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Sometimes things are just better in layers. You want layers of security for better protection, layers of clothing for more warmth and so on. And according to Allison and Jeff Rodgers of Allison Rodgers Photography, a photography business should also have layers beyond its photography, layers in design, marketing and service.

"People always ask us how we 'do it,'" recalls Allison. "What we say sounds so simple, and it is...if you do it. You have to give the client something to buy."

Giving the client something to buy is more than just producing an image. There are more layers to photography than that. In fact, helping other photographers see how better service and design can help bring better sales is one reason she and Jeff created the He Said/She Said promotional package for photographers that won them a 2009 AN-NE Marketing Award.

Click here to read the full article.  

Dear PPA Member,

Unless you're Daddy Warbucks or Richie Rich, you probably don't have bags of money stacked to the ceiling that you can spend on advertising. So it probably goes without saying, but...don't blow it.

Word-of-mouth advertising is free, but it will only get you so far. Part of an effective business strategy is determining what paid advertising will be best for your studio. We're not talking about holding a "Mad Men" episode where account executives plan a multi-year international campaign or keeping Crispin Porter + Bogusky on speed dial; rather, take some time to think about what type of paid advertising may work for you.

If you are Daddy Warbucks or Richie Rich, give me a call. (I've always wanted to see those bags with the big dollar symbols.) Otherwise, this week's Vital Signs is a great way to help you spend your time--and your money--wisely.

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

P.S. Have questions about copyright? Look to PPA's 2010 Copyright Kit for answers! This exclusive PPA member benefit has recently been updated to reflect current copyright law, and it also offers advice on how to protect your copyrights.

Do you date your customers? (Date, as in cultivating a relationship, I mean.) Farrah Braniff of Farrah Braniff Photographs in Houston, Texas, does. She knows the power of connecting and making a good impression, and she put that into her marketing, winning the 2009 AN-NE Marketing Award for Best Image Marketing and Best Website.

"As photographers, we are our brand," says Braniff. "Customers have to like and relate to you."

Braniff sees websites and blogs as her best chance to make a good first impression to her customers. "I want my website to be like a really good first date," she laughs.

Read more here.

If you are looking to expand your client base and get some free marketing along the way, look no further than Accuphoto. When it launches on May 31, 2010, this unique service will provide verified professional images to members of the online dating community and social networking sites at a fixed price. This is an exclusive PPA member benefit--only PPA members can become Accuphoto Photographers.

Accuphoto was started by Brenda Kirkland, a PPA member who had tried out the online dating scene and was disappointed by the abundance of poor quality (or inaccurate) profile pictures that people were using. First impressions make a huge impact, especially on an online dating site, so Brenda decided to do something about it.

"As a professional photographer and PPA member myself, I thought of what a large network of photographers we have within PPA, and how we can make a difference and help these singles create that 'best first impression,'"explains Kirkland.

Beginning on May 31st, Accuphoto will begin advertising with eHarmony, Facebook and other media outlets around the U.S. Individuals who are interested in having a professional profile picture can contact Accuphoto and be connected with PPA members (who are Accuphoto Photographers) in their area. The individual will select their PPA photographer, have their images taken and choose the images they would like to use on their online profile.

It's completely free for PPA members to join and become Accuphoto Photographers. And since Accuphoto markets to millions of online daters (and your potential future clients!), you get your studio name out there at no cost to you. For each client you book through Accuphoto, you will earn $65. And if you upsell to the client, you get to keep 100 percent of the profits.

 "Accuphoto is based on a dual benefit--helping singles make successful matches and helping photographers," says Kirkland. After all, you are building relationships with people who may be on the verge of a new commitment, possibly even marriage and the start of a family.

Become one of the 1,300 PPA members who have already signed up to become an Accuphoto Photographer. To register or get more information about Accuphoto, visit www.accuphoto.com (and make sure to have your PPA Member ID# -- you'll need that to sign up).

Dear PPA Member,

Let's play "make-a-believe." (That's what I called it as a kid.)

I'm your client. While you've got great images and I like you, I also like other photographers in your area who have great images. What makes me want to choose you?

If this took place a few years ago and you said, "Well, you should choose me because I'm a PPA member," I would have stared at you and thought, "What's that?" Now, I wouldn't choose a photographer who isn't part of PPA...because I know why being a PPA member is important, not only to photographers, but to clients as well.

This week's Vital Signs talks about the power of PPA and how you can share the importance of being a PPA member with your clients. And there's nothing "make-a-believe" about that.

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

P.S. PPA members already receive a discount on PhotoVision 2010--your stop for information from the industry's leading image makers. Now you can preview 15 minutes of the next issue! PPA Members log in here to receive PhotoVision 2010 at the special price of $39 (that's $110 in savings!) and gain access to the next issue's preview.

Many say that marketing is all about who you know (and how you position yourself). So who do you know...or better yet, who should you know? Laura Novak is here to make a case for getting to know and partnering with interior designers. In fact, she's even giving a webinar on that subject: "How to Build Partnerships with Interior Designers" (April 5, 12pm Eastern).

"I found that as my client base grew, most of them had interior designers," says Novak. "It was the designers who had strong opinions about what went in the homes. If I said I'd like to see a certain frame in their house, the client would say, 'Ok, let me check with my interior designer.'"

It just made sense to Novak to get the designer on board from the beginning.

"They are the experts in home décor," she adds. "They can convince clients that the clothing in a portrait has an important effect on its placement. Plus, the designer's approval is a great reassurance to the client."

Novak has found that her own designer partnerships have helped in two major ways. For one thing, it helped expand her network of clients...and people interested in what she can do. And it also helped the homeowners (her clients) see her photographs as home décor. This is an important distinction, for if people are remodeling or redecorating a room, it's not uncommon to spend $25,000 for a room (at least in her target market).

"If the portrait is seen as part of home décor, then it's not as big a deal to spend 15 percent of that remodeling/redecorating budget on it," Novak explains.

Professional photography and search engine optimization (SEO)...they seem like very diverse skill sets. But there is a connection between them, and if photographers can learn how to strengthen that connection, great results may come.

"I always ask my photography callers how they found me, and I'm amazed at how many say it's from Google or Yahoo! searches," says Blake Discher, a Detroit-based professional photographer and SEO consultant. "Because I am consistently in one of the top three positions for my search phrase, I get about 60 percent of my new clients each year because of good SEO. I think that number will only go up as more people become more comfortable using search engines instead of more traditional business search tools like the Yellow Pages."

As you can see, Discher has firsthand experience with the powerful effects of SEO in the photographic business realm. He's even willing to share that knowledge in the upcoming PPA webinar, "Drive More Clients to Your Website: Tap into the Power of SEO" (March 31, 12pm ET).

Discher was a very early adopter of the Internet as a marketing tool for his photography business. Even though websites for photographers were a "novelty" at that time, he was already doing well when Yahoo! and Google got their starts. He was in the perfect position to stay on top of what the search engines were looking for in a website, constantly tweaking his own site to remain at the top of the listings.

Dear PPA Member,

I've lived in a few concrete jungles and more than my share of sleepy suburbs...and I even lived in one tiny village in Germany where cows outnumbered people. Despite my proclamation that I'm a "bright lights, big city" kind of person, I love the sense of community I feel in small towns.

Life (and what one wants out of it) is very different depending upon where you are and, as a business owner, where your clients are. This week's Vital Signs looks at where your target market lives and how you can reach them using different marketing techniques.

Whether you live in a bustling metropolis or a bustling burg, it's really about how you interact with the people who will help you grow your business. (And if there are more cows than people in your area, I'd suggest "moo-ving." Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Cheers!

Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

PPA has partnered with mall media specialist EYE to give you access to America's malls in all 50 states, enabling you to reach the people in your community at affordable rates. The new Eye Bid website allows you to select a mall, the number of seven-foot-tall, backlit, high-profile displays and the timing for your campaign. Then simply submit a bid at a price you're comfortable with for your campaign. No billing or credit card information is required until a representative contacts you directly to let you know if your offer has been accepted. Don't have ads created? EYE has arranged a special offer from Marathon Press, a longtime trusted print and design partner, to help you create your ad. PPA members log in here for their discount code

Dear PPA Member,

Pop quiz: What did you do the second week of February this year?

Are you having trouble remembering? Don't worry...I had the same problem, too. With our lives as busy as they are, it's no wonder we forget things. Trying to remember work appointments, the grocery list, and your neighbor's birthday can wreak havoc on your memory.

To help ease the burden, we decided to do a recap of all the new benefits that PPA has added over the past year. We're constantly trying to add value to your membership, and in 2009 we added everything from new business discounts to expanded educational resources. If you've used some of these new benefits, great! If not, take a moment to look them over. It's never too late to start using a benefit!

Happy Holidays!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

P.S. Don't forget about the Imaging USA Rockstar Giveaway. We're counting down the days to Imaging USA in Nashville by giving away cool stuff-- $10,000 worth of items that photographic rockstars (like you) want! Find out the daily giveaway and how to enter by following Imaging USA on Twitter or joining as a fan on the Imaging USA Facebook page.