| My popular stock photos on Dreamstime |  |
The Power of Twitter
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Here's a true story (honest to God!) that happened to me this week involving my "day" job as a Marketing Manager for an emissions control manufacturer. It's a testiment to the true power of social networking and how it can be used to enhance your business.
"I was on Twitter researching possible companies that I could follow. Among the several that I added was one called Power Magazine which deals with power generation, and it happens to be a trade journal that we receive at work. Within about 10 minutes of adding this publication I received a direct email from the editor introducing herself, explaining that she lived in my city and asking if I would like to go to lunch! From the phone number she gave me, I knew she lived close by. We corresponded several times during the afternoon, decided to get together for lunch in August and I invited her to tour our manufacturing facility. We are both excited to meet each other as there are so few women in this field."
How exciting is this! I found an editor of a major trade magazine by accident on Twitter and we live within a few miles of each other! Unbelievable!
Visit me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaRoach.
"I was on Twitter researching possible companies that I could follow. Among the several that I added was one called Power Magazine which deals with power generation, and it happens to be a trade journal that we receive at work. Within about 10 minutes of adding this publication I received a direct email from the editor introducing herself, explaining that she lived in my city and asking if I would like to go to lunch! From the phone number she gave me, I knew she lived close by. We corresponded several times during the afternoon, decided to get together for lunch in August and I invited her to tour our manufacturing facility. We are both excited to meet each other as there are so few women in this field."
How exciting is this! I found an editor of a major trade magazine by accident on Twitter and we live within a few miles of each other! Unbelievable!
Visit me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaRoach.
Twittering Around
Saturday, June 20, 2009
I'm in love with Twitter! It's a fantastic marketing tool that appears deceptively simple - but has many nuances to discover. What a great way for microstock photographers to connect with web designers, publishers, and just about anyone else who might buy your photography.
Here are a few books about Twitter and business that I've downloaded to my Kindle (you can also get them the good old-fashion way as the printed page!) :
Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time
Here are a few books about Twitter and business that I've downloaded to my Kindle (you can also get them the good old-fashion way as the printed page!) :
Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time
Once you get into Twitter, you'll want to do a little experimenting with other Twitter apps. These tools really make Twitter come alive. Here are a few that I use:
TweetDeck - great for communicating with and keeping track of everyone
TwitPic - post a pic on Twitter
TweetBeep - kind of like Google Alerts - but for Twitter
Twitter List - search tool from Squidoo, allows you to create topic lists from Tweets
I'll be posting more on Twitter as I develop my own marketing approach. Stay tuned!
Follow my tweets at: http://twitter.com/LaRoach
How to Use Dreamstime Image Collections to Market Your Stock Images
Sunday, June 14, 2009
If you sell your stock images on Dreamstime as I do, you can take advantage of a great marketing tool: Image Collections. This is a technique of grouping together images with a specific theme or criteria, which are then accessable on the Dreamstime site. It's the perfect resource for reaching new clients and sharing your work with current buyers. You can search for collections on Dreamstime by typing in key words on the Collection section page. (At this time, there are over 5,700 collections indexed.)
Site users, such as designers, can use Image Collections to quickly find like-themed images, as well as bookmark the collection and return to it when new images are uploaded. Each Collection is given a Referral Link that can be used by the collection manager or anyone else who wants to share that group of images.
Are you getting the idea here? This is a really easy marketing tool that you can use on your blog, website, Twitter profile or Facebook page.
But there's a catch. There are two types of Image Collections - public and private. The collection that is public and appears on the site index must contain the work of at least 5 photographers. That means you can showcase your photographs on a particular theme, but you must also include the work of 4 other people along with yours. The private Image Collection contains only your themed work. It is given a Referral Link, but not listed in the site index. The only way others can see a private collection is if you give them the URL. In my opinion, you can use both as marketing resources.
Use the public collection to grow a large theme-based Collection and updated it frequently with new images from you and other photographers. This will make the Collection more likely to come up in search results and introduce you to other photographers that you include within your Collection. They may very well reciprocate the invitation by inviting you into one of their own Collections, thereby increasing your exposure on Dreamstime.
Use the link from your private collection wherever you market your work online (signature, blog post, Twitter). Or include the link on a postcard featuring a collection image. Or email the link to your email list of designers whenever you add a new image to a Collection. I'm sure you can be creative at finding numerous ways to share your private Dreamstime Collections.
Here's a list of my Dreamstime Image Collections:
Santa Fe Style (Public)
Big Rigs (Public)
Luscious Pears (Public)
Diesel by La Roach (Private)
View of the Southwest (Private)
The image published in this blog post was just uploaded to my View of the Southwest collection and Santa Fe Style collection.
Want to sign-up to sell your photos on Dreamstime? Just click here.
Labels: making money with stock photos, microstock agency, microstock photography
Cheap Postcards to Advertise Your Photography
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Here's a bright idea - I am a believer in old-fashioned snail mail when it comes to advertising photography. A beautifully designed postcard featuring a high-gloss image and mailed to exactly the right market, can be more effective than numerous blind emails.The Up-Side of Postcards:
- postcards stand out in a pile of junk mail, causing the receiver to stop and consider why this image was sent to them
- postcards act like a mini-poster of your work: easy to file, prop-up on the desk of an art director or pin to an office bulletin board - always reminding the receiver that you are there
- postcards can feel like works of art (I actually have had people tell me that they framed my postcards!)
- unlike emails or Twitter posts, postcards are tangible objects, offering more substance to your microstock photography business
- in today's world of online printing, it's fast, easy and cheap to produce your own full-color, glossy postcard using a reputable company
The Down-Side of Postcards:
- unlike an email, the receiver can't just "click" a link to get to your photography
- the receiver needs to physically type in a domain name to find you
- mailing a lot of post cards can be expensive
How to Strategically Use Postcards and Save Money Printing Them:
- learn to do your own layout rather than pay someone (this allows you to use inexpensive on-line printing services - saving you hundreds or thousands of dollars in the long-run)
- design and create your own personal style that can be replicated on each card, making your postcards easily identifiable to receivers
- purchase small quantities (500 is usually the minimum order)
- target one specific market who you are fairly sure will need your subject matter or style of photography (such as web designers in your state)
- send different postcards on a regular basis to the same people (this will build a relationship with them)
- make it easy for them to buy your microstock by including a "Step 1-2-3" on the back of the card
If you are looking for a really great bargain on postcards, UPrinting.com is running a special until June 15th. You get 15% off of all postcards by ordering online! The special is for any size, stock thickness or printing combination (printed front or printed both sides).
Using this special you can actually get 500 4-color postcards for under $50! What a bargain! But even without this special, I have used UPrinting.com for many projects and the pricing is always amazingly low.
Get started NOW with your postcard campaign and save 15%!
Click the following link for more info -Get 500 Postcards for As Low As $55 With Free 1-on-1 Help
Labels: making money with stock photos
Postcards from the Edge - Showing Who You Are
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Snail mail seems so passe, but you would be surprised at the potential a well-placed postcard can have when sent to your niche market. I was reminded of this just a few days ago when I received a glossy, 4-color postcard from an artist friend announcing an upcoming exhibit and book signing for her newly published memoir.Entitled Life on the Rocks: One Woman's Adventures in Petroglyph Preservation
is exactly who this woman is. Katherine Wells lives in the middle of an amazing mountain of petroglyphs (rock art) and has devoted her time and life to protecting and preserving centuries of art carved by the Tewa Native Americans. As I once visited this site and understand the timeless beauty that can capture a person's curiosity and connection to the past, I was thrilled to receive a postcard announcing her new book. I immediately went to Amazon and pre-ordered the volume.Katherine's postcard was sent to the right niche market. As an artist-at-heart and amateur archaeologist living in New Mexico, I was her perfect market.
Think about who could benefit from your stock photography. Web designers? Art directors? Book publishers? Consider who your perfect niche market is then introduce yourself with a beautifully printed full-color postcard that includes a link to your stock photography agency.
If you would like to know more about Katherine's book, go to: Life on the Rocks: One Woman's Adventures in Petroglyph Preservation
. It will be release on May 16th. Read the Editorial Review and you will become intrigued by an artist who lives and works among ancient art and how it has influenced her life.Selling to Your Niche, Part 7 - Work Your Leads List
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Time to get to work. Use the leads database you have created along with your marketing vehicle of choice (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, personal email, printed mailer, etc) and begin working down your list. Every time you send information out or contact someone, note how you did it along with the date in one of the columns of your spread sheet.I usually keep track of my marketing efforts by first trying one avenue (such as personal email), naming one column for this piece such as Email #20, than placing a date next to each entry in the database for when I sent it out. In that way you keep a history of your marketing venues and hopefully never send the same email or Tweet out to the same contact.
This might seem a tedious chore, but once you get the hang of it, the challenge of connecting with someone who wants to buy your stock images is exciting!
It comes down to finding the right person, at the right time, and having the right photograph ready to sell them when they need it. Yes, it might somewhat feel like chance - but there's no reason why you can't enhance your odds a little bit in your favor.
If you enjoyed this series, drop me a comment to let me know.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Stop by and visit me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/LaRoach
Labels: micro stock, niche market, selling stock photography
Selling to Your Niche, Part 6 - Contacting Your Leads Database
Saturday, April 11, 2009
How did your leads database turn out? You should have at least 10 to 20 possible contacts to start with. A normal success rate when you are cold calling leads is between 1 to 3 percent. So you need to have enough of a database in order to make your marketing approach successful. Of course as your stock photography business grows, so will your data base of leads.Now that you know the importance of gathering leads, possibilities will jump out at you throughout the day. Here's a trick I use to always capture a contact when I stumble upon one - place a shortcut for your spreadsheet folder on your desktop. Whenever I find a good lead, I immediately stop what I'm doing, click on my spreadsheet (from my desktop) and enter the info. Easy! Before you know it, your data base will fill up quickly.
What do you do now that you have leads? This is probably the most difficult part of the process, but it can also be the most fun if you enjoy networking! As a marketing professional (that's my job in the real world!) I have two philosophies:
1. the best presentation always wins
2. allow the lead to "discover" you
This means: make your marketing approach look good and let the lead come to you. Whatever technique you use to contact your lead, it needs to be professional and polished. No misspelled words, incorrect grammar, or sloppy appearance. Plus it's always better not to spam your lead, but give them the opportunity to find you. Are you confused? It's pretty simple - figure out some way to present your photography so you're leads can find you on their own - and do it well.
Here are some of my suggestions for allowing leads to "discover" you:
- Twitter: I love this form of social media. Set up a nice looking Twitter page than search for your leads on Twitter. If you find a few, "follow" them. Chances are they will reciprocate the "follow". Then all you have to do is tweet about your latest images to let them know what you're doing. Soon other leads will locate you on their own through searching Twitter. Before you know it, you'll have a growing network. I just began Twitter about 10 days ago and have made several good connections. (Follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/LaRoach).
- Facebook: I have not used this approach yet, but I'm suggesting it here as Facebook is extremely popular and you have a good chance of connecting with leads.
- Linkedin: I do use Linkedin for my day job and find it's a great place to make business connections and communicate with other professionals.
- MySpace: I also use MySpace for marketing in the corporate world. It's easy to create a professional profile and find leads that you then invite to be "friends". As with Twitter, MySpace is the perfect social media vehicle for people to find you through their own searches. This offers the opportunity to broaden your exposure simply by being present and participating on a social network.
- Personal Blog: Build a strong blog that represents your photography and use the URL in your email signature. If you email a lead, chances are very good that they will click on your signature links because they are curious. Why a blog? Unlike a website (onless you are very good at webdesign and persistant at updating) you can constantly add your latest images and appeal to specific niches through ongoing blog entries.
- Personal Email: never ever spam a lead or send an email to multiple addresses! Spamming is an unsolicited email trying to sell goods or services. This can get you in big trouble. But there's nothing wrong with visiting a site or blog owned by a lead and writing them a friendly email commenting on their service or asking a professional question. Of course, always include a link to either your website, blog or stock agency page in your signature so they can "discover" you. Another interesting approach might be to write a free white paper on how to purchase and use microstock photography in business. Post this to your website and add the link to your signature. You must be clever when sending personal emails to leads. If you are too pushy it can have a negative effect and drive leads away.
- Old Fashioned Snail Mail: yes, some people still use snail mail and this may be the best way to connect with your leads. You can create and print a simple postcard featuring your microstock photography for pennies. There are numerous online printing services that are very easy and efficient to use. I suggest UPrinting.com where you can get 500 full color 4x6 postcards for only $53! That's a pretty cheap marketing investment.
I've presented just a few techniques that you can employ when developing a leads network for selling microstock images. Let me know if you have other suggestions.
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