Welcome
Welcome to another week!
When I first started SeniorInspire the newsletter my goal was to get to a thousand subscribers by the end of 2021 and here we are in May...
ONE THOUSAND!!
Thanks to every one of you - even those of you getting ready to hit the unsubscribe button. I appreciate you letting me into your inbox each week and giving me the chance to try and provide you with some kind of meaningful content.
Hopefully you've gotten something out of these newsletters, even if it's just a small chuckle.
Anyway, on to this week's issue. We've got a lot crammed into this one!
Magazine Update
Save the date
A few of you have asked when we're going to start taking submissions for the next issue of SeniorInspire the magazine, so here's a quick update...
The plan going forward is to keep SeniorInspire the magazine somewhat exclusive and only publish twice a year including our annual year-end PILF contest issue (that's 'Photographers I'd Like to Follow' for any noobs).
As of now we're planning to start taking submissions for our mid-year issue on June 22nd.
Once we have more info we'll announce all the details here in the newsletter and in our Facebook group.
Stay tuned!
Instagram and Social Media
53 Amazing Instagram Ad Examples To Inspire You
A common question I see in a lot of photography related Facebook Groups is, 'do Facebook/Instagram ads work?'
The consensus among photographers is that generally they do not.
I could not disagree more!
I've been running ads on the two platforms since Facebook first introduced ads in 2007 and completely built my business around them.
It can be done, but you need to know up front you can't just throw together some lame copy with a pretty picture and your phone number and expect the clients to start rolling in.
It does not work that way.
Placing an Instagram ad is easy. Placing an effective ad is not.
In fact, the best place to start is to study other successful ads to see what you can incorporate as your own (in other words, steal).
Not sure where to start? Pull out a notebook and check out these 53 amazing Instagram ads for some inspiration.
Your Website
Is your website fast enough?
The faster your website is, the better.
Makes sense, right? But did you know Google takes into account the speed of your website in determining their mobile rankings?
Starting in 2018 speed became a factor in Google's mobile ranking formula and slower pages started getting dinged because of it.
If you haven't done so in a while, it's a good idea to check on the speed of your website.
A company called Pingdom has a handy tool you can use to check you speed for free. What I like about this tool is that besides giving your site an overall speed grade, it also lays out precisely what needs to be fixed to improve your score.
And if some of the recommendations Pingdom provides look like a foreign language, you're gonna also want to check out this article that defines a lot of the things that go into determining the speed of your website.
Your mental health
Complicated Does NOT = Better
Heading into another busy season with a little time on my hands I began to question myself as an 'artist'. It happens this time every year -I find myself thinking, 'now is the time to reinvent myself'.
So I started to make a list... I need all new poses, I need new locations, I need new lighting. And while I'm at it, I need to completely revamp my pricelist and add a style closet and hire a social media manager! AND... AND... AND I NEED NEW EVERYTHING!
And then, just as I had myself worked up into a frenzy of reinvention I ran across this fantastic article from Jim Edwards about keeping things simple.
The gist for those of you who don't want to read the article? If something works, don't try to 'fix it' by making it more complicated.
Artistically, I'm not going to be in the Hot 100 anytime soon. But my business works.
Are there things I can fine tune? Of course! Can I get my average higher? Yep! Can I find other revenue lines? Sure I can!
But changing EVERYTHING that's already working for the sake of change or hopes of artistic nobility isn't going to get you to any of those things. It's only going to make things more complicated.
Keep it simple!
Meet the Photographer
Jena rhymes with Queena
Today we're heading to a suburb of Atlanta to visit with Jena Golden of Jena Golden Photography and Senior Studio Success.
I've known Jena from back in the go-go Pro4um days, so it was nice to be able to catch up and talk a bit about her newest venture, SeniorStudioSuccess
SeniorInspire Have you always lived close to Atlanta?
Jena Golden I have, but Atlanta is a big place. I’ve never lived right in the city. My first studio was an hour south of the city, and about 7 years ago I moved an hour north of the city. It was not an easy transition, and I had to start my business all over again in my new town. That took quite a while to do, but it’s doable!
SI Do you know how to do a proper tomahawk chop?
JG Umm, of course I do!
SI Which would be more satisfying to you... Creating an artistically perfect image that doesn't sell, or taking an average photo your client buys as a 30x40?
JG Oh gosh! That’s tough. I love the art of this business, but at the end of the day, it’s a business. So, I’ll take that money to the bank and enjoy the fact that mama loved that image enough to hang a 30x40 of it on her wall 😉
SI What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
JG Well, I had to let a senior client borrow my bra during a shoot, so there’s that . . .
SI You go for a walk and find a lottery ticket at the end of your neighbor's driveway. You take it home and find out it's a million dollar ticket. What would you do?
JG Honestly I have no idea. I’ve never even bought one! Are those things anonymous or what?! I guess if I couldn’t find the owner then I’d cash that sucker, give a good bit to charity and build my parents' a house (because I know the guilt would totally creep in 😂). I’m sure I’d pay a lot in taxes, buy my kiddos something cool and invest the rest!
SI Who are your Instagram heroes?
JG For photography . . . Ane Marie Photography. She inspires me in so many ways!
For laughs and life . . . Camille Clausen.
And I’m currently living vicariously through Kate Becker.
SI Tell me a little about your educational venture, Senior Studio Success.
JG I’ve been in business since 2005 and probably made every mistake that could be made. But I’m at a point in my career where I’ve gotten our systems in place and run a really successful business. So I just felt like it was my time to help others get here a little faster than I was able to.
I saw a need in the industry to focus not just on the little pieces of the business but running a business as a whole and with intention. That’s what Senior Studio Success is all about — building your dream photography business, one that provides for your family and future. I love teaching photographers how to run productive and profitable studios so that they can spend more time doing what they love with the ones who mean the most to them.
My favorite place to hang out is on Instagram at SeniorStudioSuccess, and there are lots of resources on our website as well as our Facebook group!
I’d love to connect with you guys!
SI You heard her peeps! Go find her!