Tim also dispels the 3 biggest marketing myths; lack of time, money and knowledge that many photographers use as an excuse to not implement effective marketing strategies.
With an openly love hate relationship with social media, he understands its importance in todays market. As a marketing speaker, Tim Reid has a simple and interesting approach to using Facebook that he has converted to and promotes after some enlightening posts and testing on his business page.
Another big topic that Tim dives into is the importance of building an email list for your business and why content really needs to be at the forefront of what you are doing if you want to stay visible in todays market.
Here's a list of topics covered in this episode:
Check out Tim's podcast – Small Business, Big Marketing, you'll love it.
Premium Members
It's difficult to improve what you can't measure in your photography marketing. In this extra audio, Tim shares ideas and tools you can use to measure and advance the way your website converts visitors into clients. By tracking your website traffic movements and testing, you'll have the best possible chance of a website that really works for you rather than a site that simply looks good.
Also, an EXTRA bonus for premium members this week – Jean Smith from the last episode of the podcast has come back and offered a free issue of Mozi Magazine for you – all the instructions on how to get your copy, the current issue or any from the back catalogue, are in the members area. Enjoy!
An added bonus for premium members this week – go check the members area for your free copy.
What is your big takeaway?
Following this interview with Timbo, I'd love to know what your biggest takeaway is – what is the one thing that you'd like to implement or remember from what he had to share? Let me and other listeners know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.
Are you taking action?
I was thrilled to receive a detailed email outlining the things that Richard and Trish from RT Photos have been implementing as a result of the podcast. With Trish's permission, here is the email – check out how busy these guys have been:
Hi Andrew
OMG – where do I start??!! Firstly the podcast is amazing, and has totally changed our business! I have a business partner – Richard (and he listens too) and Richard has threatened to call you and ask you to pause the podcasts as it's prompting so many ideas in me that we can't keep up lol.
Where do I start?
We've changed our pricing. Big one. We didn't put them up hugely, but enough that I think we are sitting a lot closer to our target market now with wedding photography. For portraits, that pricing has gone up dramatically and I no longer feel guilty charging what our time is worth. We've invested in software to help us grow the business too.
Firstly – ProSelect. Wow! That software is amazing and I used it for the first time yesterday for a wedding sales session, and it's paid for itself already.
Secondly – we've invested in Animoto. So many of the people you've interviewed use it and I thought it would be a good investment and an added product. DVD slideshows, and yes – my wedding couple yesterday have ordered one of those too 🙂
Thirdly – we decided we really needed some sort of database. We've been growing and I really needed something to keep track of what we were doing so have signed up for Spectra. Totally suits our needs and the bonus is that it's free for the light version and as we grow we'll upgrade to the bigger package.
We've changed the way we put together our packages for weddings. Bernie Griffiths made sense when he suggested that charging for hours wasn't exactly what brides were looking for. So instead of a four, six or ten hour package, it's now based on what's included. Like from the B&G getting ready, ceremony and a photoshoot before the reception etc. We've only just done this, but have booked one wedding already.
We've also taken the DVD with high res images out of the equation, and charge extra for this. The wedding we booked were happy with not getting all the high res images – once we explained that they got all the low res images, and that we wanted to make sure that any printing from high res images was something we wanted to control so that they got only the best image, they were happy with that.
I already posted a reply to one of the interviews that we did a small album for a wedding recently and gave it to the B&G and that went down really, really well. We also did two framed prints for the B&G to give to the bride's mother and the groom's mother – and that was also a huge success (and extra cash!).
Lastly – Charlotte Reeves and Caitlin McColl have inspired me with their pet photography. It's an area I've always been interested in (being a dog lover). We've always included families pets in their portrait sessions if they wanted it, but I wanted to do more. So we are about to launch a new business – The Puparazzi! It will be a high end pet photography business and I'll be able to indulge my passion for pets as well as photography. We are almost ready to go live, and I already have one firm booking and a handful of interested people.
Because we are in Canberra and all the activity that's happening with same sex marriage here – we've also registered a business solely for same sex wedding photography. If the bill doesn't get overturned in the high court, we'll be ready to go!
The two new businesses have been because the podcast has helped me think outside the square, and go with my instincts for business ideas.
So – a huge thank you from both of us (Richard and me) the podcasts have been exactly what we needed to spur us onto the next level.
Trish
Rereading the email, I'm still blown away by the action both Trish and Richard are taking in their business. I'm sure I speak on behalf of every listener to the podcast when I wish you both every success!
What changes have you made in your business this week? Leave a voicemail by clicking the button at the bottom of this page, leave a comment below or shoot me an email, I truly am interested.
iTunes ratings, reviews and Shout-Outs
One iTunes review this week, for which I'm thankful – a big thanks to Vince de George!
It's the iTunes reviews that make a big difference to the podcast being ranked well and found in the iTunes store. If you have the time and are happy to leave an honest rating and review, head over to iTunes. Don't feel your comments have to be long, involved or gushy, an honest opinion is all I ask.
If you'd like to get in touch, ask a question or make a suggestion for the show, you can email me andrew@photobizx.com, find me on twitter https://twitter.com/andrewhellmich or on Facebook at https://photobizx.com/facebook – I'd love to hear from you!
Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:
Tim's podcast and business forum home – Small Business Big Marketing
Cha Ching – Tim's recently published book
Self publishing your own book – Blurb
Self publishing your own book – Lulu
Outsourcing website to find help – E Lance 
Outsourcing website to find help – O Desk
Outsourcing website to find help (for $5.00) – Fiverr
Outsourcing website to find help – Freelancer
The “life changing book” by Tim Ferris – The Four Hour Work Week
Seth Godin, marketing guru and prolific author – http://www.sethgodin.com/
Seth's book mentioned by Tim – Permission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers
Mac software to record videos from your monitor – ScreenFlow
Windows software to record videos from your monitor – Camtasia
Email auto-responder software for list building – Aweber
Email auto-responder software for list building – Mail Chimp
Email auto-responder software for list building – Campaign Monitor
Tim's go-to guy for website maintenance and work – Mick The Mechanic
Matt and Katie's podcast interview
That's it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business. I'd love for you to leave a comment below about your biggest takeaway from this episode.
Speak soon
Andrew
What a great podcast!
Thank you Tim for sharing some of your fantastic insights. I’ve just started following Tim’s podcast and it really is worth a listen!
I think the biggest take away for me is that I really do need to start building a e-mail list. I really don’t think this is going to be easy but it’s time I started! Also the tips on social media is really helpful.
I aim to leave my full time job in April to become a full time photographer and I am trying to create a strong marketing foundation for my business before I make the dreaded jump!
The one question I do have is I try to create helpful blog posts for all of my brides/ potential brides every single week plus news blog posts on my business and my latest weddings. What is the best way to get people to my latest content using the powers of the internet besides social media?
Thanks again for the great content!
P.s amazing to hear from Trish
True Story: Just yesterday I was making pancakes in the morning and guess what? Yep, same thing happened to me. I started laughing out loud and my wife came in to see what I was laughing at only to start laughing herself. Why didn’t I take an iPhone shot of it? I might have had a similar response on my Facebook business page. Dang it!
But anyway, Tim’s interview was great. His gorilla marketing techniques were excellent. I’ve often had similar ideas about different gorilla marketing methods.
So yeah, Tim definitely has thought out marketing to a great degree. I think in the end, it’s marketing that really counts. I’ve seen so many mediocre photographers who stay busy simply because they understand marketing.
Nothing erks me more than to see a newby photographer with mediocre skills just killing it because he/she really understands marketing and how to leverage it to get new clients and then see their head swelling thinking they’re the next big photographer in town when the truth is their work is simply not good by anyone’s stretch of imagination.
So yeah, marketing is where it’s at. Especially in this over saturated market where anyone can go buy a decent digital camera and make their claim as a Professional Photographer.
So Tim is definitely hitting the nail on the head.
Joey Joiner
Fort Worth, TX.
USA
nooooooo, of all the interviews to do a short one… this was not the one. This guy knows his stuff and us photographers need that fresh outside perspective to marketing (rather than just doing what all the other photographers are doing)
A great interview, but about half as long as I would have liked it to be. 🙂
Or was it a ploy to get people to commit to the premium content… if so it was brilliant because it left me hanging for more. (Guerrilla marketing!)
You are doing a great job Andrew and I know the listeners are appreciating the fresh input they get every monday.
Brian Chapman
p.s. I hope that all my competitors follow Jeans advice and remove their phone numbers from their websites….. I will happily take the phone calls they wont get. 😉
p.p.s. If you are a person looking to enter the photographic industry at the moment, Im not going to say don’t, but I would suggest you ask around the experienced pros and see how they are going in this current market.It might change your plans 🙂
Hey Brian – glad you enjoyed the interview and in regard to the length, it was tow things. Tim was on a tight time limit and I wanted some good stuff for the premium members too. 🙂
I don’t think Jean’s advice is for everyone but I can definitely see the benefits for some business owners.
In regard to you last point… Agreed. It’s tougher than ever to have photography as a sole income source for a family.
Lastly – I have more great “outsider” interviews lined up for the new year, stay tuned.
I just wanted to thanks those who have left such kind comments above.
I’m wrapt that you found my interview useful … and good on Andrew for starting the podcast in the first place.
In regards to Shane’s question:
“What is the best way to get people to my latest content using the powers of the internet besides social media?”
Just focus on building a list and creating great, useful content that solves your prospects’ problems.
If it’s any good, they will find you as it will rank well.
yes there is some techo stuff you could do like ensuring the meta data for each blog post is optimised (eg. page title, permalink and meta description) but right now just get in the habit of nailing your content.
Try this – list the top 10 questions you know your prospects are asking and answer each one with a blog post or a video (or both ;0).
Hey Tim – thanks for popping back and answering the question. It was great chatting!
Holy smokes I had to do a double take. I listen to Andrew every week and Timbo almost as much. I take so much away from every show. Getting the two of you together was magic. I felt like it was just for me.
Brad – this podcast episode was purely for you! I hope you don’t mind though, if I share it with a few other listeners as well 😉
Hope you got something from the interview.
What a great interview… So awesome to have my two favourite podcasts together in the one place!
Andrew – you should see if you can get Timbo to become a regular guest on this podcast. I’d love to hear Timbo speak more specifically to the wedding and portrait industry a couple of times throughout the year. His wealth of knowledge and vast experience in marketing and business as someone from outside the wedding/portrait industry would be invaluable to our industry and so refreshing.
Timbo – thanks for being so awesome and the great work you do on the Small Business, Big Marketing show. Absolutely love it. Love your work! 🙂
Hi Paul – so you’re a fan of Tim’s podcast too! I’ve picked up some great ideas from his interviews and agree, he has a ton of good stuff to share.
You’re not the first person to say that it was great to hear from a “non photographer” in regard to marketing – I’m taking notice and plan to have a range of experts, not necessarily with a photographic background for 2014.
As for having Timbo back on the show – I’ll hit him up again next year for sure and with a copy of your message with my request, we can’t go wrong!
Thanks for adding your comments and great to have you listening!
Speak soon
Another amazing cast. Tim you have a new stalker. Really strong info here. I mean to much to even say what was a take away. But I will say that the part about posting to your website then sharing it on FB good stuff. Then short videos for the blog then transcribe it brilliant. Thanks again guys.
Thanks Joe – glad you enjoyed this episode with Tim. I’ve been a fan of his podcasts for while and knew he’d have some great stuff to share.
Thanks for adding your comments.
An easy place to try transcriptions is fiver.com and don’t be scared to use your phone to trial the whole video thing. The easier you make it for yourself, the more likely you are to give it a go.
Tim or Andrew or anyone else I would love some info if anyone can share their insight. Google has come up dry.
I own joemartinphotography.com but was thinking it might be good to buy the domain
“nameofmytown”weddingphotographer.com or start and seniorportraitphotographer.com
Now my question is how do I get google or bing to find these site names when the forwarded site name is joemartin?
Any tips tricks to have this key wording be found would be amazing thanks so much to you all.
I love the fact that Tim agrees with other podcasts about personalising your website, and I have done that on my page already.
Not sure if you’ve heard the Matt and Katie or the Nikki from Epic Danger interviews Hannalise but they too are big on the personalising your website approach too – both are definitely worth a listen.