branding 3 - Behind the Shutter

Go Big or Go Home: 4 Key Elements for Producing a Brand Video

Post author:Casey Dittmer
Post category:Branding Shutter Magazine
Reading time:12 mins read

In May, I started a journey to improve and stabilize my portrait business, and to mark my territory as an industry leader. I told myself if I completed the 90-day checklist and fully gave in to the process, I would reward myself by investing in the production of a branding video. Four key elements were necessary for organizing and shooting a project of this magnitude while keeping our studio operating during the busiest time of the year. I think these four things are necessary in everything we do.

6 Questions That Define Your Brand

Post author:Joey Thomas
Post category:Branding Shutter Magazine
Reading time:10 mins read

Your brand is your identity. It defines your value proposition, the promise of value to be delivered. In other words, it sets the clients’ expectations and gives them a sense of security, trust and hope. Branding doesn’t have to be confusing or convoluted. Let’s keep it simple. Here are six questions to help you develop an intentional, cohesive brand identity that sets you apart.

Explaining Your Brand as a Story: Strategies for Clarifying Your Brand Message

Post author:Phillip Blume
Post category:Branding Shutter Magazine
Reading time:10 mins read

Imagine this: clarity in your marketing and throughout the experience you provide clients, and clarity of vision among your employees. We entrepreneurs talk a lot about the importance of brand clarity, but the definition of this common phrase remains ironically unclear. If that is true for you, your businesses may struggle to stand out in the marketplace and eventually fail. But there’s good news. Allow me to guide you through some practical strategies that will help you clarify your brand message to increase your bookings and sales.

Your Brand, Your Worth with Sal Cincotta

Post author:Sal Cincotta
Post category:Branding Shutter Magazine
Reading time:7 mins read

I hope you realize that your brand and the perception of your brand can directly influence how much money consumers are willing to spend with you. It’s amazing how many photographers and business owners in general don’t grasp this seemingly simple idea. No one cares how good of a photographer you are. Process that for a second. Let that settle in. It just doesn’t matter. Business is at the core of your success. Here are some things you can do now to get your house in order so that you and your brand are seen as trusted and valued.

Branding and Marketing to Your Ideal Client

Post author:Michael Anthony
Post category:Branding Shutter Magazine
Reading time:7 mins read

Here are the five things that define your brand: logo, imagery, website, social media presence and totality of your past client experiences. Let that sink in. These are all of the things you have to pay attention to when you are building your brand. Let’s dive into each of them and figure out exactly how important they are to your success.

Why Clients Choose Cheap Photographers

Post author:Jess Hess
Post category:Shutter Magazine Uncategorized
Reading time:8 mins read

People who are willing to work for cheap are taking away jobs from the rest of us, goes the common wisdom. By offering their services for very little, they are hindering professional photographers from booking jobs. But are they really? The short answer is no, cheap photographers aren’t cheapening the field. They aren’t taking your job. Why? Because they don’t know how to do your job.

The Unforgettable Senior Experience

Post author:Alissa Zimmerman
Post category:Senior Photography Shutter Magazine
Reading time:7 mins read

High-school seniors, especially girls, are thrilled to get the chance to be a model for a day with our studio. It’s not always about the pictures for our clients and their parents, however. The main reason our studio has been so successful with high-school seniors is the unforgettable experience we provide from beginning to end.

3 Keys of High-End Weddings

Post author:Vanessa Joy
Post category:Shutter Magazine Wedding Photography
Reading time:6 mins read

One of the goals on the vision board of a lot of wedding photographers is the high-end wedding. Depending on where you are in the world, this can have a very different connotation. I’m in the New Jersey and New York City area, one of the most expensive regions to have a wedding, where high-end means multimillion-dollar weddings at places like Cipriani and The Plaza. Whatever high-end means to you, you have to find a way to appeal to more luxurious clients. This isn’t easy, especially if you don’t run in those crowds yourself (I sure don’t). But there are ways to position yourself and your brand so you get in front of those clients and make them happy when you do.

From Commodity to Invaluable: 3 Steps to Elevating Your Perceived Value

Post author:Joey Thomas
Post category:Marketing Shutter Magazine
Reading time:12 mins read

Value is a term we hear quite a bit with packaged deals and pricing. Perceived value is what people believe something is worth. It has nothing to do with physical value. It is what our work intrinsically means to our clients. If adding value has such a strong impact on how our businesses are perceived, what can we do to systematically integrate this practice into our client experience? Supercharge your client’s perception and create immense value by focusing on: Your brand (the why), Your relationship (the who), and Your craft (the what). Here’s how to tackle each of these pillars of value perception.

Branding a Nonprofit

Post author:Matt Meiers
Post category:Branding Shutter Magazine
Reading time:11 mins read

Our mission at So Many Angels is to use photography to transform children battling cancer into whatever they want to be when they grow up. We are still in the launch phase, and I want to share some of the steps we have taken to hopefully become a brand that is recognized for being the best at what we do. This article is not about the legal stuff you need to do to be recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. These are just some thoughts that are fresh on my mind since the year I started sharing my dreams of this organization with others. Hopefully something here will help start you on your way.