Photo Credit: Jennifer Graham Photography
Ellen Shershow Peña is a photographer from San Francisco who specializes in pet photography and owns J’adore le Chien. When we heard how she is using StickyAlbums in her business we knew that we had to have her in on the show. Tune in to hear how she became a pet photographer and increased her sales from $150 per session to close to $2,000 per session. She also shares which marketing strategies have worked for her and which haven’t. This show will be invaluable to pet photographers but we promise that the information can be applied to all photography specialties. You don’t want to miss this one!
Turning a Marketing Fail … into Success!
When Ellen first started photographing pets, everyone told her that she needed to hang her work in local pet stores. It made sense and seemed like a good way to advertise and find new clients, so with a lot of effort and considerable expense, Ellen hung large pieces in several stores. Nothing happened. Not one call. Discouraged but not defeated, Ellen realized that her approach had been wrong and she could do better. She offered a pet store owner a free session and a friends and family discount (15% off for personal prints and wall art, 50% off for anything that would hang in the pet shop) and a complimentary StickyAlbum. It worked. Store owners were excited to let their customers know that the art hanging on their walls was of their dog and when they started sharing their StickyAlbums with new and existing customers, Ellen’s phone started ringing and it hasn’t stopped.
Create Win-Win Situations
Ellen regularly works with a Bay Area dog rescue. Last year, she decided to do something special for the people who work there. She gave them all a free session, a few 8×10 prints and a StickyAlbum. She now has seven advocates who are immersed in the dog world who not only tell everyone they know about her, but also show everyone her work. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. Ellen was able to give back to people that she admires and appreciates and in return, they advertise for her without feeling like it’s work.
In-Person Sales
Ellen never imagined that she’d be able to make the kind of money that she makes doing something that she loves. Hear how doing in-person sales increased her average sale of around $150 to $1,000 and how getting a studio increased that even further to around $2,000.
For information about mentoring with Ellen, email ellen@jadorelechien.com.
View some of Ellen’s StickyAlbums Here and Here.
