The Content Strategy Clients Need From You
This is my webinar with ASMP Western New York on February 16, 2021.
Three creative business owners joined me in this live ASMP WNY webinar to discuss content strategy for photography businesses.
Allegra Anderson
ASMP CT President, Photographer, and online lifestyle shop founder
Jebb Graff
ASMP NC Board Member, Photographer
Pamela Howard
Fire Brick Design, Designer & Creative Director
Your website, social media, and marketing needs clear and compelling answers to a few key questions -or you will be ignored, seem too risky, or of misunderstood value to your ideal audience. I help your business understand these questions and how to answer them.
1. What can you do for them in this moment?
2. How does your offer add value & keep their conscience clear?
3. How do they get this?
The content below is presented similarly to the webinar I did with ASMP’s Western NY chapter on February 16, 2021.
3 Key Questions
YOUR AUDIENCE NEEDS ANSWERS TO THESE THREE QUESTIONS TO HIRE YOU.
1. What can you do for them in this moment?
2. How does your offer add value and keep their conscience clear?
3. How do they get this?
THEN & NOW
• Website text for photographers has historically been limited to:
• Your name
• Gallery titles
• Bios
• Contact information
• Navigation
• Captions
• Metadata
• Template companies are partly responsible for this commodification.
• While everyone could suddenly have a website, photographers were boxed in for template companies’ growth, not yours.
• Text and design customization were limited.
• This legacy continues to hold photographers back.
CONTENT STRATEGY CLIENTS NEED FROM YOU
• It’s not about you.
• It’s about them.
• It’s about the questions they have about you and your business.
Knowing What Questions They Are Asking Leads To The Answers That Guide Your Content Marketing Strategy.
THEY WANT TO KNOW 3 BASIC THINGS
1. What can you do for them in this moment?
• What problems do you solve for them internally and externally?
• Who are you for?
2. How does your offer add value & keep their conscience clear?
3. How do they get this?
• How does your business work with theirs?
• What they need to do next to start the process & what is the process?
Before We Go Into These Let’s Cover A Few Basics.
A PROFITABLE PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS IS
• Not only about being a competent photographer with a style.
• What makes it profitable comes from knowing how to run and grow a business that matters to its ideal audience.
• Or hiring people to help with this part of the business.
PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE NATURAL
• Problem solvers
• Visual Communicators
• Producers
• People with voice & who give voice to other people
HOWEVER THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS GOOD AT
• Business
• Marketing
• Branding
• Sales
• Writing
• Content Strategy
EVEN IF YOU ARE GOOD AT EVERYTHING
• It’s a lot to manage.
• And if you’re honest with yourself, You know where the best use of your time is spent.
• And where you need to level up.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO MISTAKENLY DO
• What looks like it’s working for other photo business.
• It might not work you.
• It might not be working them either.
YOU ASK YOUR CLIENTS TO HIRE YOU FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
• Your audience can tell if you are also walking this talk with your own.
• Invest in your business to help your client’s business.
• Hire professionals to help your business grow when you can.
YOUR WEBSITE IS THE FRAME AROUND YOUR OFFER
• You are guiding your audience through it.
• They are inside your space and you are the host.
• There are several steps your audience needs before they will engage.
HEROS
• Your are the hero of your story.
• Your client is the hero of their story.
• These are competing characters.
• They need a guide who enables them to succeed in their story.
• They need your solution to transform them in some way.
ON THE MARK
• Current images for your market
• A succinct edit
• A relevant client list
• Awards
• A bio
• A mailing list
• Social network connections - the 20-200 who matter
• Are not all you need to help your next ideal client hire you
Your Ideal Client Needs To See A Few Key Things From You To Decide You Are The Best Choice For Their Problem.
QUESTION & ANSWER, Empathy & Authorship
• Your answer to their questions convey understanding & empathy.
• Your authorship for a solution conveys your authority & accountability.
• Shape your brand & marketing messages around this.
You Have To Be Able To Articulate In Words The Problem Your Business Solves To Have A Memorable Marketing Message.
You Need To Clarify Who “They” Are. Your Ideal Audience
THIS IS THE AUDIENCE YOU ARE SPEAKING TO
• Who trusts you to add value or solve a problem?
• Who do you want to trust you?
• This is who your business is for and is not for.
THIS IS THE AUDIENCE YOU ARE SPEAKING TO
• Who trusts you to add value or solve a problem?
• Who do you want to trust you?
• This is who your business is for and is not for.
THIS IS OVERLAP BETWEEN WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT AND WHAT THE MARKET NEEDS.
WHO ARE YOUR IDEAL CLIENT TYPES?
• Be honest with yourself about this & do market research.
• You may have a few distinct types or several.
• This is the person who needs to know about your solution.
• And to see you care about solving it.
ARE THEY AN INEXPERIENCED OR EXPERIENCED BUYER?
• Are they an innovator, early, majority, or late adopter?
• Are they b2b or b2c?
• Are they making the decision to hire you?
• Or are they responsible to people who are going to judge them?
ASK
• What do they deeply want and get?
• Externally? They need hero images or a library of images
• Internally? They need job security or belonging to values
WHAT SERVICES ARE YOU BEST AT?
• What are you exceptionally talented at?
• What services do you enjoy providing?
• What services does your ideal client need?
• How do you offer added value outside of deliverables?
BUYERS HAVE DIFFERENT RISK TOLERANCE
• Go past this point and avoidance takes over.
• People add up risks, not just how big they are.
• Balance your USP with the familiar traits buyers expect.
WHOEVER THEY ARE
• They’re going to be curious about you first with your pitch & intro text.
• Then they begin to understand how you help them.
• Then they may start to care about you & respond.
ATTENTION
• Humans respond to things that are new, different, or moving.
• You need your audience to focus their attention on your offer.
• You need to activate their curiosity about how it benefits them.
People’s Attention Is Limited And They Give It Sparingly. People Focus Attention On Things That Are Interesting, Helpful, Or Threatening.
YOUR NAME, FONT & IMAGES ARE NOT ENOUGH FOR THEM
• Clearly state the problem you solve or benefits in a pitch phrase
• Use this on all your social sites.
• Explain this further down your home page.
• A video of you saying this with similar language is effective.
THEY SEE YOU SHOW EMPATHY FOR THEIR SPECIFIC PROBLEM
• Talk about the problem you solve by pitching your solution to it.
• “Team portraits & brand story libraries your business needs”
• “Classic family moments with real smiles”
GETTING THEIR ATTENTION
Make them curious to learn about:
1. Your solution to their problem
2. How it benefits them.
4. How they get it.
3. How & why you do this.
CURIOSITY IS YOUR FRIEND
• It’s the first thing you have in common with your audience.
• Every one of your ideal clients is equipped with this.
• Whether they are a referral or brand new to you.
• The ways you get their attention are many.
• But what they are curios about is the same.
REMEMBER, THEY WANT TO KNOW 3 THINGS
1. What can you do for them in this moment?
• What problems do you solve for them internally and externally?
• Who are you for?
2. How does your offer add value & keep their conscience clear?
3. How do they get this?
• How does your business work with theirs?
• What they need to do next to start the process & what is the process?
Each Of These Questions Is Important To Them. You Need Clear Answers To Them.
WHEN INVESTING, MOST PEOPLE AVOID
• Mystery
• Boredom
• Confusion
• These do not support brand narrative or your CTAs.
This will not get attention. You won’t stand out or be memorable for your authorship to a problem
HOW MANY BRAIN CALORIES ARE YOU ASKING YOUR CLIENT TO USE BEFORE THEY TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
• They want to use some to do due diligence & be informed.
• But too many or too few and they’re moving on.
SO YOU HAVE THEIR ATTENTION THEY ARE CURIOUS… NOW
• Explain further what you can do for them on other pages. (seo)
• They want to know if you will make their life better or avert loss.
• For Example:
• You produce visual assets that help their cause.
• You support their sales & marketing goals.
• You are on budget with a professional process & clear expectations.
SPEAK DIRECTLY TO YOUR IDEAL CLIENT TYPE
• In the first person
• I, we, our
• Claim authorship over your tone and voice - be accountable
• Make a human emotional connection
• This is your advantage over bigger brands
By Doing This A Few Things Happen
THEY START TO SEE HOW YOU CAN SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM
• Your authorship for a solution becomes your authority
• Your particular way of doing this described in your,
• Galleries & Images
• Services
• Case studies
OTHER BUSINESS MAY SOLVE THE SAME PROBLEM YOU DO
• But only you have your story
• Your style
• Be what’s true to you & best for your client, not cheaper.
• Respect your value by communicating it.
• You are selling what your brand stand stands for.
• If you don’t say it they won’t know.
You Have Their Attention And Curiosity On Your Homepage (or Social Site). Now Inform Them
SHOW WHY YOU ARE CLEARLY THE BEST CHOICE
• So it seems obvious to them.
• It’s not that the other options are bad,
• They are simply not as appropriate.
It’s Your Responsibility To Inform Them How You Help Them.
2. How does your offer Benefit Them?
• Do you make them money?
• Do you save them from disaster?
• Talk about your clients success in case studies & social media.
• Talk about this in your personal projects.
HOW DO THEY KNOW THIS?
• You talk about it in several paces.
• Your gallery header text.
• Your edits show professionalism & consistency.
• Your images have a consistent quality & style.
• You have videos of you introducing key parts of your site.
• Your social media posts are informative about your why, your process, what you do.
• Testimonials from clients & collaborators
CASE STUDIES REDUCE BUYER’S RISK
They show you’re authorship for the problem they need solved.
1. Show how you identified the problem they need solved (empathy)
2. Show how you took a point of view (authorship)
3. Show use case examples, stats if available, behind the scene
& THEY WANT A CLEAR CONSCIENCE
• Why you?
• You are selling something that functions but also affirms their identity.
• Your brand story aligns with their beliefs & values.
• Your background resonates.
• You tribe aligns.
• You confirm their sense of self.
YOUR BUSINESS BRAND STORY
• Shows why you solve this problem
• Starts with the problem you solve
• Then back this story up with the experiences that led up to now
YOUR PERSONAL AND BUSINESS PURPOSE ALIGN
BEING TRUSTED
• Is your business offering aligned with its brand story?
• Do You Have clear boundaries, integrity for your “why”
• You images, galleries, services, demonstrate you have fixed it before
• You are a consistent person, brand across touch points
• Your offer a professional experience
3. How do they get this?
• You have their attention
• They know what you can do for them
• They trust you enough to respond to your CTA
• How do they work with your business?
DON’T ASSUME THEY CAN FIGURE THIS OUT
• From your galleries & images
• Your bio
• Or that they will ask you.
HOW DO THEY KNOW HOW YOUR BUSINESS WORKS WITH THEIRS?
• Articulate you:
• Services
• Packages
• Your Process
• The 1 2 3 4 steps they go through.
• Discovery > Planing > Production > Delivery
SERVICES, THE PRODUCTS ON THE SHELF
Service Types are what they buy, their external need
• Personal Brand Portraiture
• Commercial Brand Libraries
• Professional Headshots
• Commercial Interiors
• Look Books
• Landscape & Garden
• Food & Beverage
• Social Media Campaigns
• Inspirational or Journalistic Motion
Services & Packages Enable Your Audience To Quickly See Your Solution To Their Problem.
SERVICE TYPES HELP YOUR CLIENTS
• Quickly understand what you do & how it benefits them.
• See themselves & their challenges in your offer.
• Quickly identify which service is best for them.
CALLS TO ACTION
YOU NEED CTAs, SERVICES & FAQs. Easily scannable & digestible information.
CTAs
• Clear CTAs imply confidence that you can solve their problem.
• Vague CTAs & too few CTAs imply passiveness
• You have to be available when they are ready.
SHOW THEM THE WAY TO YOUR SOLUTION
• And say what life looks like after they work with you.
• “Contact me to talk about your project and get the images your business needs.”
The Purpose Of Your Business Website Is To Create Calls To Action
CTAs ARE LIKE STONES TO CROSS A RIVER
• Buttons like “learn more” “get a quote” “say hello”
• Client lists that link to case studies
• This is user experience way finding.
• This helps people know where to go next.
WHAT DO THEY TO START THE PROCESS?
• Fill out a pre-qualifying questionnaire
• Email or call you
• Schedule a meeting on your open hours
KEY PLACES TO PUT A CALLS TO ACTION
• Top right of your website
• Center of the screen above scroll line
• Footer of every page
• People scan for prompts to take an action.
If you don’t call people to act - they won’t.
• Invite the viewer to take a step towards working with you.
TRANSITIONAL CTAs
Ask them to spend more time with you.
Opt-Ins -> A simple downloadable pdf document
Articles
Podcasts
Real Conversations
Grow
GROW BY LOWERING YOUR CLIENT’S RISK
• By being more trusted
• Not just more output or lower costs
• This takes time
HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES YOUR BUSINESS NEED TO TRUST IT?
What is your minimum viable audience?
1, 5, 50, 100, 1,000?
THIS DEPENDS ON
• Your capacity
• Your overhead
• The audience you serve
• The value you offer holistically
• If you want to scale or franchise
How Are You Growing Your Audiences’ Trust? This Becomes Part Of Your Brand’s Story.
BE PATIENT, EARN IT OVER TIME & SHARE THIS STORY
• Buying bots isn’t helpful
• Grow one happy client at a time.
• Grow one follower at a time.
• Grow one collaborator at a time.