This Can't Be That Hard

Whenever I poll photographers about what they need the most help with, the answer I get (by a factor of 10) is marketing. It seems everyone is always on the lookout for ways to stand out and get themselves in front of a bigger audience. 

But what if I told you marketing isn't the only way to do that?

My guest today is Christina Lenkowski, a PR expert who specifically focuses on helping entrepreneurs and small business owners get featured on podcasts their ideal audience is listening to. And before you say you don't have anything interesting to talk about, I want you to listen to this episode! Christina is sharing unique ideas for how every small business owner can offer value to the right audience.... even you!

LINKS:

• The Podcast Publicity Quiz 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

Holiday sales can be an INCREDIBLE way to add revenue, bring in new clients, and serve your existing clients at the end of the year...

...but not all Holiday Sales are created equal - and during a time of year when everyone (you AND your clients) is busy, you need to be sure you're maximizing your chances for success!

This free series will teach you:

• The four secrets to (wildly) successful holiday sales
• Profitable sale strategies (with or without discounts!), and
• The easiest way to plan and execute a holiday sale

To watch (or listen) the rest of this training series go to: thiscantbethathard.com/sleigh

• Watch the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love.
• Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers.
• Leave a review!

How many times have you heard, "The customer is always right?"  But that's not always true (and can get downright toxic in the photography business). 

Today I want to challenge some of the business advice we've all heard that I think may actually be harming your business. We all know how easy it is to get swayed by advice - especially when we're new or feeling unsure of ourselves - but I'm a big believer in listening to that inner voice when it's telling you something's off. My goal with this episode is to empower you to trust yourself and your process as a business owner.

 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

We don’t make decisions in a vacuum, and neither do our clients.

Believe it or not, a huge motivator behind our decisions to buy something (or not) is based on what we perceive those around us to be doing. You only have to look as far as the success of influencers to see this at work. 

It all comes down to a simple question, “do people like me do things like this?”

And the same is true of your potential clients. 

The templates this month help you highlight who you and your people are, and also (just as importantly) who they are not.

Ready to get more consistent with your marketing? Join the Consistency Club! 

• Watch the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love.
• Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers.
• Leave a review!

Unless you've been actively avoiding the internet, you've probably heard of ChatGPT and other AI tools that are (at time, controversially) becoming more mainstream. 

Since AI is probably here to stay, I wanted to bring on SEO expert Sarah Landa to talk about how photographers can utilize AI tools like ChatGPT to improve their SEO and content creation strategies. Sarah shares her experience warming up to AI after initially being skeptical and outlines some responsible ways photographers can leverage AI to generate blog post ideas, summaries, keyword research and more. 

Whether you're new to AI or want to refine your process, you'll come away with actionable strategies for using these tools to boost your photography business.

LINKS:

• Sarah's Resources for Photographers
• Follow Sarah on Instagram

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

I often hear from photographers that they feel awkward asking for a sale. It's a common struggle but one we have to work through in order to be successful business owners.

Today's episode is short and sweet - but it's super important. When you're done listening, I hope you'll be reminded and feel reassured that you ARE delivering real value through your work... and you should feel comfortable making offers to clients openly and honestly without apologizing!

Cameo by Allison Patel - thank you Allison! 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

You know that feeling when you get crickets after delivering a gallery? Or even worse, when you get the "we need to talk" email from a client? GULP. Moments like those (while hopefully infrequent) can feel like a 10-alarm fire scenario... and knowing how to handle them can make or break your future relationship with that client. 

So I brought in an emergency expert to help us. With over 20 years as a 911 dispatcher, photographer Melody MacDonald is sharing some invaluable insights into effective communication strategies when dealing with difficult or emotional client situations. Melody talks about the power of active listening: how you can remain calm and non-judgmental when managing a client crisis, and how that can go a long way to preventing escalation. 

I really love her advice about self-reflection, slowing responses, and not venting on social media before thinking critically about an issue. It's advice I'll be taking into both my business and personal life (read: #teenagers)! This is definitely an episode to take to heart ... and bookmark for the next time you are in a situation like this. 

Links: 

• Follow Melody on Instagram 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

One incredibly effective way to promote your photography business is through charitable marketing. Not only can you get connected with potential bluebird clients, but you get to give back to causes you care about at the same time. However, if you don’t have a solid, well-thought-out plan for your charitable marketing, it can be an enormous effort with little to no payoff.

My guest today is Nicole Begley from Hair of the Dog Academy, who has been successfully leveraging charitable marketing to grow her pet photography business for the last 10+ years. She’s sharing the top 3 strategies she uses regularly, along with tips on how to effectively implement these strategies, such as choosing the right charities to work with, setting clear expectations, and having a solid sales and fulfillment process in place.

If charitable marketing is on your to-do list, get out your notebook... this is an episode you’ll want to listen to twice. 

Links: 

• Sign up for the Pet Photography Summit, Sept. 26 & 27, 2023
• Learn from Nicole at The Hair of the Dog Academy
• Follow Nicole on Instagram

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

Regardless of where you live and what kind of clientele you serve, the coming season is likely one marked by shifting schedules and higher-than-normal demands on everyone’s time.

The good news is that it’s also a time of year when the demand for photos is at its peak in most circles.

Your job this month is to connect those dots: acknowledge that your clients have a lot to juggle and that they probably feel like their own needs often come last (or close to it). Then reassure them that working with you will not only be easy but actually relieve stress and/or reward them with the joy and satisfaction of new photos.

Don’t forget, even if you’re already booked up for the season ahead, be sure to keep on top of your marketing (and if you haven’t listened to Episode 226 of the podcast, be sure to check that out - Jaye McLaughlin shared a great strategy for hanging onto leads that come in after you’ve filled all your spots for the busy season).

If you’re on the other side of the coin and feeling nervous about a too-empty calendar, keep the faith! Episode 227 of the podcast will give you some strategies (as will the 5-day Business Plan Glow-Up).

Either way, I hope this month’s templates make it easy to stay consistent with your marketing!

• Grab your ticket for the 5-Day Business Plan Glow-Up

• Watch the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love.
• Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers.
• Leave a review!

Today’s show is like that first crisp fall day - cozy, nostalgic and full of inspiration. Jude Charles is an author and filmmaker who has produced stories for companies like Google and Steve Harvey... but Jude started out like a lot of us do: with a camera, a passion, and a desire to succeed. 

As visual artists and storytellers, Jude reminds us about the importance of what he calls “roadmapping” for clients - understanding their needs, creating a vision, and learning how to quickly and authentically build trust and connection.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee (or tea!) and settle in for an uplifting conversation. 

Links: 

• Check out Jude's work on his website
• Join The Dramatic Leverage Newsletter
• Follow Jude on Instagram

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!