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

Jo Menneer of Divine Divas boudoir photography studio AND Spirit Studios family photography business is based in Bath UK and was happy to record an impromptu interview where she shares the ins and outs of marketing two separate photography businesses operating under the one amazing roof while managing multiple photographers and staff.

Jo and her photographer husband Neill operate their incredibly successful business from a converted Methodist Church in the stunning city of Bath. You can see a walkthrough of the complete studio shot on the day I visited by fellow photographer Rahim Mastafa at the bottom of this post.

One of the biggest challenges Jo faces is bringing in a continuous flow of clients into a business with multiple shooters and staff. The marketing to achieve the incredible number of bookings falls squarely on Jo's shoulders and she does it with flair and seemingly, ease, by employing a variety of everchanging strategies – which she shares in detail in this interview.

In addition to bringing a flow of clients through the studio doors, Neill and his team of photographers deliver a shooting experience and set of images that make the streamlined and efficient sales process simple and seemingly easy to achieve the fantastic averages they do.

It was truly fun and engaging to steer away from the usual interview format over Skype to be able to sit opposite Jo in her studio sales room and talk face to face for this candid interview about one of the most successful businesses I've had the opportunity to discover and share with you on the PhotoBizX photography podcast. I know you'll get a ton from what Jo had to share, no matter what stage of business you're currently at.

Don't forget to check the studio walkthrough video with Neill which you'll find at the bottom of this page.

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

  • Earning more with a boudoir photography business
  • What is involved in the running of two separate photography businesses under one roof?
  • Average sales figures for both the boudoir and family portrait photography businesses
  • The average number of clients Jo and Neill see each week
  • What Jo would do differently if she and Neill were to start their photography business today
  • The importance of learning how to properly market your photography business
  • Going to school fairs and shopping centres for marketing opportunities
  • Using Groupon to market your photography business
  • How Groupon can attract the wrong clientele
  • Is it possible to profit with a photography Groupon deal today?
  • The downsides of using Groupon to market your business
  • The reason wedding referrals don't jive well with portrait referrals
  • How to effectively manage multiple photographers in your business
  • Adapting a studio style to create consistency with each photographer
  • The need to find artistic inspiration to improve your photography style
  • Using model calls to test-run a photography style while generating sales at the same time
  • Marketing your business as a confidence-booster for your clients
  • Divine Diva's average client age group
  • Jo and Neill's studio setup
  • What Jo and Neill use to sell their prints during IPS sessions
  • Why not having client sneak peaks is better for portrait photography sales
  • Offering a friendly and private payment plan with clients to guarantee sales
  • Jo and Neill's payment schemes and how clients benefit
  • Using Sticky Albums to boost boudoir and family photography referrals
  • Coining the term viewing session when referring clients to a sales session
  • How do clients know they are coming in to buy?
  • Pricing
  • What Jo prepares for the clients before and during a viewing/sales session
  • The importance of having friendly staff that helps your business
  • What happens after the Animoto slideshow viewing and how to talk clients through the product range
  • Giving clients a treasure box to go with the sales sessions
  • The one marketing strategy that's working for Jo and Neill right now
  • Using a Facebook group for boudoir photography to market your business
  • How to start your boudoir Facebook group
  • When something doesn't work, simply move on and keep going
  • Reasons why some campaigns don't work and how to overcome them

Jo Menneer 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.

I had to learn how to market this sort of business – Jo Menneer

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.

Jo Menneer Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

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

With any business, whatever your business is, having staff that are open and friendly is so so important – Jo Menneer

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

Jo Menneer 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 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.

Here's the latest review – which was actually a post inside the members Facebook Group I wanted to share by Ormeau Family PhotographerJemma Entriken.

I joined PhotoBizX just over 2 months ago and because of this, my client board now looks like this!!! … probably not much to some, but to me it’s massive!!!

Previously I was sooo quiet I would change the dates by clients names to make it look like I was actually working even if they’d been done & dusted months before … heck, I may have even made up clients just to look busier??‍♀️!!! Now I have a full board of 16 and a list of 8 who have booked but I can’t fit! ?

I look forward to letting you all know how great my average sales are soon (positive thinking right!?) but for now, I’m celebrating the little/big win of 24 bums on seats. ?

Thanks Andrew Hellmich for these fabulous podcasts… thanks to you, I’m back to feeling fab about my business ☺️

Have a great Tuesday everyone ?

Jo Menneer Photography Podcast

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

Divine Divas

Capture the Spirit

Divine Divas on Facebook

Divine Divas on Twitter

Divine Divas on Instagram

Agile CRM

ProSelect

Animoto

Sticky Album

Episode 136: Bernie Griffiths – A Challenge for You to Book More Portrait Photography Sessions

Episode 198: Bernie Griffiths – Facebook Ads and The Missing Link To Successful Sales

The awesome Photographers Group by Jeff Brown  – search Facebook Groups to join for $1

Jeff Brown Interview on PhotoBizX

Jo Menneer Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and big thanks to Jo and Neill for sharing their thoughts on photography, staff, advertising, management, business and marketing for their successful portrait studio and for opening the doors to their incredible studio space and home to Rahim and I while visiting Bath.

You will always have to reinvent the wheel with marketing and photography, so you're always looking for new things – Jo Menneer

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