I’ve had the privilege to attend a talk at Camera Cart about branding for photographers.

Heidi Aquende invited me to their studio’s 6th anniversary. She did not say who were speaking – only the topics. I chose the first one in the morning and it she who’s speaking.

Please read with discrection since these are simply notes from the actual context of the talk. Nevertheless, the gist is in there.

Make a brand around your company

Using your own name as the company – better because of perceived trust that you will protect your name’s reputation.

Brand Perception

• functional/technical
• emotional

Tip #1 – Offer quality work

• be confident with your work
• poor quality can quickly damage your work
• let clients see you only want quality
• it’s not just the service but also the products
• appear quality – be presentable

Tip #2 – Be clear about what you stand for

• unique selling proposition
• what are your values
• what do you promise your customers
• what makes you one in a million

Tip #3 – Stand out, be different

• differentiate and customize

Tip #4 – Be consistent

Tip #5 – Choose your team

• suppliers, employees
• choose who represents you

Tip #6 – Price better

• don’t show price in the website
• discounts and low prices attract price-sensitive clients who might not be for long-term
• price wars ruin industries
• price drops teache people to wait for the sale which is soemtimes bad

Pricing – 4 ways

• big guess
• competitive pricing
• cost pricing
• demand pricing

Tip #7 – Find the right clients

• you can’t please everyone
• it’s not just about demographics anymore
• rich clients are not necessarily your clients

Tip #8 – Give over the top customer service

• under promise, over deliver
• listen to negative feedback

Tip #9 – Nurture relationships

• Pareto principle – 80% of your income comes from 20% loyal customers
• keep evangelizers happy
• reward referrals
• constantly surprise clients

Tip #10 – Think long term

• don’t scrimp on your brand
• prepare for refund
• plan ahead