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Ben Marcum of www.benmarcum.com is a portrait photographer based in Louisville, Kentucky. His photography work, inspired by classical art portraiture, is gorgeous, but it's not the reason for my invitation to be interviewed.

His business has recently taken a big turn and grown as a result.

Initially, Ben focussed on headshots; he's since added classic portraits and boudoir photography to his repertoire and has carved a nice little niche in his location and couldn't be happier.

He says… I still shoot headshots, and it is a good chunk of my business. It was more a matter of adding portraits.

At first, I thought since the two styles were so vastly different, I needed to have separate websites for them. I ran that way for a little over a year.

In the middle of last year, I combined the two sites.

Ben's revenue is over USD$100k with a 60/40 split between portraits and headshots.

In this interview, Ben shares how he grew the portrait side of his business and has grown the revenue by refining his sales processes. 

Here's some more of what we cover in the interview:

  • Ben's reasons for adding a new niche to his headshot photography business
  • Who are the ideal target clients for headshot photography
  • Can a headshot photography business be profitable in Ben's area
  • What to do when starting a portrait photography business
  • What are classical portraits
  • Creating stuff that you want to look at
  • Client perceptions when you merge separate niches into one photography site
  • Setting up a website to function seamlessly in a mobile environment
  • The need to offer gift certificates
  • How Ben's gift card works
  • Things that bring in clients
  • Which album products sell
  • Ben's sales process in detail
  • Ways to get active on social media to bring in clients
  • Generating bookings from Tiktok
  • What to post on Tiktok and how often should you post
  • The pressure that comes with the need to produce content
  • When is the best time to reveal the starting price to potential clients
  • Why Ben prefers meeting clients during pre consultations
  • The clothes are not what make a portrait successful
  • The clothing clients prefer wearing for Ben's portrait sessions
  • Ben's average sale
  • Using sample albums as a sales tool to open conversations during consultations
  • Client experience during and after photo sessions
  • Ben's retouching workflow
  • Offering incentives for more referrals
  • Sending thank you cards to clients
  • Ben's process when asking for client reviews

Ben Marcum Photography Podcast

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re a premium member, you should have received an email with links to your version of this interview – the full length and more revealing version where you hear the absolute best tips and advice from every guest.

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.

If I make what I want to look at, and I'm excited about it, and I'm presenting it beautifully, then people will come for that. – Ben Marcum

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.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access 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.

Ben Marcum Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Ben 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, and what you plan to implement in your business as a result of what you heard in today's episode.

70% of my traffic is mobile. In a mobile environment, everybody's conditioned to scroll and swipe. So, the website needs to function seamlessly in scroll-swipe. Desktop is really secondary for me. – Ben Marcum

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

Ben Marcum Photography Podcast

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

Each week I check for any new iTunes or Google 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 and Google are the biggest search engine when it comes to podcasts and it's your reviews and ratings that help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean 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 or https://photobizx.com/google 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.

I want to create portraits that are timeless and that people are going to love forever. – Ben Marcum

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 keywords or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has made a difference to you and your photography business.​

This week's reviews are for the Book Projects training last week

OMG!!!! that was INCREDIBLE.

By Owen Sound family and pet photographerCandra Schank of Candra Schank Pet Photography

Probably the best training I have done in a long time.  Please let Katie know.

I am so excited to do this as I have been wanting to do it for a long time but didn't know how to get started.  I now have a plan and road map.  Now, to begin…whoop whoop.

Thanks for putting this together for all of us.

I can’t wait to start a second book project now!

By Niagara and Toronto pet photographerKaren Black of Indigo Pet Photography

Hi Andrew, just wanted to say that the Profitable Book Project training was excellent! Katie K’s amazing!

It was very well put together and easy to follow. I loved being the beneficiary of her past successes and mistakes. Some amazing nuggets and ideas that she shared, in addition to her process.

Thanks for putting this on, it was well worth the money. I can’t wait to start a second book project now!

This class knocked it out of the park for me

By Boise Idaho newborn photographer, Paige McLeod of Glean and Co. Photography.

Andrew, the training was so good.

The ENTIRE thing was amazing. It was marketing, sales, client communication Oh and also how to do a book project.

I felt like I had a basic outline of how to do projects of this nature and Katie filled in so many pitfalls for me with elegant solutions.

Your podcast always is helpful but this class knocked it out of the park for me. Thank you for bringing Katie to us!

Ben Marcum Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and thanks to Ben for sharing his thoughts, ideas and experiences on growing his headshot photography business by adding portraits to what he offered. Which turned out to be the best decision in regards to growth and revenue.

I'm a big believer in—the sales is not over until they say stop. – Ben Marcum

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