Conscious Business for Photographers: an introduction

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I have thought long and hard about using the word “conscious” in an industry that offers luxury services, but after a year of work, I still believe this might be the best way to define this new – or better, different – approach to business.

So let’s begin by defining what “conscious” means.

Simply put, “conscious business” is a way of seeing business as a human matter (and experience) because the reality is that every interaction with our clients – from marketing to sales – IS an interaction between two human beings.

Yes, the very same way we claim that our clients forget there is a human on the other side… we also often forget our “clients” are human, going through our same worries, fears, stresses and doubts.

But why does this matter?

In the words of Brené Brown:

“All I know is that my life is better when I assume that people are doing their best. It keeps me out of judgment and lets me focus on what is, and not what should or could be.”

Brené Brown

Now if we see business as a human matter the choice for us business owners is simple: we can choose to make every act of business, or interaction with our clients (from marketing to sales, remember?) one that enriches our clients’ lives and fosters trust and respect or choose the opposite instead.

But pay attention: I am not suggesting you let others take advantage of you – in fact, setting strong boundaries and clear business practices is one of the 3 pillars of conscious business.

The 3 pillars of Conscious Business for Photographers: Ask for permission

One of the most common mistakes I see in marketing and sales is to just assume that everyone who contacts us asking for info is doing so because they want to buy from us (or book) there and then, and because of this we are entitled to chase them, follow up, and then consider them “time wasters” if they don’t take part to this fast and furious exchange.

Think about your own experience entering a shop.

Do you prefer being given a little time to look around and compare, and ask questions, or being followed around by someone who won’t let you go unless you explicitly tell them in 4 languages that no, you are not ready to buy?

A simple way for you to address this when people contact you is to… ask.

Especially when running ads, I strongly invite you to ask a simple question “I’d love to send you more details for your specific request, are you looking into booking a session as soon as possible or simply gathering information?” (now this is very formal, so adapt it to your style).

Other questions you might want to ask:

“I need to talk with my partner”

“Of course, no problem! Would you like me to get in touch next Tuesday to remind you of the deadline for this offer?”

or

“Of course, no problem! Would you like me to get in touch next week to check if you are interested in booking a session then?”

Silence in reply to this question is an answer.

Boundaries


Yes, assuming people are doing their best does not mean excusing their behaviour, not holding them accountable.

At the same time, trusting people does not mean allowing them to take advantage of us.

Brené Brown (Dare to Lead) explains this perfectly when she says that the most compassionate and generous people are also the most “boundaried”, but that most people struggle to set clear boundaries.

You can read more about boundaries and how to set them in this article, but I will give you another practical example.

In your contract, you most likely have some clauses or terms that you absolutely want clients to know about: cancellation terms, delivery times, or simply opening hours and how to contact you for business-related matters.


Well, having them in your contract is great – but even better is pointing those terms out to your clients ALSO in the email that accompanies the contract asking if there are doubts or questions. 

This means you are not only “legally” protected, but you have also shown your clients that you are clear and firm about your terms – and not scared to enforce them.

“It turns out that we assume the worst about people’s intentions when they’re not respectful of our boundaries. It’s easy to believe that they are trying to disappoint us on purpose.” 

What if everybody in the marketplace did the same?


This has always been my guiding principle for creating my own ads, but it works for most business practices.

When you are in doubt about doing something, in marketing or business, ask yourself: what would happen if everybody in my industry did the same?

Think about Venture (and they are not alone): they have forever affected negatively the way some people think and view newborn photographers, making your potential clients more sceptical and difficult to deal with.

The examples, unfortunately, are endless.

Offering “free downloads” just in order to harass people with salesy newsletters, free calls that are sales calls, etc… etc… etc…

As you can see, Conscious Business is nothing complicated – or particularly new.

As I always say, it simply is a way of treating every business act as an act of care.

“The Shift: Conscious Business for Photographers” is one of the 4 core programs of our coaching, together with the Marketing Mastermind for Newborn Photographers, the Perfect Pricing Blueprint and Pathway to Creation: Creative Marketing for Photographers.

To learn more about our hands-on approach to marketing that works to get you bookings, visit www.growyourphotographystudio.com

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IF MARKETING IS THE ANNOYING GUY TRYING TO TAKE YOU HOME

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You know?

The one rushing through questions nobody is interested in, in the first place, just to get to the point where you leave the bar together.

Except, you can clearly see through it. And that’s why it feels gross.

Or like a ridiculous waste of time if, after all, you would not mind being asked out.

But what’s this got to do with marketing?

What makes marketing feel gross – like some dates – is not having an “agenda” (getting the sale), but trying to hide it.

WHEN HATING MARKETING IS INEVITABLE

What’s even worse, is that we don’t realise how this approach makes marketing feel gross not only for our clients… but also for ourselves.

Marketing with a hidden agenda is that feeling you get when you tell a lead “I only have two spaces left, make sure you don’t miss out” when the only appointment in your diary is your best friend’s birthday.

Is that “I hate writing” you feel in your core, when writing for marketing is reduced to “what can I write that’s gonna get me likes and enquiries right away so I don’t feel totally invisible?”.

At the core of this, there is the idea that being good means convincing people. Means getting them to say yes.

Yes, book me in. I don’t really know if you are the right one but I don’t want to miss out.

Yes, I’ll buy wall art. That new phone. That car. That course. I’ll regret it, but there we go – you have convinced me.

And it makes sense, because “yes” feels good. It feels like a win. It feels like money.

“No”, on the other hand, feels like… rejection. 

A GOOD FIT? 

Here’s the thing.

In business, same as in your personal life, going out with the wrong person has consequences. 

If you are lucky, you’ll only end up hating your dinner and how uncomfortable, even awkward, the evening felt.

But even if that’s not the case, rest assured you’ll regret that yes. Maybe even months down the line.

Maybe, you won’t even be aware of the consequences. 

A bad review (for your studio, that is), or simply a bunch of clients who “would not really recommend” you.

So what if marketing was not about getting people to say yes, but about making it easy for people to decide whether we are a “yes” or a “no” to them? 

What if marketing was not about finding our ideal client, but about making sure who we are is so clear that it’s easy for them to recognise us? (More on the relation between “who you are” and your brand here).

FILTERING vs CONVERTING

Ok, but that’s just theory – how do we put all of this into practice?

Let’s start with a simple excercise: let’s write something that will resonate with your ideal client, and repel your “nightmare” client

STEP 1 – YOUR “HELL NO”

Think about enquiries and questions you have received in the last few months.

Think about those that raise all of your alarm bells.

Could be people sending you a one line email that looks like “hi i’m interested in a baby session can you give me prices tx”. You know the one.

Could be someone sending you 30 images of babies in props, asking if you can do the same, when not a trace of a prop can be found on your pages.

Or maybe, simply, you don’t want to deal with any more “oh we are just looking for a few digitals”. To the point where reading that sentence would make you go “I’m fully booked”.

Choose one of these alarm-bell-raising questions and write it down.

STEP 2 – THE MUST-HAVES

Now think about something that for you is a non-negotiable, something that must be true for a client to be a good fit.

Could be… liking deep, rich colours.

Or liking posed images because you don’t do lifestyle.

Again, choose one non-negotiable and write it down.

STEP 3 – LET’S WRITE

Now, the easy part.

  1. Take your “must-have” and turn it into a sentence that sounds like: If you love [must have] you will love a session with me.

For example: 

If you love a rich, deep colour over any “baby pink”, you will love a session at [studio name].

If you love the idea of natural, unposed images of your newborn baby, a session with me is exactly what you are looking for.

  1. Take your “hell no” and list it in a “we might not be a good fit if” sentence.

For example: 

If you are only looking for a couple of digital images, we might not be a good fit. Although there is no obligation to purchase when you come for your viewing appointment, from the moment you enquire we will work to create a stunning gallery of minimum 20 images of your baby and most of my packages offer the best savings when you buy all of them.

STEP 4 – PRACTICE!

Use these sentences on your homepage or first reply to an enquiry.

FEELING SCARED?

If you have followed me until here, you probably felt good about the “if you love” sentence.

And terrified by the “hell no” one, because that will make people say no.

And “no” means losing a sale.

No means rejection.

But in the end, it all comes down to this: creating a business we love and that feels beautiful requires awareness of who we are, and what we want, and the courage of leaving behind whatever is not gonna get there.

Hi, I am Giulia (weird, uh? It sounds like Julia – but it’s written with a “Gi”) and I am the founder of Grow Your Photography Studio.

I am known for my no-BS, hands-on approach to helping newborn photographers get more clients and grow a business they actually enjoy running. I believe marketing should not be a “necessary evil” and that taking action is the first and most fundamental step toward success.

Feeling on the brink of burnout? Read our guide “Photographers on the brink of burnout“

Thinking about our Marketing Mentoring programme? Read this first

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STRUGGLING WITH CHRISTMAS MINIS? GET OUR MARKETING CHECKLIST

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Christmas Minis are quick and easy sessions that should sell themselves, right?

Not necessarily, especially this year.

With so many newborn photographers now doing Christmas minis using a very similar pricing/formula, competition is stronger than ever.

In addition to this, almost nothing these days can be sold without a solid marketing plan and without investing enough time and resources, especially if you are not already well established and can count on a solid client base.

I THOUGHT THESE WOULD SELL OUT, BUT… THEY DIDN’T!

Ok, first of all… you are not alone.

Also, there is still time.

So if you have not sold out your Christmas mini sessions do not despair, but keep in mind these 3 simple “rules”:

1 – Think out of the box

Christmas Minis (like most minis) are a real challenge when it comes to marketing to a new, colder, audience. Since your profit is lower than full sessions, you need to find strategies that will help you reach as many people as possible… for very little money, or for free.

For this reason, in our checklist, we will include some unusual advertising and marketing strategies that we would not necessarily use to get bookings for your newborn sessions

2 – Don’t alienate your audience

Christmas mini sessions

We get it, you really want this to work.

However, in a couple of months this will be over, and you’ll be back to bumps, babies and newborns… so please try not to overwhelm your audience with Christmas images and posts – especially since it’s still September!

Remember that posting content your audience doesn’t like will affect your reach because Facebook and Instagram simply will not show your content to users who have not engaged with you in a while.

So if you see low (or lower than usual) engagement on your Christmas posts, do yourself a favour and limit the number of themed posts. Instead, plan on using some ads (again, read our checklist for low-budget ideas)

3 – Think about your business as a whole

Especially if you have little time to spend on promoting your studio, make sure you are not only focusing on your Christmas Minis!

If you are far from your goal (sessions you want to sell), or have not even started selling them, please consider whether you can even afford to keep going. Is it worth investing more time and resources in promoting mini sessions?

In our blog post about biases we have discussed The Sunk Cost Fallacy, our tendency to honour already spent resources: we are more likely to continue with a project if we have already invested a lot of money, time, or effort in it, even when continuing is not the best thing to do.

YOUR CHRISTMAS MINIS MARKETING CHECKLIST

So here we go, our list is below and also available as a free download here (printable).

❑ Email your database of clients (need a mailing platform for this? Check out our list of Essential Marketing Tools for Newborn Photographers). If your list of clients includes less than 150 people, you’ll want to plan for some extra promo (for example ads).

❑ Make a list of your best 10-15 clients (with children in the right age range for your minis) and mail them a personal invitation (yes, by post!) or call them. Why? Because it’s personal.

❑ Consider creating a lead magnet to help you gather some new, qualified, leads. A lead magnet is a piece of content that you make available on your website for free and that people can download by giving you their email address.

Of course, you want your lead magnet to be Christmas themed and targeted at your audience.

Ideas are: a PDF template for a letter to Santa, a template for Christmas cards or other themed templates, etc.

The process you want to follow is simple: create a blog post to describe your lead magnet and include a mini form (only requiring name and email address). Ask visitors to fill out the form if they want to receive your file and, when you receive their contact information… well, email them the content with a little reminder of your Christmas Minis (and a few images!). All tools needed for this process are included in our Essential Marketing Tools for Newborn Photographers.

Your lead magnet could be promoted using a Traffic ad, for as little as £2 a day – or could even just be promoted with a boost on your Facebook page.

❑ Create a Facebook event with the goal of using it for Facebook Ads. Ads for events are not the best ads for conversions but you will be able to run them for as little as £1 a day.

Remember: you can’t message directly people who mark themselves as “Going” to your event, but they will read your updates on the event page.

❑ Create an Engagement Facebook ad for one of your organic Facebook posts. As mentioned above, we choose these ads over Conversions (which are the best ads for bookings and sales) to contain costs – since your margin on minis is much smaller than for newborn sessions.

Check out this video to see where to find Engagement/Event ads.

❑ If you don’t have at least 2k followers on each of your Facebook and Instagram profiles, and your database of clients is fairly small (less than 100 contacts) consider partnering with another local business with a stronger online presence.

❑ Create a promo video that you can use on social media – Animoto offers a few great templates in this sense, but you can use almost any tool.

Don’t forget to check these tips for creating promo videos for your studio (source: Facebook).

❑ If you have not done a model call, consider doing one and boosting the post to your local audience – don’t forget to use engagement as a goal for your boost. Also, don’t forget to record some behind the scenes footage (and take a few shots) that you can use for Instagram reels and social media in general

Hi, I am Giulia (weird, uh? It sounds like Julia – but it’s written with a “Gi”) and I am the founder of Grow Your Photography Studio.

I am known for my no-BS, hands-on approach to helping newborn photographers get more clients and grow a business they actually enjoy running. I believe marketing should not be a “necessary evil” and that taking action is the first and most fundamental step toward success.

Need more hands-on help? Book a marketing call with us

Thinking about our Marketing Mentoring programme? Read this first

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ESSENTIAL MARKETING TOOLS FOR NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHERS

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Scheduling posts, sending questionnaires, email newsletters… getting your marketing in place can feel quite overwhelming.

However, as for all crafts, using the right tools can turn an apparently daunting job into a smooth and fast process.

So here it is: our list of essential marketing tools every newborn photographer needs.

Our list includes a few notes and a few free alternatives that are great when you are just starting out (and not only)!

A note about essential marketing tools for newborn photographers

The list is available as a free download here – no email address (or other data) required!

Feeling on the brink of burnout? Read our guide “Photographers on the brink of burnout“

Thinking about our Marketing Mentoring programme? Read this first

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“I KNOW I SHOULDN’T BE LOOKING AT MY COMPETITORS, BUT…”

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You know that feeling when you “end up” on your competitors’ page and all of a sudden a thousand anxious thoughts fill your head?

“I really need to step up my game.“

“I should be posting more.“

“She’s got double my followers, she’s probably got an inbox full of enquiries – god, I really need more bookings, things have been slow the last few weeks.“

“That post is good, and why is she getting so many comments?? She is good.”

And so on.

It’s all good to say you should not compare yourself to others, but in the age of social media sometimes it’s really inevitable. We are on each other’s faces – or feed – almost all the time.

If it’s not a post on a group it’s an ad, or a recommendation, or whatever else.

But if comparison is (almost) inevitable, you have a choice over what happens next.

If you are still at a stage where those anxious thoughts follow you to bed – breathe, please. You have time.

Step away, close your laptop, throw your phone away (figuratively!) and forget about it all for a while. 

Focus on what you have achieved so far. Chances are, it’s pretty fucking amazing.

Go back to where you started, how many things you have figured out. Go back to when your page had 15 followers and you had no solid plan to get more. Go back to shooting for free for family and friends.

Everything that’s happened between there and now, including taking your business through months of lockdowns and no shooting, it’s yours. You have built it.

And you will keep doing the same. It’s going to be ok.

If, instead, you have already mastered the art of “staying sane when your demons come visit”, I have a challenge for you.

Learn to keep your eyes open. Don’t run.

Learn to stare those demons in their eyes – and see what they have to teach you.

Learn from your fear.

Learn to sit in the eye of the storm, stand in that space between “she’s better than me, I am going to fail” and “fuck it, who cares” and see if there is a lesson in there for you. 

That fear might be showing you something that you know, deep inside, you have not mastered yet.

Something you are missing, or have been neglecting for a while. 

An “I keep meaning to…” or “I really should be…”

Whatever that is, deep inside you know you’ll have to face it, at some point.

And that point is now.

So go master it.

Feeling on the brink of burnout? Read our guide “Photographers on the brink of burnout“

Thinking about our Marketing Mentoring programme? Read this first

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THE PROBLEM WITH BOUNDARIES – HOW (AND WHEN) TO SAY “NO”

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Monday night, one of my early days in business.

There I am, slightly (errrr) overworked, slightly frustrated and anxious because… well, how is everybody else getting so many clients and charging SO MUCH MORE than I am?

Notification: new email.

It’s 9pm.

A client asking me to do something that is not really part of my job – and of course, taking for granted I’ll do it anyway.

The above, of course, is followed by a 45 minutes internal rant, performed while pacing up and down the living room whispering to myself “this is ridiculous” and angrily typing the whole story on my phone for my best friend to read.

Eventually, I decide that NO, it’s not gonna happen. I need to stand up for myself, set boundaries and stop letting people take advantage of me.

It’s a big NO, no no no.

It’s my business, my rules.

Or maybe…

… maybe I could make a little exception and DO IT, but make it clear that I would NOT be doing it again.

After all, I am not that busy and I want clients to love working with me. Right? Also, deep inside I know I am charging a lot of money… maybe too much.. What if she gets upset and starts complaining and wants her money back?

Come on, it’s gonna take 30 minutes max – surely it’s worth it if it helps me keep the client?

LET’S TALK BOUNDARIES

To quote Brené Brown:

“When we asked people why they hesitate to set boundaries, the number one answer that emerged from the research was, “I don’t want to make people mad, disappoint others, or make them stop liking me”.  

[…] What’s really interesting is that when we asked the same participants to describe or explain the consequence of not setting boundaries, the overwhelming response was resentment. Followed by anger. Followed by frustration.”

Failing to set boundaries can not only affect our mental and physical health but also eat away our ability to see our own business as an enriching and enjoyable part of our life.

But we all know that, right? 

And still, for most of us “setting boundaries” feels like a constant struggle.

“… when we asked the same participants to describe or explain the consequence of not setting boundaries, the overwhelming response was resentment. Followed by anger. Followed by frustration.“

Brené Brown

A MATTER OF POSTURE

Ever caught yourself all hunched over your desk, and reacted by – inadvertently – tensing all of your muscles in an attempt to sit up straight… just to end up slumping forward again within 10 minutes?

This very much reflects how I used to deal with boundaries in my early days in business – alternating between collapsing and posturing.

Collapsing is giving in to all requests and it often comes from our desire of being liked, of feeling needed, and from our lack of confidence. Collapsing is compromising our needs and integrity out of fear (of losing a client, of facing uncomfortable conversation, of disappointing others…): we keep giving more, so that the person in front of us will appreciate us more, like us more.

We keep giving in, and giving more, even when that means sacrificing something that is important to us.

We keep saying yes, stretching ourselves and neglecting our needs until we eventually “snap”… and lean into the opposite, the “I won’t be a victim anymore”.

Frustrated and exhausted, we go from collapsing to posturing.

Posturing is all about force is our “as previously discussed”, “as per the contract you have signed” – it is overselling, acting superior and wanting to feel important. 

RIGHT… BUT I STILL DON’T KNOW HOW TO SET BOUNDARIES

So what is the alternative to all of this?

If you have ever had to work on your posture or practiced yoga, you already know the answer: force and tension won’t take you far, but finding your core will.

As a business owner, you find your core when what you do and how you do it are perfectly aligned with who you are, and deeply rooted into why you are doing it.

As a business owner, finding your core comes from choosing to walk a path you can truly own as yours.

“Stress is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are” (Chinese Proverb)

When our actions and decisions come from such place we become beautifully strong and equally flexible.

And so do our boundaries.

“Did you just say… flexible?”

Yes, I did. Make your boundaries and give yourself permission to make exceptions.

People have this idea that being “good” and valuing yourself meaning making rules and rigidly keep them – no matter what.

Truth is, the secret to creating proper boundaries is to ensure they are strong and rooted in your beliefs, in your core, but not so rigid that they easily break under pressure.

But how do you decide when to bend a boundary, when is it ok to make an exception?

The answer is simple: when it feels right to you.

Trust your intuition, trust that voice inside you.

If all that voice is saying is “don’t even think about it, you don’t even WANT to work with this person anyway” – STOP. Breathe.

“No” is the right answer. And one that doesn’t need to be justified or explained. 

And by the way, my favourite “no” answer comes from Shonda Rhimes: “I am unable to do that”.

It just feels right and complete to me. It feels good.

“…my favourite “no” answer comes from Shonda Rhimes: “I am unable to do that”.

AND WHAT ABOUT SAYING… YES?

“Yes” is also an answer that does not need to be explained or justified.

So when it feels right to you to bend your boundaries, just do it. Know that you don’t have to be ashamed or justify it – to your photography friends, to your favourite Facebook group or to your mentor.

After all… your business, your rules.

Feeling on the brink of burnout? Read our guide “Photographers on the brink of burnout“

Thinking about our Marketing Mentoring programme? Read this first

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Want to avoid a ban? Take care of your Facebook Photography Business Page

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Imagine this: it’s Monday morning and you are sipping coffee or tea sitting in your studio… and waiting for your Facebook Photography business page to load.

So you wait, and wait, until you realise you can’t actually login.

And this time is not because you’ve been logged out and can’t remember the password, it’s because you have been banned.

Your Photography business page, ad account, everything is gone. In a panic, you login to your email to find a message from Facebook that explains you have violated the Community Standards and are not allowed on the platform.

For me, this is the stuff nightmares are made of – regardless of how many leads I can get from other platforms, I don’t want to lose the ability for my business to be represented on a platform with almost 3 billion users.

Like it or hate it, for most of us our social media pages have become some of the most important assets in our business.

But do you really know everything there is to know about keeping your Facebook Photography business page safe?

This post gives you a few basic steps that you should implement to ensure you comply with Facebook policies and add layers of redundancy to your pages.

STEP 1 – HAVE AT LEAST TWO ADMINS ON YOUR FACEBOOK PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS PAGE

Yes, your personal profile and business pages are connected by default, but adding a second administrator means you will still have a way of managing your Photography business page if you can’t access your personal profile.

This could happen for several reasons: you might be hacked, your profile might be suspended, etc. etc.

You can add administrators from the Page Roles section in Settings, this video shows you how.

Note: needless to say, choose someone you truly trust and that would be happy to let you use their profile to access your page!

CAN I HAVE A SECOND FACEBOOK PROFILE AND ADD IT AS AN ADMIN?

No. Having two Facebook profiles goes against the platform’s policies and might result in your accounts being banned.

To learn more: https://www.facebook.com/help/975828035803295

STEP 2 – SIGN UP TO FACEBOOK BUSINESS MANAGER

Facebook Business Manager contains all of Facebook’s business tools live and where you manage all of your Facebook marketing and advertising activities. 

Business Manager is also essential for sharing your Facebook and Instagram assets among multiple people efficiently and securely, reducing the risk of losing access to any of those assets.

You can create a Facebook Business Manager account (which is different from Business Suite) from business.facebook.com/create 

Then:

  1. Go to Settings – People and assets – People.
    Follow this video to add an Admin https://www.loom.com/share/6f4d36896c5c44709fbf5f8e21605d8f
    It is recommended to add at least two people as administrators.
  2. Go to Business settings – Instagram accounts to connect any Instagram business accounts (you will be asked to log in to Instagram).
  3. Go to Ad accounts – Add New ad account.
    You will have the access to add an account you own by supplying the ad account ID, or request access to use another Business Manager-owned ad account. 

To find your Ad Account id:

  • Go to Ads Manager 
  • Your ad account ID number is shown above the search and filter bar, in the account dropdown menu.

To find your Ad Account id:

  • Go to Ads Manager
  • Your ad account ID number is shown above the search and filter bar, in the account dropdown menu.

You can learn more about Business Manager by visiting https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/how-business-manager-works/guide

A FINAL NOTE

Now I know you might be thinking “Ok this is boring and complicated, I don’t need any of this and Facebook sucks anyway!”. 

I hear you. Our lives are already busy enough and “too much time” is definitely not one of our problems.

But here’s the thing, remember when you had to deal with that annoying client who was demanding to see your RAW files and you thought to yourself “my business my rules, I am not giving my unedited files to anyone?”.

Google, Facebook, Instagram… They also are businesses and they also enforce a “my business, my rules” policy.

So sure, you can ignore all of this and any of these platform’s policies… but you do so at your own peril!

Facebook Community Standards can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/

Facebook Advertising Policies https://www.facebook.com/policies/ads/

NEED HELP?

Want to know more about using Facebook Business Manager for your Newborn Photography Studio?

Request a free Marketing Coaching Call now

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3 Steps to a better photography business

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Ever experienced “Editing procrastination”?

You KNOW that session didn’t go as planned and now you are just DREADING the idea of looking at the images. 

Never mind editing them.

But editing procrastination might not be the most dangerous syndrome for a newborn photographer.

Pause for a moment and think your business.

Are you avoiding business or marketing tasks that you struggle with?

Maybe you avoid following up on enquiries because you just DON’T KNOW what to say, and you feel like you are bothering people?

… or you keep putting off planning any adverts, as your mind goes blank when thinking up content?

Is your pricing all over the place but you have no idea where to start to put it right?

You are not alone!

IN BUSINESS AND MARKETING… EVERYTHING IS “FIGUREOUTABLE”

It’s fulfilling and enjoyable to spend time doing things we excel at, and easy to avoid tasks we aren’t so great at.

People tend to be scared of what they are not good at, trying and failing can make them feel inadequate.

We bury our head in the sand and brush things under the carpet, but that feeling does not go away. It keeps us awake at night. It gets louder every time the problem manifests itself again (and believe me, it WILL happen).

The good news?

In business and marketing, everything is “figureoutable”.

The BETTER news is that figuring things out and improving will empower you and boost your confidence.

Yes, because it’s that feeling of “I don’t know what I am doing” that is keeping you stuck and making you wonder whether or not you are “good enough”.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU CAN’T PLAY

As a former piano tutor, I would tell my students “Practice what you CAN”T play’ and this translates very well to the business world.

A dear friend tells her children they only find some school work difficult because they haven’t learnt how to do it yet. She tells them it’s a sign they need more practice and ultimately that they need to ask for guidance from someone who DOES know how to do it.

It’s the same in business.

It doesn’t mean you are BAD at something if you struggle, only that you require some help. 

It’s a bit like having a toothache. It hurts a little bit, so you ignore it to avoid the dentist and save money, then in six months it’s 10 times as bad and will cost even more to get sorted.

Identifying your weaknesses and looking for ways to improve, seeking outside help from those who DO know, will get you on the right path. Far better than ignoring them, knowing full well they are going to come and bite you on the bum somewhere down the line. 

Whether that presents itself as poor bookings, client issues or simply stress you do not need.

Once things click into place, you’ll find yourself enjoying 100% of your business, rather than just 75% and the rewards will be immense.

Part of being a good business owner is not only being able to delegate, but also to identify strengths and weaknesses, and be able to act upon them. 

As “the owner”, you aren’t answerable to anyone but yourself, so it’s easy to slip into a habit of avoiding tasks you are weaker at and playing to your strengths.

Eventually, however, your strengths will suffer because of this – you need the whole choir singing in tune!

For instance, if it’s your marketing you are having issues with, it’s no good being the best photographer in the world if your marketing sucks! 

Without clients, there is no photography business. 

Or if your pricing is your nemesis you could be working your butt off, producing incredible results, but getting nowhere fast.

3 STEPS TO A BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS

“Ok, I get it, so now what?”

No matter what you are struggling with, solving your problem requires 3 steps:

1 – Total clarity about the problem itself and what’s causing it

2 – A solid plan

3 – The ability to make decisions when things don’t work as planned: stick to the plan or adjust? This makes the BIGGEST difference.

Achieving all this on your own is hard.

Being too close to the problem can lead to you not being able to see the wood for the trees. Facing your issues head-on can be daunting, so don’t do it alone. Letting someone assist you with their metaphorical axe paves the way for smoother running business, instead of giving up and going back to old habits, which can be all TOO tempting. 

So before you immerse yourself and write the most sophisticated marketing plan the photography industry has ever seen… ASK FOR HELP. 

Sometimes some outside guidance and little tweaks can be your ‘light bulb’ moment and go a long way to improving your confidence, happiness and success in what you do.

Yes, it can be hard releasing your hold on the reins when your business is your baby, but similarly, your baby deserves you to be firing on all cylinders.

If you are ready to finally feel confident and in control of your business, this is the most important page you will visit today.

Book a free business and marketing coaching call using the button below and we’ll help you define exactly how to implement these 3 steps to a better photography business.

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5-step guide to successfully advertise your Newborn Sessions online

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Online advertising can be quite complicated… and launching campaigns without knowing the rules can be quite costly! Not to mention that you might not getting the results you were expecting.

To help you get started, we have created a simple 5-step guide. FAR from being a comprehensive guide to advertising for Newborn Photographers, this should help you avoid some of the most common mistakes… such as launching ONE CAMPAIGN with ONE AD and running it without tracking results.

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Why people say no to your newborn sessions (and what to do about it)

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Almost everybody has had this experience.

You go to a store to buy something. A pair of trousers, for example.
So your trip is purposed, you are leaving your house to go and buy something you need.

You enter the store, the customer assistant comes to you and asks “Can I help you?”

“No, I am just looking”.

In fact, this is our conditioned response to almost anything that can get us into a “sales process”.

We say no because we don’t want to be pressured into buying something.
We say no because we don’t want to have to explain WHY we don’t want to buy those trousers that apparently fits us perfectly and look good.


We say no because we want to be free to “think about it”.

You know why?

Because we’re supposed to.

Starting from childhood, we’re taught to be wary of people we don’t know and to never make a fast decision when it comes to buying something.

We aren’t supposed to buy at first. We’re taught not to do it.

So to expect our prospects to go against the very habits and beliefs is foolish.

Still, this is what most photographers and businesses in general try to do when it comes to promoting their services over the internet. And especially when it comes to paid ads.

We expect an immediate return, we expect “instant bookings”. For some reason, we are happy to spend hundreds of pounds or dollars in activities that don’t generate any return, but the moment we invest £10 in Facebook Ads or Google Ads we want to see bookings flocking in.

And for this reason, we mostly put out campaigns, ads and posts that sound more or less like:
“Give me X amount of money NOW to get Y”.

The bad news is that this message is exclusively designed to focus on the tiny percentage of prospects who defy human nature and buy quickly, and it ignores (and usually irritates) everyone else.

The good news is that there are massive opportunities for studios and photographers who do things differently.

You can start today by booking a free business and marketing strategy session below.

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