Marketing and Branding
WTF is Social Proof and why should I care?
Social proof is a term I see thrown around all the time. I'm sure you have too.
So what is social proof?
Wikipedia describes it as a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation.
Make sense? Right? LOL. Some of you may still be asking, so what is social proof?
But understanding social proof is an important part of marketing and the good news is if you have an Instagram account or run a model rep program, you're already using social proof in your marketing.
With that in mind, here's an in depth article with 18 creative ways to use social proof on social media to boost your brand and drive more sales. Check it out!
I'm about to save you a bunch of time on TikTok advertising
I found a great article on TikTok advertising... and then I read it.
The article goes into a lot of depth on setting up to advertise on TikTok. It's a long one with great step by step instructions on getting set up.
Then just as I was finishing the article, thinking I'd stumbled onto a goldmine, there was this... These ads cost an average of $10 cost per impression (CPM) and have a minimum of $500 campaign spend.
WOAH! Turns out it's damn expensive to advertise on TikTok!
If you've got the budget for it, enjoy the article! Otherwise, I just saved you a bunch of time...
Productivity
No excuse for abuse - How to deal with idiots
I've always felt like the only downside to being in a service business like photography is that you have to deal with people. 😎
I'm only slightly exaggerating.
Let's face it, if you've run your business for more than 5 days you've probably already dealt with your share of people acting like idiots.
Last week I ran across this great article from Jim Edwards about dealing with idiots in the service industry.
It's mostly preaching to the choir stuff, but I really like his three-step approach and feel like it provides a nice, focused framework for dealing with unreasonable clients.
Here are the steps he lays out...
- If you can make them happy without it causing harm to your business, just make them happy.
- If you can't give them what they're asking for, make a compromise.
- If there is no room for reasoning, just say, “I’m sorry, I can’t help you!”
And always remember, if you're dealing with someone who is really abusive, and you're in the position to, just give them their money back. It takes away ALL their leverage.
The good news is the nice clients outweigh the idiots by a margin of roughly thirty to one, at least I've always found that to be true.
Do whatever you can to not waste energy on those one or two crummy clients who you'll never make happy and put all your energy into the great ones! Those are the clients who will be spreading the word about you and helping your business grow.
Meet the Photographer
My Cheree Amour
For this week's interview we're heading out to Tulsa, Oklahoma, the home of tornadoes and Ree Barnes Photography!
SeniorInspire There was a time when I thought Cheree Barnes and Ree Barnes were two different people. LOL. Do your friends call you Cheree or Ree?
Cheree Barnes Most of my close friends call me Ree! Cheree is hard to properly pronounce for a lot of my fellow Okies!
SI Ok Ree, when did you start your photography business?
CB I started photography in 2011, after my daughter was born. Like a lot of other photographers, I started shooting my kids but soon realized I liked seniors most of all. It doesn't feel like work!
SI If you could go back in time to when you were starting your photo business, what's one major purchase you would tell yourself NOT to make?
CB I am very choosy with what I purchase, so I always do a lot of homework before I buy. I would suggest to always buy new equipment once you have really learned the ins & outs of photography. If you're just starting out, buy used and practice, practice, practice!
SI What's something you hesitated to buy when you were starting your business that you wish you purchased earlier?
CB I hesitated to buy the fastest, most expensive Mac desktop. I opted for something less than what I needed. When it comes to a computer, get the absolute best!
SI I was snooping around your FB page a bit. What is Amber and Marie Co?
CB Amber Marie & Co is a locally owned boutique that I work for two days a week. I go in and shoot models/product/etc and then run her social media/marketing. It's been great, easy money and has brought in new clients for me. Partnering up with a boutique is amazing if you can!
SI I live 700 miles from Tulsa and even I can think of at least a few great photographers in your area (including you). How competitive is the photography market in Tulsa?
CB Just like a lot of other places, there are a lot of "shoot&burn" photographers charging $100. I'm not one of those. I did my time years and years ago. There are for sure some big names here and I like to think I'm one of those. I don't get a TON of seniors and I like it that way. I'd rather be more "exclusive" than the next photographer. I give my clients an experience, not just a photo shoot. My clients are my target clients and that's how I like it. I make more and work less than I ever have.
SI You can ban one of these songs from the airwaves forever - Baby Shark or Who Let the Dogs Out. Which one gets the axe?
CB Baby Shark for sure!!
SI If reincarnation were real and you came back as an animal, what animal would you want to come back as?
CB An eagle that lives in the mountains!
SI Are there any artists you follow on Instagram for inspiration?
CB My favorite artists I love to follow on Instagram are Hope Toliver (she is local to Tulsa and creates incredible images) Season Dixon, Pretty Witty, Jon Snip, and LKW just to name a few! I enjoy scrolling through IG at night before I go to sleep looking for my next favorite photographer to follow! That's one thing I love about IG! All the endless talent!
SI That's all I've got! Thanks for sitting down with us today! It was great to get to know you a little better!
And Finally
Gonna leave you today with a new Billie Eilish song to check out.
We all know this young lady is incredibly talented, but don't forget to also check out her brother Finneas. His solo album is amazing!