Are you in need of some fresh new ideas on how to utilize your MpixPro products to market your studio? The fabulous Catherine Clay, Dallas-based on-location and natural light photographer, has been kind enough to share her favorite products and the ways in which she uses them to gain clients and increase sales.

Soft Cover Books – The perfect marketing tool to explain studio pricing and packages to potential clients while featuring images that personify your studio.

“We use this Soft Cover Book to market in doctor’s offices and also have them available in our studio to explain our baby plan to clients,” Catherine says. “The book explains in detail what they will receive throughout the year, how to dress and highlights the type of images they can expect to receive.”

Create separate books for your most popular or extra special packages. For Catherine, those are her beach sessions. Here’s her take: “I travel to the beach every year to shoot clients. I use the Soft Cover Books to help explain the difference of a beach session versus a typical session, highlighting typical session images on and off the beach.”

Business Cards – The last impression you get to leave after meeting someone for the first time, and a great way to brand your studio. Make this important calling card reflect the personality and professionalism of your studio in a way that’s as unique and individual as you. Catherine prints her cards on Pearl.

Posters – A perfect way to highlight your best work, brand your studio and market special sessions and/or promotions. Place in studio windows or on entry way walls for maximum impact. Here’s how Catherine uses them: “We hang our Posters in the studio windows to advertise our limited wildflower sessions available in the spring to the busy shopping center traffic.”

Folded Cards – Use these as a professional, stylish way to send external communications to clients. They make beautiful thank you cards, gift cards, client reminders, studio updates, promotion alerts and more. “I mail these 5×7 Folded Cards to current clients to remind them to book their beach sessions,” Catherine says.

We print a 5×5 Folded Card as a thank you that we send out at the beginning of the year. Inside, we attach a small envelope with 8 rounded corner wallets from their session encouraging people to hand them out to their friends and family recommending Catherine Clay Photography.

Flat Cards – Another way to send pro-quality communications to clients. Catherine uses this 5×5 Flat Card on Linen Paper card to say thank you for an order or to jot a quick note to clients.

Luxe Cards – Send your clients a special message that will make a unique impression and will leave them wanting more. Catherine uses this 5×7 Folded Luxe Card to write more substantial notes to clients.

Mounted Prints – Turn an 8×10 Mounted Print into a sturdy calendar to make the ideal client gift or use for a studio promotion. Start with a calendar template, the design pictured below is from histudio on Etsy, and order as a 8×10 print. Have the print mounted to either matboard or styrene. Catherine adds a magnetic strip to the back of her calendars and mails them as a client gift for the New Year.

Feeling inspired and ready to inject new life into your marketing plan? Visit the MpixPro catalog to begin creating the products that will jumpstart your 2012.

As a wedding photographer you have the daunting task of capturing the most important day in a couple’s life. Finding the right products for those images can be tough.

Unless you order through MpixPro. Check out our perfect products to match your perfect images of their perfect day.

We have awesome solutions for guest books, save the date cards and custom DVD cases if you choose to sell your images.

Day Twelve: Framed Prints + Closing Thoughts

Hey friends!

Well, here we are. ((sniff sniff, sob sob)) Why can’t it be 25 days of Christmas?

For our final day, I wanted to hit up the old standby: framed prints. There have been lots of new ideas presented over this series, but framed prints have withstood the test of time. MpixPro can print all sorts of sizes, up to 20×30, so they’re good for just about any budget. What I love about sending framed prints is that I make sure my art is displayed how I want it displayed. Having control over the final product is huge. Good for families and vendors and clients, this is really a great way to take care of anybody on your gift-giving list.

Okay, so that’s it! More than anything, I hope that you’ve been inspired in some way to show your appreciation this holiday season. I’m appreciative of all my clients – they allow me to have the life I love. I’m appreciative of my fellow vendors – they refer me and keep me in business. I’m appreciative of my family and friends – they’ve created a support system that has encouraged me in my endeavors and loved me unconditionally. And, I’m appreciative of you – you’ve helped me feel valued and appreciated myself. Thank you!

And to all a good night,

Dale

http://www.benfieldphotography.net
http://www.twitter.com/dalebenfield

Day Eleven: Custom DVDs, aka Slideshows That Stick

Wow! We’re almost finished with this series. Honestly, I’m a little sad! It’s been so fun writing these for you. I hope they’ve inspired you in some way or another.

Today I want to talk about an easy way to breathe new life into an older photo shoot: slideshows on custom dvds. If you’ve earned all you can from a shoot, why not give it new life by sending your clients a slideshow to play on their big ol’ HD TV (this also teaches them that bigger is, in fact, better). Furthermore, MpixPro has the ability to make you look like a SUPERSTAR to your clients. Their custom dvds and custom dvd cases take you from ordinary to over-the-top awesome! Seriously.

For the slideshow part, I have a mac so it’s quite easy to do. If you don’t have a mac, get one. Just kidding. There are many many slideshow programs out there (check out Animoto if you need something that’s trendy – I was Animoto before Animoto was cool. Haha!). Whatever your means of creating your slideshow, a custom disc and case is the best way, hands down, to present your product.

Happy 12 days of Christmas!
Dale

http://www.benfieldphotography.net
http://www.twitter.com/dalebenfield

Day Ten: Order Changes and Shipping Options Through Zenfolio, aka Turn Customers Into Fans

I love Zappos. Who’s with me? If you’ve never used Zappos.com you’re missing out on a great experience. They are a company that I model aspects of my own company after. One such thing that I took from reading the CEO’s book, Delivering Happiness, is that by giving your clients something they didn’t even know they needed is a sure-fire way to turn a customer into a fan. Free overnight shipping is a great way to do this (Zappos.com does free shipping, even on returns). If you’re an early adopter of the new Zenfolio Premium Business plan (it’s GREAT, by the way!!) you have the ability to go in and change orders and shipping options. Hello! That’s just what we’ve been talking about!

(in the screen shot below, I gave a shipping discount, upgraded to fedex, and added boutique packing – shown by the red arrows)

Imagine getting an email from a business you’ve ordered from saying, “Thank you so much for your order! I really wanted to show you my appreciation so I upgraded you to overnight Fedex shipping! For Free! I’ve refunded the amount you paid for shipping. We hope that you and your family have a really wonderful Christmas!”

Or…

Imagine getting an email from a business you’ve ordered from saying, “I really appreciate you! In addition to your 16×20 order, I’ve included a second one for free! I’d love for you to keep it a secret and give it to someone as a gift! Happy Holidays to you and your family!” (notice the “Add Products” in the screen shot above? That’s how!)

I don’t know about you, but either of those would immediately turn me into a fan for life! And it didn’t take too much out of my pocket.

Happy 12 days of Christmas!
Dale

http://www.benfieldphotography.net
http://www.twitter.com/dalebenfield

Day Nine: Calendars, aka How To Stay In Front Of Your Customers For The Next 365 Days

Probably one of the most affordable gifts you could give, calendars are no brainers for the potential return on investment. They’re super easy to order and you can customize every calendar with a simple drag and drop in ROES.

An added tip is to grab a handful of magnets at Hobby Lobby or Amazon.com or someplace similar and send them along with your calendar. That way, clients can stick these to their fridge all year long. In their minds all year long? Yes please!

Happy 12 days of Christmas!
Dale

http://www.benfieldphotography.net
http://www.twitter.com/dalebenfield

Day Eight: Ornaments, aka The Lesser-Known (but equally cool) Use For the Circle Luxe Card

I should have made this one on day 2, but worry not! With MpixPro’s insane turnaround time (even during the holidays), this could still get to your clients with two weeks to spare. And if done well, they’ll put them out every year! I’m talking about ornaments, which is a great option for the circle Luxe card. (Did you ever notice the “Options for pre-punched hanger hold on circular templates”?)

This could become a tradition for your clients! You send them the first one, and then ensure job security by selling the idea of having these made every year for the holiday tree. That’s easy money there! Because they come in sets of 25, I’d encourage my families to hold on to the extras (or order extras) so the tradition can last 20+ years.

Because they’re double-sided, you can have a cool design on the front with image, and on the back you can put your logo and then some blanks to fill in each year (kids names and ages, etc.).

Here’s to lifetime clients!

Happy 12 days of Christmas!
Dale

http://www.benfieldphotography.net
http://www.twitter.com/dalebenfield

Day Seven: Accordion Books, aka The Ultimate Brag Book

Can you believe we’re already at day seven? I hope you’ve found these posts to be valuable both personally and professionally. It’s been great to organize my thoughts on screen (remember when we used to say “on paper”?)

Today’s post is all about one of MpixPro’s SEXIEST products: Accordion Books. I used to do 5×5 custom cover books for my clients as gifts. They were cool, but in keeping up with my “boutique” style brand, I yearned for something sexier. Enter accordion books. Parents haven’t seen anything like this before, and JUMP at the chance to pull this out of their purse. Fully branded (of course) my name spreads every time mommy pulls this puppy out to show off her kids’ recent photo shoot. I like to get this in their hands BEFORE she heads to all those holiday parties.

Which reminds me… anytime I send a gift to a client, I send them a message via Facebook or email: Hey ______, Keep your eye on the front porch! I’ve sent something your way. Definitely don’t wait until Christmas to open it! Have a super day! ~Dale

Oh, and I feel like the frosted slip cover is a must. Have you looked inside a woman’s purse lately??? Those things hold EVERYTHING! And the last thing I’d want is for my lovely marketing piece (because c’mon, that’s what this is) to get scuffed, marked on, lipsticked, nail-filed, etc. Protect your investment and add even more wow-factor-ness. (another new word!)

As a more affordable solution, perhaps for an almost-as-good client, the accordion mini is super cool. At less than half the price, you still get the word of mouth marketing.

(the right two are ours!)

Happy 12 days of Christmas!
Dale

http://www.benfieldphotography.net
http://www.twitter.com/dalebenfield

We love making purchases and having the clerk ask if they can gift wrap our packages. This is a huge time saver in the hectic weeks leading up to Christmas. Do the same for your customers by choosing Boutique Packaging, which is only $7.00. Add on Drop Shipping for no extra cost and we will ship straight to your customer.

Day Six: Stickers + Puzzles, aka Presents For Kids

You show me a child who doesn’t love stickers or puzzles…
This idea is again a post that is easily adaptable from a personal to a professional level. For Christmas, I’m going to give Ellie a trip to Paris. That girl LOVES the Eiffel Tower! How cool would it be for me to tell her that she gets to see the wondrous landmark by giving her a puzzle of it (from an image I took, of course).

For your clients’ kids, you can send it to, say, Grant and Caroline (the kiddos below), from Benfield Photography. The puzzle is of them! How cool to have your own puzzle! Those parents, by the way, are going to LOOOOVE you! And you better believe they’re going to tell their friends all about the super thoughtful photographers who cared enough to send their children a Christmas present. Holla!

Stickers work the same way. Ellie adores stickers. Multiply her love of stickers with her love of pictures of her and you have a product that gets squeals when opened.

Happy 12 days of Christmas!
Dale

http://www.benfieldphotography.net
http://www.twitter.com/dalebenfield