Pricing
A topic so tricky that the Barnets spend half a day talking about it at their in person workshops. If you have an established brand, you can charge what you want because you’re in demand. How do you get to that place though?
“I must warn you. If you start out inexpensively and a year later, after you have a good following, you change your prices dramatically, you’re going to hear crickets…all of your clients friends are going to be looking for the thing their friend got.”
Joe and Mirta believe that people figure out how to afford things that they really want and encourage photographers who are just starting out to price themselves correctly from the start.
Selling
Very often, low priced photographers just offer digital files.
“You have to sell product to make a living.”
By not selling products, these photographers give up the potential to make additional sales. The Barnets encourage photographers who just sell digital files to increase their fees slightly and call the additional amount a credit.
“If you can get people back, they’ll usually spend more than the credit.”
Marketing
For the Barnets, the relationships that they’ve created with their clients, other photographers, wedding planners, venues, dress shops, florists, etc… is at the heart of their marketing strategy. Successful relationship building involves as much give as take and can be hard work. The return is worth the investment though.
How they use StickyAlbums
The Barnets don’t mention StickyAlbums to their clients until they come to pick up their album. At that meeting they tell them that they’re going to be sending them a gift. A few days later, they send a personal email thanking them for their for their business and they include their album as a StickyAlbum. Clients love that they can share their album everywhere they go without risking losing or damaging it.
“StickyAlbums gets us referrals”
To hear more marketing, pricing and sales tips, watch this video with StickyAlbums founder Nate Grahek and Joe and Mirta.
About the Barnets
Joe has photographed weddings locally and abroad for over 20 years. His formal training and experience in photojournalism and traditional portraiture earn him high praise and enthusiastic referrals. Mirta’s background is in fine art and graphic design. She is a second photographer on every wedding and custom designs each couple’s wedding album. The Barnet’s work is regularly featured in numerous national publications.
Joe and Mirta conduct workshops and classes to help other photographers improve their art. The Barnet’s devotion to detail and personal customer service limits the number of events they photograph each year. To see their work and learn more about them, visit their website.
