400: Dana Arnold – How to successfully relocate your photography business

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

Dana Arnold of www.danaarnoldphoto.com has successfully relocated her photography business across the county multiple times. She's just about to do it all again.

In this interview, she shares how to prepare and hit the ground running with new bookings as soon as she arrives – from marketing, SEO and networking – so you can successfully relocate your photography business if you ever want to.

I received the following message from past interview guest, Indianapolis Wedding Photographer and host of The Beginner Photography Podcast.

Raymond Hatfield, who said…

I want to introduce you to Dana Arnold.

I just interviewed her and felt her story would be especially interesting for PBXers.

She's a military wife who has to pack up and mover her wedding photography business across the country every 18 months so.

She relies on marketing strategies to book her calendar full, MONTHS, before arriving in a new location.

She was an open book, and I'm sure would be happy to answer any question thrown at her.

Following that message, I contacted Dana and learned she's right in the midst of another relocation from Virginia to California.

I'm happy to say she's made time for us and I'm rapt to share this interview with you.

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

• Dana's upcoming move to California and what she's putting in place to have bookings once she arrives
• A quick rundown on Dana's business – the numbers, sales and revenue
• How COVID-19 has affected Dana's business
• What Dana did as soon as she learnt she would be moving to California
• Military couples comprise 75% of Dana's clients – how she targets them as clients
• Using social media as a rebranding tool
• What Dana shares on social networks before moving to new locations
• What will happen to Dana's pre-booked clients once she relocates to California
• How Dana finds and zeroes in on her ideal clients via Instagram
• Attracting clients via Wedding Wire
• Hiring an SEO specialist to help with site rankings before relocating
• The importance of creating blog posts for possible wedding venues at the new location
• How to establish and build relationships with new vendors – before and after relocating
• Offering vouchers and snacks to venue coordinators
• The importance of picking venues based on your editing and photography style
• Focus and continue to connect before the big move
• How often Dana posts to Instagram
• First steps to take when you reach your new home
• How Dana customises her Facebook ad campaigns to attract the right clients for her
• How to target military families on Facebook
• How to guarantee a reaction or response to a Facebook Ad
• Why Dana runs different Facebook ads
• What kind of Facebook Ads Dana finds to be the most successful
• How effective are Instagram ads for Dana's wedding photography business
• The importance of connecting with clients on a personal level and how to do it
• Dana's goals when connecting with vendors
• What Dana does to continue her connections with vendors
• How many images Dana sends to clients who book engagement and wedding sessions

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.

As we continue to move, I continue to grow. I continue to take it with grace. I know exactly what I need to do the second we find out and I just keep doing what I know works. – Dana Arnold

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 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.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Dana 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 today's episode.

I love to photograph weddings for couples who love to give back to the community, for the couples who serve their community. – Dana Arnold

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

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 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 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 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.