Tin Shed Consulting

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

2009-10-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm admitting this but I have totally forgotten about this blog! Between 3 Facebook accounts, Tweeting for 2 different businesses and 1 other blog, it's not surprising that something slipped through the cracks. (Please don't even mention the blog I put up for my little guy that hasn't been updated in almost a year!)

Well, I suppose that just goes to show that maybe I had myself scattered in too many places across the internet. I'm finding that a lot of the info I would usually be sharing has simply moved to other platforms and condensed. It's still being streamed out there somewhere. Here's where you can look for me:

Heather Jahn Portrait Design Website
Studio Blog
Studio Facebook Page
On Twitter @Heather_Jahn

Pimp Your Studio Project Website
On Facebook
On Twitter @PimpYourStudio

I think that covers it all...for now!

Sarah Hobbs Kohrt's Portrait Contest

2009-07-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

Rochester, MN photographer, Sarah Hobbs Kohrt, recently ran a promotion at her studio asking her clients to show how they displayed their Studio Seven portraits. She also asked perspective clients to show off the empty spaces that are just begging to be filled with Sarah's work.

I immediately thought the contest was fabulous but wasn't really prepared for the depth of emotion her clients responded with. I don't know why I was so surprised considering I have experienced more that one mommy break down in tears during a viewing myself. And Sarah does great work so why wouldn't her clients get all mushy too?

I'll even admit that I got a little choked up when reading the winning entry from 'perspective client', Jennifer Johnson:

A picture is worth 1000 words, but what does it say to a child?
It says, "You cared enough about me, in this moment, right now, to drop everything and watch.”

Doesn't that pretty much sum it all up?

Blogging Basics

2009-06-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, the blog has not been replaced by Facebook or Twitter and it's not just some random platform on which to babble about what's going on in your life and post photos and video. (Okay, for some people it is.) For business owners, blogging is an opportunity to position yourself as an expert in your field; a trusted resource and information hub.

Blogging for business is a great way to accomplish several goals at once.

1. Stay in touch with your audience. For photographers, that audience usually consists of current clients, their families & friends and perspective clients. Blogging shouldn't be a one-sided conversation. Encourage readers to leave feedback and reply to their comments. Be personable and conversational. Make them feel welcome in your world.

2. Keep current & archive...all at the same time. Blogs, compared to a static website, are much easier to update. And, unlike some social media sites, the old stuff doesn't vanish into cyberspace once the new stuff is posted.

3. Dominate Search Engine Results for your business. Because blogs are frequently updated and are full of juicy content, Search Engines LOVE blogs. A blog is also a great way to dominate the online conversation about your business.

4. Become THE resource. Your blog doesn't really have to be all about you. Whether it is discussing clothing options for a portrait, mentioning a new "Mommy & Me" group or posting a list of "Top 10 Wedding Vendors", you're in a position to provide your clients with an abundance of information pertinent to their life. Include a "Blog Roll" to add value for your readers.

Your blog should be a strategic part of your Internet marketing plan. It is the place where your content (articles, photos, video) can be hosted for all the world to see, without a Facebook profile or Twitter username. And the place to direct all your Facebook Fans and Twitter Followers to read and learn more about your business than 140 characters will allow.

Inbound Marketing University

2009-06-18T12:48:00.001-07:00

This week I am attending "Inbound Marketing University", a series of webinars focusing on everything that is Web Marketing from Blogs to Social Media to SEO. Throughout the rest of the week & weekend (between laying hardwood flooring, splashing in the sprinkler with my son and cramming for the IMU exam), I plan to put up a few blog posts with whatever interesting tidbits I pick up from the sessions.

Improve Your Search Engine Rankings-Even With A Flash Site

2009-05-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a blog posts regarding Invisible Websites. Invisible meaning getting lost in the river of Search Engine Results for any particular keyword or group of keywords such as "Photographer", "Wedding Photography" or "Baby Portraits". The game of SEO is no longer limited to metadata and keywords. You need to have a well-rounded approach to getting noticed on the Web.

In our Internet Marketing program "Bloggin' and Facebook and Web Sites! Oh My!", we touch on what I began calling "Back-Door SEO". (I'm sure I didn't invent that terminology.) Since many photographers use Flash sites, traditional SEO strategies are not as productive as with an HTML site.

Search robots can't navigate through a Flash site due to the fact that a Flash site is essentially only one page with a series of images rather than several HTML pages. This doesn’t mean your site can’t be seen by search engines. It means your content won’t be read so the actual text you have on your site is irrelevant as far optimization goes. It also means that statistical tracking such as Google Analytics will only be useful for gathering information relevant to a single page page rather than navigation through the site.

Here are a few tips how to rank well with Search Engines even with a Flash site:

1. Anything you have on your splash page will be read such as your contact info. This is a great place to DISCRETELY work in some keywords but remember to write for your clients, not for the search engines! A description chocked full of keywords does not make for compelling content to get your visitors hooked.

2. Blog! Search Engines LOVE blogs. They’re full of great content, updated frequently and are considered to be very trusted information sources by the Search Engines. Again, don't bog down your content with keywords that make it unreadable.

3. Update your listing within online directories such as yellowpages.com and google.com/local.

4. Increasing your presence in social media networks will also boost your rankings.

5. Optimize your image names by titling images posted online with your business name, location and/or subject matter to increase your chances of popping up within Google's mixed results.

For more detailed info, check out Local Search Ranking Factors compiled by David Mihm. It's a fabulous resource to bookmark and reference time and again.

Back To Work

2009-05-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

With the move behind us, we are in the midst of renovating the front of our home for the portrait studio. The project is a few days behind but the contractor has been doing a great job with all the issues that have arisen. With that pretty much on auto-pilot, it has freed me up to work on other projects.

The past three weeks my focus has not been so much on unpacking boxes as putting together and presenting our program on Internet Marketing for Photographers. Our engagement at the South Central Photographers Association last Monday was a huge success. Paul, my brother and speaking partner, and I are planning a workshop in the Madison area where we will sit down with photographers and actually implement all of the ideas we introduced to them.

While the world seems to be all wrapped up in Facebook and Twitter, we covered the other components that make an Internet Marketing plan successful. For many, it was the first exposure they had to Search Marketing and Search Engine Optimization. The topic can be tedious but I think it helped clarify a lot of the mystery behind how search results are compiled.

I'm excited to utilize these concepts myself when I actually get around to re-launching my business here in Iowa City. Since I have essentially been on "vacation" for the past two months, it's time to get my head back in the game and start thinking about work again.

Blog Neglect

2009-03-31T16:16:00.001-07:00

I just directed another photographer to this blog and realized it's been almost 3 months since I've updated. This falls under "Do as I say, not as I do".

During that time, my husband and I have decided to uproot our lives and move to Iowa City, IA. My poor, neglected blog is a casualty of higher priorities associated with the relocation.

The big move is set to happen at the end of April but today is officially the last day for my studio. Although one door is closing, there are so many opportunities on the horizon. Best of all, I get the chance to reinvent my photography business with the wisdom I've gained from the past two years. I'll be changing just about everything from my business name to product lines and pricing structure.

While I'm not looking forward to rebuilding my client base, I am lucky enough to have a few clients that are willing to make the 3 hour drive to the new studio. I guess I must have done something right!

The speaking engagements are also beginning this spring with our first on May 18 back with my peeps at the South Central Photographers Association. Yesterday was my last day with them as a Board Member and was honored with an Outstanding Service Award along with my cohort Jackie Cooper.

Needless to say, the upcoming weeks will be filled with excitement, anxiety and several adult beverages as I try to cope with the impending adjustments...and construction.

Low-Cost Marketing Strategies

2009-01-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

I've had several studios share their concern with me about a slow fourth quarter in 2008. As with most retail businesses, studios rely on the holiday season to produce enough revenue to carry them through the traditionally sluggish first quarter. And, with all the hype about the downward spiral of the economy, studio owners are now scrambling to figure out what to do to stimulate sales in the new year.

Unfortunately, many are trapped in the "Chicken or the Egg" scenario. Little money to spend on marketing to generate the sales and cashflow to do more marketing. While your instinct may be to spend your marketing budget elsewhere (like your heating bill!), now may be the time to grab market share, especially if your competitors are cutting back on their marketing.

We all know that it costs more to gain a new client than it is to retain an existing client. Tapping into your existing client base and targeting your resources are both low-investment strategies you can employ to get more bang for your marketing buck.

In his article, Balancing Customer Loyalty Programs with Customer Advocacy, Michael Lowenstein outlines Dr. Martha Roger's definition of customers, encouraging businesses to sort their current client base into tiers in order to decide what kind of investment should be made in marketing to existing customers. By determining your Most Valuable Customers, Most Growable Customers and Migrators, you can prioritize your spending.

Take advantage the viral nature of social media by leveraging the relationships you have with existing clients. Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In are all great resources, getting your name and your work in front of potentially thousands of prospects. Post images, ask for recommendations and be an social internet butterfly. The largest cost associated with social media is time but you can also post inexpensive ads on Facebook to help boost Web traffic.

Now is not the time to cut out your marketing in the hopes so saving a few dollars. Look for inspiration outside your normal circle of influence, be creative but stay within your budget.

New Year's A.D.D.

2009-01-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I was up bright and early this morning (5 a.m. thanks to my son!) contemplating the massive list of resolutions, goals and overall life changes to be made in the new year. That lasted a whole 30 seconds before I dove into a pile of unread email updates from various social media groups, prompting me to bounce around the internet like a child who just ate the entire sugar coated contents of her Christmas stocking. (The fact that my breakfast this morning consisted of fudge, M&Ms, and pudding may have something to do with that.) In the past two hours I have sifted through 14 blogs, organized several folders on my computer, started 3 articles/blog posts and downloaded an e-book along with some random meandering around the internet.

In order to justify my actions and not feel like it has been complete waste of time, I have compiled a few gems to share that reflect some of the above mentioned goals and resolutions.

1. Blog More Often: Small Business Blogging Basics - A great guide to why you should be blogging for your business along with how to get started and keep the ideas coming. As the author points out, we need to be mindful of keywords in blog titles and posts. Based on the title, I'm wondering what kind of searches my post will show up in - certainly nothing related to managing or marketing a photography business. (See how I squeezed that one in there?!?!)

2. Read More: I was rather impressed to find that I have actually read 9 books on this list of 47 Most Recommended Books to Read in 2008. Life Optimizer was one of my first blog subscriptions and I continue to enjoy the challenges and inspiration.

3. Help Other Creative Businesses: In her December newsletter, Alyson Stanfield has put together a list of tough questions every creative business owner/artist should ponder regarding revenue, marketing and inspiration for the upcoming year.

Now I'm off to celebrate the arrival of 2009 with 60+ of my closest family members and The Outback Bowl. Go Hawks!

Quick Links for Marketing Inspiration

2008-12-17T04:39:00.000-08:00

Scott Eccleston has compiled 11 terrific marketing resources for photographers and other creatives on his blog, "Weekly Photography Tips". Among them, two that are very near and dear to my heart - PPA and Tin Shed. :)

Marketing Your Studio on Facebook - Part Two: Facebook Ads

2008-12-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

Facebook offers two kinds of ads: Clicks (PPC) and Impressions (PPI). With PPC, you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad. PPI charges you each time FB shows your ad. For most businesses, PPC is the way to go since you are trying to get prospect to engage with your brand by visiting your FB page or website.

The set up process is rather simple, just like the rest of the FB interface. You enter your info, upload a photo, choose the demographic and interests you would like to target, when you would like the ad to run, how much you want to pay for each click, and your daily budget. Presto! Your ad is launched.

Because focused ads and multiple ad versions are all necessary parts of successful advertising on FB, you have to think in terms of a full blown campaign, not just one simple ad. The most effective way to create an ad campaign for Facebook is to run ads specifically targeted to smaller groups, also known as segmenting. Segmenting allows you to produce ads that are concise and focus on one aspect of your business. Space is limited so you don't overload prospects with too many details. For instance, you may want to run several ads highlighting each facet of your business. For a portrait studio, market to high school seniors by targeting users between 16 and 17 years of age attending schools in your area. Weddings? Target engaged women in your market. Separate ads could be run for newborns, children, and families.

You can narrow down your target audience by location, gender, age, keywords, education level, educational institute, workplace and relationship status. However, accuracy does fall prey to incomplete profile information as not everyone chooses to share all of those details within their profile.

Running the same version of an ad but changing the demographic info, such as age or gender, will allow you to see who is actually responding to your ads. This will help you revise your campaign to eliminate certain groups or perhaps lower your bid on slower response groups if you feel they are still important enough to target.

There are three options for what you would like to advertise: a website, a Facebook page or a Facebook event. The only difference between the three is where the prospect lands after clicking on the ad.

By advertising your FB page, rather than your website, you are encouraging prospects to become "fans" of your company. From there, the chain reaction begins. A message will show up on the news feed that they are a fan of XYZ Studio and hopefully their friends will also check out your page and become fans themselves. Since this may be the first impression you'll be making on a potential client, your Facebook Page needs to be an extension of your website. Load it up with teasers that will compel them to click through to your website but also show images and post details about what's going on at your studio. Also, linking to a Facebook Page or Event tends to cost less than linking to an external website.

Presentation Scheduled for May

2008-12-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

Paul and I will be presenting a mini-version of our program, "Bloggin’ and Facebook and Web Sites! Oh My!", to the South Central Photographers Association in Madison on May 18, 2009. We will be speaking in the morning and Lew Everling will be presenting a program on "Buzz Marketing" in the afternoon. Registration info should be available by February 1.

Marketing Your Studio on Facebook - Part One: Profiles and Pages

2008-11-12T08:25:00.001-08:00

We all know that 'word of mouth' is the best and most inexpensive way to advertise. With today's clients being plugged into the internet, they have a constant feed of news, information, and opinions at their fingertips. Facebook puts your studio right in front of their faces with little effort on your part, offering a full range of customizable tools and applications.

In order to fully utilize all that FB has to offer in terms of networking and advertising for your business, you first have to get the lingo straight and recognize the benefits and limitations of the applications. The main area where I see business owners getting confused is distinguishing between a personal profile and a business page. Each holds their place in the scope of marketing. By combining the two, you can create a powerful social networking presence with the benefit of flexible advertising to achieve your marketing goals.

The personal profile is just as it sounds. Designed to be a networking link between you and your Facebook 'friends', it features status updates, news feeds featuring your FB activity, photo albums and personal information as well as a whole slew of fun third party applications to customize your profile. Individuals request and accept friends in order to gain access to on another's profile. Many studios simply use this as their only presence on Facebook. While it is technically against FB policy to use a profile for business, I don't think the Facebook Police are going to shut anyone down as long as they're not misbehaving.

The business page has many of the same features and applications as the personal profile, with a few differences and benefits. Instead of 'friends', you collect 'fans'. Unlike a friend, one does not need to be a fan in order to view the details of a business page. Since my studio has a small, intimate fan base, I find this a little impersonal as administrators of a page are not granted access to a fan's profile. However, by becoming a fan, individuals are able to receive updates from the business and your page will show up on a fan's personal profile page. Low cost Facebook Ads are also available to businesses.

Between the two functions, FB profiles and pages provide a wide range of features that can be used together to promote your business and build customer relationships. The next blog segment on this topic will dig into the world of Facebook Ads.

New Blog Addictions

2008-10-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

While doing a little product research on the web, I checked into a shop on Madison's State Street called Anthology. (Thanks to Heather Wagner for directing me.) They've got a section on their blog called "inspiration from internet meanderings". It should be called "how to ruin your productivity for the day" after I spent WAAAAY too much time clicking around. However, I am grateful that someone else has taken the time to create such an eclectic collection of creative sights sure to inspire anyone. At least that is time saved on my end that I can now spend doing some meandering of my own. Thanks Anthology!

Internet Marketing Program Description Finalized...FINALLY!

2008-10-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

After weeks of being shuttled back and forth via email like a child in a bad custody arrangement, our program description has finally evolved into something we're ready to unveil. We're so proud!

Bloggin’ and Facebook and Web Sites! Oh My!
Understanding the Marketing Potential of the Internet

The Internet has always been known as the “information age”, and is now also considered the “recommendation age”. Embracing all of this can literally bring local, potential clients away from the Internet and to your studio. However, embracing it may also seem like a daunting task. Your web site is live, you're blogging like a madman and clients want to post your images on Facebook. You've heard a lot about "buzz marketing", now learn how to utilize and understand the tools that make a successful campaign tick.

Join us as we demystify:

Internet and email based campaigns that will compliment your current marketing  Becoming visible on the web with search engines such as Google and Yahoo, as well as photography portals
Using social networks such as Blogs, Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter to convert “word-of-Web” traffic
Maintaining your studio’s brand throughout your marketing materials and web presence  Being found and recommended by clients online
How to embrace online ratings and user-reviews
Utilize and interpret web statistics

And most importantly...

How to link it all together to promote traffic

Heather Jahn and Paul Jahn have teamed up to bring over 25 years of collaborative Internet Marketing, Photography and Small Business Management experience to creative professionals. This brother/sister duo will share their insight on how to use real-world Internet strategies, combined with traditional tools to create an all-encompassing viral marketing plan and how to interpret your results.

Speaker Bios

Paul has over ten years of overall Internet marketing experience from working with both small businesses and Fortune 500 companies. This includes search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and social media. Paul is also a pioneer of “local search” founding localmn.com in 2003, well before it was a recognized force in search marketing. Paul has also been a Search Engine Guide columnist since 2005.

Heather’s photography career began at the age of 17. Over the years (we won’t mention how many), her interest in creating photographs has been overtaken by that of marketing and managing studios. She quickly recognized that, without a good understanding of the business, an artist’s creative talent may be a moot point. After years of managing retail and creative businesses, Heather started her own consulting business for creative professionals in 2006 and got back behind the camera, opening Tin Shed Studio, in 2007.

Visa Business Network Gives $100 in Facebook Advertising

2008-09-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Join the Visa Business Network on Facebook and they will send you a coupon code good for $100 toward Facebook advertising. (You must be logged in to FB for the link to work from this post.)

This is a great way to test the advertising market on Facebook without any risk. Conditions are that you have to add the app to your business FB page, NOT your personal profile and fill out the business profile info. Pretty painless. If you're not already running ads, you do have to enter your credit card info in order to have your advertising account fully set up but your cc won't be charged until you have exceed the $100 coupon credit.

Within the network, you can search other businesses and connect with them, becoming "associates". In the resource center, there are some great articles on general business, marketing and management. After just a quick click through, I've already picked up a few tips.

I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be bombarded with Visa credit applications and a phone call or two but that's a risk I'm willing to take for a few bucks.

_____

Update: Good News! It's been a few weeks since I've joined the Visa Network and no solicitations so far.

My Vendor List - Email Marketing

2008-09-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

One topic of conversation that never seems to grow old is vendor choices. In the coming weeks, I'll be posting a series about the vendors I have chosen and why.

Ever since I was introduced to the automated world of e-newsletters, I was enamored by the 'clickability' of the content and how you could encourage your clients to explore your website, blog, etc. from a page full of compelling teasers. Moreover, since I am a total marketing geek, I loved the statistical tracking. You can see exactly who opened your email, which links they clicked through and if they forwarded the email on to a friend. (The forward tracking only works if the use the 'Forward to a Friend' link embedded in the page, not their own email client.) On the flip side, I have to squash the urge to call my clients and ask them why they didn't find my content intriguing enough to click through each and every link.

I recently switched to Constant Contact from Marathon Press, who is actually an affiliate of Emma. Overall, I am pretty happy with the change. I really had a tough time with Emma and I will use her as a scapegoat for the reason why I was never on top of my email marketing. Her site is trendy and the lingo snazzy but I found the interface clunky and slow. In addition to that, staionery designs can only be done through them and they charge you handsomly for that. Since there are several facets to my business, one stationery doesn't quite do it for me.

I also had huge problems with clients not receiving my emails from Marathon. In fact, the only way I received my own emails was to 'sign up' just like a new client. The messages didn't end up in the spam folder, they just vanished into cyberspace. Not cool. While I suspect each marketing service is challenged by spam filters, I seem to be having better luck with Constant Contact.

The other feature of CC I have grown to love is the Archive. For an additional $5.00/month, you can create an online archive of your newsletters for direct link to a single issue or a library where clients can read past issues as well. I am using this as an information hub for my clients. I have created emails that feature FAQ's about the studio, instructions for logging in to the web galleries and pricing. All of these are stored on the archive and I can easily direct my clients to view the content without actually having to send the email. Most of this info could be posted on my website but, since it is a Flash site built from a template, I am limited to how many text pages I can put on.

One drawback with CC is that it's another $5/month to upload more than 5 images for your newsletter. As a photographer, they've got me there.

With my first campaign with CC achieving a 78% open rate, nearly 50% click-through, and recruiting a hand full of new inquiries, I'm encouraged by the numbers and am looking forward to becoming a bit more savvy and creating fabulous campaigns on a regular basis.

Catching the Viral Marketing Bug

2008-09-12T18:56:00.001-07:00

Since beginning this project with my brother, I have launched my first complete 'viral' marketing plan for September/October. The goal is to generate business for October, which is Family Portrait Month, using:

Direct Mail - Samples of our Limited Edition Smile Cards mailed to our current clients explaining how their donation will benefit Operation Smile
E-Newsletter - Details about our Family Portrait Month promotions, special offers and client stories, all with links to our blog, Facebook page, Tin Shed's and other relevant websites
Facebook Ads - Pay Per Click ads targeted to married women over the age of 24 in the Madison area (This is an experiment so we'll see how it goes.)
Facebook Events - Updates sent to Tin Shed's Facebook Fans regarding Family Portrait Month
Blog Posts - Details about Family Portrait Month, Smile Cards, a link to our newsletter and a sign up box
Website Updates - Customer testimonials and more information about Operation Smile

It may all seem a bit redundant but, no matter what portal a client is first exposed to, he or she can easily follow links to access all other faces of Tin Shed online. Plus, with the beauty of web analytics and Constant Contact, it's easy to track the flow of traffic throughout this process.

_____

At the same time I have re-launched marketing for The Goo Goo Gallery, our studio's baby program which offers free portrait sessions for a child's 3, 6, 9 and 12 month portraits. The only obligation the clients have for this program is that they attend a portrait viewing at the studio following each session to select 5 images to incorporate into a book to be presented to them after their child's first birthday. During the viewing, they can choose to order prints and other products from their session as well.

This program has been a huge success for Tin Shed. It introduces families to our studio, generates additional print sales, creates a beautiful advertising piece for my clients to share with their friends and family, and guarantees year-round revenue.

I'm excited to get this program rolling again. It's a lot of fun and I have build great relationships with the clients who have participated in the program in the past. Being a new mom has probably been the best marketing tool I could ever imagine!

Mazomanie Hits The Big Time!

2008-08-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Mazomanie has been listed as one of Frommer's Budget Travel's 10 Coolest Small Towns. No mention of Tin Shed Studio though...hmmm....

For those of you unfamiliar with the geography of Wisconsin, Mazomanie is a small town about 20 miles outside of Madison, WI. Much to my surprise, the majority of my clients drive 15 - 30 miles from the city out to my studio in this Podunk little town.

The one thing that attracted me to this location was the picturesque downtown that seems to be in the early stages of a renaissance. As mentioned in the article, the town is home to many artists and tourist friendly venues. One of my grand intentions for my marketing plan is to do some alliance marketing with a few of the shops and restaurants in town in order to encourage my clients to head downtown and partake in some lunch or window shopping once they've made the trip to Mazo.

I'll have to think of ingenious new ways to capitalize on the flood of tourism this is bound to bring in.

My Brother Is My Blogging Hero

2008-08-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

Wow. Paul is so much better at keeping his blog up to date than I am! He's been keeping a better log of our project and he puts all those cool links into his posts. I guess that's what makes him the internet guru in this relationship.

So, getting caught up, Paul and I got together last week to begin serious work on our project. (I use the term 'serious' lightly.) Since we haven't had any face time since Christmas, it was good to see him! We had some fun trotting around Wabasha creating some new images for Paul's PR. Once we were finished with that, we actually sat down and outlined some plans for our project.

This week I've spent a little time updating posts and adding Flickr to my montage of web appearances. Aside from that, it's been business as usual at the studio; taking care of clients and getting ready for my next direct mail project. I'm excited to see how the mailing impacts traffic on the web.

Oooh...and I've added a page for South Central Photographers Association to my Facebook profile as well. (I'd like to add a direct link to the page but apparently Facebook is switching over to their new profile so some of the applications are acting a little funky right now.)

Check Us Out On Facebook!

2008-08-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

http://artist.to/tinshedstudio/

So I finally got around to getting my Facebook page up and running and, I confess, I've ordered a few books to help me navigate all the features. It seems a little silly considering there are thousands of 'kids' who seem to be able to grasp an understanding of this process in a few seconds. Is this what it means to be an adult? Will my 9 month old be able to hook up our blu-ray quicker than I can? Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I have a sneaking suspicion that these same 'kids' may have a few more minutes of down-time in their day than I can seem to find.

Initially, I had set up a personal profile. After a little research, I found that there are 'Pages' which are different from profiles and are to be used by artists, companies, bands, etc. Because Facebook Policy is that your profile must not be a fictitious name, Pages are the only legitimate way for a company to have a presence on Facebook.

On the Tin Shed Studio page, I have uploaded one album of photographs from a client so far. She has already become a fan. (Thanks Jen!) The hope is that her friends will also check out the album and become fans as well, sparking a Facebook-wide obsession with Tin Shed. Perhaps I should set more realistic goals.

One nice thing about the Facebook Page vs. Profile is that there are statistics to track your popularity. Like other website analytics, you can view visitor activity, fans, photo viewings, and posts all with a single drop down menu. You can even see who's dumped you. Not a whole lot going on at the Shed so far.

The Collaboration Begins...

2008-07-31T15:59:00.001-07:00

As Paul has started giving me tasks to complete in order to make the most of my presence on the web, I admit I'm already a little overwhelmed by it all. Not only are there a lot of applications to implement but each one seems to present new avenues. I can already see that it's going to be a challenge for me to stick with the immediate game plan and not be distracted by all the additional possibilities. I'm eager to see how it all ties together to create the quintessential viral marketing plan.

While we are working on this project, Paul will be joining me in authoring this blog. We plan to track our progress, exchange ideas, and invite questions and comments from anyone interested in what we're doing.

Collaborative Marketing Project

2008-07-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

On occasion, I have been called a "freak" by other photographers due to the fact that I find marketing fascinating. In fact, I could even be found guilty of spending more time on marketing than behind the camera. It has long been a goal of mine to share this obsession with other photographers in a way to make the subject a little less daunting.

With that in mind, my brother Paul and I are teaming up on a new project: creating a program geared toward the creative professional that will introduce the many avenues of internet marketing into a well designed marketing plan. You can check out Paul's version of the story on his Localmn blog.

As Paul explains on his post, we each have a unique knowledge base when it comes to marketing. To tell the truth, I understand about 25% of what he tells me and, the rest of the time, I smile and nod my head. I'm looking forward to the learning experience that lies ahead...it's about time my big brother taught me something useful in life!

FTP settings for existing clients

2008-07-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder, your FTP settings have changed. You can now upload and download your files using the following:

ftp.tinshedphoto.com
username: yourfirstnameyourlastname@tinshedphoto.com
password: yourfirstnameyourlastname

Please contact me if you're having difficulty accessing your account.

Revelation has moved into Tin Shed

2008-07-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Revelation Imaging and Studio Services was born approximately two years ago as a vehicle for me to offer marketing and business assistance to other creative professionals along with digital manipulation, processing and design.

Since opening Tin Shed in 2007, I have continued to work with other professional photographers but have spent the majority of my time with my portrait clients at the Shed. I'm excited to announce the merging of the two companies and am looking forward to new projects on the horizon.