ImageBrief Connects Photographers to Image Buyers

Here’s an innovative approach to buying and selling photography that serves the needs of both designers and photographers.

ImageBrief  is an online marketplace that connects image buyers with a global network of professional photographers. Based in Australia, the company is launching in the U.S. as a sponsor of the New York Photo Festival from May 16 to 20 in New York City.

Designed to transform how images are found and licensed online, ImageBrief makes finding the right shot far easier and gives buyers greater budget control. Instead of searching through page after page of stock photos and trying to refine search criteria to find the right shot, a buyer simply submits a brief outlining their needs, budget, and timeframe, then waits for relevant shots to be submitted from photographers.

In the brief, buyers can describe in detail the type of image they are seeking (e.g., mood and style, ethnicity and age of subjects, and room for text). Buyers can also specify the types of images they don’t want to see, and whether a vertical, horizontal, black-and-white, or color shot is needed.

“Our advertising agency and publishing customers love the ease of licensing images via ImageBrief,” says ImageBrief CEO Simon Moss. He says that less than a month after ImageBrief was introduced in London, many creatives started embracing the new alternative to traditional stock libraries: “They’re finding fresh, unique shots that haven’t been seen before. And because they can define their budget and usage terms up-front, they are in complete control of the process.”

So far, ImageBrief has built a global network of more than 2600 photographers from 102 countries. To ensure that exceptional content will be made available to buyers, ImageBrief evaluates and accepts photographers on the strength of their portfolios.

LINKS

About ImageBrief

 

PhotoShelter Updates Social Media Handbook for Photographers

PHOTOGRAPHERS. Are you getting the type of results you want from social-media marketing?  If not, maybe it’s time to try new tactics or focus on a different platform. To give you some facts and inspiration, PhotoShelter recently released an updated, two-part version of their e-book on social media for photographers.

The 2012 edition of “The Photographer’s Social Media Handbook” covers best practices for using Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and Twitter to enhance your marketing efforts and get noticed by potential clients.  Part 1 (44 pages) covers Facebook and Google+. Part 2 (26 pages) covers LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media platforms that matter.

The first edition of this social media handbook was published in 2010. This updated version talks about major changes that have occurred and looks ahead to changes anticipated this year.  You will see why you need different strategies for each social-media site, and learn how to measure your results.

“The Photographer’s Social Media Handbook” includes interviews with photographers who attracted significant online followings. These photographers provide real-world tips on what works and what doesn’t. They agree that developing a strategy is particularly important, “There must be a method to the madness. Blindly posting and interacting with potential customers will get you nowhere. You first need to ask yourself: “What do I want to accomplish and can this platform help me get there?”

Here’s a brief overview of how photographers can benefit from using four of the most popular social-media platforms.

Part 1: Facebook and Google+

Facebook is a daily-destination website whereas your personal website is not.  It has also become an accepted vehicle for business marketing. Developing a Facebook Page dedicated to your photography business can help build your brand and makes it easier for potential customers to find you.  You can use your page to show your photos, ask for opinions, or offer discounts and promotions.

Google+ is a fast-growing social-media platform that could be considered as an extension of Google itself. Your success with Google+ could directly impact your search-engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Google+ is built for photo-sharing, and accommodates viewing, managing, and editing multimedia.

Part 2: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Other Platforms

LinkedIn can be great for marketing photography services to businesses because it includes more than 54,000 people who identify themselves as photo editors, 28,000+ art buyers, 580,000+ graphic designers, and 644,000+ art directors.  LinkedIn can also help you establish yourself as a reputable source and make connections with people who can vouch for your business ethic and photography.

Twitter connects businesses to customers in real-time. It can help you spread awareness to people who may not know about you, drive signups for your newsletter, get feedback for your images and services, and announce news, special promotions, achievements, and events.

The “Photographer’s Social Media Handbook” advises that “Social media is not something you should pay attention to once a week or only on the weekends. Create consistent times to post, share, and interact with users. This will help grow your following, and increase your chances for solid business opportunities.”

Photographer Bryan Formhals notes that, “You don’t have to be on every platform! Choose the few that you enjoy and commit to them.”

PhotoShelter is a leader in portfolio websites and business tools for serious photographers. It offers a host of social-sharing tools that can help you promote your work via multiple platforms.

LINKS

The 2012 Photographer’s Social Media Handbook

About PhotoShelter

 

Interactive Menus Use Food Photography to Attract Customers

PHOTOGRAPHERS. Here’s a splendid example of how a marketing-savvy photographer is cooking up a new niche for his photography business.

In an online press release, George Soules Photography announced a new service to create online interactive menus for restaurant websites.

Interactive menus let people view mouth-watering photographs of the food items that interest them. For example, when they select “Veggie Sandwich” 0r “BBQ Burger” on the menu, an image pops up showing exactly how the restaurant serves the sandwich. The interactive menus can also display detailed descriptions, ingredients, and prices.

Showing food images online can help restaurants attract new clients and remind regulars why they should return.

People can view the interactive menus on their iPad, iPhone, or other mobile devices when they are making a decision about where to go for lunch or dinner.

Pricing starts at $299 for an interactive menu with up to 50 photos (not including the photography). Restaurant owners can provide George Soules with existing images of menu items or hire George to shoot new ones.

According to Soules, adding the interactive menu he creates to a website is as easy as pasting a few lines of HTML into a web page. Restaurants that don’t have a website can use the interactive menu as a standalone site.

“Adding enticing food photographs to an online menu helps convince customers to walk through your doors,” says Soules. “Combining beautiful images with an easy-to-use interactive experience is one of the best ways to make your restaurant stand apart.”

The January 2012 Restaurant & Foodservice Industry Review conducted by AlixPartners found that 42% of customers now rely on digital media to make dining-out decisions. And that percentage will continue to increase. Consumers want to be convinced of the value of what they are paying for and want to be assured of a first-rate dining experience. Offering excellent food photos and an interactive menu gives restaurant owners a good way to connect with customers and increase sales.

LINKS

George Soules Photography

Examples of Interactive Menus

Photographer Uses Aurasma to Bring Still Photos to Life

PHOTOGRAPHERS. Have you heard people talking about Aurasma yet? You will soon—particularly when ad agency, editorial, and marketing clients start asking you to shoot videos along with your stills.

Aurasma is free “augmented reality” platform that can be built into apps for higher powered Android devices, newer-generation iPhones, and iPad2 devices.  Aurasma-equipped apps can then blend still images with rich, interactive content such as videos and animations.

For example, when you point your mobile device at a print ad in a magazine, bus shelter, or retail store, the ad will transform itself into an interactive video. Aurasma can be used to create “auras” for printed images, product packaging, instructional manuals, clothing, and physical places.

One professional photographer who has incorporated Aurasma into an app is Sam Robinson who provides photography and filmmaking services for commercial and editorial projects.

He says that when he first saw Aurasma demonstrated, he was completely bowled over: “This technology is a completely new medium that dissolves all of the boundaries between photography and film.”

A Visual Browser

The Aurasma “visual-browser” platform was developed by the British software company Autonomy, which is now an HP company.  Since being launched in 2011, Aurasma has been downloaded more than 2 million times. Aurasma is being used by publishers, advertisers, and visual communications professionals in fields such as retail, sports, automotive, and consumer electronics.

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) used Aurasma technology as part of a month-long print campaign in a Chicago commuter-train station. John Monahan, president and CEO of the HVCB, said, “Bringing one-dimensional images to life puts commuters as close to being in Hawaii as possible in a compelling way,”

How Photographers Can Use Aurasma

Sam Robinson is using Aurasma to add a new dimension to the stills he includes in his postcard mailings to prospective clients.  Clients who want to learn more about Robinson’s work can download the free Sam Robinson Photography App, point it to a still image on the postcard, and instantly see videos that are linked to the still photo.

Sometimes clients will see behind-the-scenes video of a particular shoot or examples of the video footage Robinson shot along with the still photos planned for use in a print ad campaign.

 

Aurasma App from Sam Robinson on Vimeo.

Tamas Szabo, of the app-development company Megatomi, said incorporating Aurasma into Robinson’s app was intuitive and user-friendly: “With just two lines of code, we were able to integrate Aurasma into the existing app. From start to finish, it took just a few hours and the result is incredible.”

“Building Aurasma into my app seemed to make total sense,” says Robinson.  “The demand for multi-channel campaigns is growing, and Aurasma’s Developer Studio lets me bring together my stills and film work for the first time. I’m completely hooked.”

Martina King, managing director of Aurasma, believes the creative possibilities are just beginning to be explored: “We’re working with some of the world’s largest corporations, but we’re also working with internationally renowned creatives such as Sam Robinson. Artists, photographers, filmmakers, animators, designers—the creative industries instinctively understand Aurasma’s potential and are using our free technology to push the boundaries and change the way people see and interact with the world.”

LINKS

Aurasma

Sam Robinson Photography App

Sam Robinson Photography

App Developer: Megatomi

E-Book Shows How to Update Your Photography Business Plan

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to adopt a more methodical approach to running your  photography business, check out the free “2012 Photo Business Plan Workbook” from PhotoShelter. The 24-page e-book provides dozens of excellent suggestions, as well as links to PhotoShelter-approved resources. For example:

Update your marketing plan. To get people’s attention and convert them into customers, you may need to conduct multiple campaigns through multiple channels. Plus, your marketing plan should be designed so it doesn’t treat each potential customer as if they were in the same state of readiness to hire you. Plan more nuanced marketing activities that treat those who are closer to making a hiring decision differently from those who may be just beginning to explore their options for buying photography or photo-related services.

Get your finances in order so you maintain a level of professionalism and accountability. Do you have separate bank accounts and credit cards to keep your business expenses separate from your personal expenses? Do you have an accurate bookkeeping system and a cash flow plan that ensures that your spending doesn’t outpace your income? And, do you have the right type of business insurance?

Give your website a tune-up. If you regard your website primarily as a digital version of a printed portfolio, it’s probably time for an upgrade. To compete with other photographers who use their websites as sales and marketing tools, your website should have the following capabilities: image search, e-commerce, file delivery, newsletter signup, a blog, and contact information.

The 2012 Photo Business Plan Workbook also explains how to:

  • Clearly define your products and services
  • Determine your audience and addressable market
  • Use SEO (search-engine optimization) techniques to attract traffic to your website
  • Optimize your use of social-media tools
  • Create an advisory group
  • Generate new business by following up with old clients

“You can’t expect to succeed in the coming year if you don’t have a plan to make it happen,” said PhotoShelter CEO Allen Murabayashi. “We see photographers all the time who have lofty goals but don’t afford themselves the time to make a plan.”

The workbook is divided into easy-to-digest sections, with action-item checklists that indicate how long it should take to complete the items on the list.

“The 2012 Photo Business Plan Workbook” joins PhotoShelter’s expanding library of free business guides for photographers and creative professionals. PhotoShelter’s e-book library includes guides on email marketing, search engine optimization, starting a photography business, and social media marketing.

LINKS

The 2012 Photo Business Plan Workbook by PhotoShelter

PhotoShelter E-Book Library

About PhotoShelter

E-Mail Marketing Guide for Photographers from AWeber

PHOTOGRAPHERS. AWeber Communications, a provider of email marketing software and services for small businesses, has published “A Photographer’s Guide to Email Marketing.” The 17-page guide explains:

  • Why email marketing is such an effective marketing tool;
  • How to build a subscriber list (online and offline);
  • How to confirm and welcome new subscribers;
  • What type of content to include in your emails:
  • Different types of emails, including newsletters, announcements, and blog broadcasts;
  • How to keep your email marketing going, even during busy
    periods.

According to AWeber, email marketing can increase your exposure and nudge those word-of-mouth referrals along a bit. According to the Direct Marketing Association, email has the highest return on investment of any marketing platform–about $43.62 for every dollar spent.

The Email Marketing for Photographers guide notes that every email is a chance to turn subscribers into clients. But the authors point out that “You don’t have to go for the hard sell right away. Instead, create a vision of the experience people get when they book with you: your friendly, easy-to-work-with personality, your creative genius, and your beautiful, striking photos.”

The guide can be downloaded free from the blog on the AWeber website. You don’t have to furnish any information about yourself in order to access the guide.

LINK

A Photographer’s Guide to Email Marketing

About AWeber Communications

 

New Book Explains How to Build a Photography Business

Are you among the many people who imagine it would be super-cool to be a full-time professional photographer? And, sure, it can be mighty tempting to give it a shot—particularly if you suddenly find yourself “self-employed” (unintentionally or by design).

But many aspiring pros fail to consider is that building a sustainable business as a photographer is hard work. It requires much more than a passion for photography, a good camera, and some software.

To get a taste of what building a photography business entails, read the new book by Skip Cohen and Scott Bourne. Entitled “Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer,” the book explains some of the steps involved in converting your passion into a business. In addition to mastering the craft, you must have the patience and perseverance to execute a well thought-out business plan and know how to use both social media and traditional marketing tools, such as press releases, advertising, and direct mail.

In the book’s introduction Bourne and Cohen remind readers that, “Being a professional photographer carries with it a great deal of responsibility, especially when working with clients. They’re putting their trust in you to capture everything they’re not going to have time to see, especially at an event like a wedding. A commercial client is looking for you to show the essence of a product in ways that can promote and grab the attention of the public. A photojournalist has a responsibility to freeze a moment to share with the rest of society with a full commitment to truth in imaging.”

The authors of “Going Pro” provide practical advice on choosing your niche, putting together a portfolio, pricing and showing your work, positioning your brand, and planning for diversification.

Even if you’ve been a working pro for awhile, you may want to read the book’s sections about how to use social media to build an online presence. The book includes checklists for promoting your blog, explains how to use Twitter Search to find clients, and discusses why properly adding keywords to your photographs can be the single best thing you can to get your work seen on the Internet. The chapters in the 240-page, gorgeously illustrated book suggest some things to consider before turning pro:

  • Chapter 1: Define Your Niche
  • Chapter 2: Be the Best Photographer You Can Be
  • Chapter 3: Test the Water and Show Your Work
  • Chapter 4: Marketing
  • Chapter 5: Social Media Marketing for Photographers
  • Chapter 6: Use Twitter to Grow Your Photo Business
  • Chapter 7: Blogging: Your Online Presence
  • Chapter 8: The World of Search
  • Chapter 9: Old-Fashioned Marketing
  • Chapter 10: Expand Your Business
  • Chapter 11: Outsourcing

Photographer Scott Bourne, of the Bourne Media Group, is the publisher of Photofocus.com and an expert in social media. According to wefollow.com, Scott is the most influential photographer on Twitter. He notes that, “Prospecting for new clients in a lifetime job for professional photographers, and Twitter Search is a powerful tool that can help you find clients and generate business.”

Skip Cohen, the president of Marketing Essentials International, previously served as president of Rangefinder Publishing, where he oversaw Rangefinder and AfterCapture magazines, the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Association and the WPPI trade show.

In “Going Pro,” Skip reminds readers that “The fastest way to grow a healthy network is to attend every workshop, class, convention, and trade show you can. These events give you a chance to meet other photographers and talk about the challenges of everything from technology to customer service. This is about communication on the most basic level.” He offers a series of pointers on how to grow and maintain your network and get the most out every photography event you attend.

Throughout the book, “Going Pro” offers tips and some amazing images from 25 of the best-known names in the photography business, including Chase Jarvis, Vincent Laforet, Matthew Jordan Smith, Jeremy Cowart, Jules Bianchi, Bambi Cantrell, Tony Corbell, Clay Blackmore, Kevin Kubota, Jerry Ghionis, and more.

Published by Amphoto Books, “Going Pro” is scheduled for release October 18. You can pre-order the book on Amazon.com or through links on the Going Pro blog: GoingPro2011.com

LINKS

Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer

GoingPro2011 Blog: About the Going Pro Staff