Seth Godin is one of the great business thinkers of modern times. I subscribe to his blog because he writes thought provoking posts that will occasionally give me ideas about how I can improve my photography marketing. In fact I subscribe to a lot of business, marketing and lifestyle blogs that have nothing to do with photography. This is because great ideas generally work across different industries. Here are some of Seth Godin’s blog posts that I think apply to the photography industry and support some of the things I’ve written in my previous posts:

Volatility and value

The fine art market continues to generate headline-making sales. This year, paintings by Warhol and Munch are expected to sell for more than $50 million each.

What makes a painting famous enough to sell for that much money?

Consider the Mona Lisa. The reason that it’s the most famous (and arguably the most valuable) painting in the world is that it was stolen in 1911. (Even Pablo Picasso was questioned as a possible suspect). For two years, it was a media sensation–precisely when newspapers were coming into their own. For two years it was front page news. As the world media-ized itself, we needed an icon to stand for “famous painting” and the Mona Lisa was it.

Media cycles have gotten shorter and shorter since then, and ironically, it was Andy himself who predicted that one day we’d all be famous for fifteen minutes. The thing is, being famous for fifteen minutes isn’t sufficient to make your painting worth $80 million.

Andy never had his own tv show, wouldn’t have had the most viral video on YouTube and wasn’t focused on the fast pump of fame. It turns out that get big fast (and then fade) doesn’t build a reputation that pays.

Media volatility makes more people and more ideas famous for ever shorter periods of time. What the fine art market shows us, though, is that real value isn’t created by this volatile fame. Consistently showing up on the radar of the right audience is more highly prized that reaching the masses, once then done. This works for every career, if you’ve never touched a brush.

Relevance to photography industry

I think the key part of this is “Consistently showing up on the radar of the right audience is more highly prized that reaching the masses, once then done.” This is the whole premise behind my blog post How to become the most famous photographer in your town. I highlight the most effective way of consistently getting your art in front of the right audience as cost effectively as possible. Now, I’m not saying you’re going to fetch $50 million dollars like Warhol, but if you’re everywhere your clients go then you start to become famous in your town, respected and sought after…    …and with the increase in demand you can raise your prices with more confidence.

 

Low prices

It might be that low prices are the final refuge of the marketer who has run out of ideas and is left with nothing but a commodity.

Or it might be that organizing your business around lowering prices through efficiency, mass scale and smart choices is a powerful way to grow.

My guess is that both are true, but you better be really sure about which one you’re choosing. Hint: doing the second one successfully is really quite difficult, so if all you’re doing is writing a lower number on the pricetags, you’re probably playing the first game.

Relevance to photography industry

This little post says it all really. Businesses that are panicking and don’t know how to compete will just reduce their prices in a race to the bottom. Photographers can make some efficiencies, but not enough to out compete on efficiency alone. You need to get your prices up and then learn how to sell and market it. It’s the only way to survive in the photography industry.

 

Conflicted

Everything we do that’s important is the result of conflict. Not a conflict between us and the world–a conflict between us and ourselves.

We want to eat another dessert but we want to be healthy and skinny as well. Who iswe? Who is the self in self control, and who is being controlled?

We want to stand up and make difference and we want to sit down and hide and be safe.

We want to help others and we want to keep more for ourselves.

It’s not a metaphor, it’s brain chemistry. We don’t have one mind, we have competing interests, all duking it out.

This conflict, the conflict between I and me, is at the heart of being human. One side sells the other. Like all kinds of marketing, it’s far more effective if you know your audience. You will do a better job of telling a story (to yourself) if you understand who you are marketing to. In this case, I is marketing to me (and vice versa). The marketing is going on in your head…

Successful people have discovered how to be better at self marketing.

Relevance to photography industry

This article prompted me to write ‘A photographer’s biggest competitor is in their head’. My article isn’t exactly what Seth is writing about, but it got me thinking. That’s what makes his website helpful – it might not give you comprehensive answers, but it might help you come up with your own new ideas for promoting your photography.

 

 

(What you’re hoping for) – (What you get)

This might be the simplest possible explanation of customer satisfaction.

Dissatisfaction occurs when salespeople and marketers tend to try to amplify the first part (what you’re promised) while neglecting the second.

The ability to delight and surprise is at the core of every beloved brand (product, politician, teenager…). Overhype and shady promises will undercut that before it even has a chance to get started. Yes, of course you have to make promises to earn attention and trial. The mistake is when you put more effort into the promises and less into what you deliver. Promise a lot but deliver even more.

[One really important amplification: Research shows us that what people remember is far more important than what they experience. What's remembered:

• the peak of the experience (bad or good) and,
• the last part of the experience.

The easiest way to amplify customer satisfaction, then, is to under-promise, then increase the positive peak and make sure it happens near the end of the experience you provide. Easy to say, but rarely done.]

Relevance to photography industry

One way to delight your clients towards the end of the process is to project your photos rather than post them online. The photos look far more spectacular aside from the fact that you’re there with the client to ratchet up the enthusiasm and aid the sales and decision making process.

I’ve started sending thank you cards to all my clients after they book me AND after they’ve ordered. It costs next to nothing, but the appreciation people have is huge. Who else sends thank you cards? It really makes you stand out.

 

When the world changes…

It’s painful, expensive, time-consuming, stressful and ultimately pointless to work overtime to preserve your dying business model.

All the lobbying, the lawsuits, the ad campaigns and most of all, the hand-wringing, aren’t going to change anything at all. In fact, instead of postponing the outcome you fear, they probably accelerate it.

The history of media and technology is an endless series of failed rearguard actions as industry leaders attempt to solidify their positions on a bed of quicksand.

Again and again the winners are individuals and organizations that spot opportunities in the next thing, as opposed to those that would demonize, marginalize or illegalize (is that a word?) it. Breaking systems that benefit your customers is dumb. Taking money from lobbyists to break those systems is dumber still.

Relevance to photography industry

We’ve all seen the influx of cheap photographers out there. The photography world is changing – no, it’s changed. Many people’s response has been to try and control the industry in some way or even fight the cheap photographers at their own game. No, you need to show the value of what you do, become famous in your town, build rapport with your clients and help educate them. The photography market is competitive, but there are still many portrait and wedding photographers earning an excellent living just as there are many painters who succeed above the sea of penniless artists. People will always love and appreciate art, you just need to know how to make yours more valuable.

 

Sold or bought?

Some things are bought–like bottled water, airplane tickets and chewing gum. The vendor sets up shop and then waits, patiently, for someone to come along and decide to buy.

Other things are sold–like cars, placement of advertising in magazines and life insurance. If no salesperson is present, if no pitch is made, nothing happens.

Both are important. Both require a budget and a schedule and a commitment.

Confusion sets in when you’re not sure if your product or service is bought or sold, or worse, if you are a salesperson just waiting for people to buy.

Relevance to photography industry

So many photographers hate selling because they think it’s pushy or manipulative. Good salesmanship is neither of these things. Effective selling is about helping your client, asking questions and ultimately providing them with a better product and service. If you think your photography will sell itself you’re fooling yourself. I know how you feel. I used to hate the idea of selling and I’m still better at in theory than in practice – but I keep trying to get better and build up my confidence because I know that all the hours of study that I put in will be worth it as I see my sales start to rise.

 

 

So, hopefully you can see that I don’t just make this stuff up! I research the best ideas from the finest minds and then share them with you. In short:

“learn more – earn more”

Dan Waters – Photographer

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