164: Should You Pay a Referral % to Event Planners?

It’s not a secret that the first quarter of 2024 has been a bit slower than previous years, and if you don’t have data from your own business to compare, this could be very scary. However, this is the name of the game; some years will be better than others, and the goal is to keep momentum, even when it's harder to do so. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing with you 5 things I’m doing to keep my business on everyone’s radar! Constant eyes on my brand means opportunities that I can take to book new clients. I hope you take these strategies and use them in your own business! -- ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS? Join me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thetogrepublic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Purchase The Art of Pinning: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3 steps to turn Pinterest into a traffic machine (this is a freebie!): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/join

Friend, today’s episode is an interview I did with my fellow podcaster Bobbie Barbarich. Her show, The Tilt and Shift Podcast, features some amazing and deep conversations with talented photographers, so I recommend you subscribe to her feed. In this episode, Bobbie and I chatted about some recent changes I made to my business and the mindset work I have been doing to implement significant changes in my pricing. You can find more about Bobbi and her podcast here: https://bobbibeducation.com/ -- ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS? Join me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thetogrepublic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Purchase The Art of Pinning: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3 steps to turn Pinterest into a traffic machine (this is a freebie!): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/join

Friends, today we have a question from Rachel Mann Photography (I host Q&A’s on my Instagram Channel) and she asked: “Best way to attract your ideal client as a family?” Well, over a decade ago, I was solely a family photographer when I had just started my photography business. At that time, we didn’t have Instagram (CALM DOWN, YOUNG PEOPLE!!!), so I had to rely on networking to grow my business. In this episode, I'll share with you five things I did to attract clients and get my brand off the ground! -- ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS? Join me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thetogrepublic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Purchase The Art of Pinning: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠ 3 steps to turn Pinterest into a traffic machine (this is a freebie!): ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/join

Friend, if you've been a photographer for over 15 years, you've likely heard the name Jon Canlas at least once. If you shoot film, you've definitely heard his name at least twice ;) I've been a fan of his work since the early stages of my career, and I'm thrilled I had the opportunity to have this chat at this stage of my business! A conversation that was supposed to be about a business without a website took many turns into other important topics. Although I'm a sucker for structure, I let Jon guide me into a chat that felt heartfelt and vulnerable, filling me with inspiration. I hope this conversation does the same for you! If you are new to Jon, he’s been a photographer since 1999. He has created a profession around shooting film. Known for his family work both professionally and personally, he also is known for his workshops FILM IS NOT DEAD and the current FILM SCHOOL ROAD TRIP. He resides in Payson, UT with his 6 kids. You can find more about Jon here: His Website (No website ;)) https://jonathan.instaproofs.com/gallery/#events Hitoribochi (personal work shot since his divorce) https://jonathan.instaproofs.com/gallery/#events/1897059 Peteetneet (personal work shot in UT since moving from Hawaii) https://jonathan.instaproofs.com/gallery/#events/1517048 Life of Aloha (personal work shot while he lived in Hawaii) https://jonathan.instaproofs.com/gallery/#events/971230 FILM SCHOOL ROAD TRIP https://jonathan.instaproofs.com/gallery/#events/971230 His Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jonathancanlas/ -- ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS? Join me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thetogrepublic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Purchase The Art of Pinning: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/pinterest⁠⁠⁠ 3 steps to turn Pinterest into a traffic machine (this is a freebie!): ⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/join

Today’s episode is a bit different, as I've invited a previous client of mine to share her experience booking a photographer for her engagement session. I photographed Dilihana and her fiance, David, in December, a few months after her initial inquiry. The reason I wanted to hear her point of view was that after presenting my pricing, she politely mentioned that unfortunately, she was going with another photographer based on her budget. However, a gut feeling and perceived value made her reevaluate her original decision and book my services instead, despite the price difference. This candid conversation is filled with valuable insights on what future clients are looking for and the little things that make a difference. Read Dailihana’s Work: Dailihana Afonseca | 2023 Pen / Robert J. Dau Prize Winner Spanglish (A Poem) English as A Second Language -- ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS? Join me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thetogrepublic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Purchase The Art of Pinning: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/pinterest⁠⁠ 3 steps to turn Pinterest into a traffic machine (this is a freebie!): ⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/join

I published this episode 2 years ago and since we are talking a lot about websites, I'm going to share this with all of you! I hope in 2024 you focus on your site as a major component of your marketing strategy! Enjoy this episode! -- ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS? Join me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thetogrepublic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Purchase The Art of Pinning: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/pinterest⁠ 3 steps to turn Pinterest into a traffic machine (this is a freebie!): ⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/join

Did you know that Instagram now has Channels? If you've been living under a rock and this is news to you, I just want to let you know that I have a Marketing Channel, and you can join for FREE. There, I'm sharing bite-sized marketing tips, and you can ask questions too! The questions from Today’s episode come from 2 fantastic photographers Rachael Mann and Francisco Estarda they asked about the best Tool/Place For Marketing outside social media and trends for wedding photography and video in 2024.I also added a third question I received on Threads! Enjoy this episode! -- ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS? Join me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thetogrepublic⁠⁠⁠⁠ Purchase The Art of Pinning: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/pinterest 3 steps to turn Pinterest into a traffic machine (this is a freebie!): https://thetogrepublic.com/join

Friend, the very first impression that prospects get of your business is through your images. Are you showcasing the kind of work that will attract your ideal client? But here lies the catch-22. How can you attract the clients you want if your work isn't speaking to the right audience? Allow me to introduce David Abel, an international wedding photographer based in Virginia. He took matters into his own hands with exquisite editorial work that bridged the gap between his portfolio and his dream clients! In today’s episode, David shares with us how to build your portfolio and curate your images to reach the clients you are most interested in working with. You can find more about David Abel here: Website - https://davidabel.co/ Education, Workshops, & Retreats: https://davidabel.co/education Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/davidabel.co/ Catch David at Hybrid Co - https://thehybridco.com/ -- ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR BUSINESS? Join me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thetogrepublic⁠⁠⁠⁠ Purchase The Art of Pinning: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/pinterest

Happy 2024! Blogging is back in fashion, and I hope this episode provides you with the encouragement and strategies you need to start using this approach as a fundamental tool in your business. Brianna Parks is an adventure elopement photographer in Northern California, and her website receives over 300 inquiries per year, thanks to Google! In today's episode, we discuss her blogging approach, what she's done, and the timeline it took her to reach page one for over 10 different keywords! SEO is a massive topic, and although we did our best to cover the basics, you might need some extra context or information. If that's the case, please visit my Patreon, where I have several tutorials about SEO and its components. You can find more about Brianna here: Website - https://briannaparksphoto.com Instagram - https://instagram.com/briannaparksphotography Are you ready to level up your business? Join me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thetogrepublic⁠⁠⁠ Purchase The Art of Pinning:  ⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/pinterest

Gratitude plays a significant role in both my life and business, so here are five ways to show gratitude in the Wedding Industry and Grow Your Business! In this super short episode, but very applicable, I share with you five simple strategies to show gratitude, while getting noticed by your favorite vendors. ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS: Join me on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/thetogrepublic⁠⁠⁠ Purchase The Art of Pinning: ⁠⁠⁠https://thetogrepublic.com/pinterest