likeHow custom sales videos work Selling products with a hands-off approachCarlos’ pricing structureFull show notes found here: https://thepetphotographersclub.com/podcast/1511
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Despite this interview being with one of the world’s best equine photographers, it’s not about horse photography at all! Instead, Shelley and I dived deep into the editorial world. If you have your own stock library of images, this might just be a great way to add some passive income to your business. Shelley shared exactly how she finds these clients, what it is they’re buying and how her system works to sell images to magazines. In the members half we got into the numbers and then had a little chat about licensing too.
Shelley is truly a wealth of knowledge and what she shared in this interview is sure to get your mind ticking with ideas.
We Covered:
Who is ShelleyWhen and why Shelley stopped working for private clients What Shelley thinks is the best training for photographersThe difference between commercial and editorial photographyWhy would a magazine order commissioned photography over stock imagesCan you make money from editorials What advice Shelley has for someone wanting to do editorials but without a stock library How Shelley got into Commercial photography What is the difference between commercial, branding, and editorial?Offering video as an edition service Where does stock imagery fit into your business modelIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE
Becoming a member of publications to attend conferencesConnecting with editors at events - what to askWhat these conferences look like (American horse publications)What will a magazine pay for a stock image and is it worth itSubmitting photo essays and pitching Portfolios Vs Photo EssaysShelley’s incomeLicensing Pricing Documentary equine films - passion or commercial projects?Links and show notes can be found at https://thepetphotographersclub.com/podcast/1510
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The Pet Photographers Club podcast is back for 2024 and if like me, you’re taking advantage of this quieter season to update your website and put a blog strategy in place to get you closer to position one on Google, then today’s episode couldn’t be better timing for you.
Late last year I decided to hire a PR consultant for my new photography business. After learning from today’s guest, Zoe Hiljemark back in Season 9 and then following her Facebook Group for a while, I knew she was the perfect fit. She’s been busy pitching journalists for me over the last few months while also sharing extra advice with me on blogging and SEO. Based on her advice, I made some changes to my website which had an immediate positive impact.
I asked Zoe to join me again on the podcast to share some of these insights with you all and you absolutely will not be disappointed.
If you’re not a Club member yet, this extended episode with Zoe is alone worth the annual fee. We broke down the customer journey, giving you suggestions on what blog topics to cover for each stage. Zoe shared the biggest mistake most photographers make with their blogs, and among everything else also got into backlinks and understanding Domain Authority.
WHAT WE COVERED:
What is SEO and why should we focus on itWhere do blogs come into itMinimum word count per page and how to make the copy digestible Site structure and submitting sitemaps through Google Search Console The pages we should have on our websiteWhy should we blogIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE
Blogging beyond sharing client galleriesCustomer journey and how that impacts blog strategyBlog topic examples for a cold audience, warm audience, hot audienceThe importance of re-engagement content or nurture content How to do keyword researchUnderstanding keywords Breaking down the technical SEO optimisation of blogging: Meta description, Titles, heading tags The biggest mistake photographers make with meta descriptionsHow internal links help SEOWhat are backlinks, why do we want them and how can we get them Guest blogging and how to approach it Understanding Domain Authority
LISTENER BONUSTo make it even easier for you to get started with blogging this month, I’ve put together a blog planner with a table of ideas! Everyone can access it for free until the end of January via the show notes, after that, it will be a bonus for members found only in the portal! Grab yours now!
ACCESS THE FREE BLOGGING PLANNER AND IDEAS
MENTIONED LINKS IN THE SHOWNOTES: https://thepetphotographersclub.com/podcast/1509
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Today’s guest is the proof that following what makes you happy, can also lead to financial success. She’s big on diversifying and multiple income streams, but her main business is helping fellow pet photographers improve their craft, which aligns perfectly with the lifestyle she has.
I’m talking about Emily Abrahams of Inspawration Photography and in this episode we covered all of that and in the members half, we got into the details of income options for content creators, particularly breaking down the difference between user generated content vs promotion, and what are media kits. We also chatted all about Social Media strategy which is full of tips for pet photographers.
We extended the episode to also discuss teaching and the education realm so if you’re thinking you’d like to get into education.. Stay tuned for that part!
And to wrap up, we had a little extra chat about AI.
Yes, we covered a lot, and absolutely you don’t want to miss this episode!
WHAT WE COVERED:
Emily’s journey
Why Emily went straight to teaching instead of growing a business shooting for clients?
What are Emily’s income streams
The importance of diversifying your income
IN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE
Content creators: What is a media kit & what are engagement rates
What if you don’t have engagement
User generated content Vs promotion on your IG
Knowing your audience on Social Media in order to create relatable content
Teaching isn't for everyone
Emily’s tips for someone who wants to get into education
Should we be using AI for client work
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Today’s guest has been a working photographer for almost 20 years. She started out in weddings in the UK and switched to portraits when she moved to South Africa. Fast forward to today, she’s reworked her pricing structure to ensure her business is profitable with the 150 clients per year she shoots for, 80% of which are pet shoots. I’m talking about Emma O’Brien of Emma O’Brien Photographer.
I’m sure you’ll be impressed as me to learn that she doesn’t do any paid marketing but instead uses a strategic networking approach to ensure her calendar is full so if you’re looking for free marketing strategies, but sure to listen to the second half of this episode where we go into those in detail.
What we covered:
When and why Emma introduce petsStudying photography and is a diploma still necessaryWhy to stop looking at other photographers workHow to avoid creating work that looks just like everyone else’sUsing the move to South Africa from the UK to start fresh Burn outIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE
Emma’s change in business model to make more money Working with a coachHow Emma worked out she needed to double her pricesSouth African incomesHow does the that affect your marketingKnowing your ideal client What are business card drops and why do themCollaborations with other brandsHow many clients is Emma photographing per year, and what percentage are for petsEmma’ shelter work and the bonus marketing that comes from that
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I’ve asked many photographers what they’d do to start their business if they moved to a new place.. And today’s guest has actually done it. She completely transformed her business from shoot and burn family photography in South Africa, to a profitable, full-service specialised pet photographer in New Zealand. She studied and implemented what she learned in order to make that transition successful and now she’s consistently booking clients who typically spend $1800. I’m talking about Salome of Yellow Pet Photography.
We covered:
Moving from South Africa to NZ WebsiteShoots per monthHome studio The impact of working with a coachHow Salome decided which coach would be best for herPrinted reveals and In-Person-SalesWorking with an SEO expertIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
Salome's best marketing strategyIG & Tik Tok Strategy Collaboration marketing and auctions Pricing structureSalome's strategy to sell more to clients, months laterOffering hair and make-upMENTIONED LINKS:
Sue Bryce Education: The Portrait Masters Jono's SEO business: https://noursemen.co.nz/Yellow Lab: InstagramYellow Lab: Website
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Are you blaming the economy, or the Facebook algorithms for your lack of leads and clients? The tough love in this episode with Johl Dunn is for you. There was lots of real talk, and actionable ideas shared by Johl who ran a photography business for 22 years- pre-Facebook, through the GFC and during Covid too.
WE COVERED:
What is mindsetExamples of impact of mindset change Why is now so hardAre there still people who can afford photographyIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
So how can we get in front of these people What comes first when re-launching your businessThese marketing ideas you mentioned: it’s a lot to be doing on the side of another job.. So what do you recommend Fundraisers on steroidsMentioned links:
ENTER JOHL'S GIVEAWAY
Johl's Instagram
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Today’s guest started her business just before the Pandemic. She utilised the time through Covid to lay strong foundations for her business and hit the ground running when the world opened back up again. She uses direct marketing with giveaways to book clients year round and from those strategies has an average sale of around $2800 and her highest sale to date is $16k! Remember that she’s been in business just a few years! I’m talking about Marie Wulfram, tune in to hear how she achieves all of this.
We covered:
What Marie did to set solid foundations for her business from the get goHow Marie found and booked her initial clientsWhy her strategy is the opposite of cold callingWhat building a relationship through IG looks likeHow to book free shoots, and what the sales from them can look likeIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
Using text and DM to communicateHow Marie leverages eventsAverage spend and what Marie is doing to achieve consistent high salesGoogle AdsMentioned links:
Marie Wulfram Photography
Photobizx Podcast
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Do you feel like your work isn’t good enough, or you have too much competition and you’re unsure of how to stand out or why a client should choose you?
In today’s episode with Karinda Kinsler we discussed the real reason clients book you, and in the members half of the episode we delved deep into how you can truly connect with those clients to grow your sales.
Between all of that we also covered the mistake Karinda learned from in her previous businesses and the impact of implementing change based on that when launching her equine business.
We covered:
Karinda's journey from livestock photography to newborns and weddings, and into equineThe biggest business lesson Karinda facedPeople comprehend in different ways The rule of 8 in salesHow to prepare your clients to spend without a price list How to feel comfortable with big numbers Why would someone choose you? Clients don’t care how good your work isIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
People buy your why How to connect with your client and make it about themBuilding trust with clientsAsk your clients questions and truly caring about themClient workflow in order to build a relationship The importance or not of connecting somehow before the first callGo-to questions for the first callMENTIONED LINKS
Mindset and Money Mastery for Photographers Podcast
Master your Mind & Money Coaching with Karinda
Find Your Why by Simon Sinek
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As if niching into pet photography isn’t a defined enough market, today’s guest, Kristen Murray has gone even more specific and has created three sub-niches that she serves; bird hunts, underwater dogs and fall adventures- and it is working! Her clients are spending multiple thousands for wall art and box sets or albums, and better yet, she enjoys these adventures with her clients!
For the first half of the episode, I asked Kristen about finding these clients and then we got deep into photographing hunting. The episode comes with a warning, we did discuss what those photoshoots look like, including the details of one form of hunt in particular so if you don’t want to hear about that, just fast forward past. I’ll put a little warning at the time.
In the members’ half of the interview, Kristen really was an open book, talking about why she’s showing her clients lots of images, and how her process avoids the overwhelm that might otherwise come with that.
We also spoke about her pricing structure, popular products and client response.
On top of all that, she got into the specifics of how to get started with underwater dog photography, and we spoke about her newest offering, travel sessions!
WARNING: We spoke about hunting in detail between minutes 11-15 of the first half. The conversation around photographing hunting dogs continued from a more business perspective after that until minute 22.
We covered:
Kristen’s Journey to get to 6 figures from year oneWho is Kristen’s clientPhotographing huntingGetting into the specialty and the most important things to knowIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
Showing 100 photos +Average spend and pricing Underwater dog portraits, the pricing differences and selling Travelling dog photographyMentioned links:
www.kristenjmurray.com
Coaching with Karinda: Master your mind and money
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We’ve all seen the popularity of video increase through social media over the last couple of years, but what about video for a more permanent solution? Something not only to be viewed once and posted as a Reel or Tik Tok, but to be held onto closely as a beautiful keepsake to refer back to time and time again.
That’s what today’s guest, Andrea Fleury is offering pet parents. Videos that capture the true personalities and the relationships these clients share with their pets. She captures the tiny moments that would otherwise be the strongest memories of these pets- think snuggles on the couch, audio of a pet snoring or a puppy running in slow motion with ears flapping.
It starts with an upsell to the client, then comes the storyboarding and of course, shooting and delivering the finished cinematic film- and in today’s episode, you’ll learn exactly how that all works!
We covered:
Andrea’s journey into pet videosWorking with an assistant How to find and hire an assistant and the costsWho wants video of their pet?IN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
Andrea’s marketing plan for videoWhat is a storyboard, what goes into planning a video, the questions to askPreparing for a video shootEquipment for video Pricing, video and albumsand more!Mentioned links:
https://www.dogtography.ca/
https://www.dogtography.ca/videowaitlist
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Today’s guest is a videographer turned pet photographer after documenting his mum's senior dog for the last 6 months of her life. Fast forward to today, his website is ranking page one of Google in the highly competitive London market, and his layered marketing approach converts super well thanks to a refined enquiry process. I’m talking about Alex Class and if you want to know what building a successful business looks like- tune in!
We covered:
Wendy’s story Transition from video to photographyAlex’s Ideal clientHow Alex’s clients find him and what they buyIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
Alex’s client processWhat is Cinemagraph ProAdding a website lead magnetHow Alex added a website chat botWhat has helped Alex’s website rank so highlyMentioned links:
https://www.thefullybookedphotographer.com/
https://flixel.com/products/mac/cinemagraph-pro/
www.pawscelebre.com
https://learn.thepetphotographersclub.com/2023-conference
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Today’s guest studied photography in college but gave it up after a professor convinced her that she lacked creativity. Fast forward a decade or two, and she not only has a successful full-time pet photography business, but she’s also embracing all that AI offers as a creative outlet!
I’m talking about Carol Arscott and no matter if the world of AI intimidates or excites you, today’s episode is sure to inspire not only with her work, but hearing how Carol came back to photography years after putting the camera down.
We covered:
Carol's experience as a student The impact someone can have on your confidence Assignments as students Vs clients What this AI Series with Moby all about What’s the future of Moby’s seriesIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
Mid-Journey Vs PS BetaMid-journey time and costThe industry future in an age of AI What full-time looks like for CarolWorking with rescuesMentioned links:
https://www.midjourney.com/
www.carolarscott.com
https://www.instagram.com/carolarscottphotography/
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I never quite understood the exact role of a financial planner. I mean, I have an accountant? Don't they basically cover the same thing? Do I also need to pay another finance person? In today's show, that question, among many others were answered.
And look, I know finances aren't usually a crowd favourite topic among us creatives, but I did get an amazing guest on the show today who knows exactly how it is for us as creatives to deal with everything in terms of accounting, financial planning, and then also the psychology around money.
We went well over time. So you are in for a treat.
WE COVERED:
Why a pet photographer needs to talk to a financial planner, or notWhen do we need an accountant, and when do we need a financial plannerHow to find the best person for your business finances What does working with a financial planner look likeDo we need a business financial advisor and a separate personal financial advisorAND IN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
What falls under the role of “financial planner”The cost of a Financial Planner InvestingMENTIONED LINKS:
Episode with Anastasia Chomlack: One-to-one gratitude sessions (Giving back project)
Minerva Financial Arts
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The International Pet Photographer of the Year Awards is the biggest of its kind! It was hosted by us here at The Pet Photographers Club until last year, and it's now under new management with Unleashed Education as the host.
They've introduced a few changes which will ensure the competition can continue into the future and so this week I had Craig and Charlotte join me to answer all your questions!
Here's what we covered:
What are The AwardsThe 2023 Judging PanelWhy there's an entry fee, what does that get you and how much is itChange of categories, scoring and awardsIMPORTANT DATES
Entries close June 30th Finalist announced Sept 1Awards ceremony Sept 7Feedback, scores and badges Sept 10MEMBERS BONUS
For members this week, in lieu of the extended episode, I’ve organised a FREE entry for the first ten of you to request it! Just complete this form ASAP: https://thepetphotographersclub.com/awards-2023
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Our guest today, Jeff Brown started his photography career in the defence force which gave him many opportunities. One of which was photographing the queen which of course he used as part of his branding message on his website when he ran his own studio. Today he spends his time helping other photographers grow their business. In today’s episode, we dive deep into branding and websites, and if you are a premium member Jeff gave some really practical advice in the second half to help you improve your website conversion, and stay at the top of Google!
WE COVERED:
Jeff’s backgroundHow Jeff spent a £7500 grant to start his photography businessWhat is a “brand”The importance of an easy-to-navigate websiteAND IN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:
How to know what Google is ranking wellWhat is EEATThe information that keeps people on your site, and actually helps convert themIs blogging still essential in 2023How to drive organise traffic to our siteMENTIONED LINKS:
Google's White paper
EEAT
The Photographers' Mentor
Members: Listen to the members extended episode in the portal, or, in your favourite podcast player with the private RSS feed.
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