Sari Photography
"I see the light in you."Overview
Sari Photography struggled to grow her business revenue year over year within an affluent community of professionals and private schools.
Understanding the problem
An outdated website can significantly diminish trust and reliability in a business. Poor design and a lack of polished presentation, such as fuzzy images, fail to provide an accurate representation of the quality of photographs on display. Additionally, sending emails without a well-crafted marketing plan leads to missed opportunities. The photography packages offered fall below the average price point for the affluent Sebastopol market, which overlooks the potential for lucrative clientele. Furthermore, not effectively distinguishing herself from competitors, she has missed critical opportunities to engage audiences on social media, which could have fostered community recognition and engagement.
My Role
Achievements:
Established a System of Processes for a Creative Business Owner with a hectic, exceedingly changing scheduling system on top of marketing plans.
Posted white pages on the power of a photographer who can see the light within you to attract school coordinators, wedding planners, brides-to-be, and photo needs.
Adding a price decoy to the packages created a psychological effect that led to upselling the middle choice, resulting in a significant 20% increase in revenue compared to the previous year.
Catalog coordination of projects, images, and designs to market services such as weddings, school portraits, and milestone events.
Sebastopol
Sebastopol in Santa Rosa was just voted as one of five cities among California's most relaxed, hippie, small-town vibes
Market Analysis
Geographic Focus: Primarily in Sebastopol, Santa Rosa, and surrounding Sonoma County areas, where families, schools, and wedding venues are plentiful.
Market Demand:
School Photography: Many schools in the area require dependable photographers for annual photo days, ensuring a recurring demand for school photography services.
Senior Portraits: With a steady stream of high school students each year, there’s ongoing demand for personalized, high-quality senior portrait sessions.
Weddings: Sonoma County’s scenic beauty and abundance of wedding venues make it a popular spot for weddings, creating steady demand for experienced wedding photographers.
Competitor Analysis:
Local Competitors: There are several family-owned and local photography businesses offering similar services. Differentiating with a unique style, specialized packages, and flexible booking options will help Sari Photography stand out.
Service Gaps: Many photographers may not provide year-round service options, same-day photo delivery, or specialized wedding packages, which could be key differentiators for Sari Photography.
Economic Insights:
High-value Clientele: In affluent Sonoma County, many families, schools, and wedding planners seek quality and experience in photography services, willing to pay a premium for professional results.
Service Pricing Strategy: By positioning as a mid-to-high-range service provider, Sari Photography can cater to clients looking for quality and customization, especially in senior portraits and wedding photography..
Goals
Increase web traffic of 5,000 new visitors by Q4.
Gain 1000 new page likes by Q4.
Generate 20 new leads by Q4.
Engage with 100 comments by Q4.
Strategic Approach
Transfer to new photography management system
Compile and sort content into categories: Wedding, Engagement, Professional, Graduation, etc.
Select the most representative of the best work and show individual flair.
You can set up one web page per event for easy access and future purchases to limit manual requests.
Establish an online presence
Facebook Business Page + linked Instagram Profile
Follow key client pages to announce photo publication updates with location and hashtags for reach
Generate new leads
White Pages
Audience segmentation
Targeted advertising
Connect with potential customers
Join different communities
Encourage and provide support when relevant
Provide photography knowledge
Offer a promotional deal
Strategic Approach
Audience Persona Analysis
Primary Persona - Parents of School-Aged Children
Demographics: Parents in their 30s-50s with school-aged children (kindergarten through high school), living in Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, or nearby areas.
Psychographics: These parents value capturing memories of their children as they grow. They seek photographers with a friendly demeanor who can help children feel at ease during photo sessions.
Behavioral Traits:
Purchase Drivers: Quality, consistency, and ease of ordering prints or digital copies.
Pain Points: They want clear communication about photo day logistics and an easy ordering process for prints.
Channels: They can be reached through school email newsletters, social media channels (especially Facebook), and community groups.
Secondary Persona - High School Seniors and Their Parents
Demographics: High school seniors (ages 17-18) and their parents (40s-50s), mostly local to Sonoma County.
Psychographics: High school seniors want to showcase their personality and unique style in their portraits, while parents are looking for lasting memories that reflect this milestone.
Behavioral Traits:
Purchase Drivers: Personalized service, flexibility in location and style, and high-quality, modern-looking photos that stand out.
Pain Points: They may find it difficult to book sessions during the busy season or encounter limited options for customization from larger studios.
Channels: Best reached through high school announcements, local Facebook groups, and Instagram, where they often look for photography inspiration.
Tertiary Persona - Wedding Couples and Planners
Demographics: Couples (primarily ages 25-40) planning weddings in Sonoma County, along with local wedding planners who often book vendors.
Psychographics: Couples seek photographers who can capture the unique beauty of their event and understand their vision. They are often detail-oriented and want a photographer who can provide a seamless, memorable experience.
Behavioral Traits:
Purchase Drivers: Quality of photos, reputation, range of wedding package options, and experience with Sonoma County venues.
Pain Points: Concerns about reliability, availability, and clear package options that match their budget and wedding style.
Channels: Can be reached through local wedding fairs, online reviews, Instagram, and Pinterest, where couples often browse for inspiration and recommendations.
Positioning Sari Photography with a professional yet personalized approach, showcasing experience and offering packages tailored to each persona, will enhance its appeal in these niches.
Sari Photography: PhotoDay Marketing and Operational Setup
1. Marketing Flyers and Initial Outreach:
Flyer Creation: Developed high-quality marketing flyers specifically tailored for each school photo session or event, emphasizing PhotoDay’s convenience, high-quality imagery, and easy ordering process.
Personalized Messaging: Flyers are designed with school and event-specific details, utilizing visually engaging layouts that showcase Sari Photography’s unique style and professionalism.
2. Subject Data Tracking and Customer Insights:
Subject Data Management: Systematically recorded subject data in PhotoDay, enabling streamlined tracking of orders, engagement, and session details. This data provides insights into customer preferences and helps tailor reminders and follow-ups for each unique session.
Data Analysis: Regularly reviewed and updated subject data to improve targeting for PhotoDay sessions, focusing on engagement metrics such as order frequency and image selection trends.
3. Automated Reminders and Follow-Ups:
Non-Purchasers and Non-Openers: Set up automated reminders and targeted follow-ups via email for customers who had not yet made purchases or opened initial communications, enhancing conversion rates and engagement.
Timing Strategy: Reminders are scheduled post-session and strategically timed for optimal engagement, with a personalized approach for each recipient.
4. SMS Alerts and Real-Time Updates:
SMS Alerts: Utilized SMS alerts through PhotoDay for timely reminders and updates to ensure customers are informed about their sessions, purchasing options, and important deadlines.
Engagement Optimization: These alerts are customized to maximize responsiveness, especially for last-minute order deadlines or special promotions.
5. Customer Troubleshooting and Support:
Customer Troubleshooting: Implemented a dedicated support process to address common customer inquiries or issues with ordering, accessing images, or using the PhotoDay platform.
Process Documentation: Created detailed SOPs in Asana to guide troubleshooting efforts, ensuring consistency and high-quality customer service. This includes FAQs, step-by-step guides, and pre-drafted responses to expedite the resolution process.
6. Asana SOPs for Team Coordination:
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Documented all workflows and processes in Asana, including task delegation, customer communication guidelines, and reminder schedules, creating an accessible, organized system for the team.
Operational Efficiency: These SOPs promote streamlined operations, allowing for efficient customer communication, timely follow-ups, and comprehensive tracking of each photography session.
Attended Santa Rosa Academy Photo Day, which has a tuition around $40,000 per year, and took an active role in supporting social media efforts. You went above and beyond by capturing action shots of the photographer in action, which enhanced the social media content and helped promote the photographer's work more effectively.
Developed and optimized PhotoDay pricing sheets, setting strategic prices for packages with an understanding of the economic and psychological factors that drive parents' purchasing decisions. By streamlining the user experience and crafting an intuitive, simplified interface, you made it easier for parents to view and choose packages. Additionally, you implemented a campaign strategy designed to maximize engagement, leveraging psychological insights to increase the appeal of premium packages and ultimately boost sales.