Newsletter Marketing

I am still working on ways to market myself and reach potential customers and stay connected with my students. I have finally figured out how to use one of those e-mail newsletter programs. Pretty cool actually. I'm using MadMimi. I am focusing mostly on keeping current and past students and workshop attendees in my network for now and use it as a forum for passing on information on the local photo community, things like shows and seminars, that may be of interest to emerging photographers.

One of the benefits of using MadMimi as opposed to just e-mailing people directly from my e-mail software, is that it gives me stats. I know how many people open the newsletters and even how many people click on the links that I highlight. This way I can track people's interest in various topics and see if any particular subject area is popular. Popular topics will get more coverage. My philosphy in this is give them more of what they want!

Unlike a blog where people have to seek me out (either on purpose or by accident using SEO, links from my sites, etc.), I am utilizing the tool of permission marketing. Permission marketing is quite fun actually. It feels like I am talking to a group of friends and associates. People can opt in or opt out at any time. Hopefully one day this will generate sales. If nothing else, it will build my reputation as an educator and workshop facilitator. It does take time to research and write useful information, just like writing in this blog. Even the simplest posts can sometimes take a couple of hours.

Collage Re-defined

This week I worked on a couple of collages for a client. Of course when I hear the word collage I get scared. So many corporate clients want event photos arranged in a collage. They are hard to design and end up looking ugly. But the employees love them. As we say in the biz, "garbage in-garbage out".

Thankfully this client was open to my interpretation of what a collage is. I consulted a good friend who's an art director at Critical Mass here in Calgary, who also cringes when he hears the word collage. Since the posters were really for the kids of the client, he suggested something bold, and based some of his ideas on ads he had researched by Burton and Fox. He made me a sample low res file and I took some of his ideas and my own and came up with the highly "Photoshopped" images here. They might not be in everyone's taste, but the kids love them! I'm producing 16x24 inch plaque mounted photo prints to hang in the boys' rooms.

Catching up!

September was a busy month both personally and professionally. Early in September I did a shoot for Paige Smith, a Calgary craft artist. Paige takes fine bone china saucers and transforms them into beautiful jewelry holders. This was my third shoot for Paige. She's an excellent stylist and pre-plans everything to the nth degree, which makes working with her a joy.

The Prairie Chapter of CAPIC hosted an evening with Selina Maitreya of Port Authority. Selina is a photography portfolio consultant. I had a one-on-one session with Selina as well, to critique my current portfolio, and to plan out ways to improve my photography and marketing going into the future.

Selina's main tenet is that photographers should develop a signature style of photography, then translate that vision into all the work they do at the expense of their other (old) style of work. (I think that this type of thinking and working would allow photographers in the same market to be more collegial.) Clients would then hire someone based on their vision. Other photographers, in theory, would have different visions, so therefore would be less concerned with what each other are doing in the same market. It may foster greater community among photographers as a whole, and among those involved in photo trade organizations. It would also allow photographers to work in other market regions, as they would be hired based on their particular vision.

In her public lecture, Selina also recommended that all photographers read the book, The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield, and to reconnect with their inner creativity by reading, The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron. The War of Art is a quick read with lots of "in your face" advice for breaking through creative blocks. It reminds me a lot of Camera Lucida, by Roland Barthes in the definitive style of writing of the author. One quote I'd like to share is:

The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.

I'm going to leave it at that for today. I encourage you all to read The War of Art. It is suitable for all entrepreneurs, not just photographers. For links to all books that I write about, see the sidebar.