Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area.

Molly Marie of www.mollymariephoto.com and www.boudieshorts.com has been shooting for over 10 years and she started out like most of us – photographing anything and everything before discovering boudoir photography which became her photography niche.

After photographing hundreds of women for boudoir portraits, she found the one thing most women have in common before their photo shoot is a lack of confidence. They're worried they wouldn't look like the women featured on her website.

Since then, her marketing has revolved around attracting women to her business, helping them overcome any fears and go on to spend great money on her photography. Her business has gone from strength to strength and she's also helping other photographers reach the same kind of success with their businesses.

Here’s some more of what we cover in this interview:

  • How Molly started her career as a photographer
  • How knocking on doors and offering your photography skills can land you work
  • Reaching out to different businesses in your area for product photography to build your portfolio
  • Why you need to specialise in one photography genre
  • Which genre in photography offers the opportunity to earn more income?
  • The benefits of working one-on-one with clients
  • Why Molly prefers boudoir photography over other genres
  • Can men become successful boudoir photographers?
  • Does the information Molly teaches in her courses apply to different photography genres?
  • Do you really need to focus on one photography genre?
  • A photographer is likely to become more successful if they focus on one genre
  • Do you need separate websites for every photography niche you add to your business?
  • Why it's best when specialising in different photography genres, you choose niches that go together e.g. family and baby photography
  • Boudoir photography can be a sub-niche to your wedding photography business
  • How Molly attracts her perfect clients
  • What is the “Model Call” and how it works
  • Attending expos, events, trade shows, women’s night outs, etc to get consistent bookings
  • Using Facebook Live and Facebook Groups to reach out to potential clients
  • Using call-to-actions to generate leads from Facebook Live sessions
  • How to deal with boudoir sessions if you don’t have a studio
  • Should you pass on the hotel or Airbnb costs to your clients when doing boudoir sessions?
  • Coming up with answers to all of your client's objections to become a successful sales strategist
  • How to convince women with body issues to sign up for a boudoir session
  • The best strategy to sell prints when asking women to do boudoir photography
  • Molly’s ‘purse special’ and why clients can’t resist that promo
  • Why Molly doesn’t care about her session fee
  • Molly’s average sales figures
  • What are clients getting from one of Molly’s $4000 boudoir sessions?
  • What kind of wall art is popular among Molly’s clients?
  • How soon will clients know they might spend so much for a boudoir session?
  • Clients who fall in love with their photos will find a way to pay for them
  • Exposing your pricing to clients before a session starts to set their expectations
  • Hiring virtual assistants to help run your business
  • Outsourcing customer service tasks, editing, album building etc
  • Using Google Voice to automatically convert voicemail to email
  • How Molly trained her VAs to be effective customer service representatives for her business
  • How to convince prospects to fill up your contact form
  • Molly’s goal for her website
  • Do photographers utilise email marketing well enough?
  • Focusing on the easy aspect of your business and work on the more technical stuff later on
  • Do you need a big audience to utilise Facebook Live?
  • Why Molly thinks photographers need to do daily Facebook Live updates
  • What kind of content to show on your Facebook Live posts
  • What kind of promos can you offer on your Facebook Live updates?
  • What type of phone is best for sharing Facebook Live updates?
  • Why you need to be relatable and normal to attract clients
  • Different topics you can discuss on Facebook Live
  • Do you need to look pretty and presentable before going a Facebook Live session?
  • Can you do Facebook Live sessions while on a photography shoot?

Molly Marie Photography Podcast

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re a premium member, you have a bonus “members only” episode coming to you this week.  Look out for that interview, it will drop into your podcast feed later in the week.

Selling your services, getting people to book with you, that’s sales. And I think a lot of photographers don’t see that – Molly Marie

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, get access to an amazing back catalogue of interviews and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus special member-only interviews.

You'll also receive access to the members only Secret Facebook Group where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. There are also FB live video tutorials, role play interviews and special live interviews happening in the group.

You will not find more friendly, more motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Joining a Mastermind Group (encouraged by Andrew) has been incredibly valuable and fun, I look forward to connecting with my group members every week. Jina Zheng, Premium Member and Melbourne Children photographer.

And that's not all… you get a set of steak knives… I'm kidding!

Seriously though, that's not all. In addition to everything above, you'll get access to and instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable and build friendships with other pro photographers with similar motives to you – to build a more successful photography business.

Molly Marie Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Molly shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below, let me know what your takeaways were, what you plan to implement in your business as a result of what you heard in todays episode.

If you think you’re going to lose money on a deal, you’re not priced properly – Molly Marie

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Molly or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

Molly Marie Photography Podcast

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

Each week I check for any new iTunes reviews and it's always a buzz to receive these… for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they really are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes is the biggest search engine when it comes to podcasts and it's your reviews and ratings that help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners means more interviews and ultimately a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you!

If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes and you can leave some honest feedback and a rating which will help both me and the show and I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast  and email me your key words or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.

Here are the latest reviews:

Just love it

In iTunes by documentary family and wedding photographer, Claire Batey from the UK on October 5, 2017

Just love Andrew's podcast. Constantly scribbling notes down as the ideas discussed are just awesome. As a marketing nerd myself this podcast is just like gold! And completely inspiring listening to so many talented folk out there.

Keep up the good work mate – it's awesome!

I'm addicted!

In iTunes by Central West NSW Family Photographer Kim Storey – in Australia on September 30, 2017

I've been a premium member for a while but since starting my – What Does A Farmer Look Like? project, which involves A LOT of driving between farms all over Australia. I've become absolutely addicted to this podcast. Every time I'm in the car now, the podcast is on.

Nowhere else can you get access to such a variety of people who willingly share their successes and failures, pricing and marketing ideas. It's just brilliant! I've been able to implement several ideas and fix little things in my business that have been highlighted in the podcast. I'm sure that once I get through every episode I'll start having withdrawals waiting a week for the next episode LOL!

Thank you so much Andrew for putting this all together and asking the questions we all want the answers to!

Molly Marie Photography Podcast

These are the messages I live for…

Every week a new interview goes out and my hope is the info gets utilised in a way to help you grow your photography business. As the saying  goes, you can lead the camel to water but you can't make it drink… My biggest concern is you're not putting what you hear into action, you're not implementing.

That's why, emails like the one below from Red Deer Family Photographer, Stacey Tomkins.

Hi Andrew,

I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for your podcasts. I can not believe the amount of knowledge I have learned. I have been actively working the last two years towards moving my photography from hobby business to a profitable successful business. This September I stopped picking up extra shifts as a nurse and am working my butt off as a photographer. I am understanding the business end of things more than I ever have before.

Things that I have implemented are,

  • Changing my pricing and how my pricing is listed on my website
  • Moving away from shoot and burn – now doing in person sales
  • Ordered sample product for in-person sales
  • Participated in my firsts trade show and accrued business from it (even though it was a super dead trade show) 
  • Checked out a BNI group… found out what it is about and realised it is not for me yet but may be in the future (too expensive and too much time commitment)
  • Done actual paid Facebook advertising
  • An 80% success rate on posting on Facebook daily
  • I have created email send outs for my clients after they book with me so they know what to expect, also talk to my clients on the phone before sessions
  • I have ordered a Christmas backdrop and rented a room to do local Christmas card photos (already have 13 bookings in under 10 days)
  • Replaced some old equipment

Realising that soon I will need something like Studio Ninja as my paper lists are unorganised and everywhere… is there a promo code for that somewhere?

NOTE from Andrew: YES, PhotoBizX members get 50% off  their first year with Studio Ninja. 

I am understanding networking, advertising, and how to put myself out there. 

This September alone I have made aprox $3660 (sessions, IPS and play-school photos), this is on top of my 1/2 time nursing wage that I also work. 

A busy month but I'm sure it will offset the slower months.

Thanx again!!
Stacey Tompkins

 

One week left to enter… Something pretty damn special for ONE LUCKY Premium Member!

When recording these interviews, I let each guest know I'll be saving the best part of the interview for members. In Mark's case, he wanted to go one better. In his words, he wants a chance to give back as a thanks to all the people who have helped him get where he is today. And because of that, Mark is absolutely spoiling one lucky Premium member with a 12 month mentorship!

So here's who we are looking for…

Someone keen on shooting film at weddings, someone hands on. The chosen one will have access to one on one sessions with Mark, a sponsorship via Kodak and in conjunction with Atkins Film Lab. Mark is lining up a one on one shoot with a model, having the winner accompany him to shoot a real wedding, have a tour of the film lab, processing and scanning of the film negs from these shoots, portfolio reviews, advice etc…

The thing is my business wouldn't be where its at without massive help from so many people and it is my time to give back. – Mark Dohring

To have a chance at this incredible opportunity: email me at andrew@photobizx.com and tell me why it should be you who has this opportunity.

NOTE: Please only enter for the chance to win if you are able to get to Adelaide at least twice in 12 months

 

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Molly Marie Photography

Boudie Shorts Website

Break Into Boudoir Toolkit

Boudie Shorts on Facebook

Boudie Shorts on Instagram

Model Call: Gain Client and Sales without Working for Free

Molly Marie Photography on Facebook

Venture Shorts

Google Voice

Beth Teutschmann of Starboard Editing

Ontraport

Mailchimp

Molly Marie Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and thanks to Molly for coming on and sharing so much about her business, marketing, tactics and strategies for todays episode.

It’s really important that you be yourself because the more that you try to be perfect and all done up, it really just makes you unrelatable. Just be yourself – Molly Marie

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew