In this interview, Anie Zanazanian, the business, marketing and branding brains behind Yervant Photography International, reveals how you can emulate their success by appealing to women in every aspect of our wedding photography business.

After pushing Anie for an answer, she uncovered that no matter Yervan's abilities as a photographer when starting their business together, she could have “marketed” him to success by applying the same strategies she did. With Yervant having the talent he did, just made it a little easier.

Anie's biggest piece of advice is to appeal to the “girliness” of the bride and DO NOT have your studio or meeting place looking like every other photography studio out there. You don't wan't to look like an art gallery, a computer store or send mixed messages.

If you work from home and only have one room available, Anie shares the perfect strategies for you to give the impression you are worth more, lots more than photographers charging $2000. By making yourself look like you are worth spending more on, you will attract couples that are happy to, even want to spend more on their wedding photography.

Here's some more of what we cover:

  • Why you should approach your business, your photography, as a product and market it as such
  • Taking a new photography business to the world market through smart branding
  • Putting yourself in the position of the bride – thinking like she does and appealing to what she wants
  • Have you ever asked yourself – why does your photography studio look like every other photography studio?
  • Do you have a unique name, what a perfect opportunity to create a new brand, that's exactly what Anie did with Yervant
  • Ticking the “Yes” boxes in the brides subliminal mind – are you doing it right?
  • Do you really need to have a unique product to be a success in the business of photography… surprisingly, the answer is no – Anie explains why
  • Understanding that your target market is women and how to communicate with them
  • Anie is yet to meet an independent photographer that knows how to sell to women
  • How reality TV and the fashion industry are impacting wedding photography and brides around the world
  • Acknowledge that your bride is the script writer for her wedding day, tap into that and you'll be booked solid
  • Look at your business as if you are the client – this is where female photographers have a distinct advantage but Anie gives some special tips for the guys
  • Brides don't care for your fancy computers or equipment, they want pretty, fluffy, girly feelings when they walk into a store, studio or shop
  • Make you studio look like an apartment that your clients would love to live in
  • Clients don't want to part with $4000-$6000 to a photographer working from home if it looks like they are there because they can't afford to be anywhere else
  • What options are available if you don't have a good looking studio space – Anie covers places that will give the right subliminal messages
  • The importance of personal presentation – look and smell is very important if you expect a client to spend money on or with you
  • Why you should never go the the couples house for the wedding appointment

Following the interview, you'll be calling on your wife, sister, mother or girlfiends to add some serious input into their views on your studio space. If you're a female listener/photographer, get ready to forget what you've learnt from the men in the industry and explore what YOU would really like to see when shopping for anything for your wedding.

Anie Zanazanian Interview about Yervant Photography

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 episode where you can hear lots more implementable content from Anie where we dive deeper into some of the earlier topics plus some new ones that I pushed hard for including:

  • If you're in wedding photography for the money, get out of it – there are much better ways to make money
  • Every wedding, strive to shoot something outside the square… that is the way to develop YOUR style
  • There is an army of shoot and burn photographers out there… they are your competitors in todays market. How will you separate yourself?
  • A very special way to create relationships within the wedding industry that will get you referrals
  • How much more can you really do with your website… maybe there are better ways
  • Why the reception venues are not your best choice for marketing opportunities, there are much better businesses to target
  • Why you should not be talking about dollars at the wedding consult
  • Once your potential starts owning the idea of being in your photos and having your albums… you have her, so to speak
  • When you give your price over the phone, all you're doing is adding your name to an XL spreadsheet, don't do it
  • How to have your branding weed out the clients you don't want to photograph

Anie Zanazanian Interview about Yervant Photography

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview with Anie, I'd love to know what your biggest takeaway is – what is the one thing that you'd like to implement or learnt from what she had to share? Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

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

If you'd like an easy way to show your thanks to Anie, and support for the show at the same time, click the link to create a tweet and automatically and let her know you're listening: https://photobizx.com/tweet.

Win A New Camera Strap from Lucky Straps

Last week I received a new camera strap for my Nikon D4 and love it – the extra support and non slip design was a noticeable difference to the supplied Nikon strap. I have an extra strap that was going to be used on my Fuji X100s but it's way too big for that so I'm giving it away.

Head over to luckystraps.com.au/collections and let me know the colour strap you'd like to have for your camera and the first person to mention the colour I have here will receive this one.

Anie Zanazanian Interview about Yervant Photography

The Resources Page

Remember the ever expanding resources page that has a listing of products, programs, hardware, books and directories mentioned in each episode of the show. If you’re looking for something that a guest has mentioned on a previous episode but just can’t remember who or what it was – you’ll find it listed in order on the resources page.

iTunes ratings, reviews and Shout-Outs

Each week before recording the podcast I check iTunes for any reviews and each week I'm excited to see what you've had to say about the podcast. This week there were two great reviews so a big thanks to Burn and Dodge from the USA and Albert Palmer of Albert Palmer Photography in Bristol UK.

Sincerely, thanks so much for your ratings and reviews, I appreciate the time you've taken and it's a big help for the show. It's these 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.

PhotoBizX iTunes Reviews_011

Don't feel your comments have to be long, involved or gushy, an honest opinion is all I ask. Don't be shy about leaving your business name in the review either – that way I can add a link in the show-notes and show my appreciation with a proper thanks and a Google loving back-link to your website.

Get in Touch or Leave a Voicemail Message

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!

Anie Zanazanian Interview about Yervant Photography

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

Anie Zanazanian on Facebook

Yervant Photography – the main website or Yervant Photography

Yervant Photography on Facebook

AIPP

Astir Images

Page Gallery – Album Design Software

Australian rules and regulations regarding Trademarks

Anie Zanazanian Interview about Yervant Photography

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

If you've been enjoying the podcast, I'd love for you to tell another photographer about it – it could be in a Facebook Group you're a part of, a photography forum, with a photographer friend or on twitter.

If you do have a twitter account, simply click here: https://photobizx.com/tweet or use the share buttons below.

Thanks and speak soon

Andrew