Saw this on a friend’s Facebook page, and it was getting a TON of interesting feedback. While the screenshot is taken straight from an ad on zingdealz.com, I have decided to conceal the identity of the photographer in their best interest. I have also decided to conceal their work just to focus on the marketing aspects of the ad.
I have some very set opinions on this, and those of you who have attended a workshop or watched the Photography Business Crash Course DVD know where I stand.
…..but what do you guys think?
Good or bad marketing strategy? (There are enough clues in the Ad itself that should give you a pretty solid idea in terms of Math).
Im missing something here….the photographer drives to the location, shoots for an hour…and delivers a CD with images for $70?
Totally depends on how you run the business.
1) if you shoot and edit the images on the spot using a laptop, and burn a cd… the time investment for a session could be relatively low.
15 minutes pre-session phone scheduling
30 min driving there and back (assuming you couldn’t schedule things near each other)
1 hour session
15 min batch edit in Lightroom and use it’s "export to disk" feature.
Upload to Redcart, Instaproof, or any of the other super low cost proofing galleries for them to share with their friends and family.
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Treat it as a one time sale – with post sales as a bonus.
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Working conservatively at 4 sessions a day, that’s $276 a day – with no work when you get home other than uploading all the images to their online galleries. And if you were to do this – you’d want to get pretty efficient at it. That’s why I estimate the times I’ve given.
Sure, it’s not 100% ready to print a 40×60 gallery wrap – but the editing would be good enough for their 8×10 or even 11×14 prints at walmart. 😛
It’s way more than a photographer shooting 20 weddings at $2,000 when you break it down. ($276 day vs. $153).
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I’m just saying… A local photographer here sold over 400 sessions and he doesn’t even shoot portraits. He saw it as an opportunity to launch a portrait business with ZERO startup advertising costs – and will make a definite income in his first year. Which for any startup business is impressive. Not to mention have 400 clients talking him up since how great a deal they got. When I get a great deal – and the service is great – i’m 10x more likely to talk about it. And I usually say "I would recommend them even at full price" if the business does a good job.
Good marketing to drive in clients but this is not sustainable for long. 1 hr session plus time to edit and drive to and from the location means that the hourly rate will be low during this offering. If he gets overwhelmed then work quality could go down at the expense of future clients. Its a gamble but it could give him/her a boost short term to get known. They would be the only ones to know what their hourly worth / cost of materials are to live with. There is the possibility of up selling other products which is a big plus.
It’s a pretty safe bet that there will be no post sale when you give them the CD.
I am NOT a professional photographer, but have run my own business for almost 19 years. I also have a degree in Marketing. Even if the guy can perform a miracle and make ends meet at those low rates, I worry that some would feel it was one of those "too good to be true" offers. Unusually low rates can scare customers away.
I agree with the earlier poster that this is probably not a sustainable marketing plan. I could only envision it’s value as a short-term publicity stunt. In the long run it may only serve to cheapen and tarnish his image as a professional.
I’ll bet that one of the locations will be the bankruptcy court….LOL!!!
I just posted a topic on this in the forum. I’m seeing this ALL around me. I don’t offer CDs. But more and more I have been asked to provide them. In searching craigslist the other day, there were 8 advertisements for session fee of $100-$200 which included a CD of high resolution prints.
I have offered a gallery where the client can download and order from any printing vendor they wish, but have suggested vendor A over B. I done this only in cases where I am donating my session/service -or- for models that I’ve used for promo work or workshops. This helps me to do more ‘charity’ stuff keeping my out of pocket at a minimum. (I do photo shoots for families of children with terminal illnesses)
Michael what how do feel about this ad?
It really depends on what the photographer is trying to accomplish. It also depends on her workflow ratio, which I am doubting is favorable. There are a few things I am certain of:
1. This model cannot be sustained.
2. This model cannot be very profitable.
3. It would not attract the type of business I would want.
Counting all the costs (including the cost to place the ad) there is a really good chance this photographer will be making about $5-10 an hour. Probably less. While some will argue that she will get repeat business, it is unlikely these customers will be willing to pay her "full" prices.
Just my 2 cents