Today is the first full day of Author U Extravaganza here in Colorado; it’s a 2-1/2 day intensive experience of learning from the sharpest publishing experts. I’m excited and honored to be a part of this extraordinary conference event that covers social media marketing, Kindle positioning, branding strategies, book printing, and so much more.

Will be posting pictures on Facebook throughout the conference, wish you were here!

Believe it or not, we’re a quarter of the way through 2012. As you perform your monthly review of your marketing plan, are you on-track with your goals? Are the results what you had expected? If you’re thinking that maybe you missed something, it might be time to give LinkedIn a second thought. [More...]

Read more of my guest post at H&H Color Lab.

My guest video blog post for H&H Color Lab; how photographers can use search functions in Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to identify potential clients.

Full post is over at H&H Color Lab, along with a short transcription of the video.

Cha-cha-cha-changes…. 72 hours and counting until the new Facebook Timeline design hits business pages.

Are you ready for Friday’s roll-out of the Facebook Timeline design for business pages? Friday the 30th is it, so get your page finished by Thursday!

If you’ve already played with the preview mode, you’ve seen how the new design works, but maybe you’re not feeling entirely adept at it. Until you’re used to this new format, use this reference sheet to guide you. Below is a list of what’s out – what’s new, and some additional marketing stactics to consider:

1. Profile pictures which used to sit in the upper left-corner are now called cover photos – and they are public. You cannot change the viewing access on cover photos or the cover photo album. Remember too that calls to action, pricing, asks for shares or likes cannot be present in your cover photo. Download the reference sheet to see the new specs on photos.

2. Apps and Landing Pages used to be on the left-hand side under the profile picture. Default landing pages are gone (Anyone coming to your page will automatically see the full timeline). Under your cover photo sits tab boxes (photos will always sit in #1 position on the left). Besides the photo tab box, you will have 3 boxes for custom applications. What’s new? These boxes can now have unique artwork to correlate with the experience they lead to. The reference sheet outlines the dimensions for creating custom artwork.

While your audience immediately sees 4 tabs, there is a total maximum of 12 available. The position of these can be swapped out as frequently as you wish, except for the photo box.

3. Fans and readers now have the ability to privately direct message the page. However, the default setting is turned ‘off’.  I strongly suggest you turn it on: Admin Panel > Manage > Edit Page > Manage Permissions > “show” message button on page. Besides being customer-friendly for timid fans who fear the stupid-question issue, you may find if you get enough of the same types of emails/comments, that what you thought you presented clearly indeed may not be clear. Immediate feedback is priceless for making on-the-fly adjustments.

4. The “Info” is now “About”, located directly under the cover photo and profile icon at the left-hand side. Local businesses will have the opportunity to fill in hours, phone number, etc. I suggest you keep this area sparse; short simple description of who you do or are, and insert a hyperlink to your website or blog.

5. Added to the arsenal of post types (questions, polls, photos, videos, etc.) is something called Milestones and ‘pinning’ a post. A Milestone is a notable historical event that you choose to highlight and can include a picture. It will take up the full width of the timeline (from side to side). You can control the dates of Milestones, edit as you need to. ‘Pinning’ a post is simply the act of making it notable and pushing it to the top of your timeline, yet it remains on one side or the other of the Timeline. ‘Pinned’ posts stay in position for 7 days, but you can re-pin to increase the length of time, or remove when you see fit. A ‘pinned’ post might be a promotion, a special, even a link to one of your new tab applications.

If you wanted to ‘Highlight’ a post, it would take up the full-width (wide screen effect) across the entire Timeline. If something is not really a Milestone, but certainly notable and worthy of emphasis, choose the ‘Highlight’ option by clicking on the pencil icon in the right-hand corner of the post once you’ve posted an item.

6. The design itself of Timeline has some folks confused as to how to read it. Depending on page settings, most of the pages will be read from left to right, with the left position being the most recent activity. However, the top of the right-hand side of the Timeline is where you and others will find recent activity on the page. You may choose to set these activities for ‘review’ before posting to the page. Of course only an admin has the right to review and post. Go to Manage > Edit Page to change these settings.

7. The admin panel is now at the very top of your page, and only admins can see it. There is a “hide” button on the right-hand corner which allows you to toggle the view on and off. The admin panel gives you a snapshot of new likes, your insights, messages and recent activity.

Above the admin panel is a tool bar with 3 areas. Note that if you have toggled the admin panel to ‘hide’, you will not see this tool bar. Simply toggle admin back to view and viola! “Manage” takes you to the basics of editing your page, looking at your activity log and keeping track of banned users. “Build Audience” is the center button which allows you to share the page, invite others and access Facebook Advertising. The last button “Help” goes to a really well organized area of all Facebook help info.

8. Remember how Facebook would sometimes classify posts as ‘spam’, and they placed them in the area called Hidden Posts? They’re now inside the Activity Log as ‘spam’. Scroll to the top of your page by the admin panel, click on Manage > Activity Log > Spam.

I’ve had a number of people ask me “What will my page look like if I don’t make any changes”? You will have the same format as Timeline, but you will have a large blank space at the top where the cover photo should be. Your current Profile Picture will be your Profile Icon, and I think its safe to say that you’ll simply look behind-the-times and out of the loop.

Adjusting your page to these new settings isn’t difficult, just time-consuming. If you have questions, please post them on my Facebook wall – I’ve had multiple direct messages come in that are virtually identical. Most people have the same questions as you! My team and I are here to help you in the transition, and anything we can do to help, we’re happy to. All I ask in return is or a shout-out on Facebook or Twitter (@mamagg). Of course I’m here to assist you with hands-on too, so if you want or need more in-depth assistance, leave me a comment below or email me at georgia@georgiamccabe.com and you’ll hear from me asap.

P.S. don’t forget to download the reference sheet with all the new Timeline graphic specs; you’ll need it for working on custom tab artwork and cover photos!

Whether you call them MILCs, CSCs, EVILs, MSCs, or DSLMs, the arrival of mirrorless, interchangeable-lens cameras is one of the most exciting advancements in photography technology in the last few years. By circumventing the cumbersomeness of a reflexive lens system, developers are able to make high quality cameras that aren’t as clunky as DSLRs, and professional photographers are jumping on board in droves.

In addition to the benefits of a smaller size system, MILCs offer a number of other great advantages for photographers. The ability to switch interchangeable lenses allows the user greater dynamic control over point-and-shoot cameras, and they are as fast and responsive as any entry-level DSLR, while featuring the same high quality.

Fujifilm’s X-Pro1 is one of the most popular new additions to the steadily growing field of MILCs. Released in January of this year, the X-Pro1 has a compact, ergonomic design, while still boasting the sturdy construction high quality that its X series is known for. And by removing the optical low-pass filter and bringing the lens closer to its own specially-designed sensor, the X-Pro1 produces impressive image quality, even at a higher ISO.

Some of the major complaints with MILCs so far have been with the cost and a lack of native lenses. At $1,699 for the camera and proprietary lenses at about $600 each, the X-Pro1 brings this technology within range not only for professionals as a personal use or second-camera, and for advanced amateurs as well.

MILCs are an increasingly vital piece of equipment for any professional’s portfolio, and the X-Pro1 is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about cameras of 2012. Check out this in-booth interview with Kayce Baker, Director of Marketing of Fujifilm North America’s Electronic Imaging Division, as she discusses some of the features of the X-Pro1 at this year’s WPPI trade show with Joe Cristina and Trevor Current from DigitalPhotographyCafe.com:

Running a photography business can be demanding. Between shooting engagements, administrative work, and managing the business end, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to still find the time to keep in touch with clients and make them feel appreciated.

As a recent Harvard Business study pointed out, by increasing customer loyalty by 5%, a company can increase their bottom line profits by as much as 80%. This is because, despite incredible innovations in online marketing, it is still much more expensive to reach new customers than to retain current ones. And this is particularly important in the world of photography, as a customer who returns to the same photographer for wedding and family photographs, and eventually even senior portraits and so on, can provide a substantial amount of business for that photographer over their lifetime.

At the WPPI 2012 show in Las Vegas, we caught up with Roy Meyer from Ultimate ROI Marketing, who provides a service for companies to maintain a personal connection with their customers in an efficient, almost automated way.

The service provided by Ultimate ROI Marketing is an extremely affordable way for any business to send materials to long-term clients. By entering customer information into an account database, the company can schedule the delivery of personalized cards, photographs, and even gifts indefinitely. This service is especially advantageous for photographers, who can maintain a close connection with their customers while sending examples of their work. And a customer who receives an anniversary card from their wedding photographer, perhaps along with a wedding picture, is much more likely not only to remember how thoughtful that photographer was when it comes time to get maternity and newborn photographs, but also refer them along to friends and relatives.

These days, an online and social media marketing strategy is indispensable for any company. If your photography business is having a hard time maintaining a personal, real-world connection with lifetime customers, though, then be sure to check out this video of my chat with Roy Meyer at WPPI 2012 for more information about Ultimate ROI Marketing:

And heartfelt thanks to DigitalPhotographyCafe.com for their video and technical support!

Looking for more time-proven techniques for appreciation marketing strategies? Check out what expert Tommy Wyatt has to say about showing gratitude in his book “Appreciation Marketing – how to achieve greatness through gratitude” on Amazon. Oh – and it’s available in kindle version too!

Switching it up a little with a Q&A from a recent fan email:

What do I need to know about posting a winner’s photo on my FB wall at the conclusion of the contest?

This is a bigger question than many of you might think.

First, the rules of your contest or sweepstakes (if it’s photo-based) needs to state that by the participant’s action of entering, they are claiming proper and true copyright ownership of the photo. Secondly, if your intent is to use the photo to announce the winner, or share with other participants, the contest/sweepstakes rules should clearly indicate your intent in the rules. My personal feeling is that it’s wrong to assume ownership if someone enters your contest – you really gain nothing by taking their ownership away. Except for hard feelings and possibly bad word-of-mouth.

Back to the topic… Let’s say the photo contest you’re operating is accessible through Facebook. Notice I did not say “on” Facebook. You cannot in any way, run a contest through Facebook, everything must be done through a 3rd party application, and there’s plenty to choose from. My favorite app is Wildfireapp.com

Once the contest/sweepstakes concludes, Facebook TOS states that you CANNOT in any way use Facebook as a platform to contact the winner. No message, no ‘tagging’ them in posts, no wall posts, nothing. So, in the contest collection database, let’s hope you collected email addresses, phone numbers and possibly mailing addresses as well. You can use any of these methods to reach the winner or finalists. You could even write a blog post for your website, announce all the great details of and about the winner(s), and then create a Facebook post which LINKS to your blog post. That option is fair game.

Now lastly, if your contest rules did not state your intention or interest in using the winning photo for some kind of company gain or use, then you MUST ask for written permission granting you use. I suggest when you contact the winner, you ask for the specific use you would like, and include the duration of use. It’s up to the winner to determine if they’ll share or not. But their winning is in no way terms for you to use their photo UNLESS you covered that in the official rules of your contest/sweepstakes.

Not that long ago marketing messages were pretty much a one way street. Think about it –  television ads, radio, direct mail, it was all one way, pushed out at consumers – in essence, outbound messaging. Thanks to the evolution of the internet and the adoption of use and access by consumers, traditional marketing models have been forced to change. Now what we see are communities engaged in dialogue; conversations. Customers seeking out businesses, reading referrals, and asking questions as tweets and as Facebook posts. The conversations are two-way and interactive.

If old techniques can be viewed as intrusive, then the new techniques are organic, free-form and inviting. This doesn’t mean throw what you know about marketing out the window, it just means some adjustments and adaptations are in order. It’s the responsibility of today’s marketer to keep providing value, entertainment and certainly education. It’s through this commitment of earning the trust of the consumer that inbound marketing can flourish.

Integrating inbound marketing tactics isn’t as hard as it may sound. Some simple steps (a few which you might already be doing) will set you up in the right direction. First, content is king. As long as its relevant content, it’ll remain king. Blogging is almost an expected means to deliver your content, and it creates more opportunities for consumers, clients and customers to find you via search engines. Also take the time to investigate if your blog and its theme is compatible with mobile devices and tablets. According to HubSpot, blogging can bring you as much as 55% more traffic! More traffic = more opportunities to engage your community.

Photos and videos are also great additions to a blog post – a product demonstration, an interview with a figure in your industry, photos of something you’re working on or launching soon. Share the blog posts through social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Impact Branding & Design recently released a chart stating that companies incorporating social media in their inbound marketing program saw 63% increase in the effectiveness of their marketing. And 2/3 of all US internet users participate in some type of social network, so unless you missed the lesson in ‘relevant content’, you’re almost sure to participate in these figures as well.

One of my clients is committed to actively engaging in social media: “If we’re not engaging, we feel we’re missing a huge opportunity! Our soul and passion is to help professional image capturers put their best foot forward and engaging in social networks with them helps us deliver what they need to succeed”, says David Drum, Director of Business Development at H&H Color Lab.

If you visit the H&H Color Lab blog, you’ll see they post a barrage of helpful topics, tutorials and ideas at least twice weekly. Of course the headlines and body copy are carefully written to encourage higher SEO rankings. Their Facebook business page has become a quasi-customer service portal, with photographers asking for help and receiving instructions, guidance or resolution within a short period of time. It’s not uncommon to see customer kudos posted on the H&H Color Lab Facebook wall when they receive their order.

Listen in as David and I talk about his 42- year old company’s social media and inbound marketing efforts.

If you need more inspiration and want to know more about inbound marketing, sign up for my newsletter and get a free editorial planning calendar; it’s got sensei marketing tips and useful tools that you can easily apply to your marketing strategies.

I recently attended WPPI12 in Las Vegas, and gained a lot of new knowledge about services, products and challenges that photographers are facing. Brides are also facing challenges as their budgets are being trimmed but their desires aren’t!

The latest must-have at a wedding reception – 20% of brides surveyed today say they are incorporating these into their receptions – resembles a ‘photo booth’. And in many cases, this type of experience service is not being offered by the wedding photographer; it could come from the DJ, or some type of multi-media vendor. Some of the photo booths are eating up between $400 and $2,000 of the overall wedding budget! It’s squeezing the bride’s budget and it’s diminishing the photographer’s potential for revenue, in essence leaving the photographer with a smaller piece of the pie.

Remember the disposable cameras that were so popular at wedding receptions in the 90’s? Fast forward into a new century and now it’s all about digital camera rentals for use at receptions. These can also be costly, certainly time consuming since the bride or someone in the wedding party needs to keep track of the equipment and ship it back to the source. Not ideal, but it’s the current reality.

And let’s not forget to recognize all the pictures taken with cell phones and uploaded to Facebook and other sharing sites, of which the professional photographer didn’t get a chance to monetize and provide additional value for the bride.

Savvy photographers are looking for ways to maintain the largest slice of the brides’ budget, while providing the utmost in choices, services and value for the bride. An emerging concept in event photography combines the best of all of choices while providing the full service and value to the client and maximizing revenue potential for photographers.

I liken it to a virtual photo booth kiosk.

Envision this; you have a software license loaded on your laptop or iPad, and you set up a space at the reception for the photo booth type activity and fun. And all those guests with camera phones and digital cameras? Those can be incorporated into this virtual kiosk along with the event photos including the ones that the photographer has captured.

At this kiosk station, people can purchase on the spot! How? A small item called “square” – it’s a credit card reader and easily attaches to an iphone or android phone. Check out how easy it is at squareup.com; there’s next-day payout, free readers and apps for your digital devices, free account, free reader hardware and one rate for all transactions.

According to Professional Photographers of America, the most successful photography studios allocate 25-35% of their gross income to the cost of sales, and on average between 30% and 40% to operating expenses which leaves roughly 35% left as take-home pay.

Watch while Larry Adams from Storefront.com gives DigitalPhotographyCafé.com a demo and see for yourself how you can use this service to provide greater value, choices and experiences to your clients, and maybe even grow your piece of the pie!

Whether it’s a smartphone or a tablet, more and more people are shifting away from using desktops and home-based systems towards using mobile devices to access the Web. With so many new, innovative ways to reach and interact with potential customers, mobile marketing is becoming an increasingly vital way for photography businesses to thrive in a constantly changing landscape. Professional photographers, as with any commercial enterprise, stand to benefit greatly from integrating effective mobile marketing strategies. According to a report from mobiThinking, there are approximately 1.2 billion mobile Web users, accounting for nearly 10% of global Website hits. Trends indicate [more...]