I’ve had the privilege to attend a talk at Camera Cart about branding for photographers.
Heidi Aquende invited me to their studio’s 6th anniversary. She did not say who were speaking – only the topics. I chose the first one in the morning and it she who’s speaking.
Please read with discrection since these are simply notes from the actual context of the talk. Nevertheless, the gist is in there.
Make a brand around your company
Using your own name as the company – better because of perceived trust that you will protect your name’s reputation.
Brand Perception
- functional/technical
- emotional
Tip #1 – Offer quality work
- be confident with your work
- poor quality can quickly damage your work
- let clients see you only want quality
- it’s not just the service but also the products
- appear quality – be presentable
Tip #2 – Be clear about what you stand for
- unique selling proposition
- what are your values
- what do you promise your customers
- what makes you one in a million
Tip #3 – Stand out, be different
- differentiate and customize
Tip #4 – Be consistent
Tip #5 – Choose your team
- suppliers, employees
- choose who represents you
Tip #6 – Price better
- don’t show price in the website
- discounts and low prices attract price-sensitive clients who might not be for long-term
- price wars ruin industries
- price drops teache people to wait for the sale which is soemtimes bad
Pricing – 4 ways
- big guess
- competitive pricing
- cost pricing
- demand pricing
Tip #7 – Find the right clients
- you can’t please everyone
- it’s not just about demographics anymore
- rich clients are not necessarily your clients
Tip #8 – Give over the top customer service
- under promise, over deliver
- listen to negative feedback
Tip #9 – Nurture relationships
- Pareto principle – 80% of your income comes from 20% loyal customers
- keep evangelizers happy
- reward referrals
- constantly surprise clients
Tip #10 – Think long term
- don’t scrimp on your brand
- prepare for refund
- plan ahead
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