Photo Success

A Place to Grow

The secrets to making money in niche photography…

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Think of your photography business as a Swiss Army Knife. Many tools, each one doing a specific job.

A versatile tool that comes in handy.

Your photography business can be like a Swiss Army Knife too. In other words, it has many tools, each one with a specific niche purpose, each one unique onto themselves.

Having a photography business that is multipurpose and versatile is the very best way to create a successful business that will sustain you and your family and constantly be profitable.

Dan Kennedy always said that the worse number in business is one. Never be dependent on one market. If it goes away, you’re doomed.

In other words, create as many niches as you possible can.

Here’s a short list of some key essentials when picking a niche market:

  • Have a market you can get your arms around. If it’s too broad and big, then you can’t really target them. Likewise if it’s too small.
  • Make sure the market is hungry. If they don’t want what you have, it isn’t a market.
  • Create offers and promos. And make them irresistible. This is one of the keys to good marketing. I sometimes call it widgetizing. It’s re-defining a product that makes it easier to “get” so your market can understand it and act on your offer.
  • Have as many “niches” as you possibly can. Make sure you can deliver a quality service on each one. Often, your clients won’t even know about the others areas you specialize in. Doesn’t matter. They perceive you as the expert in that specific area.

This plays out in many ways. You can be branded as a wedding photographer who shoots with a specific look or style that brides love.

You could offer cool programs like the babies first year wall panel, kreative kids klub, toddler panel, five year family plan, and variations or levels on each one.

Slicing and dicing your offers to ascension marketing strategies helps too.

Families, fairies, theatre, headshots, real estate, editorial photography are all possible areas.

The real secret to niche photography is versatility and and marketing. You never want to market on “sameness” either. Stand out above the crowd.

You never want to market on price either. Yes, offer good value. But never make price your main value driven message. This will weaken you and eventually make you broke.

And we don’t want that, do we?
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

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“Gotta punch that internal drama queen in the face…”

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Every time I find myself whining about something, I say to myself “Punch that drama queen in the face…”

I know, sounds a little aggressive. But when it comes to whining, blaming and complaining, I tend to over react.

It’s my nature. Somewhere, somehow, someplace a long time ago I got the message.

And that message is this: When you come up against adversity of any kind, it makes no sense to play victim, to whine about it, to complain or to play victim.

These behaviors in fact will take all your power away.

It’s tempting to default to victim mode. We’ve been doing it all our childhood. And if you want to remain like a child, then embrace it.

But if you want to grow, get strong, expand and find creative solutions, one needs to embrace the pain, suck it up and use self discipline.

Next time you come up against pain, suffering, challenges or road blocks, no matter what the situation, remember these wise words from Napolean Hill:

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

Take a deep breath, relax, and punch that inner drama queen out of your life.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

September 2018 Podcast with Rob and James

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It’s been a while, but we’re back on the rails, railing about any and all things photography..including smart lifestyle choices, fitness, making money, boosting confidence and raw vs JPEG (not that again!)

The superman images James ranted on about:

[Read more…]

“There’s a lot a of money on the table. All you gotta do is ask for it…”

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I was chatting with a photographer not so long ago. He asked me this question:
“Rob, what’s your secret?”

As if there’s a “secret”, once discovered, all one has to do is wave a wand and magic happens.

Instead of blowing smoke his way, I said this:

“There’s a lot a of money on the table. All you gotta do is ask for it…”

Get focused, get working, don’t cheat, be real, work hard, stay focused, ask for the money and learn to sell.

Selling is the gas that fuels your marketing. People are lazy. They will ALWAYS take the easy road. You know, low cost, easy-to-pose-for shoot and burn photographers that make it real easy for clients.

They seem happy picking up crumbs and catering to the lowest primal urges of humanity.

It’s our responsibility to sell them, making it harder, much harder for them to take the easy road. And make profit delivery a quality product they will truly value over time.

If you want to learn the very best “selling secrets” from real, legit photographers, I created a Selling Series for members HERE

Not a member? I have a bunch of content on the blog HERE

The money is right there in front of you. Just reach out and grab it.

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

DO what you’re supposed to do…..Lessons from Second City

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Whenever the queen bee Tina and I find ourselves in the big smoke, aka hogtown, aka Toronto, we invariably make our way to Second City for a fun time and many laughs.

One of our favorite things.

And it’s only like $30.00 bucks a person.

A few weeks ago we did just that. And we laughed, non-stop. So did everyone else in the sold out theater. People were rolling in the aisles.

They did what they were supposed to do. Make people laugh. Hard.

This wasn’t always the case. I almost gave up on Second City two years ago.

The show we attended back then had way way too much preaching, nagging and all things hyper PC…..you know, fat shaming, homophopia, social norms yadadayayayada…nothing wrong with this but we came to laugh.

Not be nagged, or pitched an ideology. I got worried laughter and comedy was dying.

You know what I mean.

The thing is, if I wanted to to be schooled in social justice and preaching, I’d attend a gender studies or sociology program.

But not Second City. If they go down this road they’re doomed.

They need to do what they’re supposed to do….make people laugh.

It’s the same in business….you have one purpose: Make money. Make memories. Create clients for life.

Rinse. Repeat.

I know some don’t like to hear that, but on this planet, the way things are set up it’s simple….

DO what you’re supposed to do: Make money and serve people.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

“People will trade quality for ease.” ~Evelyn~

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Well, it happened. The idea behind chosen the path of least resistance has become part of our culture.

Saw the movie The Incredibles 2 last week, and a line stopped me dead in my tracks.

Evelyn Deavor, the main antagonist, says: : “People will trade quality for ease” at one point during the movie.

I don’t remember when or why. But she said it. And she was right as day.

I immediately thought of the photography industry.

And how cameras, real cameras, aren’t even a thing much anymore. Cell phone cameras are good enough.

They produce enough instant gratification and dopamine. We’re happy.

And most folks can’t even spin the camera around to shoot horizontal.

So, here’s the thing. Cell phone cameras are easy. Very, very easy. And they do create some great looking images.

And they play a huge role in our everyday lives.

It would appear that photography is being relegated to the absolute lowest common demoninator.

My take on it? No use whining, complaining or having a hissey fit.

My photography business depends on me. I need to grab my business by the proverbial balls and shake things up.

In fact, what needs to happen is I need to create offers, promotions, ideas, strategies and experiences that clients will want to push through this barrier and call us. Give us their money.

Make it so they don’t care about cell phone photos. They want quality over ease.

THAT my friend is MY responsibility. Not something I throw to the winds of destiny.

And this happens in many, many ways. Primarily through marketing. And creating offers that makes their mouths water and they find irresistible.

Also by communicating, branding, social media, ads, websites, blogging, email and a hundred other ways to reach out and send messages to your clients.

I’ll talk about this some more, in greater detail, in 2 days. Wednesday, August 29th at 9:00PM EST I am hosting the monthly Marketing Mastermind meeting.

REPLAY HERE

Send me your challenges, questions to rob@wizardoflight.com

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

You don’t really need a studio….but….7 reasons why it’s really cool to have one

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It’s true, you don’t really need a studio to be successful in your own photography business.

But it sure is nice to have one. Here’s 7 reasons why it’s really cool to have one:

  1. You have control…lighting, drops, looks you want to create. To me, it’s like a chef in his own kitchen. I feel at home, and I feel creative
  2. I can offer way, way more photography promotions and offers….fairies, cross promotions (like the one I’m doing with Montessori School this and every fall..)
  3. It pushes my brand…I stand out
  4. It impresses clients and potential clients. Having them in my studio, for whatever reason, is an opportunity to make an impression. Of course, you don’t want to be a slob and have the place smell like pastrami
  5. Sales….yes, sales. You will make more sales in your own studio. It’s your battlefield and you get to create the sales room for maximum impact
  6. Bricks and mortar….location of course. If you have a legit commercial location you get the added benefit of having people see your place, and your work. This adds a level of credibility.
  7. Compliance. Yes, you are committed and feel way more compelled to make it work. There are no guarantees but if you’re going to ramp up your photographic game and run a bricks and mortar business you’ll get way more serious about marketing and all things business related.

No, you don’t absolutely need a studio to make money in photography. Some markets in photography are strictly on location. And with good marketing, branding and networking you can be successful.

But I’m a studio guy. I like having my place, where I can create, connect, impress and call it “home”.

Because having a studio to me always felt like home. A base. World headquarters. Mi casa. My cave.

Ascension marketing, selling, busting out into many more different markets within my market and more, so much more, are possible with a studio.

Next Wednesday I am running the August 2018 Marketing Mastermind where I’ll go over some of the essentials and basics including actual promotions I’m running in my studio.

Join us! Your questions in advance are welcome…rob@wizardoflight.com

REPLAYS FOR ALL MASTERMIND HERE
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

“Wow! She is such an incredible inspiration….”

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Laura emailed me last week, the day after we had Nancy Tillberg give us her follow up presentation (we had her on last winter talking about her specialty: High Volume Boutique photography…)

“Loved the webinar with Nancy Tillberg. Wow! She is such an incredible inspiration. I hope she comes out with either a book or a program for photographers on her 3-tier model program. It is something I have thought about for a long time, especially working with the younger gals, to build up role model teens in the culture. Thank you for such an inspirational webinar! In joy,

Laura J…”

That presentation was open to everyone, but the replay
is available only for members HERE

NOTE: Wednesday, August 22, at 8:00PM I am running the monthly Lighting Mastermind presentation.

All are welcome. REPLAY HERE

I’ll be showing my examples from real money making sessions using the the Godox flash system and my on going love affair with this brand. Including weddings, executive sessions and more. This system is amazing!

Also, studio portraits, in living colour promo, studio grad sessions, studio and on location prom dress……and more to come….

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

Do you need talent to succeed in photography?

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Do you really need talent to succeed in photography? Talent, and only talent?

Besides, what is talent….really?

Here’s my two cents: Talent isn’t some God-given skill that comes easily and naturally.

At least not for the vast majority of us’em mere mortals.

Sure, some folks are ‘gifted’ rare exceptions, but most of us, and even the very gifted for that matter, still need the essential ingredients.

I’ve listed some here:
*passion: love of the game
*desire and ambition
*good selling skills

Combine these, and create a vision that you truly desire, and work your buns off, and you will bring forth a bounty. Even if you ain’t that great a photographer.

Add a dynamic product to the mix, and you really don’t need the ‘gift’, or a ‘god given talent’, to create some outstanding images.

I love this quote:

‘Talent is the intelligent application of energy towards an understood goal.’

In other words… you set a goal for yourself that you totally understand, and then apply all your energy intelligently towards reaching your goal.”

Quoting Charlie Chaplin: “Having a talent is worthless unless you know what to do with it.”

Here’s another quote from Charlie Chaplin:
“I went into the business for the money, and the art grew out of it. If people are disillusioned by that remark, I can’t help it. It’s thetruth.”

Interesting isn’t it?

So, the conclusion might me that talent isn’t what DRIVES the goals and ambitions. Sometimes it’s the desire for financial success, sometimes it’s the love of the game, or fame, or whatever.

As long as we are moving towards OUR goal, OUR vision, without excuses, then we will get there, and the ART will
GROW……I know. It happened to me.

Yours in success, prosperity and art,

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

I can’t undo what I done or unlearn what I learned….

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What do you do when you’re wracked with guilt or shame about something you done way back when?

Or, something that happened to you. Even something completely out of your control.

Shame, guilt or anger can be very toxic. For me, forgiving myself and others was the key. Accepting the fact that the past is the past and there is nothing I can do about it.

Yes, it can be very challenging. Painful. Impossible. Maybe we need a little help from others, a 12-step approach or intervention.

Guilt is poison. So is anger. DO whatever it takes to move on and avoid being a victim and playing the blame game.

Make the future bright. Let the past go. Look into the future….

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community